Is it possible to punish a kitten for pampering, how to punish it correctly so that it understands?

Domestic cats are complex, highly organized creatures, with which problems can often arise due to a person’s lack of understanding of her reactions to various actions. To improve the quality of life not only for cats, but also for humans, you need to understand what conditions are preferable for a pet, their social organization, their habits - how they take food and water, use the toilet. Knowing the habits of an animal will help a person understand how to punish a cat and whether it needs to be done in a given situation. There are several common features that are characteristic of all cats.

A cat by nature is a hunter. Over the course of evolution, cats have developed the physical and behavioral characteristics they need to hunt. The natural rhythms of the animal are adapted to the time of day when its main prey - small animals and birds - are most vulnerable - at dawn and at sunset. At this time, cats are most active, and activity is also higher in spring and summer.

A person needs to understand the habits and habits of a cat

The cat is a territorial animal. The area considered by the cat to be its own is a space in which there are resources necessary for survival and which must be protected. Therefore, many cats do not get along well with other cats, not only in the same house, but sometimes even in neighboring ones. When its boundaries are violated, the animal experiences a strong sense of danger, which can lead to both aggression and, conversely, an attempt to hide. Cats mark their territory in various ways - by rubbing against objects, leaving scratches or markings with urine.

Cats have a developed sense of smell; they are exposed to smells and sounds that are inaccessible to humans. They use scents, along with their keen sense of smell, as a means of communicating with each other, defining territory boundaries, and to keep other cats at a distance. Cats create scent marks that make them feel more confident. When they are calm and do not feel threatened, glands on their faces are used for marking. If the cat is unsure of its safety, then it may begin to use stronger signs by spraying urine.

Cats are very attentive, they have skills that allow them to react to danger with lightning speed, avoid it, noticing the probable source of danger. Cats can be bothered by sounds and smells that are common to humans, mostly new and unexpected ones. An animal can very quickly go on the attack if they are disturbed or unexpectedly frightened by a sudden movement or sound.

Cats react very quickly to danger

Cats generally fit well into human life. However, it happens that an animal cannot adapt well to new conditions, which sometimes causes problems. When under stress for a long time, a cat's behavior may show changes such as refusal of the litter box, fearfulness, or aggression. These reactions are part of their natural behavior, but do not always fit into human expectations from pets.

Methods of punishment

Sometimes there are times when it is a shame to punish a cat, but this is necessary for “pedagogical” purposes. You need to remember one thing: if you can do without punishment, do so. A bad mood and irritation are not a reason to take it out on a cat; it is not to blame for anything. Punishments for a pet can be as follows: a stream of water or air, a loud sound, a menacing tone, boycotting the cat, reluctance to talk to or caress it.

Spraying

One of the most effective ways to punish a cat is to spray it with water from a spray bottle. Most cats do not like to get wet, and splashes of cold water and a sudden sound from the sprayer will frighten the animal.

Spray your cat's face several times if she scratches furniture or tries to steal food from the table. It will be unpleasant for the pet, but it will not cause harm to health and will not injure the psyche. As a rule, a few repetitions are enough for the cat to learn the cause-and-effect relationship and the necessary rules of behavior.

Spray your cat with water if she does something bad.

Use intonation

Many breeders advise using a reprimanding tone, which should be used to pronounce the words “impossible” and “bad”. But the words must be supported by a certain action, otherwise the cat will not perceive them. Therefore, it is recommended to lightly click the cat on the nose and move your index finger in front of the muzzle, repeating “no.” The effect will be good, since cats do not like being manipulated in front of their eyes.

Another effective punishment would be a threatening tone, supported by the faintest click or light tapping of a finger on the nose or forehead.

Cats are excellent at distinguishing voice notes and understanding the emotions of their owner. Therefore, in most cases, a strict reprimand is enough to explain the rules of behavior to your pet.

A menacing tone needs to be backed up with actions.

Frightening loud sounds

Cats don't like loud noises. But this does not mean that you need to shout at her; screaming will not help.

During a crime, you can clap your hands loudly, slam your hand on the table, or drop a bunch of keys.

Other methods

Ignoring. Immediately after the offense, do not pay attention to the cat for a while, do not even look at it, no matter how much it caresses you. This is a very strong measure of influence. If a cat can associate a change in the owner’s behavior with its own specific action, then it will have a serious motive not to repeat it.

Traps are an indirect deterrent to cats. Their advantage is that the animal does not associate the trap with a person. For example, you can place an unstable tray on the edge of the table, and when the cat jumps on it, the tray will fall with a crash. You can also place light tin cans on a table, window sill or shelf so that when a cat jumps, it will definitely bump into something. Then she will have nowhere to put her paws, or she will drop something, making an unexpected sound.

Methods of action depending on situations

When cats start damaging property or wallpaper, these are much more serious problems than theft and impudence. There are two ways out of this situation. You can buy a special scratching post and silently eliminate all the consequences of your furry pet’s fun without punishment. If the cat likes scratching posts or special toys, then in the absence of the owners he will stop damaging the furniture. Another option is to try to scare the animal when it intends to damage the furniture. To do this, you can use the same spray bottle, create noise by throwing a book, keys or other object on the floor.

When a kitten behaved inappropriately as a child, in order to punish him, the mother cat would take him by the scruff of the neck and hiss at him. This is exactly what you can try to do with an already matured person. So, in the language of purrs, you can explain to her that she is wrong.

Most owners are accustomed to the only way to deal with a cat that has gone to the toilet in the wrong place - to poke the pet’s nose into the puddle. In principle, there is nothing criminal or unacceptable in this method. You can punish a cat in this way. But it is advisable that before punishing an animal, you need to try to find the cause of what happened. Maybe this was completely due to the fault of the household :

they forgot to remove his litter tray in time, but managed to punish him;
They didn’t notice how much they had offended the animal before. Some cats constantly take revenge on their owners for the bathing procedure;
A common reason for defecating past the toilet is territorial marking. The cat senses danger when another pet appears in the house.

Crime and Punishment

It is important to know how to properly punish a cat so that it understands why it received the punishment. Punishments against a cat should be applied immediately after committing a “crime” if you managed to catch it red-handed. Otherwise, the animal simply will not understand why he received the beating.

How to punish a cat if she shits

Cats are very clean animals and in most cases there are no problems with toilet training. If a small kitten makes puddles and piles in the corners, you need to act as quickly as possible, since in childhood it is much easier to accustom the animal to the tray.

It is easier to litter train a small kitten than an adult cat.

Before punishing an adult cat for pooping in the wrong place, you need to understand the reasons for this behavior.

If a previously clean cat suddenly begins to go to the toilet past the tray, or its posture changes when urinating or defecating, then this may indicate health problems, in which case it should be taken to a veterinarian for examination.

The cat may be unhappy with the tray and litter. The tray should be cleaned daily and placed in a quiet, calm, easily accessible place. You can try changing the litter; perhaps the cat doesn’t like the smell.

A cat may experience stress caused by noise, sudden changes in surroundings, or strangers. To reduce stress, you need to show more attention to the cat and play with it more.

If there are several animals in the house, there may be a fight for territory. Cats begin to mark their territory when they feel threatened. If a cat has enough food, water and attention, she feels safe and will not have the desire to poop.

It is common for all cats to mark their territory when they reach puberty. There are many reasons why cats start marking: stress, the appearance of a new animal, fear of someone in the family, the desire to attract cats. The only solution for owners in this situation is castration of the cat.

In cases where the reasons for bad behavior are psychological, you need to remember an important feature of cats - they perceive the world through smells. If a cat went to the toilet in a certain place, it will return there and go again because it will be attracted to that place by the smell. Therefore, it is best to wash the places where the cat has pooped with special products that fight off the cat’s odor; you can also use essential oils.

How to punish a cat for aggression

It happens that cats behave aggressively towards other people or animals, this can become a problem and the question arises of how to punish the cat for its aggression. The reasons that cause aggression can be stress, anxiety, health problems, and hormonal changes. First, you need to consult a veterinarian and if the cat is completely healthy, then you should identify irritants that cause aggression.

If a cat is allowed to do whatever she wants, play with her hands, “hunt” for her feet, play aggression may arise. In order to avoid this, you need to prevent aggression during the game, immediately stop it with a slap on the back of the nose. You can also take the cat by the scruff of the neck and shake it slightly.

Don't play with your hands with your cat

Aggression can be caused by pain or fear. Excited, embarrassed or fearful cats should be handled with care. The factor causing their aggression should be eliminated, isolated and left alone for a while.

Some cats are trained to behave aggressively to keep a situation under control, and this can result in directed aggression. For example, having scratched a child or a dog, she understands that in this way she can get rid of their company and henceforth the cat will strive to attack for no apparent reason. Do not allow this type of aggression to occur and stop it at the very beginning. You can spray the cat with water from a spray bottle, or you can take the cat by the scruff of the neck and shake it slightly.

During petting from a person, a cat will experience conflicting feelings - growing excitement often turns into irritation, and the cat bites the person stroking it, so-called “irritable aggression” occurs. Don't unexpectedly touch a sleeping cat, make sure she's awake first. Don't allow yourself to pet or caress your cat for too long.

In uncastrated and unsterilized cats, a hormonal surge may occur, the animal begins to rage and become angry. The solution to the problem may be castration and sterilization, but this must be done before the first year of life.

Unneutered cats experience hormonal changes that can cause aggression

Aggression can also occur in cats that have become mothers. Their instinct to protect their offspring awakens. In this case, the cat cannot be punished and it is worth providing comfortable living conditions for it and the kittens.

How to stop a cat from chewing wires

Most often, small kittens chew wires, but adult cats can also sin with this act. They are driven by curiosity, problems with teeth and gums, lack of vitamins and minerals, lack of toys and outdoor activities. Cats play with wires hanging from the table with the same pleasure as with strings and ribbons.

The question arises - how to punish and wean a cat or kitten from gnawing wires. The first thing you need to remember is to never scream, much less hit an animal. If a kitten or adult cat shows interest in the wires, say “no” in a stern voice, pick it up and carry it away from the object of interest.

Many cats love to chew on wires.

To prevent your cat from being tempted to chew the wires, you need to take the following measures:

Remove wires as much as possible into boxes and other special devices. If you cannot remove it, you need to secure the wires so that they are motionless.
Turn wires into an unattractive object. Traditional methods can help with this - wrap the wires in foil, wipe with a vinegar solution or spread with mustard. But the right decision would be to use special products that are sold in veterinary pharmacies.
Pay attention to the animal's nutrition. Consult your veterinarian and supplement your diet with essential vitamins and minerals.
Keep your pet busy with play. Build or buy a play complex, give them more toys.

The cat will be delighted with the play complex

When to punish

The pet does not become manageable and docile on its own. The owner must make it clear what the pet can and cannot do in the house. A cat does not understand the value of things, for example, an expensive soft corner for her is just an object on which it is so convenient to sharpen her claws.

Most often, household members are faced with such negative manifestations of behavior as “stealing” food from the table, damaging household property with claws, ignoring the tray, climbing on shelves and curtains, and aggressive behavior (scratching, biting, attacking). A mischievous animal should be taught a lesson first of all to correct its future behavior.

Owners often ask experienced breeders whether it is possible to punish a cat in principle or whether it is better to abandon the idea. The widespread belief that brute force should never be used against these wayward representatives of the feline family has good reason. As a rule, any physical methods in the form of blows or slaps lead to the opposite effect.

An animal, having received stress from violence, continues to mischief and damage property with a vengeance. In addition, punishing a defenseless animal with physical force is unacceptable in a civilized society.

As a rule, any unseemly act can be explained. For example, if a cat chooses a favorite chest of drawers or chair to grind off its claws, then the reason for this action is that the pet is not accustomed to using a scratching post. In this case, the owner should purchase this useful accessory, accustom the animal to it, and the problem will cease to exist.

If a cat persistently tries to steal something tasty from the table, then the reason for such unacceptable behavior is often underfeeding. A factor that forces a pet to ignore its litter tray may be its contamination or diseases of the genitourinary system.

Often the cause of cat sabotage is lack of attention from the owner. Left to its own devices, the pet tries to entertain itself on its own, not understanding why, upon returning, the owner shows dissatisfaction, and instead of the usual affection, negative notes are heard in the voice

In such situations, you should not punish the animal; it is necessary to eliminate the reasons that provoke inappropriate behavior.

Before punishing a cat, you should make sure that the animal is absolutely healthy and that its bad behavior is not associated with illness. Often the reason that a pet ignores the usual litter box is urolithiasis.

The cat experiences pain during the act of urination, associates it with visiting the cat litter box and begins to shit anywhere.

Under no circumstances should harsh educational manipulations be carried out if the animal has just appeared in the house. The pet must be given time to get used to the new place. Experiencing stress from moving, new smells, and living conditions at this time, the animal will not understand why it is being punished and will experience even greater psycho-emotional stress.

You should use educational measures and think about how to punish a cat for bad behavior if all steps have been taken to eliminate the causes of misbehavior.

The owner's unseemly attitude will be perceived by the cat as an insult, a manifestation of dislike. Such emotions will negatively affect the pet’s psyche. In order for the educational moment to have the necessary effect, you need to take action at the moment the cat commits sabotage.

Not having another portion of food in the bowl will most likely cause dissatisfaction and even stress.

Firstly, physical violence can injure a cat, and the back is especially vulnerable.
Secondly, striking the animal will provoke aggression or instill fear in it, against the background of which the cat will no longer adequately understand what exactly is required of it.
Thirdly, such behavior usually leads to emotional alienation of the owner from the pet, disruption of harmony in relationships, and loss of trust.

Having decided that a furry couch potato needs behavior correction, the owner should have an idea of how to properly punish the cat. The choice of acceptable and effective methods in the process of raising an animal is important for achieving not only an immediate positive result, but also for developing a stable reflex.

Correcting bad behavior

Changing the behavior of a cat is like taming a tiger: you need to work on it day after day, slowly and gradually, changing the natural behavior of the animal in a way that suits both the cat and the person.

Analyzing the reasons for bad behavior

In most cases, behavioral disturbances in cats are natural responses to environmental stimuli and do not mean that the cat is aggressive or vindictive. For example, one of the common problems is that a cat shits in the wrong litter box, this problem is caused by a lot of reasons, but not revenge - it is not typical for cats. A cat may refuse to go to the usual litter box just because it is simply dirty, due to stress after a change of environment, or due to inflammation of the urinary tract.

The next most common complaint from owners is the cat's aggressive behavior. It is necessary to distinguish between the types of aggression in cats, to prevent the causes of their occurrence and to stop them from an early age. In severe and advanced cases, you should consult a veterinarian and undergo drug therapy. Since all forms of aggression in cats can have dangerous consequences, in some cases, for example, if the aggression is associated with brain diseases or congenital malformations, it is necessary to decide to euthanize the animal.

The reasons for bad behavior can be stress, lack of socialization, boredom or negative life experiences. Therefore, before dealing with behavior that does not suit the owner, you should establish the reason that led to the consolidation of the bad habit. It is worth taking a close look at your cat’s behavior to find out and understand when and in what situations it commits inappropriate acts.

Before punishing, you need to identify the reasons for bad behavior

Rules for punishing cats

When punishing a cat, you need to follow certain rules:

Never punish a cat with your hands. It is better to take a newspaper or a towel and swing at the animal, pretend that you want to hit, but not hit. Something pleasant should be associated with a cat's hands.
Punishment must be timely and follow immediately after the offense.
The punishment must be sincere. Sometimes, when a cat is caught in the act of a crime or behaves badly, but very funny, the owner is touched and “reprimands” her through laughter. The animal feels human emotions very subtly and will perceive punishment as praise rather than as a prohibition, and in the future it will be very difficult to wean it from a bad habit.
Punishment must be inevitable. The inevitability of punishment must be observed by all family members. If, for example, the father scolds the cat for stealing, and the mother feels sorry for her and acts in her own way, then in the absence of family members, the cat will continue to steal from the table.
The principle of minimum punishment. If the cat understands shouting or clapping your hands, limit yourself to this.

Punish your pet correctly to avoid psychological problems

There should be as few prohibitions in the house as possible, but they should be very strict. Owners need to understand what is required from a cat and build the educational process on this. For example, many people do not like it when a cat is in the bedroom and gets into the bed, while others enjoy this behavior. Some people throw pieces from the plate to the cat during lunch, while others feed them only by the hour and in a specially designated place.

There are a lot of norms of behavior and they all depend on the person.

How to properly punish a cat for bad behavior

For a pet there is no concept of the value of things. Items located in the house become the object of the game or another claw blade. A pet's behavior depends entirely on its upbringing.

Cats are wayward animals. When observing them, scientists came to the conclusion that the mustachioed ones remember the insult for a long time and are able to take revenge on their offender. Therefore, educational actions for bad behavior must be justified and not supported by brute force.

Any manifestation of brute force in the process of education: spanking, hitting often leads to a repetition of the situation. In the process of such punishment, the pet experiences stress and continues to mischief twice as much.

In addition, modern society does not accept the use of physical punishment against animals. The criminal code provides for a separate article for causing harm to a pet.

Cats don't understand the value of things

How to properly punish a cat: whips, gingerbread and other arsenal

All representatives of the cat family are capricious and curious by nature. These are closed, independent creatures with a complex psyche that is not always understandable to humans. Therefore, owners are often faced with unpredictable behavior on the part of their pet. Some pranks can be quickly corrected, but sometimes adequate punishment must be applied.

How to make punishment more effective

The above methods have been proven to be safe and effective. But there are a few more life hacks in store for the most stubborn cats. They are designed to make our methods even more effective.

Be consistent

Consistency is important in punishment

You cannot ignore him today for constant attacks, and tomorrow suddenly postpone educational work. This will just confuse the cat.

Overall, this can be the most difficult part of the entire process.

Timely discipline

Punishment should take effect immediately after the fact of unacceptable behavior by the cat. If you wait 20-30 minutes or more, then you will simply be abusing the animal. So it simply won’t understand what exactly is happening.

Beating and humiliating a cat is useless and dangerous

Beating and humiliating a cat for educational purposes is the worst thing the owner of a guilty animal can think of. Humiliation and physical violence will not achieve obedience from your pet. He will not be able to grasp the cause-and-effect relationship between his behavior and moral and physical pressure; he will not be able to somehow connect these events.

Beating and humiliating a kitten or an adult cat is also prohibited for another reason. Felines have an extremely vulnerable psyche. Anything can throw them out of emotional balance. Many cats have a hard time traveling in a car, a change of scenery, the appearance of a child or a new four-legged inhabitant in the house, even moving to another room can have a negative impact on their psyche.

Screaming and physical impact on them can lead to severe mental disorders that will require long-term and expensive treatment. However, there is no guarantee that it will be successful.

Tailed bully is not recommended:

Poking your nose into urine and feces. Poking in its own excrement will result in severe stress for the animal. It will begin to fear its owner, and its behavior will become even more unpredictable, if not inadequate.
Beat. In the mind of the pet, physical punishment will be fixed not in connection with the action committed, but with the offender or the object with which he was punished, for example, with a slipper. As a result, he will begin to avoid shoes and the person who offended him, but will not stop doing what he was beaten for.
You can’t stop doing something using the “no” command. These animals do not understand the meaning of this word, and perceive prohibitions as a violation of their personal boundaries.

Beatings and humiliation will not solve the problem. This will only push the pet away, but will not improve the situation. The only thing that can be done without harming the cat’s psyche is to lightly slap it on the back with your palm at the moment the “crime” is committed.

You can't spank, splash, or scream!

And finally, a few words about how you can punish a cat, and how you should never punish it. First of all, I would like to instill in our readers the most important idea: cats cannot be beaten. Cats are very fragile creatures. Even a light tap on the head or butt can cause moral or physical trauma to an animal (the latter place is especially sensitive in cats due to the high density of nerve endings).

So just prohibit yourself and your family members from using physical force on the cat, either with your hands, newspapers, rags, and so on. A little better and popular advice is to spray the cat with water. Knowing how much cats generally dislike water, subjecting them to such stress is nothing less than an example of senseless cruelty.

Loud noises also cause real suffering to cats, especially aggressive screaming, which, unfortunately, is abused by so many people. And most importantly, these actions are not only cruel, but also completely useless. The cat will not draw any conclusions about his behavior from them. Only about yours.