Does your feline friend have a cattitude? Fluffy is a great pet, but she isn’t perfect. In fact, many kitties have some bad habits! A Marietta, GA vet offers some suggestions on teaching your furball better manners in this article.
Avoid Punishment
Never yell at or hit your cat for misbehaving. Fluffy doesn’t really get the concept of punishment. Since your kitty was likely just following her instincts, she won’t understand what she did wrong, or why you are angry with her. This may just confuse or frighten her. Plus, this is more likely to get her to form a bad association with you than with the undesired behavior. That’s the last thing you want!
Encourage Good Behavior
Part of teaching Fluffy better manners is rewarding her for being good. For example, if you see her using her scratching post, immediately praise her, pet her, and offer her toys, treats, and catnip.
Trickery
With some things, you may want to make the offending behavior difficult or unappealing. If Fluffy is scratching the sofa, block her favorite spot with a plant or end table. If she’s jumping on counters, put tin foil on them, so they are just sticking out a bit.
Annoy Your Cat
As mentioned above, you should never punish your kitty. That said, it’s perfectly fine to annoy her a little bit. When Fluffy does something wrong, such as scratching your sofa or jumping onto the table, do something that will startle her and irritate her without hurting or scaring her. You can squirt her with water, clap your hands, bang two pots together, or sound a bike horn. Reinforce this with a phrase, such as ‘Bad kitty’ or ‘Get down!’ or even just ‘No!’ Your frisky feline will probably run off to ponder things a bit. After a few incidents, she should get the hint.
Don’t Play Rough
Biting and scratching are common issues with cats. Fluffy is a hunter by nature, and she sometimes likes to practice on her humans. If your kitty playfully attacks you, say ‘No’ and then walk away and ignore her for a while. You can also blow in her face. If your cat is actually attacking you, ask your vet for tips on dealing with her aggression.
Do you have questions or concerns about your cat’s health or care? Call us, your Marietta, GA pet hospital!
