Cats respond far more positively to incentives and goodies than they do to punishment. However, you can deter undesirable conduct by employing a few techniques. For example, shake a loud can. Shake a can with a few pennies in it to surprise your cat if you notice it jumping on the countertops or anywhere it shouldn’t be. Using deterrents such as this as well as citrus scents, red pepper flakes, and commercially available sprays can keep cats away from particular places. Deterrent sprays have a foul taste to discourage pets from chewing on objects too. Or, you might make use of a water spray bottle. No one, not even cats, like being squirted with water.
Of course, your cat’s inappropriate attention-seeking behaviour may have an underlying health cause. If so, a cat insurance policy is essential in covering you for the vet diagnosis and treatment involved. In recent years, cat insurance companies have begun offering pet owners a greater amount of flexibility in their coverage, including the ability to choose their excess. Take advantage of the opportunity and lock in coverage for your cat so its health (and your bank account) are safeguarded throughout its lifetime.
Now, back to deterring inappropriate behaviour… If your cat is somewhere or doing something they shouldn’t be, you could give them a quick spray. After a few occasions, simply reaching for the spray bottle will likely discourage undesirable behaviour. Or, use double-sided tape or aluminium foil to secure the item. These simple items may be placed on surfaces that you do not want your cat to scratch. The textures are unappealing to cats.
Make a statement to stop any harsh behaviour by startling your cat with a loud “ouch” or similar phrase. This is useful for cats who are aggressive toward humans and may bite or grasp your arm or leg. Set a timer. If your cat is misbehaving, you may even try placing it in a bathroom or another area with no humans for 20 minutes. It will frequently emerge from the room with a new attitude.
Reward your cat with goodies, praise, and attention whenever workable if your cat is doing well. Reward it if you see it sleeping near something it used to chew. Reward it if you observe it scratching the scratching pole instead of your sofa. Your cat will rapidly understand the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. You must never inflict physical harm on your cat. This includes spanking, beating, kicking, or purposely injuring your cat.
Using physical measures to teach a violent or disobedient cat a lesson does not work and may cause more disruptive, even hostile, behaviour. Scruffing is unpleasant, and causing harm to a misbehaving cat will only worsen the problem. It is also believed that what looked to be calm in some scruffed cats was fear paralysis. Therefore, rather than taking a cat by the scruff, if absolutely necessary for your or someone else’s safety then scoop the cat inside a blanket and put it somewhere safe until any violent behaviour subsides. This will keep both you and the animal secure and allow you to transfer the cat without further upsetting it.
If violence is an issue for your cat then use your pet insurance to visit with your vet to discuss your options on training the behaviour out of it. Your dog insurance will help cover the cost of the visit, any check-ups or treatments done while there, and then cover medical care for any illnesses, injuries or other emergencies your mischievous cat encounters down the track.