Cats can associate negative experiences with events, but they do not learn rules or specific behaviors from punishment the way people hope they will. Their learning window is only a couple of seconds, so anything aversive that happens after that just feels random to them. What they actually learn is that the person or place involved is unsafe, not that the behavior was wrong.
That is why punishment often leads to fear, hiding, aggression, or avoidance instead of fixing the problem. It damages trust faster than it changes behavior.
Positive reinforcement, environmental management, and redirection work far better because they match how cats naturally learn. Reward the behavior you want, set up the environment so the unwanted behavior is less appealing, and guide them toward better choices.
In practical terms, aversive training with cats is almost always counterproductive. Positive methods are both more effective and more humane.
Cat shrink, can you explain why my cat screams all goddamn day while I’m trying to work? He doesn’t want held. He doesn’t have an empty dish. He can reach his many toys. He’s healthy. He’s comfortable. He won’t shut the fuck up.
I get off work and leave the office and he’s no longer screaming. Doesn’t need me or anything.
Does eye contact shut him up? Cats use eye contact as a primary communication mode, and meowing to communicate with humans, he might be conditioned to think the meowing gets the eye contact he wants.
Or, he’s just an asshole, lots of cats are assholes too.
No effect at all.
He’s telling you your job is bad for your mental health? 😂 idk
I mean he’s not wrong but I have to work so he can eat.
I miss my kitties soooo much. That’s a cute pic… now we have a boxer and he’s a massive cuddle bug, but not a cat! He’s always Looking at us and defending the opposition in our house. Animals are just so funny lolz🥰
I did that once, instantly felt terrible, and spent 150$ on cat toys, treats, and scratching posts for him to tell him that I was sorry. He has now learned that if he does something naughty I will treat him like a king
How DARE
What is the charge? Eating a succulent meal?
A succulent house plant meal?
DEMOCRACY ENCARNATE
Incarnate?
DEMOCRACY CON CARNE!
SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES
OKAY
I see you know your
judovocabulary well!
Get your hand off my penis!
I’ve never once had a cat who cared about verbal excoriation. Mine will only stop doing naughty things if you get up and approach them, then as soon as you sit back down they’re back to doing it again.
Have you tried a squirt bottle? If you follow up the ignored words with a damp coat they start being more reasonable pretty quick.
I used to be pro squirt bottle, but I read something on lemmy once about how it’s actually damaging to your relationship with your cat.
I don’t have that exact article, but here’s one I just snagged off Google. https://www.fearfreehappyhomes.com/squelch-the-squirt-why-spraying-water-doesnt-work-to-train-your-cat/
Positive reinforcement is the best method for correcting bad behavior in pets. It’s tough because it doesn’t stop the bad behavior now.
I agree positive reinforcement is certainly good, we use that for scratching couch and such, but there’s no real substitute action for getting onto the kitchen counter and eating plastic, nor is there one for biting someone. There does have to be a level of mild punishment for certain actions, especially ones that can harm themselves or others.
Squirt bottles taught my car exactly how far they would squirt and he would stand just out of range.
I feel you, I had to chase them around with it for a while. Consistency got there, it was an uphill battle for a bit. Nowdays I can just shake the water bottle and they general start behaving.
I used to use canned air, but they eventually stopped caring.
The room where I spend most of my time and they get up to most of their shenanigans is pretty long across so, unless I used a super soaker, I’m not sure I could hit them with water.
I have occasionally thrown something soft - like a pillow, I have no desire to issue actual corporal punishment - in their direction. That’s gotten mixed results.
Canned air is good for the noise, but yeah they do tend to realise after a bit if there are no actual consequences.
I had a period initially when training them where I had to more or less chase them around the house to get a squirt in. It sucks, but they need the consistent punishment to reinforce the idea that certain behaviours are associated with punishment.
I feel you on not wanting to use punishment, unfortunately they aren’t receptive to harsh language by default, they are really only built to respond to physical stimulus. Not using unneeded force is good obviously, the most I do are light taps on the nose if they bite someone too hard, that’s really rare nowadays thankfully. Everything else is the squirt bottle if they don’t respond to verbal signals.
Though I’m not an expert, just speaking from 1.5 demons worth of cats. Grain of salt etc. Eldest used to bite my stomach during important meetings during lockdown, sharing the apartment with her during that time was a real lesson in training cats.
“This is a safe space. You are not welcome here.”
We don’t deserve cats
Well, when in history did humans ever deserve anything?
I wish my pets liked each other. They “tolerate” each other.
good
Removed by mod
Ahh, classic “here is a picture of cat(s) with made up caption”. It’s funny, but it definitely did not happen.
Nothing ever happens.
Lmao, I get one comment saying of course it’s fake and another suggesting it’s obviously real.
It makes the most sense that somebody saw this image and thought it looked like the given caption. It’s a funny personification, but almost definitely not real. I think it would have been just as funny if they prefaced the text with “it looks like…”. But in the grand scheme of the world, lying on cat posts is by far the lowest on the list of concerns. But then again, so is my comment pointing out they lied.
You’ve cracked the case, detective party pooper!
