If you own a cat and it comes to learn how to discipline your cat, things get difficult quickly. Unlike other pets, cats have their own distinctive personalities and it is difficult to train a cat in the right direction. Training a cat requires a lot of patience.
First, it is important to understand why your cat is acting harshly so you can provide him with the support he needs. Check out the tips below to understand how to discipline a cat so you can take the right course of actions when your cat is misbehaving.
Never Beat your Cat Physically
Cats don’t respond well to physical punishment because they don’t associate misbehavior with physical punishment. If you are using physical force to control your misbehaving cat, he probably won’t understand why you are hurting him.
If your cat is misbehaving, simply ignore him for a while and then provide him with the attention and affection he needs. Beating your misbehaving cat will only make him fearful and aggressive. It may lead to shy and depressed behavior towards all human because he may not know whom to trust. Definitely, you don’t want to happen this situation!
Use your Voice instead of Beating
Rather than beating your cat, you can use a firm noise to make him feel that he is doing something wrong. You can use the words like “no” and “stop it”. Another option is to clap with your hands. This sound might help to distract his attention.
Although it is a good way to raise your voice but it cannot be a consistent technique because it can frighten him. When it comes to teaching disciplines to your pet, you don’t want to stress him. Shouting at him may scare him. It cannot be an effective way while teaching disciplines.
Avoid Late Punishments
If you come home and find that your cat has destroyed something, it’s too late to punish him. He might have forgotten about it, so your pet won’t understand why you’re angry or why he’s being punished. Instead, it is the best practice to keep your valuable things away from your pet.
If you are providing him with plenty of toys that make him happy, it can keep him occupied when you are outside.
Figure Out the Needs of your Cat
A cat’s misbehavior is often a result of his needs. In order to discipline a cat, it is required to fulfill his needs. Similarly, it is required to take care of the physical health of your cat. He might be dealing with a physical ailment that is causing him to misbehave or act aggressively so getting him treated would be helpful in that scenario.
A cat might be exhibiting bad behavior because he is feeling lonely and bored. In this case, you might need to pay more attention and affection towards your misbehaving cat or provide environmental changes to make him happy and calm. In other words, it isn’t always a physical ailment that’s to blame; instead, it might be an emotional concern that needs to be addressed.
Tactics to Deal with a Misbehaving Cat
Correcting bad behavior using clever tactics is a useful technique. If your cat is damaging the furniture you can use double-sided tapes for its prevention. This tactic can help you to discipline your cat without punishing him. Similarly, some cat training programs use motion detectors to sense when he is doing something wrong and produce some sort of punishment like releasing the blast of odorless spray to punish a pet in a different way.
When it comes to the bad behavior that is related to play, you can use a simple strategy of taking your attention away from him. For example, if you are playing with your cat and suddenly he starts behaving aggressively, you can stop playing to give him some space. It will help him to understand that this behavior is not acceptable and will result in play sessions ending immediately.
Litter Training to Clean your Home
If your cat is using different places as his litter box, there could be serious reasons. First of all, make sure that his little box is clean. Secondly, you have to check that if there is any harsh and odorless smell. Don’t use chemicals as they can irritate him. But you can use its inverse, use unpleasant scents to deter the cat from doing his bathroom duties outside of his litter box.
One of the most common reasons is urinary infection that can cause misbehavior. It is a medical problem that needs to be addressed properly.
Understand the Behavior of your Cat
When you are deciding how to discipline your cat, understanding his behavior is very essential. Most of the time, it comes to know the reasons of your cat’s harsh behavior. In most cases cats that behave aggressively are bored. To help them alleviate this need provide your cat with plenty of attraction and affection. Make sure you have the toys that make him feel happy.
Cat Nail Clipping and its Behavior
Most cats don’t like having their nails trimmed with cat nail clippers and show bad behavior. Start trimming at an early age so that he gets used to the process.
Carefully hold your cat’s paw between your fingers and rub it gently 2 to 3 times. If your cat moves during this process, follow his gesture. Then squeeze the paw and release the nail immediately. If you can do this 2 to 3 times a day your cat gets used to it
Final Thought
You might have to apply different techniques before finding one that works best. The one that is working for your pet entirely depends on the kind of misbehavior and the personality of your cat. Keep in mind that when you are disciplining your pet, you are also making a strong bond with your cat that will help you in the long run. Provide him with full attention and affection but do not force him to play when he is not in a happy mood. By consistently withholding attention, you will likely enjoy a much better-behaved cat.