By Ruth aka Kattaddorra
This article was inspired by the ever constant debate as to whether spraying water at cats is cruel or not. Some people swear by it but I make no secret of the fact that yes I do think it is cruel because I hate any punishing of cats at all.
Cats don’t understand punishment, it doesn’t work and they eventually become nervous around the person punishing them.
Pro squirters say you need to squirt from a place where the cat can’t see you doing it, so he doesn’t associate it with you. So that means lying in wait with a squirty bottle and watching for the cat to ‘misbehave’ and then using it.
Some people recommend saying NO at the same time as squirting, so how they think the cat doesn’t associate the wetting of them with the person’s voice puzzles me?
Yes it stops the cat there and then from doing what you don’t want him to do, but for it to really work you’d have to watch him 24 hours a day, who is to say he doesn’t do what you are trying to stop him doing, when no one can see him?
Some say but it does work eventually, now I only have to show him the squirt bottle or say NO and he runs from the place he shouldn’t be. I’d say in that case that it hasn’t worked, if it had he wouldn’t keep on wanting to do what he shouldn’t.
There is also the risk of when the cat suddenly bolts in fear, the water although not aimed at his face, may go into his eyes, mouth or ears. In particular water in a cat’s ear can set up a middle ear infection. Why risk that?
Far better the kind, gentle, distraction method which alters the cat’s thinking. The trick is not to say one word, just silently and gently lift the cat from where he shouldn’t be scratching, to his scratching post or board and when he uses it praise him, saying his name a lot.
‘Good boy Smokey, well done Smokey, clever Smokey’ whatever words you want to use it’s important you say his name. Give him a treat if you like too.
You will find after a few times of this he will go to his scratching post to scratch, not to your couch. It’s just like humans having CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) to alter their thinking, cats brains are very similar to our brains, so it works for cats too.
The cat will soon connect the need to scratch with the correct place to do so, that being his own furniture. The method can be used with any of the cat’s behaviour which isn’t acceptable to his caretaker. Such as him jumping onto surfaces you don’t want him on or if it’s not safe for him.
Simply silently and gently lift him off and distract him with a cat toy or a ball, when he plays praise him, using his name, he will soon learn where not to jump onto.
What cats do isn’t bad behaviour, scratching is necessary behaviour and jumping up heights is natural behaviour, to a cat,
Put it this way, we humans are far from perfect ourselves and we all have habits which aggravate others. Just supposing every time we did something to annoy someone else in our family, they turned a hosepipe on us? How would we feel?
Threatened in our own home, that’s how!
No, it wouldn’t cure us, we are only human and we would live our lives on edge just like cats being punished do, simply for doing what cats do.
Do these people expect us cats to behave like them? No thanks, we cats are far more dignified than humans and we are cleaner than some. Who says they are the boss anyway?
We feel sorry for any cat who gets water squirted at them, what a thing to do!
If you don’t like something we do you only have to kindly show us what you want us to do instead else how do we know you don’t like it, punishing is for you lot who know full well when you are doing something wrong, not for us cats who only do what cats do.
Great article Ruth – I totally agree with your way of thinking and it anyway come naturally to me. I couldn’t punish a cat if I tried. It already feels wrong. Punishment and purposeful negative sentiment is an entirely human invention and practice. I am against anything like that towards cats. Since a cat is not a human it does not live within the same parameters of good and bad or right and wrong – for me anyway – and all it comes down to me is safe or not safe and if it’s not safe I will do what has to be done as best I can.
I’ve had to raise my voice to Lilly if I am on the other side of the room and I see her about to put her paw in hot water that will hurt her and it’s rare and she understands me. She’s constantly investigating so I am only talking about the few moments where I am about to see disaster strike in terms of safety. The thing is I would never have a spray bottle or water pistol ready in the first place. It’s so premeditated I can’t get me head around it. You would already have to be holding it to be ready if something happened. And the question then begs: if what happened? FOr me it’s just about safety and not furniture or my things.
I have some 70 and 80 year old bicycles and saw they liked to sharpen their claws on the tyres – a total disaster – but I just found a simple way to stop them but covering the tires with plastic at the point where they claw. Problem solved. I think if its your intention to do the right thing you can problem solve any issue and find an ideal friendly and above all, constructive solution. Intention really comes out when you see the punishers- the punishers obviously see no possible solution of understanding they might otherwise have with their cat through solving the problem. Instead they punish which causes nothing but confusion and fear and kills the trust bond.
The most wonderful and beautiful thing is when a creature gives you their openness and trust. To betray it is horrible.
Yes, there is a really beauty in getting psychologically close to your cat. It really is like having a friend. You start to see a friend and not a cat or a human. You see the mind not the physical presence. To punish a cat would destroy that intimate closeness.
It’s just more of the human domination thing, people come up with rules and regulations about acceptable behaviour from cats never pausing to think that they aren’t being naughty, acting up or doing anything other than being cats, the perception of bad behaviour is all in the caretaker’s own mind and so they mete out “punishment” like this water spraying business which although not high on the scale of man’s inhumanity to animals is still unpleasant and probably confusing for the cat. Would you trust someone who suddenly turned on you and shouted NO and sprayed you with water when you were just doing something that your body tells you to do? I wouldn’t, I’d feel uncomfortable and suspicious of them I’d be scared of their sudden movements and raised voice, people say they only have to pick up the spray bottle and the cats runs away, hmmm a bit like a man picking up his belt and the child runs away, it’s not the belt that is scary it’s the man holding it. So what if your cat gets on the worktop? if you don’t like it lift him/her down and get the cleanser out and rub it down, it’s not going to kill you. I wish people would get their priorities right and appreciate cats for what they are, incredibly special little creatures that do us the honour of sharing our homes, they are not furry kids, they do not understand human rules and if they did they wouldn’t give a hoot anyway.
Yes it’s just the same as the man with the belt, he’s the scary one, not the belt.
I don’t see how anyone can squirt water at a cat without the cat knowing their person is holding the squirter, unless they hide round corners, behind doors maybe, watching the cat, waiting for him to ‘misbehave’ Maybe it gives them a thrill to catch him at it, to see him run, but it certainly doesn’t work like teaching by kindness does.
Yes why should cats give a hoot about human rules, we choose to share our homes with them, they have no choice as to what sort of home they end up in.
Monty wouldn’t care. He plays out in the rain getting positively drenched. He just shakes himself like a dog and keeps playing. Of course, then it is his idea. He doesn’t like baths– not his idea. I think people forget cats aren’t kids. Human children require correction, and though positives work best, there are things for which there must be negative consequences. But a cat isn’t a human. A cat can’t do anything wrong, he can only behave naturally as a cat should. My mom says she doesn’t believe in punishing children for bed wetting or mistakes made during potty training because you would be punishing the child for doing a natural body function. Punishing a cat for missing the litter box, climbing on the counter or exercising his claws is the same. You can’t punish the animal for doing what are natural instincts and bodily functions.
Nicely put Ruth and thanks for sharing. Monty has a sort of feral/wild cat acceptance of the weather. Nice. A true cat.
You are so right Ruth, a cat shouldn’t be punished for his natural instincts.
Monty doesn’t mind the rain, that’s his choice to play out in it, but supposing (although I know you never would) you started spraying him with water when he asked you to let him out and you didn’t want him to go. Yes some people do, they squirt their cats off the furniture, away from doors, for doing anything they think is misbehaviour. Imagine how nervous those cats are, never able to relax in their own homes. Monty would become nervous around you just as our Walter and Jozef would if we squirted water at them.
It’s not love, punishing cats, it’s a power trip!
Worse some people recommend other liquids like vinegar in the water.
Why can’t everyone be like us and accept cats are cats, they are not humans, they are not children, they are CATS and surely should never be punished for being cats and doing what cats do!
Another truly great poster Ruth and the write up too.
Yes you are right Micheal,spraying water at cats is fear training and just imagine boasting about having a water spray ready at all times,if it was such a wonderful solution the spray wouldn’t be needed.
I had a look at your article you linked to here,which you wrote four years ago,I hadn’t seen it before and was shocked to see people there justifying their cruelty to their cats!
I have never heard of someone doing that to a cat! Of course it wouldn’t work! The poor cat could not relate the thing they were doing to something like that! The water would be their only focus along with who it came from! Whatever they HAD been doing would be the farthest thing from their mind after being threatened by a spray of water! Maybe I am too much of a feline by nature, but I know how to train a cat very well! You have to give them an efficient, acceptable way to accomplish what they, by their nature, need to have or do! Then give them something to play with & or chase, for their entertainment or physical exercise. If you take care of their needs & love them when they are willing to be touched & feed them well, a cat will be a contented part of your family, most willing to not do things that you are clearly displeased by. A simple “No” will educate any cat if you give an acceptable alternative.
Thanks for the support Lora. There are in fact quite a lot of people who think that punishing a cat is the right thing to do. Some of these people are experts and cat behaviorists. I can even remember a device that produced a blast of air. Cats get very frightened by the sound of air hissing through an opening. A horrible idea to “train” a cat through fear. The only way to train is by positive reinforcement (reward based training). Spraying water is fear training.
Humans can be punished sometimes because they can understand it.
Great article as usual. I think the people who think spraying cats with water to punish them for being “naughty” are treating cats as people. You can’t because cats don’t understand the human concept of punishment. It only damages the relationship and makes cats wary of their human companion. Positive reinforcement is the only way and it is far more decent and moral as well.
This was my attempt about 4 years ago:
https://pictures-of-cats.org/dont-punish-your-cat.html