Training Cats Humanly

Most cats do not like water. Now I have a cat that actually likes going in the bathtub for a swim once in awhile but that is not usual. With this aversion to water there is a unique way to train a cat from bad behavior.

When we foster kittens part of our job is to teach them right from wrong. Very much like children they have to learn where they are allowed and not supposed to be. So part of our training consists of letting them out into the house and armed with a squirt bottle saying a firm "NO" when they venture out of the boundries we set up, and following up with a quick squirt. Usually this is met by a startled look and a bit of hissing as they don't know what just hit them, but they are not being harmed.

After a couple of sessions I find that the "NO" is sufficient, and if not if I reach for and pick up the water bottle there is a hasty retreat. I love this method because it doesn't hurt the kitten but helps modify the negative behavior so when they go to their new home the "Adopter" doesn't have to start from scratch.

I have 5 rescue cats that like to play at 3am... I find myself picking up the water bottle and spraying in their direction.... all of a sudden they scamper off to their area and settle down until the 5am feeding.

When we bring new kittens into the home we give them plenty of room to roam, but we make sure they have boundries so they don't start bad habits like jumping on the counters or scratching on the furniture.