Hey Alison, yeah, punishing after the fact doesn't work. I don't believe in physical punishment with cats either, it seems to have a different effect. I have swatted at my cats if they jumped up on a table where they don't belong with a firm "No", but never with force to cause pain.

Try spraying the plant leaves with bitter apple, I've done that with success. (my poor 'not-so-lucky' bamboo).

You can also buy some alfalfa seeds, which sprout easily and grow some grass for your cat. Both my dogs and cats love to munch grass and the alfalfa is a healthy alternative to your house plants. One thing about pet ownership is understanding and incorporating your animals needs into your home.

It sounds like you have a nice cat who wants your attention and misbehaves to get it! Try to throw a toy for him once in a while, he'll love it! (after all, it works for the husband <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the replies!
I will try the alfalfa sprouts. She does love grass and I pick it for her to let her munch, but she'll eat more grass than her cat food sometimes!
I won't smack her anymore since it doesn't help.
I have been putting our dish soap on the end of the leaves which she dislikes. The plant doesn't seem to mind.
I guess I gotta stop putting emotion into her training also. I get so mad and feel like I wake up to battle the darn cat all day. I get so concerned about what I don't want her doing that I do tend to ignore her. I will start playing with her again and keep her from getting bored.

Maybe I'll even try to train her to give me kisses!

Others have said rightly that cats do not respond to punishment in the same way as dogs do: not being social animals, they don't have a way of understanding the connection between your displeasure and what they did. They only know they're under attack. However, while cats aren't social creatures, they are sociable creatures and do seek and enjoy interaction with co-specifics and people they find sufficiently safe to be around.

There is one way in which your e-collar question is very applicable to cats indeed: remote, precise, impersonal punishment can work wonders for making a particular behaviour desist. Back in my student days, I inadvertendly created two furniture clawers (they had a scratching pad they loved) out of the strays I took in -- it took me a while to cotton on to the fact that they were always *watching* me when they did that and made sure to do it when I was sitting down trying to finish my thesis. The spraying them thing didn't work and on consideration I could see why: it involved my getting up, finding the spray bottle, turning to face them, aiming it and spraying. They'd quit and come back to it -- that whole sequence of actions on my part, all that plentiful attention was just what they were looking for. On the other hand, giving a short, sharp shake on a half-empty tin of breath mints did the job beautifully. I didn't look at them, I didn't say anything, I barely moved my hand on my desk.

On the other hand, they did want my attention and so I decided to give it for good behaviour, which I defined as them not scratching the furniture and not bugging me. I'd pull out their very favourite toy (a flirt pole with a bunch of feathers on the end. They had other toys but they went nuts for this one and I controlled it, heh heh) or call them over for their favourite treats. At first I did this on a very short notice and then at random (well, as I remembered to lift my head from the papers and stretch my legs a bit). And it worked very well. One of them took to sitting on the end of my bookcase like a bookend, just to be sure I'd see how good and quiet and still she was being, a level of manipulation I could live with very well.


Just an additional thought.


Dei.

our cats have never, ever been allowed on kitchen counters or on the table. disgusting! think about where their feet have been! and eating houseplants could end up killing a cat.

cats hate loud, sudden noises. i would have some fly swatters handy in the kitchen and bedroom, and when you see the cat someplace it doesn't belong, swat the flyswatter just as hard as you can right behind the cat (don't hit the cat). i've even used the flat of my hand to get the same effect on a counter or table. if you are consistent, it should deter them.

my cat had the annoying habit of sticking her face right in mine when i was sitting or lying down. i trained her not to do that very quickly by blowing in her face, which she finds just as disagreeable as i find her whiskers tickling me. she never sticks her whiskers in my face any more.

they may not be as trainable as dogs, but aversives work just as well with them. make their behavior unpleasant for them and they will stop.

I have many ways to make a cat stop everything <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> In fact, there is a book out there specifically for stopping cats. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Hey alison, i bet the dog could train the cat PDQ, it's weird how nice a cat can be, with the dogs keeping an eye on every move it makes,
AL

Alison, As far as your baby's room is concerned, you may want to try a screen door on the room. It will allow you to hear and see what's going on in the room while keeping the cat out. Gates don't work with them like them do with dogs. Good luck! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

So far, so good! I am growing her a little alfalfa garden to eat and have played with her furry annoyance alot the last few days with good results! She has been rubbing on me and following me around the house! I didn't expect that quick of a change. She hasn't played with my plant or jumped in the crib since. Hell- she even stopped chasing the flys around the house (wish she still did that- she eats them)! Anyway...I guess I have a new thing to learn and practice now. It seems my imaginary war with my cat is over and is now conquered with knowledge. I almost miss it.