Answer: In training it is impotent to be firm but fair. With your eyes on the kittens, speak your command words in a firm voice, and at the same time show to kitten what action is required or not require of him. For example, ‘Down’ as the kitten is lifted from the chair which is has climbed. ’Out’ as it is placed outdoors in toilet training, and the multi-purpose ‘No’ when it is removed to prevent it from containing.
It is, of course, not only the word but the manner in which it is spoken and the whole attitude of the owner which helps to convey its mining to the cat. Keep to the same routine, always using the same word for the same activity and say it as if you mean business. Later, if the cat ignores you, it is important to correct its behavior immediately. Otherwise, it can easily develop in to the equivalent of an awful child who blithely does whatever it wants whilst its parents lamely and ineffectually beg it to stoop. Undesirable behavior must be checked as soon as it appears; habit that appear cute in a kitten, like scratching or climbing up clothing, are not so amusing when they persist, as they will in the adult cat.
Feeding the cat before meals are prepared for the human members of the household will discourage stealing and begging for food. Cats can be rewarded for their good behavior by receiving extra attention and affection from the owner, or to sit in some favorite place. Never feed the cat directly after it has been badly because this is likely to be miss interpreted as a ‘reward’ and will thus encourage further similar occurrences.
When an older cat misbehaves, the punishment should be related to the problem. Hitting the cat with a rolled newspaper is effective if it scratches bites or growls, since this is how another more dominant cat would deal with it. However, to prevent other types of misbehaviors, hitting, shouting or throwing things, although temporarily effective, may result in the cat fighting back or rushing wait and in the long term continually avoiding you.
A cat appears to associate the punishment more with the person delivering it than with the behavior that caused it. Consequently, some form of aversion therapy is required, i.e. in which the punishment is directly associated with its behavior. Comparatively harmless but unpleasant shocks delivered remotely, i.e. without or apparently without, human involvement, are very effective. Spraying with water from a water pistol or dropping a bunch of keys are useful procedures, but ideally the cat must not see you doing the spraying or dropping. This also requires someone to be present whenever the cat is likely to misbehave.
A truly remote method is to protect areas where the cat may misbehave with a crinkled aluminum foil to give an unpleasant feel and sound. Balloons, which hopefully will burst and mousetraps (arranged upside downside after being set), which when disturbed will go off, will also provide a nasty shock. Often only two or three such deterrent treatments are necessary for the cat to abandon its undesirable behavior.
Drugs are not able to help correct behavioral problems, with the exception of progestagens and cyprodione which are effective in control ling urine spraying, roaming and fighting in a high proportion of tom cats.
