The Best and Worst Ways to Train Your Cat
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 พ.ค. 2024
- You may be surprised to learn that there isn't really a way to discipline your cat, and that spray bottle you're using isn't doing anything but harming your relationship with your cat. So what can you do to train your cat to behave better around the home? Jackson Galaxy explains.
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the only time i worry about 'counter surfing' is on the stove if i'm cooking, or next to my plate when i'm eating. my cat is welcome pretty much any where she can go otherwise.
I love your work but I gotta disagree on the spray bottle. I get it may not work for everyone, but I definitely got positive results. It got to a point pretty quick where if he was counter surfing or misbehaving I just had to pick up the bottle and give it a shake for him to stop. I could keep him off the counter(sanitary reasons) while I was there just by saying his name and shaking the bottle, but i have no doubt he went up there while I was gone if for no other reason than there was a window.
Sure theres things your cat will do when youre not around(like destroy toilet paper, which is why the bathroom door is ALWAYS closed), but in my experience as a cat owner, the most annoying and destructive cat behaviours tend to be intended to get your attention. My cat liked to knock stuff over and off the table, but I never found anything out of place when I got home from work and he had the apartment to himself all day. He only did it when I was around and he wanted something. Early on he'd try getting my attention by knocking things down several times and getting sprayed for it, then finally just jumping up on my desk and getting vocal and pawing at my shoulder or giving me a little headbutt. Sometimes he'd just lie there and wait, or I'd pick him up and pet him for a bit. But either way he wanted something, and as soon as I got up he would run over to either the door if he wanted out or his dish if he wanted a can of food.
So believe it or not, I actually got my cat to a point of asking me politely(or occasionally whining impatiently) to my face when he wanted something as his default behaviour. My spray bottle lay knocked over on the floor for months and didnt move save for rare occasions. I could usually get him off the counter with a stern tone. But I always made sure he got attention and got what he wanted when he came and approached me directly for it instead of being an ass and making a mess.
Did it negatively affect my relationship with my cat? Cant say it did. If I let him out in the morning he would usually be lying at the end of the driveway when I parked my car and follow me around to the back door. When I went to bed he'd curl up next to my feet EVERY night. He never once attacked me or anyone else without being provoked somehow. He'd constantly rub up against my legs or give me little headbutts or cat winks. I could pick him up from just about anywhere at any time and carry him around without protest or struggle. He'd be perfectly happy settling down in my lap and purring away while I watched TV. Best behaved cat I've ever seen. Even at the vet he never gave trouble(barely even reacted to needles), though I think he might have been scared into a ragdoll state there and was just more pliable than cooperative.
And this was a feral I pulled out of a cardboard pile at 6-8 weeks old.
So to me using a spray bottle is a useful tool, but it cant be the only one.
One question if I may: are your videos just about cats? I guess I could look into it. Great info about Mr Spray bottle.
@@Jarsia I'm a dog person, but someone dropped off a female cat on my property a few months ago. Of course I took her in being winter and all, and the cat seemed a little underweight. Don't know much about cats, but I do know I just can't keep her.
She's destroying my house little by little. My inside dogs fight all the time because of the cat. I now know why that cat was abandoned.
I've had to make too many changes all over the house. Won't go into details, but what I can say is that this girl cat seems to be possessed.
I have to find her a new home, and certainly I would tell anyone who's interested that she has many issues.
I have 6 dogs that used to get along just fine. The water bottle is my only weapon that I can use to have some normalcy around the house.
I know I may be damaging her in ways that I may not understand. I don't think taken her to the pound is a good idea.
I tried to teach her a few things to calm her down just like the dogs, but doesn't understand what I'm trying to get her to do.
Perhaps spaying may be the answer before finding her a new home.
Ok, that's what I'll do, I'll take her to the vet and maybe the vet can help me. I can't believe I hadn't thought of that because money is not an issue.
Any thoughts?
Alvaro Q couldn't hurt. She should be spayed if she's going to be a pet, and it might settle her down.
Training cats to behave is much easier if you get them as kittens, obviously.
Best of luck
See I tried the squirt-gun thing and it completely backfired because both of my cats ended up loving the squirt bottle and would cry and beg for me to squirt them so that they could play with the water
Same. The one cat wanted to drink from it on demand.
this is the equivalent of a parent hitting their kid and the kid growing up to have a BDSM kink
Natiform your cats are amazing for that. My kitten would give me hell if she goes anywhere near water.
Sounds like the cat used reverse psychology on you 😂
I use it too. They just run and come back. Or sit an look at me. Like I've lost my mind. 🤷
Dogs learn "Don't do that."
Cats learn "Don't get caught doing that."
have you ever tried training a dog to Leave It? If you don't teach dogs to distinguish what a Leave It is for themselves, and just try and get them to memorize what they can't have and obey you, they are going to get into the "Leave It" when you're not around. The first dog I trained I used the latter method; when we weren't around, he barked nonstop, got into the garbage, and stole food from the counters, among other doggy behaviors.
Even if you use the positive reinforcement method (what Jackson is describing here), if there's not a "yes" for your "no" (aka leave it), then they're going to continue the "bad" behavior. You tell a puppy to stop chewing your shoes, but you don't have any rubber teething toys? They're gonna keep chewing your shoes. It's the same principle of a cat scratching furniture because there are no scratch posts.
@Manik Dhankar you should never own an animal.
@Manik Dhankar Because you're a fucking animal abuser, that's why.
@@artsymarsy8480 discipline isn’t abuse
@@lahbono7470 Hitting your animal is abuse. Full stop. It's the same as spanking your kid. It's not discipline, it's abuse. An animal or child learns 1) bad things happen to them when you're around, 2) they need to conceal behavior, and 3) to never trust you. If you're only going to have a pet or kid so you can hurt them under the guise of character development, you deserve neither.
My favorite cat ever, may he RIP, was so awesome. I bragged about him to everybody that my little Larry NEVER went up on the counters or tables once I patiently taught him to stay down. Then one day I stayed home from work and when I walked into the kitchen there he was on the counter with a caught-in-the-cookie-jar look in his eyes with a touch of crap-I-didn't-know-you-were-home, startled expression. That memory still makes me smile all these years later.
My Henry,
Aww, yeah. They just do it when you're not looking! Cute story about Larry.
“THE COUNTER DID IT”
😂♥️🔥
I solved the counter surfing habit with lots of little post-its left on it with the sticky side up. Also served as me becoming the cat's hero because I knew how to get them off his paws.
Brill, I'm going to try this.
After that you should make sure to store the post-its somewhere unless you want your cat to freak out every now and then. :)
That's good!
This is the best tip I have ever heard!!!
Omg i'm so gonna try this!
We just realized our cat has been tricking us for attention. She always tries to open a door to a room that’s off limits to her and we react by telling her “no”. Now she messes with the door for a few seconds and turns around looking for a reaction.
Just realized my cat does the same thing. Whenever she gets bored, she starts scratching the door, then I start spraying her. She stops scratching but she runs up to me like we are about to play. I get out the toys. Pretty sure she now has trained me to play with her
Squirt her with a water bottle & firmly say 'no'.
No & yes don't work. Their cats not dogs. Use spray bottles.
your cat is seeking attention... I'm no saying you're not giving enough attention, cuz not every animal is pleased with the same amount of hooman slavery. I don't know if it helps you, but i've always tried to interact if i was able to, give them a few minutes of playtime with me so they had their attention, and then i need to continue with what I was doing. I don't put away their toys after 'attention-time', but i place them in such way that it invites them to keep playing but I'm not needed. [eg attach the string we just used to a chair, put the toy at the end of the cat-fishing toy near on one of the levels of her scratching pose, inviting her to catch it]. If my cat comes ask attention again, i'll just tell her that i'm working now, we just played, play is all done for me but she can play if she wants to. it doesn't always help, but most of the times she understands that i can't be her full-time playpartner, that i need to get stuff done too.
My cat is also a real talker, she meows any thought that goes through her mind, like a tourette-patient but without the cussing :) Sometimes this can be very very annoying, especially if you're busy cooking, my oh my, she can be saying 'food' every 3 seconds, just to tell me she smells it, knowing it's hooman-food and not cat-food.. I never give her anything during cooking. She doesn't get stuff from my plate when i'm eating; and i arrange it so that we both get our food at the same time so she doesn't need to be jealous that i'm eating fresh fish and she only gets.. processed fish-craps :). I know she's not begging for food when i'm cooking, but after 150 meows it gets really annoying; so i tought her to "keep mouth shut" with a simple "shht" and my finger over my mouth as bodylanguage. It works, but sadly it's only good for a short period of time. I'm not mad at the cat when this happens, i'm just a bit annoyed then and I know it's not the perfect solution to shut her up by "shushing" her, and i try to avoid that as long as possible. I'll never punish her for talking too much, because i really love it how talkative she is. But like ying & yang exist; every upside has it's downside; you gotta find the balance... So i enjoy our "talks", i love that she "meows" everything that goes through her mind. It took a while to learn the subtle differences in her meows (eg; meow for "i want outside" almost the same as the meow she gives me when there is a toilet issue (eg i blocked access) ... my cat even uses 'clicking-sounds', at least that's how we hear them; it's probably just meowing way above the 20kHz range, so inaudible for us.. She doesn't know i can't hear that, but i noticed also different lengths between her "clicks" so i'm still figuring out what she's trying to say in some cases, while in others we already managed to find out what's being said or meowed/clicked :) ...
And the other thing is when I want some privacy away from my two 8-month-old kittens I put them out of my room and there at my bedroom door just whining and whining and whining to the point where I feel sorry for them and I end up letting them back in only for them to start playing scratching my hands and feet and stuff 🙄😂😂😂
I treat my cat as a cat: I hiss at him (as another cat would) when he's doing something that hurts me or that I disapprove of. I learned this from my friend's dog-training methods (he growls at the dogs). Works with my cat, and we're best buds!
My stupid cat actually got immune to my hisses, but instantly obeys when I growl. This is how I taught her to stop mewing.
@@Tom-Travels She doesn't sound stupid to me. 😉
@@dianapeters5715 It's interesting that cats only mew to humans and not to other cats or any other animal. It follows that if you become more like a cat, they will stop mewing. It's true.
@@Tom-Travels they only do that as kittens to their mother and when they grow up they only do it to humans
U re not well in the head and should not have animals in your care
"If nothing happens then why would I continue to do it?"
"Cuz I'm a cat, that's why"
Cuz I'm a human, that's why
Or a human...
Are you saying they will keep misbehaving because they are cats lol that’s why u train em
I have never, literally never paid attention to my cat jumping on the TV cabinet. She is up there everyday.
@@nicholaspb9133 my cat likes lay to on the tv cabinet but since she lays and doesn't block the tv when we're watching it we really don't care that she lays there(i think she think she's the center of our attention lol)
This is so true! My childhood cat would be in the kitchen and get underfoot and my dad was worried about tripping on him. Turns out al our cat wanted was to be part of the action. We would pull a dining room chair over to the kitchen and he would sit and watch everything happen. Perfectly content!
I do something similar with my boy I'll bring his little stool next to me when I'm eating and he just stands there and falls asleep standing up ; Its adorable. Bet the other 2 girls are judging him( he is the youngest )
"My name is fluffy and I approved this dinner". Brilliant and soo true. Kitties are so curious!
These cats are being brought up more humanely that I was.
You're telling me. My Dad served in the military when I was a kid. In his old age, Mum got a puppy. The old man got the puppy a harness leash, only trains with positive reinforcement, and gets down on the floor to play with the puppy. ಠ_ಠ
We got the hard-arse, the puppy gets this guy.
That's Because Humans Should't Have Pets In The First Place: But They Do,So The LEAST That Can Be Done Is Not Treat Them Like Shit.
Lol
@@JT5555 who says humans shouldn't have animals?
@@missbraindamage Nature Does. It Is Nothing Less Then Pure Arrogance For Humans To Think They Can OWN Another Creature On This Planet. What Possible Right Do Humans Have? Because Their Smarter? Please. Humans Have ONE Useful Skill And That Tool Making (Something That Would Have Wiped Humanity Out A LONG Time Ago,Without It) And Only A Total Idiot Destroys Their Own Planet So Bad That They Have To Try To Find A New One. Hell,Humans Even Have The GULL To Classify Anything Not Human As PROPERTY: A THING That Simply Has Far Less Value,Because It's Not A Stupid,Greedy,Arrogant,Hairless Ape. So No,Humans Should NOT Have Pets But They Do And They Treat Them Like Shit.
I don’t mind the countertop surfing it the borrowing the car without asking that pisses me off.😻
Yeah, you and NOBODY. My girls insisted on chauffer-only. Keys were for losers. And yeah, in Sandy's case, preferably to Brookside Vet, where she could wander behind the exam rooms to the reception desk while the doc washed his hands. It's always a challenge keeping up with that princess. 24Jan2021. Beaut Lady. Heart failure.
🤣😂🤣😂🤣
I’m so glad my rescue girl is affection-driven. All I have to do to stop her is leave the room and she comes running after me screaming.
😆😆😆
Every being has its own character
me too... if she does something bad, I ignore my little rescue kitten for a couple minutes and she learns quick... no scratch, no bite, no chewing on cords, no climbing where you don't belong... otherwise, all play, fun & attention stops. She hates that. When she comes back, she only bites her toys (not me) and stops clawing my legs...she only paws my foot when she wants to play or get my attention... It's the cutest thing!
That's so sweet
That makes them co-dependent, not good either.
My family got the compressed air one and it scared us more than it scared our cats tbh
😂
LOL.
😂😂
I like how you solve so many cat-related problems by thinking like a CAT. Over the years I've had to learn that the hard way. I wish I'd known about you when I first started owning cats! And yes, it's all about compromise! >^..^
its not about compromise its about understand ethology and ethical behaviour modification.
This was when you had 20k subscribers and now look at you, 7 years later you have over 1 million subscribers! This is true commitment! Thank you so much for keeping up the great work and keeping us informed!!! Lots of love, from my black cat Daisy and me 🌼💛
"my name is fluffy and i approve this dinner" #fluffyapproves
Jackson, you're a kind and wise man. Love your vids.
I recently adopted a rescue kitty "Punkin" and I started watching you after a couple of bad nites with my new found love. Got started watching the Cat From Hell and found that the problem was with my lack of understanding.Thank you for these videos, I know that I now have a happy cat and she loves it here as much as I love her.
Honestly, humans work quite similarly. When a child is young and you can't explain why something is bad, punishing them doesn't do shit, because YOU are doing it. I can't count how many times I was spanked (I now live in a country where it is illegal, and I've never met more adjusted, calm kids in my life, that are still kids, they scream, play and get dirty, but when they need to be calmer, they have no issue because they are allowed to make their own mistakes) and I don't remember a single instance where I understood why. if anything, I just learned to not get caught. No one explained to me why it was say bad to have extra cookies, no one explained why the oven was hot and it would hurt. They just said "Because I told you so" and that's some bullshit parenting if I ever saw any (which I definitely have).
So with dogs and cats (or any animal really), creating a environment not caused by you (at least to their eyes) is a great way to get them to naturally avoid behaviors which both you dislike or could be dangerous to your animal. Since animals do not learn to talk, we can't teach them the why for things, so we must create a way for them to understand why that keeps us and them happy and healthy.
Exactly, same here. My parents just spanked me and when I ask why shouldn't I do it (Natural intelligence question), they just spank me more and tell me "Because I said so, how dare you question my authority." It's amazing how man parents think that they are training their kids well but instead are driving them insane with inhumane treatment.
David Razberry I'm so sorry you had to endure that. I hope your parents had good intentions, even if what they did was abuse. Many just follow the idea of "Oh, my parents did it to me, and I'm just fine (no you're noooooot because your'e continuing and abuse cycle and excusing it.)
Not only that, but teaching a person that saying no gets you in trouble leads them to not be independent thinkers and feel pressure more acutely from peers and other people. A person who is spanked or told not to talk back is basically taught how to never say no. Often kids from these families end up drug addicts, have unplanned pregnancies or become delinquents. So of course, the answer to that behavior? More spanking, or even a good beating. That'll teach 'em! It's not like every study on both humans and animals definitely doesn't show that punishment doesn't really work and actually just makes them hate/fear you, not respect you.
Spanking is just plain fucked up.
Also, ya know what's really infuriating? A lot of people chalk it up to the religious passage that says "Spare the rod, spoil the child" This did not actually mean spank. It specifically meant rod as in a herders rod to lead someone. Meaning if you don't give your children guidance like a shepherd does their sheep, you will spoil them.
I lose all respect for any parent or person that says "because I said so." It's a lazy and messed up way to communicate and a power trip.
Sorry for the rant. It's a really heated topic for me considering there are so many who defend it till they are blue in the face, mostly because they were spanked too.
+Vixx Celacea Yes you are right, those people defend it because admitting it was wrong means admitting that they were beat for so many years for nothing and accepting that they were put behind other kids in terms of healthy development in life. It's sad, but it's the reality and once I accepted that, I've made significant improvement and progress in my life. Driving me to learn more and more and gain more knowledge and better my life. In a wierd way, I'm kind of glad I was put back, because it gave me that thirst and that drive to better myself in life despite the treatment I had been given.
THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING PARENTING!! There is A LOT of psychology that goes behind raising kids, my mom read all the books she got her hands on about raising kids properly. I was never stubborn after the period that every child has to go through when they learn to say no, because my parents knew I had to be stubborn at the time, they handled it perfectly, never forcing me to do something just because they wanted me to (they never did that anyway), and it only lasted for two weeks. In the meantime we didn't go out to other ppls' homes because they wouldn't know how to deal with me.
Even animals have that period. It's the time where every creature that has any social structure in the slightest is testing where they are in the world. They are supposed to push boundaries and find out where they fit it, what's okay and what's not.
If I ever have kids, I know two things. They are smart and they will also get hurt. I can do my damnedest to try to explain that it's hot and it will burn and it will be ouch (when they are old enough of course to comprehend) and if they get burned, I won't say I told you so or be heartless, I'll still comfort them and take care of their ouchies, but they will learn that maybe it at least some instances I do know what I am talking about. (If anything, I find it very smart of someone to see for themselves and not take everything on someone else's word until it's proven that they actually do know what they are talking about- Where as many would find this reckless, disobedient and stupid. To me, it shows independence and that they will learn from failure, which is part of life.) I'll let my kids know that I am a guardian, not a tyrant or all knowing being. I make mistakes too, but I am their protector and their teacher as they go through the journey of growing up. I don't own them. I am responsible for them, but I'd far rather have a kid that listens to me because they respect me and know I care, rather than out of fear of punishment which in the end just makes them resentful and disobey even in face of peril because they do not trust you.
Anyway, sorry for the rant. Your parents sound awesome. It's a shame that their are not more of them like yours. I see so many parents wonder why their kids don't call or check in on them when they move out once in a while and I'm just wondering how they raised their kids. Not in all cases of course, sometimes you can just have a kid grow up to not care about you, but most of the time, there is a reason why they aren't so eager to go see you.
I once sprayed my cat, but it was only because I didn't see her fluffy butt hiding in the flower bed. I gave her a cuddle and some treats and we're cool now.
Your videos are invaluable for me as a first time cat owner (as an adult). Thank you so much. I love implementing all of your advice for my little furball of awesomeness!
1. Keep food/temptations off of the counter! 2. Sticky tape works exceptionally well. 3. Don't yell at the cat. Call her over to you, and give her love and pets. Distraction is always better than punishment. (Basically, pretend your cat is a toddler, and act accordingly.)
When I tried to use the squirt bottle with my cats, you know what? They did not care one bit. These cats will try to hang out in the shower with me. They also played with the squirt bottle, and hid it under the sofa. Eventually they chewed the nozzle off.
Idk my cat listens to me. He knows when he's being mischievous. A quick "get down" or "no" gets it done.
100% agree with you. My cats learned from a certain voice I would use .all I have to say is “get” in that voice and boom , they jump down right away. When they sharpen their nails on something instead of their posts , all I have to do is say “no” in a deep voice and they stop that behavior. I do believe cats can understand vocal commands.
Yes, they might still do it when you're not around. If you're cool with that, then cool!
My cat knows it too. I just watch it, it freezes and attempts to go down
@Paige Wiseman true that, you can't trust cat. they are the most disobedient animal ever exist
mine too
I really enjoyed the video and the mindset behind it. You're not just making us better caretakers for our cats but also better humans.
" PPSSSSSSSSHHHHHTTTT !!! " works for most everything
Exactly! I use the same grammatical pronunciation, it works perfectly
Real talk!
Still pretty much scares your cat.
This was so helpful. Thank you so much. Ive been so conflicted about this and watching this just made it that much clearer and actually gave me insight as I’m constantly trying to get into the inner workings of my cats mind haha. You’re the man !
The best deterrent I used with my two cats was to give them all the attention they wanted when they wanted it. I think I had mellow cats also, but I had very few times of anger over something they had done. I also realized early on that cats are cats and not people. My human rules aren't universal. I also as mentioned didn't have incentives for them to be places I didn't want them. No food on counters, etc.
Thank you for putting this up, great info and great reminders
I Cant stop watching your work, I wholeheartedly agree with you; thank you for your advice
I have had people tell me I don't reprimand my cat enough and I just let her wander around too much. I always tell them that she doesn't learn that way and that she is not like a dog. This video has made me confident in my cat mom skills thank you!
They're MILES from being dogs. I know a dog lover that tells me she loves dogs because "they're more affectionate". Her housemates have a cat that she says "is grumpy". She's yet to experience an affectionate cat so THEN assumes they're NOT very affectionate!
You are a certified hoot, sir and I love you! You make learning about cats interesting, fun and lovable. Thank you!
used to think your show was kinda silly until I watched some of it. now I'm hooked. Mew and I thank you for the awesome advice and tips. :)
still working on the part where she lets me sleep though but it's working so far
This is so true. When we bought our cat almost 10 years ago, she used to mew for attention whole night. So we decided to spray he with water when she makes sounds at night. What did it change? She realised it was a way to get attention and started mewing more often, just hidden under the bed, so we couldn't spray her. And this both sided stress really made our relationship worse.
So, how did w manage to correct the behaviour? We bought ear plugs and didn't care anymore if she was making noise at night. When we stoped paying attention, after two week this behaviour was gone.
Well, she is still more vocal cat than average, but that is just who she is. We love her.
After we stopped using punishment, she became more tame, willing to come to us, affectionate.
I think you're the first person I've ever heard of who sprayed their cat because it was vocal... At least you realized that what you were doing was putting a strain on your relationship with her.
xohsodebonairex Her being vocal... well, it is a hard one, because she even as a kitten had a big loud voice in a small body. It was very stressful to have her vocalising whole night. And it all was just because she wanted to play.
I can relate to that. Don't worry. I wasn't judging you or anything. I fostered a kitten and I know how shrill their cries are. It sucks when they want to play all the time. They're so little and they have SO much energy!
xohsodebonairex Well, now I have amazing relationship with this cat. She is still sometimes vocal, but she uses it in almost human maner - she answers when I ask her something or greets me when I am back home. I love her with my whole heart. Actually,everybody who meets her falls in love with her. Even some of my friends who hate cats, say she is the best of the worst. :) I could talk about her for hours actually.
Love your channel 💓 So cute that you were thanking subs for reaching 20k…look at you now! 🤩AND well deserved! Totally here for your kitty mojo 😎 Looking forward to learning how to be a better cat parent 👍🏼 Appreciate you!!
As always Jackson, incredible advice and very helpful video. Keep up the amazing work you do!
this reminded me of a thing I had with my cat. she started drinking from the glass of water I always have next to my bed.
I really showed her who's boss. by covering my water with a lid, moving it to the other side of my nightstand and putting a water bowl for her right there instead ...
she was happy and i don't drink cat water anymore
lmao my cat does this too, but my solution is a bit different: i just drink cat water
Jackson thankyou for your advice. It has helped me a lot, although I have had cats around most of my life and know quite a bit, I learn something knew and helpful by watching your show. I had 28 cats on my farm, but have never had a visious cat like people have on your show!!
I have always heard, 'You can make a cat do ANYTHING "IT" wants to do!
Thank you for this video! I’m going to change my behaviors with my cat based on your psychological insight. Very good material
Love the yes/no, you can apply it to so many things!!
Thank you for this video! I really appreciate how you are direct and get to the point of the vid!!
can you make a video explaning if screaming or yelling or even sweet talking at/to cats effects them
i dont do it of course but my mum and my friend do it
Man, I wish there were more men like Jackson out there!!!
Ikr
Out there where?
Thank you so much for your videos and informative content . We just rescued a stray kitten 6weeks old. No mother in sight. This has been extremely helpful.
I'm learning a lot with your videos, even though I thought I knew it all! Thank you very much!
I've watched so many My Cat From Hell episodes now that it's gotten to the point that whenever I get into a situation with my kitten I think "what would Jackson do."
Wow I learned something super valuable that I can apply in many other facets of my life. Thank you!
I am SO glad you made this video- along with a million other things you speak about regarding all topics 'cat'. The videos you make confirm my knowledge and understanding of cat behavior IS correct. I have various people comment to me that I am 'wrong' about cat behavior and humans residing with cats-- I tell people constantly I do not 'own my cats; they (2 cats), I am their human companion....bla, bla, bla, you know the rest. I am eternally grateful to you for having this channel available on TH-cam. I cannot wait to read your books. ...and the as you say: all light, all love and all mojo! Thank you Jackson!
I really like this. Several years ago, I had my newly adopted dog in a famous pet store chain for training. The trainer had a squirt bottle with her the entire time & used it frequently on the dogs, but not my dog, as she was older. I didn't stay the whole session & didn't return.
love your advice! My new kitten is going to be so happy when she gets here, Ive just been binging your channel :)
Thank you!!! You’re advice is pawsome!
Jackson, I have a wonderful cat, but lately she has refused to let clip her claws. AND forget a bath!! Do cats really need a bath?
I have had such a hard first week with our new cat and this video helped me smarten the fuck up, thank you SO much. I’ll remain calm and do only the most humane thing I can, and give our cat zero reaction at all when he misbehaves!
It’s really hard tbh. The sticky, bad scent, or compressed air deterring will help keep your relationship and limit the bad behaviors
Same thing with my dog we close door where off limit
So well said! Thank you.
Thanks Jack. You are awesome, man
Thank you so much for the advice 🙏
This was super informative, thanks!
Hello Jackson, I made this mistake with the water gun recommended at the time by my vet. It was to prevent my cat Akira from going into the plants. Unfortunately Akira is no more, died October 28, 2018 after 14 years of pure happiness, acute pancreatitis. But for the next cat I will follow your advice and I will find another solution if the problem arises. Thank you Jackson, you are a great guy. 😘
I❤️ your videos Mr. Galaxy! I have learned so much! My kitten Luna is only 12 weeks old but I will never squirt her. We make sure we play with her a lot, she has a big cat tree, and I’m installing shelves this week. 😊 we took her to the cat clinic and she’s up to date on her shots! We are learning and so is she. 🥰 she has so many toys. She is one spoiled kitten. She gets along with the dogs and my daughters (I have 4) love her. She is puuuurrrfect. We adopted her.
FWIW, I was able to use squirt gun espionage in my WFH office. I set it up after we had out cats, and when I let them in to explore, I hid a squirt bottle in a blanket on my lap.
Every time they would attack the computer cables, I would spray them, but look at the computer.
After just a few times they associated the squirts with the cables and haven't touched them in months now.
But, the point was I never let them in when I wasn't there, I never let them see the spray bottle, and I always looked away before they could see me watching.
Anyway, thanks for reading my ted talk
Thanks, Jackson, for opening my eyes as to why my cat now hates me. Spray bottle medicine from the vet.
Very useful information! You explain and vulgarise very well the behavioral science!
This is by far the most helpful, respectable and knowledgeable advice I’ve ever received. I’m learning about cats and I realize they have their own language and you have to learn THEM thanks for the insight. A lot of website I google tell you the same thing like squirt them with water cuz no one likes being sprayed etc.
Thanks for all the info 👍🏾
Thank you!!! Great information!!!
I love my cats and they love me and they all have had the squirt bottle from time to time. And hay it works a it only takes one short well aimed squirt then it only takes the threat or just for it to be in my hand and that was 10 years ago
So they haven't seen it for anything other than cleaning counters or spraying plants they know what and ware they are allowed to be and what they can play with. My cats and I have an amazing relationship 💖
I appreciate you so much! Thank you!
awwwww so cute, he said "we past the 20k subs"
now look at u jackson, 6 years later u are almost on the 1 mill!
I love u jackson!
It depends on the negative behavior. Most of the time, you're right; you just want the cat to associate "bad" behavior with mildly unpleasant consequences that have nothing directly to do with you. Since I personally see nothing wrong with counter surfing, I'll use an *actual* bad behavior - wandering into areas that, if you miss the fact that they wandered in for any reason, could result in their deaths, or, at the very least, in them being abandoned and alone and scared for hours. Such as the fridge. Or the oven. Or the bathroom, just before you close the door and leave for 8 hours (it can happen. You can't be focused on them 100% of the time).
What you want to do in the case of truly bad behavior, is have them know that there are bad consequences, in *controlled* circumstances, when you *know* they are there, and you're controlling the consequences. You want them to understand that they absolutely *never* want to go in there, for any reason. In the case of the (cold) oven or the bathroom, wait for them to go in, then close them in and make a huge racket. In the case of the fridge, close them in, and wait for them to get truly scared before opening the fridge door again (again, controlled circumstances. This is far better than accidentally closing them in when you don't realize they've darted in). Then they will *never* go in there again. Cruel to be kind - if your cat is prone to going into dangerous areas, this is far safer than just *hoping* that you will always catch them darting or sneaking in, in time to save them.
I do think there's one exception to the squirt-gun/hissing rule. If they are coming at your face with their claws out, they need to know, absolutely, that this is not acceptable behavior. It works, too. Hissing at them, I mean. But only if they're attacking you (or a baby or a guest). It's bad if you use it for really minor things, like counter surfing.
Nice tips there. We just set our christmas tree and our cat won't stop trying to reach and play with the christmas balls. I've tried, but I can't figure how to teach her not to do it. She also keeps going behind the sofa to scratch it, because she knows we can't get her there. What should I do?
Joana Ferro Regarding the tree... I couldn't say, sorry. :) I don't do Christmas trees, for precisely this reason!
Regarding the couch - she's scratching it because it's her favorite material in the house. It's (presumably) sturdy, and she likes the material. Scratching comes naturally to cats - they *need* to do it. So if your cat is scratching someplace you don't want, the only real solution is to give them better options. Invest in a really good scratching post (a sissal one that doesn't wobble and can take their weight), or, if you can't afford that, the cheap ones that lie flat on the floor, that they can stand on and stabilize with their back legs while they scratch with the front works as well. At least with my cat. But all cats are different. :)
Also, I've heard double-sided tape works well as a deterrent. :) But again, only if there's a viable alternative, since scratching is such a necessary instinctive activity.
Joana Ferro Katerine makes a good point, but what I did was I made a water bottle, and mixed eucalyptus and lemon oils in with water, just so it was a strong enough scent, and sprayed the entire couch with it. My cats hated the smell of eucalyptus and made a point to stay away from it entirely. I did the same thing to my plastic Christmas tree, and wiped down any counters with it. My house smelled like eucalyptus and lemon (I think is a fantastic clean smell) but my cats would avoid the areas that smelled like it.
It doesnt have to be eucalyptus. Just find some oils or a perfume or something that your cats will hate, (you can tell when you open the bottle in their general area, they will sniff it, and get all squinty eye'd, and then run away) And spray everything you don't want them on, and just respray occasionally. They will eventually associate that unpleasant smell with the item they are suppose to stay away from. I only had to do the spray three times in a corse of a month, before I could stop. They never scratched my couch again.
We did get her a scratching pole, but she doesn't seem one bit interested in it. I've tried to force her to scratch it, but she didn't even seem to understand what she's supposed to be doing with that lol
Thank you both for the tips :) I'll try the spray too.
Joana Ferro I dont know much about cats, but what worked with me was putting some aluminium foil on the floor where the cat used to scratch the couch, he won't like the feeling of stepping on the aluminium so he won't go there to scratch anymore. Then put the scratching post nearby and buy a laser pointer and play with him while pointing the laser to the scratching post, he will chase the laser and notice that the scratching post feels good, always praise him when he uses the scratching post! And don't force him to use it, he will associate it with bad things.
why would the cat continue to do it?
because the counter is a higher located place and those places are fun. and because climbing is fun.
+CaptainObvious0000 - I used to be able, with my old cat, to get her to not be on the counters-at least when I wasn't looking, hah. (She was like that with everything. Keyword: when I wasn't looking.) But the cat I have now? I've just given up... I can put him down off the counter a hundred times, and he jumps back up again. I used to think, before I had cats, that it was really gross when people had cats on the counters (i.e. where you were prepping food), but there you have it.
But I'm hatching a plan to put up "cat shelves" in the kitchen-I have an empty wall, the kitchen is small, so he would still be close enough to "supervise" (ha!), and use the steps to get up on the fridge. I'm gonna get the smallest "Lack" shelves from IKEA. Cheap and good-looking! And hey, Jackson Galaxy is all about cat shelves! I've learned that from him. :)
+CaptainObvious0000 Exactly, cats just love exploring.
you're great man... Thank you so much
You are so good with advice! Thank you!
So my friend has 4 cats. 3 of the cats pick on the oldest one, scratching him up and making him more fearful. They have plenty of places to climb and when She reaches for the bottle, the younger three back away from the oldest and dont pick on him. They also still rub on my friend and show no fear of her. The bottle sits out for all of them to see, so idk if that's something
Exactly! My guys start by licking faces and then it escalates into biting and swiping, sometimes with the result of half closed injured eyes for a few days. I say "NO!" "Not in the face!" "Pfffft!" And when none of that works, I reach for the bottle, if the aggressor does not make hasty retreat from the visual alone, I slosh the water around which does the trick. The cats never get wet, the plants do. It works and they still love me. They know when they are being naughty for attention, they know they don't want to get wet. It isn't discipline or punishment, it's deterrent.
Thank you for this!
Always enjoy your take on cats. Been a cat person all my life. Thanks for the good advice. Keep the video's coming.
Feeding my cat four small meals a day and making wet food a reward (given daily) has given me full control over my cats behavior and training her is as easy if not easier than a dog. This is the key to everything else. I always thought dogs were way more trainable and intelligent but if you can keep your cats attention they are very motivated and intelligent. The bad news is that my cats follows me around a lot more and wants to be near me since I have a much stronger association with food and my cat gets hungry four times a day. Thanks for putting this information out for free Jackson.
We were the same way with giving wet food as a treat years ago, but have since learned that it's very important for cats to get enough moisture. They won't get enough from eating mostly dry food, and it can lead to a greater chance of them having various health problems like diabetes, etc.
@@anthony_galati this, dry food is basically not food
Awesome video! I just found you while looking for ways to get my cat to stop spraying. This was an Ah-Ha moment for me! Thank you, I am going to look at this problem in a totally new way. 😊👍
I love my Sassycat so much...I saved her when she was little and sick with cocsidia. She has saved me back a million times with her sweetness. She even loves hugs. I respect her space, and always have, and she always comes to me. I am beyond blessed to have her in my life.
Love your videos Jackson! First time cat owner my kittens are almost 3 months old btw brothers! Did so much research I like the way you are more determined to understand there nature versus forcing them to understand ours! My kittens are loved, confident, happy tails & trusting me as there owner. Watching all videos making sure I give them rest vs stress! Thank you for these videos sir!
Plus catifying my whole home, backyard even my kitchen! There amazing smart curious species ♥️
Spray bottles have always worked for me. Saying "no" also works got me.
The Entire Point Of This Video Is That It Does't Work,And You're No Exception.
Even when you're not there?
Then congrats your cat fears you
Your cat hates you
I don't know how I got so lucky with my cat but we respect each other and she has one hell of an awesome life.
Exactly!
I am going to be watching your videos religiously because I am getting a cat soon and I want to know as much as I can to make her as comfortable as possible.😁😁
Lexi Dawn same
I am unable to dissuade my lovely Myu kitty from doing anything, except.... when we are sitting on the balcony in the evening and Myu is sitting atop the AC unit scoping the neighborhood. When it’s time for bed, I ask to to come inside and usually she plays the “cat” card by completely ignoring me, I count down from 5 to 1. This started a long time ago. I gave the option of “come” or “carry”. Now, usually at 2 she jumps down and cat strolls to the door. She’s praised, given a head scratch and proceeds into the house.
Oh, and Myu is just over a year and a rescue from a garage across the street from our home. Placed her and her siblings (who were about 11 days old according to the vet) outside under a tree and the mother took the other two and abandoned Myu. I waited 10 hours and then dedicated myself to being her papa.
Sorry this is so long. Thanks for reading
Thank you for this video and how well you explained everything. It's really got me thinking how I can better work with my cats so we can both get what we want. If I'm cooking for myself or cleaning they're happy to lay on their bed on the top of the fridge and just watch me (tree dweller like you said).
But when it's their food time they go nuts and won't leave me alone! They were both strays with bad nutrition in their kitten years so their food drive/anxiety is CRAZY. I've reduced some of that by giving them high quality wet food that has a lot of 'bulk' for the calorie amount so they can feel that they are eating a lot but still sticking to their calories so they don't get obese and I feed them at the same times each day. But they jump on the counter and get all in my work while I'm trying to weigh out their wet food before I give it to them.
So I'm thinking about prepping/weighing the food at an earlier time when they think I'm doing my own food stuff, and putting it in the fridge so that at actual meal time, I can pull it out, take the cover off, and serve it right away. No time for them to get worked up with excitement and jump on the counter. Thank you for pushing me to think about actual solutions instead of squirt bottle diplomacy!
Think about what your would like them to do instead, and how you can reward them for that. If you would like them to sit on their cat tree and wait for dinner - have little treats ready before you start prep. As soon as a cat goes to the tree - toss / give a treat (you can even start by placing a treat there for them to find - you'll have to manage multiple animals but I assure you if I can get a herd of hungry horses to all stand calmly in their spots in the pasture and not fight one another for food - you can do the same with cats). If they stay there another treat, if they come into the kitchen you ignore and even stop prep and go somewhere else. At the beginning it takes longer, but they will get it - positive reinforcement works with cats.
@@vivdnz Thank you so much those are really good ideas! I will be trying them right away.
It stops the bullying really well, and the big guy doesn't even have to get wet, as soon as he sees it he lives the little ones alone.
Thank you!
My cat thinks that the squirt bottle is a game, so we gave up on that a long time ago.
Well said!
I love your little ditty at the end. "You're just misunderstood." I say that all the time to my orange boy. He was raised with 4 dogs and passed around to various people in one family. I found a listing for him on Craig's list as his previous owner abandoned him with his roommates. I quickly responded to the ad. They had no vet paperwork for him. The lady who had him said he was 5 years old. The vet guessed closer to 3. He is all bark (very vocal some meows some weird growly talk), but he has never scratched or bitten me. I wish he was a little more cuddly as orange boys usually are more affectionate, but he has his moments where he is. I respect the times when he just wants to peruse my back yard garden (like a dog being let out). He's definitely a puppy cat. When he is being all cute, I scratch his chin (he loves that) and tell him that he isn't a bad cat, he's just misunderstood.
Jackson, I purchased motion alarms that made a loud, piercing sound when they detected motion. When Clara went up onto the counter, it blared at her. She did not like the loud piercing noise, and it happened even when I wasn't there. I had 3 weeks of being awakened by the blaring alarm at 3:00am, but then it stopped. Now, the counter is a place where she does not want to go. Problem solved.
That sounds extreme to me. Just sayin'.
That is worse than the water !
I just got a male 3 month old and holy crap I diddnt exspect how much energy he would have I'm also a new cat owner he's either attacking my feet, legs or hands or cuddling me and licking me lol
so hows it going
I’m on the same boat minus the licking
Same here, first time having a kitten. She’s somewhere between 2 months old and she’s constantly biting me
Just to prove your point ;- ) I adopted an almost senior bonded pair and as they settled in neither would get on the counter. They did learn from me the kitchen table was okay. I have no idea how their former owners 'trained' them to stay off the counter but I sure enjoyed it. With next adoptions I'll use your yes/no technique... I sure enjoy and learn from your vids. Thanks so much.
I love your videos! I love how you always have the cat's best interest at heart and work on reconciling the family
Cats adapt too. If they experience a blast of air on the counter top, they'll jump down---at first. After that, they'll just ignore it. Been there, seen that. LOL
Super helpful!!!! Thank you!
This is great advice!
I've tried the water squirt thing 2 or 3 times when my cat was little...
Now he showers with me :|
Also the Raise your hand if you're for de-clawing your cat poster is AWESOME!
You mean declawing is awesome? No, it's harmful and cruel. Declawing is the worst thing you could do to a cat. Well, neutering/spaying is probably worse, but that is the second worse thing you could ever do! It's painful for them and people only do it for their pleasure of their furniture. It's horrible. Don't support it.
@@ello9316 i think you misunderstood.. The poster says raise your hand if you're for declawing your cat, but the hand has all the tips of the fingers cut off. It's a way of saying DON'T declaw your cat!
• Çløvër • you clearly didn’t see the actual poster lol
• Çløvër • wait.. are you actually saying you think spaying/neutering is worse than declawing? I hope you’re kidding...
This is almost like how to discipline your children. Love the logics.
This is EXACTLY how you help a person to change an unwanted behavior. 1) find out what the person is working for 2) devise a behavior that is incompatible with the unwanted behavior. 3) reward with a stretched variable ratio, the substitute behavior, to get as much practice as possible 4) try to remove the reward for the unwanted behavior.