Cats have an undeserved reputation for being rude, untrainable, and selfish, yet none of these claims are true. You can discipline a cat for misbehaving or being hazardous you simply need to know how to handle a mischievous cat. Fortunately, changing a cat’s behavior can be achieved by rewarding behaviors that are positive and correcting poor behavior. However, because you don’t want to damage or destroy your relationship with your cat, you must know how to do it properly.
Why Is My Cat So Mischievous?
Most of the time, what you see as mischievous behavior in your cat is simply them expressing their instinctive inhibitions as animals. That is why it is counterproductive to punish cats for what nature has created them when you might instead assist them in adjusting.
At times, though, your cat can just pick up a terrible habit out of nowhere and go with it. Some of the blame may have even been on your side for not catching the conduct sooner. However, this is not a blame game. That’s why it’s important to know your cat’s body language. Depending on what is causing your cat to act out, you should approach the discipline with care and tolerance. You’ll need a lot of patience.
Common Cat Mischievous
There are several types of cat mischief. While some are universal to all cats, others are individual undesirable habits picked up by the feline at some time in their life. In general, the majority of these negative behaviors are the following.
Scratching the Furniture
It may appear like your cat has a vendetta against your wonderful house furniture, but they’re only looking for the perfect area to sharpen their claws and establish their territory. Cats scratch to keep their claws healthy and to leave behind a scent from between their toes that tells them this spot is familiar and secure.
However, it would be best to buy special toys for pets, so that your cat doesn’t damage your furniture.
Bringing Home “Presents”
Cats are natural predators, so when they capture tiny animals in the garden, they are only acting on their instincts. It may appear disgusting, but they return their prey back to their home since this is their primary territory and they know it will be secure from being stolen by other species.
They don’t hunt because they’re vicious or even hungry; they hunt because pouncing and capturing things makes them happy.
Knocking Things off the Table
Your cat may be attempting to get your attention by tossing items onto the floor, jumping onto the kitchen counter, or meowing at you repeatedly. And if you continue to give in and give them precisely what they want, whether it’s food or a fuss, chances are they’ll do it again and again because they know it works.
Attacking Your Hands and Feet
Cats are particularly sensitive to movement when they are in the mood to play, as this is how they normally locate their prey. As a result, wriggling fingers and toes might be difficult to resist.
Unfortunately, many cat owners encourage this behavior in their kittens since it is enjoyable and generally harmless. However, when the cat and their claws get bigger, our feline companions are oblivious that the same fun might result in a few injuries.
Climbing the Curtains
Climbing is another natural interest for your cat, since cats like getting up high to view their surroundings. This makes them feel safer since they can keep an eye out for potential risks while keeping out of harm’s way.
If you wish to keep your drapes from becoming their favorite climbing thing, provide an appropriate alternative. Allow them to perch on some empty shelves, or place a chest of drawers against a wardrobe so they can easily leap on top.
How to Train Mischievous Cat
Your cat must link their mischievous actions with something unpleasant. They won’t want such discomfort after that point. As a result, they will automatically stop doing what you want to get them to stop doing. That being stated, here are a few things you should do.
Use Your Voice
When your cat is doing something you don’t like, using your voice to stop them may be sufficient. Keep a stop phrase in mind and use it on the cat anytime it exhibits negative behavior.
A simple ‘No’ or ‘Hey’ uttered loudly and firmly would suffice. Consistency is the key to making this work. When you start employing a stop word, remain with it for so long that the cat starts connecting it with negative behavior that has to quit.
Clap Your Hands
Clapping your hands is another way to convince a cat to stop misbehaving. A sudden, loud noise like the clapping of hands will be irritating/unsettling to cats and may lead them to stop.
Some cats are also easily scared. Clapping your hands together will startle them. After a while, they will link what they were doing (which is negative behavior) with the uncomfortable sound of your claps.
Use Noisy Cans
This one is great for cats who prefer to jump on top of cabinets and other places. You may even use it to keep your cat from exploring around in certain areas.
It also works when you want to keep your cat away from your houseplants. Collect several empty cans of soda and stack them one on top of the other such that minimal touch causes them to wobble. The first time your cat approaches and causes them to wobble, the noise will scare them away. Don’t forget to repeat the procedure 2 or 3 more times till the cat understands.
Use Deterrents
Some cats will refuse to eat citrus even if it means saving their own lives. Other cats loathe cucumbers for whatever reason. And that leaves us with a distinct advantage.
You may buy commercially available sprays for these odors and put them in areas where you don’t want to see the cat. If your cat enjoys chewing on objects, you may purchase certain (harmless) sprays that make such things taste terrible as well.
Play With the Cat
A bored cat is a recipe for catastrophe. If you don’t spend enough time playing with your cat, you might be the root of its misbehavior. If your cat likes to rush about the house, chase items, swipe at your leg as you go by, and so on, obviously isn’t getting enough playtime.
Use a Spray Bottle
Nobody enjoys being sprayed with water. Not even cats. Whenever the cat does anything wrong, get a spray bottle and spray it with water. The general guideline for using this corrective strategy is that the cat doesn’t notice that the water is coming from you. Otherwise, the sprayed water will be associated with you rather than their negative behavior.