Aversion (Water) therapy

Hi,

Me again. I wondered if anyone is aware of any way to make a cat
(master) stop doing something. Honestly, I've tried the water thing
(squirt guns and spray bottles). Barnabus will just turn his back, and
glare at you over his shoulder, while you empty squirt guns and water
bottles on him (until he is dripping wet, literally).

All the others learned after one or two squirts, but he just seems to
think it's a power play (which he has been winning). I realize he's
getting up there in years (12), but it's getting more difficult for me
to pick him up from the places where he shouldn't be.

BTW, yelling and stomping feet doesn't work either, and the neighbors
think I'm nuts since they know I'm alone most of the time. I've even
tried tossing his fuzzy toys at him, he just catches them and lets them
drop. What's a slave to do?

Smokie Darling (Annie) - Even Leonidas (the newest one) understands
"No" without a squirt gun

My Sundance also doesn't care about getting wet. (He even comes running
when he hears me running water in the sink!) I've had success using a can
of compressed air. I don't hit him with the stream of air, it's just the
sound that stops him (at least most of the time!).

Sandy

"Smokie Darling (Annie)" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,

Me again. I wondered if anyone is aware of any way to make a cat
(master) stop doing something. Honestly, I've tried the water thing
(squirt guns and spray bottles). Barnabus will just turn his back, and
glare at you over his shoulder, while you empty squirt guns and water
bottles on him (until he is dripping wet, literally).

All the others learned after one or two squirts, but he just seems to
think it's a power play (which he has been winning). I realize he's
getting up there in years (12), but it's getting more difficult for me
to pick him up from the places where he shouldn't be.

BTW, yelling and stomping feet doesn't work either, and the neighbors
think I'm nuts since they know I'm alone most of the time. I've even
tried tossing his fuzzy toys at him, he just catches them and lets them
drop. What's a slave to do?

Smokie Darling (Annie) - Even Leonidas (the newest one) understands
"No" without a squirt gun

Sandy wrote:
My Sundance also doesn't care about getting wet. (He even comes
running
when he hears me running water in the sink!) I've had success using
a can
of compressed air. I don't hit him with the stream of air, it's just
the
sound that stops him (at least most of the time!).

Sandy

Oddly, my Smokie Darling tries to get into the shower with me every
day. Once or twice she's managed it (when I don't make sure she isn't
in the hamper), and doesn't seem to object it. Probably because
meowmie is also in the shower, but she hates the squirt gun, and will
run when she sees it.

I've tried canned air on Barnabus (read about it here, and thought it
might work), and an air horn (just for startlement value). Neither of
those will stop him from his behavior either.

I'm probably just going to have to deal with it, since I won't spank
him (even on the rare occasion I want to) or hit him with anything,
even a rolled up paper. Just hoping for some other ideas.

Sigh... it can be so aggravating when the beastie boy wins


"Smokie Darling (Annie)" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,

Me again. I wondered if anyone is aware of any way to make a cat
(master) stop doing something. Honestly, I've tried the water
thing
(squirt guns and spray bottles). Barnabus will just turn his back,
and
glare at you over his shoulder, while you empty squirt guns and
water
bottles on him (until he is dripping wet, literally).

All the others learned after one or two squirts, but he just seems
to
think it's a power play (which he has been winning). I realize
he's
getting up there in years (12), but it's getting more difficult for
me
to pick him up from the places where he shouldn't be.

BTW, yelling and stomping feet doesn't work either, and the
neighbors
think I'm nuts since they know I'm alone most of the time. I've
even
tried tossing his fuzzy toys at him, he just catches them and lets
them
drop. What's a slave to do?

Smokie Darling (Annie) - Even Leonidas (the newest one) understands
"No" without a squirt gun

Smokie Darling (Annie) wrote:

Hi,

Me again. I wondered if anyone is aware of any way to make a cat
(master) stop doing something. Honestly, I've tried the water thing
(squirt guns and spray bottles). Barnabus will just turn his back, and
glare at you over his shoulder, while you empty squirt guns and water
bottles on him (until he is dripping wet, literally).

I had a cat like that, once! Sorry, I never DID find a
solution.

Sandy wrote:

My Sundance also doesn't care about getting wet. (He even comes running
when he hears me running water in the sink!) I've had success using a can
of compressed air. I don't hit him with the stream of air, it's just the
sound that stops him (at least most of the time!).

I've found just hissing at them, when I'm not near a squirt
bottle, sometimes works. (How good is your imitation of a
hiss-spit?)

Smokie Darling (Annie) wrote:


I'm probably just going to have to deal with it, since I won't spank
him (even on the rare occasion I want to) or hit him with anything,
even a rolled up paper. Just hoping for some other ideas.

That seldom works with cats, anyway. The reason it may with
dogs is that dogs CARE about pleasing (or dis-pleasing)
their humans. Most cats couldn't care less, it's all about
THEM.

On 19 Mar 2005 15:40:52 -0800, "Smokie Darling (Annie)"
wrote:

Hi,

Me again. I wondered if anyone is aware of any way to make a cat
(master) stop doing something. Honestly, I've tried the water thing
(squirt guns and spray bottles). Barnabus will just turn his back, and
glare at you over his shoulder, while you empty squirt guns and water
bottles on him (until he is dripping wet, literally).

sorry, no useful advice. Just reminds of how different cats can be.
The squirt bottle worked great deterring LB and Sammy from getting
into trouble. Never had to hit them with water, just had to squirt
near them and they would usually stop whatever they were doing. Rocky
(RB) on the other hand, couldn't care less about being hit with a
blast from the bottle. After all, he sit in the middle of the lawn
while it was raining, only moving to shelter if it was really coming
down hard.

Short side note: The exception is when Sammy is in the OUT and decides
to explore forbidden territory. She only goes out when supervised, and
knows how far she's supposed to go, but that doesn't stop her from
trying to extend her expeditions.

A typical relaxing trip to the OUT with Sammy starts with me sitting
in the lawn chair watching as she and LB sniffs all the familiar
areas.

After a few minutes LB will find a nice patch of grass to nap on, or
maybe come jump up on my lap to thank me for taking them out.
Meanwhile, Sammy is exploring further and further, so I call to her
that she's gone far enough.

She gives me the ear and keeps going. I call that I'm getting the
bottle. She ignores me. I get up and pick up the bottle and squeeze
the trigger a couple times to prime the pump. She stops and looks at
me, then lays down as if to say all she wants is to nap on this prime
patch of grass, which is much better than anything closer to the
patio. I put the bottle down and sit down. She gets up and announces
that while this is certainly prime grass, it looks even better just
over there. I yell, she gives me the ear and ignores me. I get back up
and start towards her, squirting water in her general direction. She
runs back to the patio, cursing under her breath about how
unreasonable hoomins are. Five minutes are so go by, and the whole
sequence repeats. After the third or fourth repetition, I decide
enough is enough, and it's time to go inside.
snip
All the others learned after one or two squirts, but he just seems to
think it's a power play (which he has been winning). I realize he's
getting up there in years (12), but it's getting more difficult for me
to pick him up from the places where he shouldn't be.

BTW, yelling and stomping feet doesn't work either, and the neighbors
think I'm nuts since they know I'm alone most of the time. I've even
tried tossing his fuzzy toys at him, he just catches them and lets them
drop. What's a slave to do?

Smokie Darling (Annie) - Even Leonidas (the newest one) understands
"No" without a squirt gun

--
Steve Touchstone,
faithful servant of Sammy and Little Bit

[remove Junk for email]
Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html
Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html

[[My Sundance also doesn't care about getting wet. (He even comes running

when he hears me running water in the sink!) I've had success using a
can

of compressed air. I don't hit him with the stream of air, it's just the

sound that stops him (at least most of the time!). ]]

There's one particular air freshener spray, Glade, whose aerosol can
REALLY sounds like a cat hiss. At least, it's close enough in sound to
inspire most cats I've known to leave the vicinity. I never sprayed it AT
them... come to think of it, I never used it as a discipline tool, either.
But I noticed that they generally don't like the sound it makes when it
sprays, and they leave.

You could try choosing a scent of air freshener that you like, and
freshening the room with it when the cat misbehaves. Bonus points if it's
a scent that the misbehaving kitty DOESN'T favor... that might be an
aversion therapy in itself, even if he doesn't care about the sound the
aerosol can makes. We once stashed a scented candle in a nook that we
didn't want the cat hiding in, once we realized that she LOATHED the scent
of the candle and there was no real way to block the opening off so she
couldn't get in there.

Failing that... at least one cat I've had was unnerved by the sight of an
opening umbrella pointed in her general direction. This was especially
true of the smaller folding umbrellas that are compact enough to fit in a
handbag when closed. When she saw that little thing open up into a big
wide round whatever-it-is, she took off running. This is another thing
that I never used as a discipline tactic; it just was something that I
noticed that the cat didn't like.

Let us know which solution(s) you hit on that work. There's no such thing
as having too many bargaining chips when one is trying to convince a kitty
to cooperate. ;o)

Donna

Gabey8 wrote:
[[My Sundance also doesn't care about getting wet. (He even comes
running

when he hears me running water in the sink!) I've had success using
a
can

of compressed air. I don't hit him with the stream of air, it's just
the

sound that stops him (at least most of the time!). ]]

There's one particular air freshener spray, Glade, whose aerosol can
REALLY sounds like a cat hiss. At least, it's close enough in sound
to
inspire most cats I've known to leave the vicinity. I never sprayed
it AT
them... come to think of it, I never used it as a discipline tool,
either.
But I noticed that they generally don't like the sound it makes when
it
sprays, and they leave.

You could try choosing a scent of air freshener that you like, and
freshening the room with it when the cat misbehaves. Bonus points if
it's
a scent that the misbehaving kitty DOESN'T favor... that might be an
aversion therapy in itself, even if he doesn't care about the sound
the
aerosol can makes. We once stashed a scented candle in a nook that we
didn't want the cat hiding in, once we realized that she LOATHED the
scent
of the candle and there was no real way to block the opening off so
she
couldn't get in there.

Failing that... at least one cat I've had was unnerved by the sight
of an
opening umbrella pointed in her general direction. This was
especially
true of the smaller folding umbrellas that are compact enough to fit
in a
handbag when closed. When she saw that little thing open up into a
big
wide round whatever-it-is, she took off running. This is another
thing
that I never used as a discipline tactic; it just was something that
I
noticed that the cat didn't like.

Let us know which solution(s) you hit on that work. There's no such
thing
as having too many bargaining chips when one is trying to convince a
kitty
to cooperate. ;o)

Donna

Apparently, the hissing like a cat is good one (never realized I could
frighten almost all my freakin' cats at one go....). I guess I have
the sound down, eh? The only one it doesn't work on is Tuppence
(FIV+), but I think it's 'cause she knows mom, and that I would never
ever hurt her (by allowing a mean kitty in the house). Besides, Tupp
doesn't need discipline, all she does is eat and sleep (and pee on the
floor when daddy raises his voice).

Aerosol spray (depending on brand) scares them all, enough that even
the FIV+ cat runs, and I hate the idea of scaring her. So, will use
that option in other rooms than Tuppence's (the front room/lounge).

Will have to try the umbrella, and see what the reaction is. Have to
wait for Barnabus to misbehave (shouldn't be long).

Smokie Darling (Annie)

Smokie Darling (Annie) wrote:

Apparently, the hissing like a cat is good one (never realized I could
frighten almost all my freakin' cats at one go....). I guess I have
the sound down, eh? The only one it doesn't work on is Tuppence
(FIV+), but I think it's 'cause she knows mom, and that I would never
ever hurt her (by allowing a mean kitty in the house). Besides, Tupp
doesn't need discipline, all she does is eat and sleep (and pee on the
floor when daddy raises his voice).

Aerosol spray (depending on brand) scares them all, enough that even
the FIV+ cat runs, and I hate the idea of scaring her. So, will use
that option in other rooms than Tuppence's (the front room/lounge).

Will have to try the umbrella, and see what the reaction is. Have to
wait for Barnabus to misbehave (shouldn't be long).

I just remembered something else you might try. A few years ago, I had a
problem with flies invading my home, and I would go about swatting them
with a rolled-up newspaper. Every time Frank saw me with that newspaper,
he cringed and slunk under the bed. I have never ever hit him with a
rolled-up newpaper, so I don't know why he was afraid of it, unless one
of the families that had him before me (he was 5 months old when I got
him) used to discipline him with a rolled-up newspaper. Some memory he
has, since he was c. 15 years old when this happened. But maybe you
could try wielding a rolled-up newspaper. Hmm, somehow that sounds
cruel. Maybe not a good idea after all.


--
Marina, Frank, Nikki, and coming soon: Mere!
marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi
Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/
and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki