Expert: Tina - 12/3/2008

Question
Hello, I have several questions to ask about having a disobedient cat. I adopted a female calico cat a month ago, and she's turning 2 years old very soon by early next year. She is my first cat but she is very NOT well-behaved. She jumped on kitchen cabinet, dining table, working table, entering 'no entry' rooms, hyperactive, doesn't like to be pet when she don't feel like it...else she'll claw. Seriously she'll claws and bites. Sometimes she'll be running around like mad in the house and banging on stuffs and furniture which got me very irritated by the bangs. So, out of anger, I used to smack her butt when she behaving badly, and the worst part after that, she never feel bad or scared at all after the smack. She'll walk around meow..(sometimes) and sit down chilling near you, instead of hiding scared and guilty. I really need help on this, please give the best advise as I don't know is smacking really works or not to train a cat to be obedient. She had an owner before that he/she surrendered her to the animal shelter. Maybe, they don't teach her the right thing when she was a kitten.

Answer
Hi Mils,

I assume you do not have much experience with cats? Why did you adopt a cat, what did you think you would get out of the experience?

If you wish to keep your cat and be a good pet owner, you need to research and learn more about cats. You don't have a bad cat, she is doing everything that comes naturally to her. It is you who is a bad cat owner due to inexperience. You don't understand how cats think and therefore you don't know how to train a cat. I suggest you do some reading and research so you can live in harmony with your cat.

YOU MUST NEVER EVER HIT A CAT! This is animal abuse. A cat is much smaller than you and physical abuse will seriously mentally disturb your cat if not physically damage her. Cats do not learn from physical punishment, as you have discovered.

Think about these things:

- would you want someone coming up and petting/stroking you whenever THEY feel like it, even if you did not want it? Can you imagine co-workers coming up and rubbing your back or stroking your cheek whenever they wanted?

- how can your cat know a room is "no entry"? She can't read signs. If you get mad and chase her out when you see her in there she just thinks you are mad for no reason, it is not clear to her that you are mad because she is in that room. The only way to make a room "no entry" for a cat is to close the door, or to set up a training device that startles her each time she walks in the door. For example http://www.ssscat.com

If you are unwilling or unable to put in some time to learn about being a good cat owner, you should bring her back to the shelter, so she can find a home with someone else.

If you decide to keep her, you need to learn a lot about cats, more than I can teach you in an email. You can read these books to get started:

"Think Like a Cat: How to Raise a Well-Adjusted Cat--Not a Sour Puss" by Pam Johnson-Bennett

http://www.amazon.com/Think-Like-Cat-Well-Adjusted-Cat-Not/dp/0140288546/ref=pd_...

"Cats for Dummies" by Gina Spadafori, Paul D. Pion, Lilian Jackson Braun

http://www.amazon.com/Cats-Dummies-Gina-Spadafori/dp/0764552759/ref=pd_sim_b_11

Good luck I wish the best for your cat and you.