Cat punishment

coccinelle | 17:21 Wed 18th Apr 2012 | Animals & Nature

65 Answers

My cat, for the first time that I'm aware of, got up onto the worktop in my kitchen. I found her eating a ready to go into the oven stuffed pepper. As soon as she saw me she dashed for the door so knows fine well that what she was doing was wrong. How can I punish her. No food tonight? (me considering she's already had tea though only got as far as the top part) or what would you do so she won't do this again?

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EvianBaby

My cat will attempt to eat anything he can get near. The only resoluton I've found is to never leave any food uncovered when he is around.

ladybirder

She's probably getting fed up of dried food after 11 years, wouldn't you? Please don't punish her and don't set her up for failure by leaving food on the worktops. A NO and lift her down immediately will be enough, despite what people say you can train cats to not jump up, I did it with my two.
Oh and plese don't leave her hungry tonight:-(

micmak

Punish a cat. Don't be silly. Don't leave food where your cat can get to it. Remember cats own you, not the other way round. When one of my cats had to take a tablet I would wrap it in a piece of ham and put it on my dinner plate. Then I'd leave the room. Worked every time.

Mosaic

You can persuade cats, rather than train, and it's a long persistent game. As others have said, any deterrent needs to accompany the naughty act - absolutely no point afterwards. She'll just be puzzled why she can't come in if you make her stay outside. They have very limited or no ability to associate deterrents with past acts.
A loud noise like a shriek, rattled newspaper or clapping when the act is in progress is the only way, and even then, with something as delicious as the corner of my settee, she'll just wait till you aren't around to do it.

pastafreak

Ha! My little monster thinks the water sprayer is a game. I zap him-he charges up the stairs,and as soon as my back is turned-he whizzes back down again.

Periodically he 'discovers' the worktops...and sleeps on them over night-he especially likes my black cooker (he's white :-(( ) I have picked him up quite unceremoniously,and dumped him on the floor.....he just goes and does it again. Yelling/scolding does not work...he's deaf,and just sees his human slave making funny faces.....
So-every night-I put the trash bin on top of the cooker,and also a few large stiff carrier bags on the counter. That keeps him off.

lcg

no....don't punish the cat. it's your fault for leaving the food out! cats will eat anything. a punishment long after the 'crime' will have no effect and is not fair on the cat. don't leave food out - this is the way to stop it happening again.

boxtops

Rubbing their noses in anything is no punishment for a cat - it makes no difference at all, whether it's stolen stuff or pooing in the wrong place. It's your fault for leaving the food out - cats are opportunists. I will never forget one of my long-gone cats coming into the living room dragging a lamb chop, which he'd somehow managed to extract from under a lit grill.... it was all we had for dinner that night, so I cut the bite marks off, and ate it :-)

ruthann58

simple dont leave things where she can get them food shouldnt be left out and uncovered anyway, the flys must love you straight off the muck heap onto your tea

ladybirder

LOL Boxy, wonderful.

chaptazbru

What ladybirder said at 18.58 is, imo, spot on. Especially about the dry food.

wolf63

I'm being punished at the moment for something that I must have done wrong. Two sets of beady eyes are fixed on me. ;-(

lankeela

My mum once made the Christmas cake and left it on the worksurface to cool down before icing. Came down in the morning to find the cat curled up asleep on it.

nungate

You can't punish your cat for doing what comes naturally, and too much time has passed since the offence she will only be puzzled by your behaviour. I have four of them two of which are constantly jumping onto countertops, and one who loves to sleep in the sink. You just have to remember to keep them out of the kitchen while you're preparing food or as in this case you should have put the prepared food out of sight until it was time to put it into the oven, and finally, do as I do, invest in lots of bleach and disinfectant wipes.