Thread: Instilling some discipline

In my view that pets have no concept of good and bad behaviour - naughty and nice are purely human ideas. So is the idea of discipline. Whilst it is possible to train a dog because they desperately want to please you, I have doubts about training a cat - hence the phrase to describe an impossible task 'like herding cats'.

Animals behave in a way that seems natural to them - they don't understand that this may be seen as 'bad'. They pick up the vibes if you are angry but instead of making them understand your reasoning you may simply make them afraid or aggressive. For instance if you play rough with them they either think that's what you expect or they become afraid - either may lead to biting and scratching.

I would reward good behaviour but divert their attention to other things if they are doing things I don't want them to do. Perhaps play with a toy until they forget what they were doing that you didn't like. When they're young I block off areas where they could hurt themselves or damage things I value - just like I did when my children were little.

I would recommend several cat trees with scratching posts and high perches - MCs love being up high. If they are scratching furniture get them something else to scratch and if that doesn't work, protect the furniture until they grow out of it (they probably will).

Above all enjoy the kitten days - they are over all too soon!