At Valley Animal Hospital in Clifton, NJ, our veterinary team understands that disciplining a cat can be difficult. Afterall, cats are smart and curious animals. Discipling a cat does take trial and error. To help you get on the right foot, it is important to know how to discipline a cat the right way.
Create An Ideal Environment For Your Cats
Cats instinctively want to scratch on things. Rather than trying to fight it, you should embrace it. Set up scratching posts and cat trees in your home to prevent your cats from destroying your furniture.
Schedule Playtime With Your Cat
Your cats are going to want to play. If you don't want to get woken up at 2 am for playtime, you should set up a regular playtime session that fits in your schedule. If you play with your cats for 20 minutes before going to bed, they may be too tired to wake you up in the middle of the night. There are plenty of toys available that you can use, such as kitty lasers, laser pointers, and a toy mouse.
Reward Their Good Behavior
If you see your cats scratch their post instead of your furniture, reward them with a treat. The same is true if they use the litter box rather than the floor. Redirecting your cats' attention to something else can reduce bad behavior.
Ignore Bad Behavior
If your cats are misbehaving, the last thing that you want to do is yell or hit them. Hitting a cat is cruel, and it isn't going to change bad behavior. Walk away from your cats when they are not behaving well. Eventually, your cats will differentiate the good and bad behavior with the rewards that you set up.
Veterinary Tips in Clifton
If you have any questions or issues regarding your cats’ behavior, make an appointment with our vet team at Valley Animal Hospital in Clifton. Our veterinarians can give you helpful advice on how to discipline your cats. To schedule an appointment, give us a call today at 973-509-5225.