kolling@magic.ARPA (01/07/85)
What is this rubbish about tormenting cats via water pistols? A cat understands "No" said in a scolding tone of voice, and it understands being picked up and taken away from whatever you don't want it messing around with. Do these things often enough and you will break the offending habit. The ethics of tormenting cats with water pistols I will refrain from commenting on.
pallas@CSL-Vax.ARPA (01/08/85)
> What is this rubbish about tormenting cats via water pistols? A > cat understands "No" said in a scolding tone of voice, and it > understands being picked up and taken away from whatever you > don't want it messing around with. Maybe YOUR cat does, but mine sure doesn't!
steiny@scc.UUCP (Don Steiny) (01/08/85)
> > What is this rubbish about tormenting cats via water pistols? A > cat understands "No" said in a scolding tone of voice, and it > understands being picked up and taken away from whatever you > don't want it messing around with. That has not been my experience. I have said NO a thousand times about some things and my cat stops when I say "no", but she does it again. The things I have squirted her about, she never scratches. -- scc!steiny Don Steiny - Personetics @ (408) 425-0382 109 Torrey Pine Terr. Santa Cruz, Calif. 95060 ihnp4!pesnta -\ fortune!idsvax -> scc!steiny ucbvax!twg -/
duhon@ihn5l.UUCP (duhon) (01/09/85)
Tormenting cats with water pistols? It not tormenting cats that going on, its a momentary annoyance, similar to having someone yell "NO" at you. The advantage of the water pistol is that it does no damage, and can reach a cat at some distance. Every cat I have had will learn that when I get up and approach it while it's doing something nauty, it will wait until the last minute and then run away. Great! Now I've taugh my cats to run away when I approach. With the water pistol(actually a plant mister/sprayer) I needn't get out of my chair/bed/etc. I use the word NO, and if that fails, I use the water. BTW, cats quite often learn where the water is coming from (they can hear the squirting) but this doesn't seem to have any effect on the waters effectiveness. Fortunately (for me) none of my cats likes water. Joey Duhon ihnp4!ihn5l!duhon
mazur@inmet.UUCP (01/14/85)
My one cat doesn't even care about *water*. He has this bad habit of climbing my shower curtain. Once I was in the shower when he just jumped up about shoulder height. I pulled the curtain under the stream of the water. Freaked him out, but it didn't stop him. Now what I do is replace the clear liner when it gets bad.
gail@calmasd.UUCP (Gail B. Hanrahan) (01/16/85)
My two kittens (6 months old) always used to scratch on
a very chunky woven straw doormat. Recently they've started
scratching on the carpet, and on the upholstery on the dining
room chairs. They still scratch on the doormat, as well.
I've used the water pistol (actually spray bottle) trick with
only moderate success (i.e., they stop what they're doing at the
time, but it doesn't discourage them from trying again later).
One kitten is completely unfazed by wetting. Any suggestions?
Do cat repellants work?
Gail Bayley Hanrahan
{ihnp4,decvax,ucbvax}!sdcsvax!calmasd!gailrcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn) (01/17/85)
> What is this rubbish about tormenting cats via water pistols? A > cat understands "No" said in a scolding tone of voice, and it > understands being picked up and taken away from whatever you > don't want it messing around with. Do these things often enough > and you will break the offending habit. The ethics of tormenting cats > with water pistols I will refrain from commenting on. You're the one who added the word "tormenting"...and frankly, you don't know what you're talking about even a little bit. 1. A spray bottle is a standard recommended deterrent--the recommendation from vets, breeders, and other pros. 2. The effect of either spraying or scolding is to startle the cat, and the psychological effect of either is about the same: nil, unless you have a badly maladjusted cat to start with. 3. Water is harmless to the cat. On the other hand, cats have VERY sensitive ears, and careless scolding when you're angry about something can be loud enough to be painful to the cat. 4. Squirting causes the cat to associate the undesired activity with an unpleasant result, but not necessarily (or strongly) with you. Scolding and physically removing the cat, while sometimes the best or only thing you can do, has the adverse side effect of making the cat associate the unpleasantness with you, and may have a bad effect on the cat's temperament in general or affection toward you. 5. Some cats, just by the the temperament of their particular breeds, are harder to discipline effectively; scolding may not work at all. Please don't inflict your ethical judgments on other people, especially by innuendo, if you don't know anything about the issue. -- Dick Dunn {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd (303)444-5710 x3086 ...A friend of the devil is a friend of mine.