A common mistake many people make when trying to train their cats is to reward the actual behavior they’re trying to correct. Here are some examples:

·          If your cat is showing aggression and you attempt to soothe her by petting, the message she receives is that her behavior is acceptable because she received positive reinforcement. Use your voice to calm your cat or if possible, remove her from the situation (safely, of course), but don’t fall into the trap of cooing, petting, and holding her in a way that says her behavior is acceptable.

·          Your cat wakes you up at the crack of dawn to get a jumpstart on breakfast. To quiet her, you drag yourself out of bed and put food in her bowl so you can get a few more hours’ sleep. That extra sleep will cost you though because you’ve just taught your cat that the way to get what she wants is to repeat that exact behavior every morning.

·          Your cat may love strolling on the kitchen counter or other surfaces where you’d prefer she not go. As you pick her up, you might give her kisses, pet her, continue holding her, or talk sweetly to her before placing her back down on the floor. What’s the message kitty received? Being on the counter means she’s going to get lots of attention. If you want to remove her from the area, do so in a way that is unceremonious – just pick her up and gently put her down.

Look at how you respond to your cat’s behavior because you might be unknowingly reinforcing negative behavior through attention.

For more information refer to the book Starting from Scratch.

© 2009 Cat Behavior Associates, LLC