Why Using Squirt Bottles On Cats Can Be Harmful Sometimes (Viral Thread)

There are a lot of important things to know when living with cats. It's important to know what kinds of food to get them, and that there are healthier cat food alternatives. It's important to get cats a good cat tree and scratcher… even if cats will choose literally anything over those expensive cat trees to sit on at the end of the day. It's also important to know things like how to get your cats to drink more water, because there are a lot of cats who don't drink nearly enough. And, of course, it's important to know how to discipline them.

Now, it's true that a lot of cats won't follow every instruction you give them - they are not dogs, and it's important to remember that. But, we also o't want our cats scratching our furniture, jumping on our dining table, or climbing on our curtains. A lot of people use squirt bottles for that - one squirt and the cat should go away from wherever it is that they are. But that's not always the right option, and adrianontherocks on imgur explains exactly why that is and what you can do instead.

Posted by Marielru

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"Why you shouldn't use a squirt bottle on your cat, and what to do instead"

"Hi Imgur, I'm your friendly neighborhood feline behaviorist. Cats are often misunderstood creatures- I can't tell you how much misinformation I see out there about them. Part of this is because cats have NOT been studied scientifically nearly as much as some other species, such as dogs!
I want to help cats by making sure that humans have a better understanding of them, and thus don't have unrealistic expectations for their behavior. I figured why not share some info on Imgur! Even if you don't want to read it, you can at least enjoy a few pictures of some shelter cats!
The squirt bottle is a common tool that people will use to attempt to deter their cat from certain behaviors, such as scratching a couch or jumping on the dining-room table. I'm here to tell you that it may not actually be working as well as you think it is!"

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"You may have found that spraying your cat makes them stop whatever they are doing, and maybe over time you see a decrease in that behavior, but let me tell you a secret- more likely than not, it is only stopping them from doing it while you are around. The next time kitty wants to jump on the counter, or scratch your favorite armchair, they will just check to make sure you and the spray bottle are nowhere to be seen, and then go ahead and follow through with their plans."

Via adrianontherocks
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"There is also the risk that using a spray bottle on your cat could harm your relationship with them. Rather than form a negative association between their behavior and the water, it's more likely they will form a negative association between you and the water. Some cats can be quite forgiving and you won't notice a change in your bond with them, but others may become significantly less trusting of you, and it can result in behavior problems that you would never consider were linked to your spray bottle use- and why take the risk when there's a better way?"

Via adrianontherocks
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"So, what is this better way? There are two aspects to it: using environmental deterrents, and giving your cat an alternative to the behavior they are trying to express. You will have to tailor your approach to the undesired behavior you are experiencing, but I will give a few examples. If your cat is scratching a piece of furniture, use an appropriate environmental deterrent- such as double-sided sticky tape or anti-scratch spray- and give your cat a scratching post right next to, or at least near, the piece. Your cat is likely scratching that object because it is a socially important location to them. By using an environmental deterrent, you're saying 'no, don't scratch here', and by putting a post in the same area, you are also giving them a 'yes, scratch here'. By giving them a 'yes' nearby, this means that you should only need to use the environmental deterrent as a temporary measure, until the cat has learned to use the alternative instead. Another common example is a cat jumping on a kitchen counter or dining table. The 'no' would be putting out aluminum foil, or sticky tape, or a 'Ssscat' air spray device (and also removing anything that is making the area extra appealing, such as food scraps). The 'yes' would be giving them plenty of other options to satisfy their climbing and jumping urges: cat-trees or other cat furniture items, or strategically installed sturdy shelves."

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"You may ask why an environmental deterrent is different from using a spray bottle, and there are two reasons: the first is consistency. With an environmental deterrent, your cat will find something unpleasant EVERY time they try to engage in the relevant behavior, and consistency is one of the key parts of training an animal. The second reason is that rather than you being on the other end of the spray bottle, there is no person for the cat to connect the negative experience with, so instead they are going to associate it with the location and their behavior. The spray bottle tells them 'don't do this while my human is watching'. That aluminum foil on the counter means that the counter is a bad place to be. The sticky tape on the armchair means that scratching it isn't going to feel good. Long-term, you are going to see better results using environmental deterrents, are more likely to have a trusting friendship with your cat, and are less likely to experience behavioral issues."

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