Cats are notorious for being cold, aloof, and cautious. So how will you punish your cat when he does something wrong?
Under normal circumstances, you should rarely punish your cat. Common cat scratching, urine spraying, meowing, and refusing to go to the bathroom can and should be resolved with immediate training. Education sometimes has to include a sweet and hard discipline.
If your cat develops a new and undesirable behavior, you should try to understand why. For example, if your cat has begun to urinate outside of the litter box, the problem is likely to be medical as well as behavioral. Your cat may have a urinary blockage or urinary tract infection.
Similarly, a cat that suddenly starts scratching at window frames may be responding to a new stressor in her life. He may be marking his territory to drive away a stray cat he sees outside the window, or he may simply be stressed because the house is too crowded. If you can eliminate or correct the underlying cause of this behavior, there will be no need to discipline your cat.
Spray application
One of the most effective ways to punish a cat is to use a spray bottle. Most cats hate getting wet, and the sudden shock of cold water combined with the sound of the sprayer will startle them.
An important point to remember is that punishment is useful or sensible only if you catch your cat while it is misbehaving or right after it. If you find your cat's poop on the floor an hour ago, there's no point in punishing him for his mistake. Even if you take the cat to the place where it is soiled, it will not be able to connect the punishment with the behavior that led to your punishment.
Audible alert
Whatever method you choose to discipline your cat, it should always be accompanied by a firm 'no', a snap of a finger, or a clapping of hands.
If you do this consistently, your cat will eventually learn that the sound you make is associated with a scolding. Then simply snap your fingers or say a firm 'no' to ensure your cat doesn't touch your curtains or scurry away from the kitchen table.
Never yell at a cat, and never hit or physically punish your cat. Now and then he is told to 'just get him' or 'who is boss'. This is not true. Cats do not respond well to negative reinforcement, and scolding your cat is an extremely useless method. Actions like this are more likely to cause your cat to avoid you altogether, rather than correcting his behavior.