Is Disciplining a Cat Useful or Effective? Olga Says No!

Cats fill our lives with joy, but they also tear up furniture, knock priceless items off shelves, bully other pets, and wake us up in the middle of the night. Miniature predators must entertain themselves, and most homes don’t simulate their natural environment. Handling an unruly feline is challenging, but disciplining them like you would a child is usually ineffective.

Disciplining Felines

I agree with veterinarians and behavioral experts that hitting or screaming at cats when they misbehave is cruel. However, shouting at the top of your lungs is much different than raising your voice, and it’s hard to utter gentle advice when your cat is being a jerk. I understand that cats have sensitive hearing, but I’ve raised my voice more than a few times when Olga misbehaves.

She enjoys diving into the blinds when she gets a sudden burst of energy, and I’m surprised she has never damaged them or broken a window. She also likes playing hockey with toiletries when she jumps on the bathroom vanity. Saying “No” or “Stop it” works temporarily, but unless I approach her, she’ll continue her mischief.

She runs away when I approach her, and it usually prompts her to engage in a game of hide and seek, which is preferable to the previous antics. I can also divert her attention with a ball of paper or a silver vine stick. That’s the extent of my disciplinary measures; anything else I do is futile. Even though I’ve lost a few pints of blood from Olga’s attacks and replaced a few items she destroyed, I don’t consider her a bad cat.

Ineffective Methods

I’ve observed other disciplinary techniques used by friends and acquaintances that aren’t cruel but are ineffective and slightly ridiculous. For example, I had a friend who used to put her cat in time-out when he misbehaved. She would grab him, carry him to her bedroom, and close the door. Then, she would lecture him with baby talk like he was a toddler.

I doubt he understood her unless he was more intelligent than I imagined. Cats don’t respond to paragraphs, and some don’t even come when you call their names. Treating them like little kids is cute, in a way, but also absurd. Distracting Olga and limiting her access to her favorite objects to destroy usually works, but sometimes, she finds a new way to irritate me.

Olga’s Thick Skin

She isn’t a needy cat or as affectionate as my Siamese cat, but she’s more forgiving. She doesn’t hold a grudge if I fuss at her or chase her away. After ending her destruction, she’ll still jump in my lap or nap by my feet. In contrast, My Siamese would turn away, try not to look at me, and scream as loud as he could after I criticized his bad behavior.

Olga doesn’t sulk or get stressed when I end her fun, probably because she knows I’m not a disciplinarian and that she can always attack the blinds another day.