whats so bad bout spraying a cat w/ a water bottle?

can anyone tell me what is so wrong w/ spraying a cat w/ a water bottle to train them to not get on counters etc...??????

 

nothing is wrong with it. i do it. works well too! making *pssssh* noises works as well. doesnt hurt them in anyway.

 

Hi. I've never used a water bottle to spray Handsome. I just trained him to not do certain things since he was 3 weeks old. Anyway, if you don't want them to go on the counters, try this: Cut out some cardboard that is the same shape/size as your counters. Then place double sided tape on these pieces of cardboards. When you are not using the counters put these taped cardboard pieces on the counters/tables. When the cats jump on it, they will not want to jump there again. This works very well. I realize it's a bit annoying to have this on your counters/tables, but after about a week or two you can stop doing it, as I doubt any of your cats will be jumping onto them. Also, keep these cardboard pieces in the garage (or wherever) in case you have to remind them now and again.

p.s. I don't have a negative or postive opinion on water bottles. I just never used them.

p.p.s. How's Garfield doing?

 

garfield is doing great... im still very protective over him though... and he follows me everywhere around the house if i go outsude he sit at the back door and screams till i come in then he goes back to following me i cant get outta his sight...lol

but about the water bottles i wasjust wondering b/c i posted on another cat room board last night about egtting my cat simba to stay away from our new guinea pig he opens the cage door and gets in w/ the pig etc.. i shut himoutta the room and he opens the door and goes in i ststade that ive tried everything including spraying him w/ a water bottle and a firm NO! and ive changed the pig to several different cages and simba makes holes in the wires and gets in etc... and the responces i got back were very nasty about DO NOT EVER spray ur cat w/ water and DO NOT EVER speak to a cat w/ a firm voice etc... they went as far as telling me i abuse my cat and should be turned in..... ohhhhhh i was soooo mad so i decided to ask heer what is everyones opinion about spraying a cat ive always sprayed my cats w/ a bottle and its always worked and they stoped doing whatever they were not supposed to be doing....i knwo some ppl have negiative opinions about doing this but 4 someone to go as far as saying im abusing my animal thats just wrong....my babies r very well taking care of and loved like crazy sooo....i dunno im just venting..... sorry.... but it bothers me ALOT!!! i couldnt get into thsi forum last night it kept giveing me an error page so thats why i posted on another site but i will neevr do that again...lol

 

lol whats abusive about wetting your cat? if thats abuse then i must be satan or something because i actually wash my cat. not to mention my cat must be abusing himself by dipping his paws in the water bowl. tell em they are nuts!

 

thank u i did give them a peice of my mind and i got banded from the site but ohhh well... i to give my cats baths etc.... ohhh did i mention that it was said bad b/c when u spray them u might get water in their ears and cause a serious infection????? its not like i directly spray it in his ears i woudl never do that its a mist and smetimes i dont even think the water hits them they just hear and run.... and if it did get in their ear i dont think a itiny drop would hurt them.....

 

Oh, I'm so sorry you had some not so nice replies at the other cat board. I know how much you love your kitties and what a good mom you are to them. Like I said before I don't see anything wrong with using a water bottle. It's just water and it doesn't hurt them (assuming people are not spraying it directly into their eyes/ears). As for Auspet, the site was down for a few hours. I'm glad garfield is doing well. Don't worry about what those other people said. I think you're a super 'fur mom'! :idea:

 

thank u chessmind... as far as the other cat room i dont really care what they say i just dont see how ppl r soo quick to judge other ppl when they dont even know them....

 

I agree.

 

Some people are just weird. Don't let it bother you.

As far as an answer to your question, I personally would never do it. Not because it harms the cat but because my cat would inact revenge upon me. Hell hath no fury like the wrath of Punkers.

 

I don't use a spray bottle...I use a water gun. :wink:

I think some are against it because it is an aversive rather than a positive training tool.

 

lol i agree i had a cat (jason) i had since i was 3 and he loved water so when i was little i woudl spray him and h would love it he would play w/ it and when i stoped spraying him he would come and attack me not in a mean way just playing... but as he got older he woudl get into a lot of trouble and i would spray him and all of a sudden he didnt likethe bottle no more and would come after me the min i picked it up.. he woudl never hurt me he wouldjust bite me like he was warning me or tap at me w/ his paw.... lol

 

I don't see anything wrong with it. I've only had to use the water bottle a few times on each cat. Now all I do is pick it up if they're doing something bad and they stop immediately. I also don't see what's wrong with using a firm voice. I never raise my voice to them but a firm NO always gets their attention.

 

The water bottle will work a lot better if he doesn't know you control it. If the cat learns that you spray him then he will learn not to be bad when you are around. If he thinks that the water hitting him is an "act of God", i.e. he does something bad and water comes out of nowhere to spray him, he will always be afraid of doing something bad. You want them to learn to avoid the behavior, not to avoid doing it in front of you.

 

very good point... thankx i never even thought of that.... boy my babies wouldnt know what to do if jason was still here and that happened e would be going crazy looking 4 where it was comming from to attack it...lil

 

i spray my cats...it got them to stop jumping on the kitchen counters and the dining room table...i think it works if your consistant with it