All cat owners have their fair share of bites, scratched furniture, soiled clothes as caused by their feline pets. To make them realize that their behavior is unacceptable, pet owners have to assert dominance. Here’s how you can do this.
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How do you get a cat to respect you
To show dominance over your cat you need to make sure it knows you’re the boss. If you speak loudly it will have some effect on your cat. If it does something you don’t want it to, get angry and speak with a high volume.
Get your cat hooked on catnip and become his dealer
First off, you have to understand that cats are not packed animals, so if you try to dominate them, they will just ignore you and pretend that it didn’t happen. Fortunately, there is a way you can make them dependent on you. To do this, first, you must earn their respect.
This can be done by developing a daily routine with them, being in charge of their care, showing them affection, making their trust, and giving them treats whenever appropriate.
Set boundaries
Setting boundaries is essential to set guidelines for what your cat can and can’t do. Most cats usually test you how far you can tolerate their unacceptable behavior, so you have to teach them their limits. Communicate with your cat on what is acceptable and not because it can’t read your mind.
If your cat shows that it interprets peeing on your personal or household things as dominance, you know what to do. Kidding aside, if your cat is not allowed in your bed or on the kitchen counter, simply remove it every time it jumps on it.
It can be tough to get a cat to do or not do anything, but perhaps with consistency, your cat will get the message and respect your wishes.
It’s worth noting that most cats only respond to positive reinforcement. For that reason, punishing your cat harshly will only breed mistrust and will make them move out of your place. When a cat violates the boundaries you set for them, you can sternly say ‘no’ and leave them alone for a while. This lack of attention is enough for them to realize that what they did was wrong.
Raise them as kittens
This is the simplest way to exert dominance over a cat. Cats below the age of twelve weeks can develop an extreme emotional co-dependence on their pet owners. Consequently, since you took responsibility for their care and acted like their parents during this period, they learn how to socialize.
If adopting a kitten, make sure that your chosen feline has been raised by kind people and understands human-cat interaction. Otherwise, you will have a harder time teaching it to adjust to being domesticated all the way into growing as an adult cat.
If you decide to adopt an older cat, choose a cat that responds well to you personally, and has good human socialization skills.
Amicably reason with your cat
Cats understand humans more than we give them credit for. Explain things to your cat in a simple manner and always be truthful to them. If you have to take your cat to the vet, don’t lie to your cat about it.
This will cause distrust and stain your relationship with your cat. If you have to get it into a carrier to go to the vet, use the kitten grip. Firmly grip the loose skin at the back of the cat’s neck and lift. Do it as fast as you can, sit your cat down, and explain why you have to do that.
Commonly Asked Questions about dominance over cats
Does my cat misbehave because it’s mad at me?
It isn’t so much misbehavior but more of a misunderstood behavior. As much as you’d like to think your cat is being spiteful and always scheming to ruin your life, they’re actually trying to solve a problem. There is still an underlying cause of why cats do what they do.
For instance, when a cat scratches your furniture, it doesn’t mean that he’s intentionally doing that to spite you. Cats have a natural instinct to scratch and will always seek out the most useful object that serves that function. You can provide a scratching post for your cat to avoid further damages to your furniture.
To alter this unwanted behavior, you have to find out the underlying reason behind the misdemeanor. Then, provide your cat with an alternative action that is as good or even better than the current action.
Is my cat biting me gently to get my attention?
This is highly likely as cats will always resort to whatever works to get your attention. Typically, cats try to get your attention through meowing, purring, jumping up to your level, walking around or between your legs, stealing objects, or knocking stuff off the table. To correct unwanted attention-seeking behavior, simply ignore the cat and only give her attention when it is acting appropriately.
How do I stop my cats from chewing houseplants?
Some plants, such as lilies, tulips, marijuana, castor beans, and many more, are severely poisonous to cats. It’s necessary to keep potentially toxic plants out of your cat’s reach. Cats who don’t have enough environmental enrichment have a knack for nibbling on houseplants just out of boredom. If you have plants on your home, make sure to coat them with bitter anti-chew spray and always keep hanging plants cut short. You can also conduct interactive play therapy sessions with your cat to keep them from being bored.
Conclusion
Many people think that there is no way to assert dominance over these cold-blooded gangsters. Still, actually, there are many ways you can trick and teach cats to do as you please. However, you must understand, it’s not a competition. It’s a mutual agreement, a friendship, so to speak.
