How do I teach Peace "No"?

I don't know if anyone remembers but Peace is deaf. I'm wondering how I can teach him "no"? We have "come here" down pat, "snugles" down pat and a few other things but "no" escapes him. We've been able to startle him from chewing on cords and such but normally when I say no to him, he's lookin at me. I've tried no and shake my head, no and move my finger back and forth and he just gives me that dumb kitten look and does whatever it is anyway. LOL

So, any suggestions on teaching him No?

Thanks,
Chrissy

Try stomping on the floor. The vibration might get his attention and then you can show him whatever sign you're using and them remove him from the situation. He needs to learn to associate the sign with being redirected away from whatever he's doing you don't want him to do.

Stephanie

One stomp on the floor is always "no". Multiple stomps is a come call.

And Ophelis knows she gets 3 stomps to stop beating/attacking the other cats before meowmy blows a gasket!

First, you have to pick one sign for "no" and stick to it (my aunt is deaf and has a deaf cat, whom she taught some ASL - I also know basic conversational ASL and have taught Ollie several signs even though he's hearing)

The ASL sign for "no" involves your thumb and first 2 fingers on one hand... position your hand so it's palm down, then tuck in the last 3 fingers and move your first 2 fingers and thumb open and closed (kinda like how you'd shadow puppet a duck's beak)

You could stomp to get your cat's attention, continually sign "no" while shaking your head and frowning and stop whatever behavior your cat is doing wrong (example: Oliver's not allowed on certain furniture - when he get's up somewhere he shouldn't be, I get his attention - I can call him cuz he's hearing - sign and say no while shaking my head/frowning and continue that as I walk to him and proceed to pick him off the furniture and put him on the floor... now just the sign and words work)

"No" is kind of a difficult thing to teach any cat - deaf or hearing - because they're cats and they still believe they're Gods and can do as they please, haha.... so you may think you have them trained, but it's more like they're trained when they feel like being trained

Try this website for additional ASL signs (I've taught Oliver "cookie" "food" "water" "no" "water" "fish" etc...) stick to single sign commands... like when I sign "good boy" to Oliver, I only sign "good" even though the phrase itself is actually 2 signs... gotta keep it simple for them

http://www.aslpro.com/cgi-bin/aslpro/aslpro.cgi
Click on the letter that the word you're looking for starts with... then find the word and a little video will show the sign

When he's away from me, I can get his attention and show him no by shaking my head and finger and remove him from what he's doing. More times then not, that works.

What I'm having the "no" issue from is, for example, I was eating some Blue Bunny ice cream and Peace seemed to think he HAD to have some. He kept putting his nose in it then tried to put his whole body into the container. Picking him up and/or looking at him and doing "no" did not work. He flung himself at the container. I kept repeating it over and over while placing him somewhere else, like the floor, and he just kept coming back and trying to fling himself into the ice cream container. I even went so far as to get up and walk away. I got stalked then climbed by him. I'm thinking he's an ice cream fanatic. I got to the point that I just put the ice cream away.

I realize consistency (sp?) is the key but the up close "no" just isn't coming along as fast as everything else he's learned. It's either that or, since he's an ice cream fiend, he just ignores me and focus' on the ice cream. LOL

Chrissy

Haha, sounds like someone has an ice cream addiction! (the kitty, not necessarily you hehe)... um, I would continue to be persistant... I don't really like to punish cats, but maybe a timeout in his crate or another room would help get the message across... or maybe you just can't eat ice cream in the house! haha

Yea, I think I'll lock myself in the bathroom to eat my ice cream from now on. LOL My DH suggested giving him the empty container so I did. Nope. Not what he wanted. Turned his pink nose right up at the container, sat down and gave me looks!

haha, sounds like it's the same look Oliver gives me when he begs for treats and I tell him no... his cookies are in a basket on the floor with his toys and he sits in front of the basket and paws the treat container... I look at him and say "Oliver, no" and he gives me that look

I translate it to be the "Who are you to tell me no?" look.

The key to training an animal or human to do anything is patience, persistence, and rewards. Maybe you can put him down, sign "No" and shake your head. If he doesn't try to do whatever action again, for say 30 secs - 1min. to start with, then he can have a treat. Eventually, lengthen the time required for a treat, then maybe do away with the treats altogether once he gets the hang of things.

My Hannah cat knows that when I snap my fingers (& she's trying to eat out of Callie's bowl) that she'd best be moving her little body along before she gets reprimanded. Usually, a NO or a snap accompanied by me starting to get up or out of the chair is enough to send her on her way now, but it wasn't always that way.

Stephanie