Cat Discipline

[darkeyedgirl]

I have known several people who beat their cats. Here's a sick story for you:

My ex-husband (divorced for 10 yrs now), he gave me Snickers and Dusty last year. I left Snickers and Dusty behind when I left the jerk. (took Jess & KC) I had my reasons for leaving them behind which I won't go into here...

While me and Jerk were married; I witnessed him "several times" hitting, beating, choking the cats. Mind you I was powerless in that household; I had to ask permission if I wanted to use the bathroom, if I wanted to leave the house (was never allowed, only to work), and if I was getting dressed, he would pick my clothes out for me. This is the kinda guy who was not only controlling, but when he lost his temper, it was "Very bad".

I came home one winter day to see the Christmas tree lying on it's side. I didn't see him anywhere. I laughed, cuz it was a funny sight and it reminded me of when I was about 9 yrs old and our cat, Tabby, knocked down my childhood Christmas tree! So I said loudly, 'what happened'?

Into the room, at the sound of my voice came Snickers... LIMPING very badly. Snickers was about 4 yrs old at that time; Snickers had a broken leg as a kitten which we had fixed. Anyway. My ex had beaten Snickers so badly that he was limping. Came running to ME for solace. Then, into the room comes KC; she was RUNNING full speed. In comes the Ex; his face was red, he was so angry he was shaking. He grabbed KC by the skin on her back and THREW HER against the 40 gallon fish tank. KC hit so hard I was afraid she was dead, cuz when she landed with a THUD, she didn't get up; she stood slowly then took off running again. Ex started yelling and screaming about the tree, the cats, hatred this, hatred that. I didn't ask where Jess & Dusty were cuz I knew; they were apparently under the bed or sofa nursing their beatings.

So then he proceeds to grab SNICKERS. And he held him down, with his hands around Snickers throat and started choking him. He kept saying stuff about how this was HIS house and the stupid cats knocked down his perfect Christmas tree.

So then after I begged and pleaded as kindly and sweetly and silently as possible, since I wasn't really allowed to contradict the Great Ex -- he let Snickers go.

Just months later I left him, divorced him, and I kissed Snickers & Dusty goodbye. It was so dang hard to leave them behind; but so very liberating to get away from HIM.

We'd started talking again about 5 yrs later, and were actually friends for a while... but since he's mental I ended the friendship. But not until I got Snickers and Dusty!!!! Last year in October, Ex brought the cats to me. It was shortly after that I told him off and told him everything I really thought of him, I had seen that he'd not changed, seen what he was doing to his current girlfriend, his own child, and above all... the cats. He told me if Snickers & Dusty did NOT come live with me, he was going to have them put to sleep.

They're safe now.

(end of rant)

So there's my story about "cat beatings" and what I once witnessed. If I EVER hear of ANYONE beating a cat or anything remotely like a beating, I swear I lay into them about what I witnessed once and how disturbing it was! It is so amazing to see that even after Snicky & Dusty lived with him for those 9 yrs after I wasn't there to help them, they are sweethearts. Both follow me everywhere and it's odd but it seems they remembered me.

I do not ever discipline my cats. Even Hammie scratching on my sofa, I just clap my hands together and act like I'm charging after him. Never ever would I hit them. I used to keep a squirt gun nearby when Hammie was a kitten, because he was really adventurous and kept getting up on the stove!!! So I'd squirt his butt. I only did this like 3 times cuz come to find out, Hammie loves water, likes to play in the sink & shower, the toilet.

Dogs & kids can be disciplined but cats are cats. And that's that.

 

[aussie_dog]

My dog is really timid and doesn't respond positively to smacking or even slapping. A firm "No!" tells him he did something wrong. Keep putting on your stern voice and looking down at him, and he'll practically shrink inside himself, wanting the horrible punishment to stop. Of course, I never do that (go on and on) because Jake gets frustrated easily and when he gets frustrated, he lashes out. If I just use "No!" or a warning "Jaaaaaaake...", he understands he's done something wrong and he behaves. Keep going on and on, and he won't understand exactly what he's done wrong. Say he knocked over the trash can. I say "No!" and then maybe I go on and on. At first he understands the "No" is meant for the trash can, but then he starts to wonder if maybe it's something else, because he's not knocking over the trash can anymore and the human is still mad at him. See what I'm talking about?

As for the kitties, I don't hit them either. With Buffy, actually, you can't hit her. Seriously, if you even pat her nose, she'll smack you in return (at the very least, she'll give you the maddest expression a cat can muster). And, of course, she'll refuse to look at you for the rest of the day. With Willow, all you need to do is give a "No, nuh-uh Willow, don't do that." and place her in the correct position (if she's scratching a hole in a window, take her off the window and place her on the floor). With Buffy, it's a bit harder to teach her. You can hit her, but placing her in the correct position doesn't work so well either. If she's scratching at the window and you put her on the floor, she'll just jump right back up, over and over and over. Maybe around the 10 time of being placed on the floor, she'll get tired of having to leave the window and then maybe she'll behave. But she has that look like she's not quite sure what she's supposed to do, so she "walks on egg shells", hoping that whatever she does doesn't cause her to get put on the floor. She's worked around the whole punishment thing, though! If she wants a hole put in the screen, she just sits back and makes Willow do it (Willow's got a harder head anyways. She's more skilled in putting holes in screens, lol). Then when Willow has a hole big enough for Buffy, Buffy will shove her out of the way and fly outside, Willow cursing up a blue streak after her. And then a human will come, see Willow trying to make the hole wider, and shut the window and place Willow on the floor (with a really mad "No!" because Buffy got outside and now we have to play "Catch-Me-If-You-Can"). If Buffy doesn't get outside and a person sees Willow working on the hole, Willow again gets punished. Buffy's a genius, in my opinion, lol (a weird, screws-missing-in-head kind of genius, lol)