Thistle uses Splash Attack! It’s Super Effective!

[thistlechaser]

Poor Ellie New Cat. She now hates all of you who suggested I use a squirt bottle on her. (I, on the other hand, thank you.)

She adapted to non-water corrections too quickly. The first day, just hissing worked. Second day it stopped, so I ran at her while hissing. Third day she was ho-hum about that, so I added waving my arms over my head while running at her and hissing. Then that stopped working and she would just give me a "WTF are you doing?" sort of look.

I don't own a squirt bottle or water gun, and I don't want to buy anything new so close to moving, so I just put a little water in a cup. The problem is, that's too effective and has overwhelmed her poor kittybrain. She now thinks I'm trying to keep her away from her food bowl and won't go into the kitchen while I put her food down (and runs out if I walk into the kitchen while she's eating). However, the meowing problem is about 98% fixed in the evenings and 90% fixed in the mornings.

I'm really pleased at how quickly this issue has been corrected. It's time-intensive right now (I have to correct her every single time she meows no matter what else I'm doing at the time), but it's only been about four days and the issue is nearly corrected.

And people say cats can't be trained...

Comments

[bacchuslives.livejournal.com]

The advantage with a spray bottle or squirt gun is they don't seem to localize the source and associate it with you...

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Hmm, that makes sense. Now I can just raise my arm, as if I was about to splash her, and she goes running. She has it fully associated with me.

[ashmedai.livejournal.com]

A squirt bottle?! :((

And people say cats can't be trained...

They can be; Mubbie is so well-behaved. But I'd never in my life use a squirt bottle on him, or any form of punishment or threatening behavior.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ellie usually is really well behaved, until she started the 'meowing nonstop for an hour before mealtimes' thing... I'm looking forward to going back to never needing to correct her (and I'm sure she is as well).

[becofoz]

I occasionally use the squirt bottle on Hady. It works to an extant (I sometimes just have to pick it up and she runs away).

Sigh...naughty kitties. What would we do without them?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I know, just picking it up and shaking it a little seems as effective as actually using it.

I know, right? I wouldn't trade her for the world, even if I couldn't stop her from meowing. :)

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

Glad it worked!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Me too! With no lasting ill effects! :)

[liedra.livejournal.com]

We use an air canister, it works really well! All we have to do is pick up something that looks like it (I picked up a glass once that was the same colour) and shake it in a certain way and she takes off! :D She'll get used to you not throwing water at her too, so eventually it'll even itself out.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

The thought did cross my mind that she might get used to the water, too. Luckily she's almost, almost totally fixed now. I suspect tomorrow morning will be the last time I have to correct her on this. She's 100% not meowing in the evening before dinner and she did it 2-3 times this morning. I don't know why morning lags behind evening, but it does. So hopefully she won't get used to the water before then!