The Best and Worst Ways to Train Your Cat

[@JacksonGalaxy]

See Jackson Speak at 'Total Cat Mojo Live!' --> jacksongalaxy.com/events

[@geodeaholicm4889]

the only time i worry about 'counter surfing' is on the stove if i'm cooking, or next to my plate when i'm eating. my cat is welcome pretty much any where she can go otherwise.

[@Jarsia]

I love your work but I gotta disagree on the spray bottle. I get it may not work for everyone, but I definitely got positive results. It got to a point pretty quick where if he was counter surfing or misbehaving I just had to pick up the bottle and give it a shake for him to stop. I could keep him off the counter(sanitary reasons) while I was there just by saying his name and shaking the bottle, but i have no doubt he went up there while I was gone if for no other reason than there was a window. Sure theres things your cat will do when youre not around(like destroy toilet paper, which is why the bathroom door is ALWAYS closed), but in my experience as a cat owner, the most annoying and destructive cat behaviours tend to be intended to get your attention. My cat liked to knock stuff over and off the table, but I never found anything out of place when I got home from work and he had the apartment to himself all day. He only did it when I was around and he wanted something. Early on he'd try getting my attention by knocking things down several times and getting sprayed for it, then finally just jumping up on my desk and getting vocal and pawing at my shoulder or giving me a little headbutt. Sometimes he'd just lie there and wait, or I'd pick him up and pet him for a bit. But either way he wanted something, and as soon as I got up he would run over to either the door if he wanted out or his dish if he wanted a can of food. So believe it or not, I actually got my cat to a point of asking me politely(or occasionally whining impatiently) to my face when he wanted something as his default behaviour. My spray bottle lay knocked over on the floor for months and didnt move save for rare occasions. I could usually get him off the counter with a stern tone. But I always made sure he got attention and got what he wanted when he came and approached me directly for it instead of being an ass and making a mess. Did it negatively affect my relationship with my cat? Cant say it did. If I let him out in the morning he would usually be lying at the end of the driveway when I parked my car and follow me around to the back door. When I went to bed he'd curl up next to my feet EVERY night. He never once attacked me or anyone else without being provoked somehow. He'd constantly rub up against my legs or give me little headbutts or cat winks. I could pick him up from just about anywhere at any time and carry him around without protest or struggle. He'd be perfectly happy settling down in my lap and purring away while I watched TV. Best behaved cat I've ever seen. Even at the vet he never gave trouble(barely even reacted to needles), though I think he might have been scared into a ragdoll state there and was just more pliable than cooperative. And this was a feral I pulled out of a cardboard pile at 6-8 weeks old. So to me using a spray bottle is a useful tool, but it cant be the only one.

[@alvaroakatico9188]

One question if I may: are your videos just about cats? I guess I could look into it. Great info about Mr Spray bottle.

[@alvaroakatico9188]

@@Jarsia I'm a dog person, but someone dropped off a female cat on my property a few months ago. Of course I took her in being winter and all, and the cat seemed a little underweight. Don't know much about cats, but I do know I just can't keep her. She's destroying my house little by little. My inside dogs fight all the time because of the cat. I now know why that cat was abandoned. I've had to make too many changes all over the house. Won't go into details, but what I can say is that this girl cat seems to be possessed. I have to find her a new home, and certainly I would tell anyone who's interested that she has many issues. I have 6 dogs that used to get along just fine. The water bottle is my only weapon that I can use to have some normalcy around the house. I know I may be damaging her in ways that I may not understand. I don't think taken her to the pound is a good idea. I tried to teach her a few things to calm her down just like the dogs, but doesn't understand what I'm trying to get her to do. Perhaps spaying may be the answer before finding her a new home. Ok, that's what I'll do, I'll take her to the vet and maybe the vet can help me. I can't believe I hadn't thought of that because money is not an issue. Any thoughts?

[@Jarsia]

Alvaro Q couldn't hurt. She should be spayed if she's going to be a pet, and it might settle her down. Training cats to behave is much easier if you get them as kittens, obviously. Best of luck

[@Natiform]

See I tried the squirt-gun thing and it completely backfired because both of my cats ended up loving the squirt bottle and would cry and beg for me to squirt them so that they could play with the water

[@LadyLenaki]

Same. The one cat wanted to drink from it on demand.

[@nukelius]

this is the equivalent of a parent hitting their kid and the kid growing up to have a BDSM kink

[@yajairasantos9012]

Natiform your cats are amazing for that. My kitten would give me hell if she goes anywhere near water.

[@trsshup]

Sounds like the cat used reverse psychology on you 😂

[@jacquelinelemieux6973]

I use it too. They just run and come back. Or sit an look at me. Like I've lost my mind. 🤷

[@0x777]

I solved the counter surfing habit with lots of little post-its left on it with the sticky side up. Also served as me becoming the cat's hero because I knew how to get them off his paws.

[@donnamorris5512]

Brill, I'm going to try this.

[@0x777]

After that you should make sure to store the post-its somewhere unless you want your cat to freak out every now and then. :)

[@QuietlyCurious]

That's good!

[@TimePanda56]

This is the best tip I have ever heard!!!

[@yodanski5830]

Omg i'm so gonna try this!

[@amjPeace]

My favorite cat ever, may he RIP, was so awesome. I bragged about him to everybody that my little Larry NEVER went up on the counters or tables once I patiently taught him to stay down. Then one day I stayed home from work and when I walked into the kitchen there he was on the counter with a caught-in-the-cookie-jar look in his eyes with a touch of crap-I-didn't-know-you-were-home, startled expression. That memory still makes me smile all these years later.

[@deniseg812]

My Henry,

[@MissyQ12345]

Aww, yeah. They just do it when you're not looking! Cute story about Larry.

[@Expl0rati0n]

"My name is fluffy and I approve this dinner"

[@MistyMizzle]

+Expl0rati0n #fluffyapproves

[@becausecats121]

screaming

[@wellthatsinteresting1]

Exploration Ⓥ cat whisperer

[@marthawigglesworth1813]

I have a cat called mr fluffy

[@MaskedManMikeMD]

My cat's previous owner would hit her or spank her for bad behavior. Even in front of guests. Like if she pooped on the floor, when it was HIM that locked her out of the litter box. It really sickened me and my other roommate. When he moved away he gave her to me because "for some reason" his cat was afraid of him and always ran or hid. And went to MY bedroom to sleep or hang out. WOW I WONDER WHY. ...needless to say she is a much happier kitty now.

[@amandalu1003]

I'm glad you saved that poor cat

[@lizericson1309]

MikeyTheWolfman Poor kitty :( Im so happy you saved it

[@shandon360]

MikeyTheWolfman Wow great job for changing a life!

[@pheart2381]

+MikeyTheWolfman that paragraph sais it all! So often "bad" animal behaviour is caused by bad understanding on the part of the human.

[@boobookittifukk]

Thank goodness that arse left the cat with you. I hope that he just doesn't get another pet at all because I would hate to think that another poor animal is being subjected to his bullshit.

[@kallisto9166]

Dogs learn "Don't do that." Cats learn "Don't get caught doing that."

[@artsymarsy8480]

have you ever tried training a dog to Leave It? If you don't teach dogs to distinguish what a Leave It is for themselves, and just try and get them to memorize what they can't have and obey you, they are going to get into the "Leave It" when you're not around. The first dog I trained I used the latter method; when we weren't around, he barked nonstop, got into the garbage, and stole food from the counters, among other doggy behaviors. Even if you use the positive reinforcement method (what Jackson is describing here), if there's not a "yes" for your "no" (aka leave it), then they're going to continue the "bad" behavior. You tell a puppy to stop chewing your shoes, but you don't have any rubber teething toys? They're gonna keep chewing your shoes. It's the same principle of a cat scratching furniture because there are no scratch posts.

[@artsymarsy8480]

@Manik Dhankar you should never own an animal.

[@artsymarsy8480]

@Manik Dhankar Because you're a fucking animal abuser, that's why.

[@lahbono7470]

@@artsymarsy8480 discipline isn’t abuse

[@artsymarsy8480]

@@lahbono7470 Hitting your animal is abuse. Full stop. It's the same as spanking your kid. It's not discipline, it's abuse. An animal or child learns 1) bad things happen to them when you're around, 2) they need to conceal behavior, and 3) to never trust you. If you're only going to have a pet or kid so you can hurt them under the guise of character development, you deserve neither.

[@jumanjicostco3248]

"If nothing happens then why would I continue to do it?" "Cuz I'm a cat, that's why"

[@KaliKavala]

Cuz I'm a human, that's why

[@lorrie2878]

Or a human...

[@wombonuggetsjr.7200]

Are you saying they will keep misbehaving because they are cats lol that’s why u train em

[@nicholaspb9133]

I have never, literally never paid attention to my cat jumping on the TV cabinet. She is up there everyday.

[@syrusorelio2309]

@@nicholaspb9133 my cat likes lay to on the tv cabinet but since she lays and doesn't block the tv when we're watching it we really don't care that she lays there(i think she think she's the center of our attention lol)

[@Sharperthanu1]

These cats are being brought up more humanely that I was.

[@runningfromabear8354]

You're telling me. My Dad served in the military when I was a kid. In his old age, Mum got a puppy. The old man got the puppy a harness leash, only trains with positive reinforcement, and gets down on the floor to play with the puppy. ಠ_ಠ We got the hard-arse, the puppy gets this guy.

[@JT5555]

That's Because Humans Should't Have Pets In The First Place: But They Do,So The LEAST That Can Be Done Is Not Treat Them Like Shit.

[@missbraindamage]

@@JT5555 who says humans shouldn't have animals?

[@JT5555]

​@@missbraindamage Nature Does. It Is Nothing Less Then Pure Arrogance For Humans To Think They Can OWN Another Creature On This Planet. What Possible Right Do Humans Have? Because Their Smarter? Please. Humans Have ONE Useful Skill And That Tool Making (Something That Would Have Wiped Humanity Out A LONG Time Ago,Without It) And Only A Total Idiot Destroys Their Own Planet So Bad That They Have To Try To Find A New One. Hell,Humans Even Have The GULL To Classify Anything Not Human As PROPERTY: A THING That Simply Has Far Less Value,Because It's Not A Stupid,Greedy,Arrogant,Hairless Ape. So No,Humans Should NOT Have Pets But They Do And They Treat Them Like Shit.

[@politicallycorrectredskin796]

The most important thing about animal training, and human training, is that whatever the regime is is consistent. Most parenting problems comes from parents not being on the same page with reactions, not necessarily picking the wrong responses. It has to be every time, or who or whatever you're training can get confused or lose respect. This can create additional problems, and behavior can enter a downward spiral. With cats I prefer loud noises. There are probably exceptions, but in my experience cats do not like loud noises at all. Anything that results in a loud noise they will therefore tend to avoid. Just again every time. This is your job as the owner. Not to be mean, but to make your cat's life predictable and secure.

[@sylveishere1607]

“THE COUNTER DID IT”

[@litibarra407]

😂♥️🔥

[@elianna838]

My family got the compressed air one and it scared us more than it scared our cats tbh

[@vickieclark5931]

LOL.

[@meekmaalik9673]

😂😂

[@H4iley20]

Just the past weekend me and my boyfriend bought a squirt gun for his kitten, not knowing about this... But little did we know he wasn't going to be scared of it at all! He just thought it was another one of his toys, trying to jump in the air to catch the water in his mouth

[@michellecottrell3553]

Aww that's cute

[@drewpav5253]

So its a good thing

[@lorrie2878]

Sweet! Get a pet fountain. They love them, that flowing water, and in my opinion they help prevent urinary tract issues. I have 7 ...

[@B_Bodziak]

@@lorrie2878 Great Comment! I recently discovered pet water fountains and loved mine so much that I ordered 4 more for friends. They're very happy with them as well!

[@Birta112]

Are you sure it's a cat ? 😂

[@dianapeters5715]

I treat my cat as a cat: I hiss at him (as another cat would) when he's doing something that hurts me or that I disapprove of. I learned this from my friend's dog-training methods (he growls at the dogs). Works with my cat, and we're best buds!

[@Tom-Travels]

My stupid cat actually got immune to my hisses, but instantly obeys when I growl. This is how I taught her to stop mewing.

[@dianapeters5715]

@@Tom-Travels She doesn't sound stupid to me. 😉

[@Tom-Travels]

@@dianapeters5715 It's interesting that cats only mew to humans and not to other cats or any other animal. It follows that if you become more like a cat, they will stop mewing. It's true.

[@castielsisko2120]

@@Tom-Travels they only do that as kittens to their mother and when they grow up they only do it to humans

[@bambinaforever1402]

U re not well in the head and should not have animals in your care

[@baileyluraski3977]

"My name is fluffy and i approve this dinner" 😂😂

[@williamb6300]

That one line caused me to upvote 😂

[@AshalindsYT]

Yesss

[@becky_1919]

LoL!! That killed me 🤣🤣

[@nxl_dirt-diver2372]

Lol

[@janineheartandsoul]

The best line ever... LOL.

[@nicolastreat3477]

We just realized our cat has been tricking us for attention. She always tries to open a door to a room that’s off limits to her and we react by telling her “no”. Now she messes with the door for a few seconds and turns around looking for a reaction.

[@allineedismusicnlove]

Just realized my cat does the same thing. Whenever she gets bored, she starts scratching the door, then I start spraying her. She stops scratching but she runs up to me like we are about to play. I get out the toys. Pretty sure she now has trained me to play with her

[@SpellboundWolf]

Squirt her with a water bottle & firmly say 'no'.

[@katrinalassberg5649]

No & yes don't work. Their cats not dogs. Use spray bottles.

[@BoGy1980]

your cat is seeking attention... I'm no saying you're not giving enough attention, cuz not every animal is pleased with the same amount of hooman slavery. I don't know if it helps you, but i've always tried to interact if i was able to, give them a few minutes of playtime with me so they had their attention, and then i need to continue with what I was doing. I don't put away their toys after 'attention-time', but i place them in such way that it invites them to keep playing but I'm not needed. [eg attach the string we just used to a chair, put the toy at the end of the cat-fishing toy near on one of the levels of her scratching pose, inviting her to catch it]. If my cat comes ask attention again, i'll just tell her that i'm working now, we just played, play is all done for me but she can play if she wants to. it doesn't always help, but most of the times she understands that i can't be her full-time playpartner, that i need to get stuff done too. My cat is also a real talker, she meows any thought that goes through her mind, like a tourette-patient but without the cussing :) Sometimes this can be very very annoying, especially if you're busy cooking, my oh my, she can be saying 'food' every 3 seconds, just to tell me she smells it, knowing it's hooman-food and not cat-food.. I never give her anything during cooking. She doesn't get stuff from my plate when i'm eating; and i arrange it so that we both get our food at the same time so she doesn't need to be jealous that i'm eating fresh fish and she only gets.. processed fish-craps :). I know she's not begging for food when i'm cooking, but after 150 meows it gets really annoying; so i tought her to "keep mouth shut" with a simple "shht" and my finger over my mouth as bodylanguage. It works, but sadly it's only good for a short period of time. I'm not mad at the cat when this happens, i'm just a bit annoyed then and I know it's not the perfect solution to shut her up by "shushing" her, and i try to avoid that as long as possible. I'll never punish her for talking too much, because i really love it how talkative she is. But like ying & yang exist; every upside has it's downside; you gotta find the balance... So i enjoy our "talks", i love that she "meows" everything that goes through her mind. It took a while to learn the subtle differences in her meows (eg; meow for "i want outside" almost the same as the meow she gives me when there is a toilet issue (eg i blocked access) ... my cat even uses 'clicking-sounds', at least that's how we hear them; it's probably just meowing way above the 20kHz range, so inaudible for us.. She doesn't know i can't hear that, but i noticed also different lengths between her "clicks" so i'm still figuring out what she's trying to say in some cases, while in others we already managed to find out what's being said or meowed/clicked :) ...

[@travisdula6780]

And the other thing is when I want some privacy away from my two 8-month-old kittens I put them out of my room and there at my bedroom door just whining and whining and whining to the point where I feel sorry for them and I end up letting them back in only for them to start playing scratching my hands and feet and stuff 🙄😂😂😂

[@historyfreak6591]

This is so true! My childhood cat would be in the kitchen and get underfoot and my dad was worried about tripping on him. Turns out al our cat wanted was to be part of the action. We would pull a dining room chair over to the kitchen and he would sit and watch everything happen. Perfectly content!

[@1995marixsa]

I do something similar with my boy I'll bring his little stool next to me when I'm eating and he just stands there and falls asleep standing up ; Its adorable. Bet the other 2 girls are judging him( he is the youngest )

[@juliepurpleskater1736]

I like how you solve so many cat-related problems by thinking like a CAT. Over the years I've had to learn that the hard way. I wish I'd known about you when I first started owning cats! And yes, it's all about compromise! >^..^

[@Aizucita]

I left plastic cutting boards on the edge of the counter so every time they jumped the cutting board would "attack" them. Bad board, good mommy =)

[@ashalon8729]

Good one! I need more cutting boards for that to work!

[@Aizucita]

Ashalon Francis I had one of those kits of colored ones (to avoid cross contamination) so I put one after the other all around the kitchen counter 😅

[@theflashgirl2057]

What kind of cutting boards are they?

[@Aizucita]

theflashgirl18 plastic, very light. Nothing harmful

[@littlesushie]

Wouldn't that be dangerous? Like what if the board falls on it?

[@PrincessLelouch]

I’m so glad my rescue girl is affection-driven. All I have to do to stop her is leave the room and she comes running after me screaming.

[@caramelspice7244]

😆😆😆

[@nyancat.123]

Every being has its own character

[@janineheartandsoul]

me too... if she does something bad, I ignore my little rescue kitten for a couple minutes and she learns quick... no scratch, no bite, no chewing on cords, no climbing where you don't belong... otherwise, all play, fun & attention stops. She hates that. When she comes back, she only bites her toys (not me) and stops clawing my legs...she only paws my foot when she wants to play or get my attention... It's the cutest thing!

[@Valeria....]

That's so sweet

[@PhilVerryChannel]

That makes them co-dependent, not good either.

[@Kem1kal13]

Why the fuck do I watch so many of these, I dont even own a cat.

[@chastityruiz5441]

Icon of Sin go home youre drunk

[@jaceyneubauer3551]

Icon of Sin always good to plan

[@sleepyy_angel]

Icon of Sin xD

[@pacovasda5955]

But cats are way cool and now you are ready to handle one.

[@Sharperthanu1]

How fortunate for you.

[@forestnymphconfessions3596]

"My name is fluffy and I approved this dinner". Brilliant and soo true. Kitties are so curious!

[@Baron1497]

Did I just learn a valuable life lesson when I was expecting cat advice?

[@annedwyer797]

I did too! Thanks, Jackson, for reminding us about COMPROMISE.

[@missnaomi613]

Yes!

[@Baron1497]

@Manik Dhankar well you're a psychopath. I recommend you seek psychological council

[@gloriacoon7032]

I recently adopted a rescue kitty "Punkin" and I started watching you after a couple of bad nites with my new found love. Got started watching the Cat From Hell and found that the problem was with my lack of understanding.Thank you for these videos, I know that I now have a happy cat and she loves it here as much as I love her.

[@SteveBueche1027]

I don’t mind the countertop surfing it the borrowing the car without asking that pisses me off.😻

[@sealyoness]

Yeah, you and NOBODY. My girls insisted on chauffer-only. Keys were for losers. And yeah, in Sandy's case, preferably to Brookside Vet, where she could wander behind the exam rooms to the reception desk while the doc washed his hands. It's always a challenge keeping up with that princess. 24Jan2021. Beaut Lady. Heart failure.

[@Eleahchris]

🤣😂🤣😂🤣

[@aspensulphate]

Is your cat's name "Toonces" by any chance?

[@Sudzies]

Cat: (breaks a plate and glass) Owner: (trying so hard not to react to it so it can't do it again)

[@YochevedDesigns]

1. Keep food/temptations off of the counter! 2. Sticky tape works exceptionally well. 3. Don't yell at the cat. Call her over to you, and give her love and pets. Distraction is always better than punishment. (Basically, pretend your cat is a toddler, and act accordingly.) When I tried to use the squirt bottle with my cats, you know what? They did not care one bit. These cats will try to hang out in the shower with me. They also played with the squirt bottle, and hid it under the sofa. Eventually they chewed the nozzle off.

[@DouglasCharliexoxo]

This was when you had 20k subscribers and now look at you, 7 years later you have over 1 million subscribers! This is true commitment! Thank you so much for keeping up the great work and keeping us informed!!! Lots of love, from my black cat Daisy and me 🌼💛

[@lynnowens6134]

I'm kind of late to the party, but I love your videos. Even though I have been a cat owner for almost 20 years, and have made a ton of the mistakes you describe, it's never too late. Your tips are super helpful.

[@delicateparkloey]

"my name is fluffy and i approve this dinner" #fluffyapproves

[@ZeroesOnes]

I once sprayed my cat, but it was only because I didn't see her fluffy butt hiding in the flower bed. I gave her a cuddle and some treats and we're cool now.

[@emilyditomasso7035]

I have had people tell me I don't reprimand my cat enough and I just let her wander around too much. I always tell them that she doesn't learn that way and that she is not like a dog. This video has made me confident in my cat mom skills thank you!

[@OffGridInvestor]

They're MILES from being dogs. I know a dog lover that tells me she loves dogs because "they're more affectionate". Her housemates have a cat that she says "is grumpy". She's yet to experience an affectionate cat so THEN assumes they're NOT very affectionate!

[@JoeDiducaPhotography]

Your videos are invaluable for me as a first time cat owner (as an adult). Thank you so much. I love implementing all of your advice for my little furball of awesomeness!

[@PlatypusGuitar]

I tried the water-squirt on my soon to be 15 yr old cat when I got him as a kitten, because back then everyone praised this training method to avoid slapping your pet on the butt to disciplin them. I stopped doing that rather quickly because I found it to be plain inneffective. Now, I finally understand why!

[@saphiriathebluedragonknight375]

+PlatypusGuitar Same here. My sister got a kitten from the shelter and was told to use a shirt bottle to train it. We used it to keep it out of the kitchen, but it would still go in there. Now that she moved she cannot really do that as the kitchen is on the way to its litter box.

[@juliepurpleskater1736]

Unfortunately for me, I have NO counter space in my kitchen, so there's nothing for my cat to jump onto! She will, however, hide in any lower cupboard if she finds the door ajar. I keep her out of the kitchen with one easy addition: I simply use a pet/baby gate. Although she has the physical capability to jump the gate, she doesn't quite have the motivation. Problem solved!

[@ffeffashgrove]

Jackson, you're a kind and wise man. Love your vids.

[@vixxcelacea2778]

Honestly, humans work quite similarly. When a child is young and you can't explain why something is bad, punishing them doesn't do shit, because YOU are doing it. I can't count how many times I was spanked (I now live in a country where it is illegal, and I've never met more adjusted, calm kids in my life, that are still kids, they scream, play and get dirty, but when they need to be calmer, they have no issue because they are allowed to make their own mistakes) and I don't remember a single instance where I understood why. if anything, I just learned to not get caught. No one explained to me why it was say bad to have extra cookies, no one explained why the oven was hot and it would hurt. They just said "Because I told you so" and that's some bullshit parenting if I ever saw any (which I definitely have). So with dogs and cats (or any animal really), creating a environment not caused by you (at least to their eyes) is a great way to get them to naturally avoid behaviors which both you dislike or could be dangerous to your animal. Since animals do not learn to talk, we can't teach them the why for things, so we must create a way for them to understand why that keeps us and them happy and healthy.

[@energy_waves]

Exactly, same here. My parents just spanked me and when I ask why shouldn't I do it (Natural intelligence question), they just spank me more and tell me "Because I said so, how dare you question my authority." It's amazing how man parents think that they are training their kids well but instead are driving them insane with inhumane treatment.

[@vixxcelacea2778]

David Razberry I'm so sorry you had to endure that. I hope your parents had good intentions, even if what they did was abuse. Many just follow the idea of "Oh, my parents did it to me, and I'm just fine (no you're noooooot because your'e continuing and abuse cycle and excusing it.) Not only that, but teaching a person that saying no gets you in trouble leads them to not be independent thinkers and feel pressure more acutely from peers and other people. A person who is spanked or told not to talk back is basically taught how to never say no. Often kids from these families end up drug addicts, have unplanned pregnancies or become delinquents. So of course, the answer to that behavior? More spanking, or even a good beating. That'll teach 'em! It's not like every study on both humans and animals definitely doesn't show that punishment doesn't really work and actually just makes them hate/fear you, not respect you. Spanking is just plain fucked up. Also, ya know what's really infuriating? A lot of people chalk it up to the religious passage that says "Spare the rod, spoil the child" This did not actually mean spank. It specifically meant rod as in a herders rod to lead someone. Meaning if you don't give your children guidance like a shepherd does their sheep, you will spoil them. I lose all respect for any parent or person that says "because I said so." It's a lazy and messed up way to communicate and a power trip. Sorry for the rant. It's a really heated topic for me considering there are so many who defend it till they are blue in the face, mostly because they were spanked too.

[@energy_waves]

+Vixx Celacea Yes you are right, those people defend it because admitting it was wrong means admitting that they were beat for so many years for nothing and accepting that they were put behind other kids in terms of healthy development in life. It's sad, but it's the reality and once I accepted that, I've made significant improvement and progress in my life. Driving me to learn more and more and gain more knowledge and better my life. In a wierd way, I'm kind of glad I was put back, because it gave me that thirst and that drive to better myself in life despite the treatment I had been given.

[@sarvin4471]

THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING PARENTING!! There is A LOT of psychology that goes behind raising kids, my mom read all the books she got her hands on about raising kids properly. I was never stubborn after the period that every child has to go through when they learn to say no, because my parents knew I had to be stubborn at the time, they handled it perfectly, never forcing me to do something just because they wanted me to (they never did that anyway), and it only lasted for two weeks. In the meantime we didn't go out to other ppls' homes because they wouldn't know how to deal with me.

[@vixxcelacea2778]

Even animals have that period. It's the time where every creature that has any social structure in the slightest is testing where they are in the world. They are supposed to push boundaries and find out where they fit it, what's okay and what's not. If I ever have kids, I know two things. They are smart and they will also get hurt. I can do my damnedest to try to explain that it's hot and it will burn and it will be ouch (when they are old enough of course to comprehend) and if they get burned, I won't say I told you so or be heartless, I'll still comfort them and take care of their ouchies, but they will learn that maybe it at least some instances I do know what I am talking about. (If anything, I find it very smart of someone to see for themselves and not take everything on someone else's word until it's proven that they actually do know what they are talking about- Where as many would find this reckless, disobedient and stupid. To me, it shows independence and that they will learn from failure, which is part of life.) I'll let my kids know that I am a guardian, not a tyrant or all knowing being. I make mistakes too, but I am their protector and their teacher as they go through the journey of growing up. I don't own them. I am responsible for them, but I'd far rather have a kid that listens to me because they respect me and know I care, rather than out of fear of punishment which in the end just makes them resentful and disobey even in face of peril because they do not trust you. Anyway, sorry for the rant. Your parents sound awesome. It's a shame that their are not more of them like yours. I see so many parents wonder why their kids don't call or check in on them when they move out once in a while and I'm just wondering how they raised their kids. Not in all cases of course, sometimes you can just have a kid grow up to not care about you, but most of the time, there is a reason why they aren't so eager to go see you.

[@HaydenYouTube]

The best deterrent I used with my two cats was to give them all the attention they wanted when they wanted it. I think I had mellow cats also, but I had very few times of anger over something they had done. I also realized early on that cats are cats and not people. My human rules aren't universal. I also as mentioned didn't have incentives for them to be places I didn't want them. No food on counters, etc.

[@fuschkaa]

this reminded me of a thing I had with my cat. she started drinking from the glass of water I always have next to my bed. I really showed her who's boss. by covering my water with a lid, moving it to the other side of my nightstand and putting a water bowl for her right there instead ... she was happy and i don't drink cat water anymore

[@benschmen]

lmao my cat does this too, but my solution is a bit different: i just drink cat water

[@jerirasulo9543]

Haha that genius 😀👍

[@dainiusdiciunas3196]

This is so true. When we bought our cat almost 10 years ago, she used to mew for attention whole night. So we decided to spray he with water when she makes sounds at night. What did it change? She realised it was a way to get attention and started mewing more often, just hidden under the bed, so we couldn't spray her. And this both sided stress really made our relationship worse. So, how did w manage to correct the behaviour? We bought ear plugs and didn't care anymore if she was making noise at night. When we stoped paying attention, after two week this behaviour was gone. Well, she is still more vocal cat than average, but that is just who she is. We love her. After we stopped using punishment, she became more tame, willing to come to us, affectionate.

[@xohsodebonairex]

I think you're the first person I've ever heard of who sprayed their cat because it was vocal... At least you realized that what you were doing was putting a strain on your relationship with her.

[@dainiusdiciunas3196]

xohsodebonairex Her being vocal... well, it is a hard one, because she even as a kitten had a big loud voice in a small body. It was very stressful to have her vocalising whole night. And it all was just because she wanted to play.

[@xohsodebonairex]

I can relate to that. Don't worry. I wasn't judging you or anything. I fostered a kitten and I know how shrill their cries are. It sucks when they want to play all the time. They're so little and they have SO much energy!

[@dainiusdiciunas3196]

xohsodebonairex Well, now I have amazing relationship with this cat. She is still sometimes vocal, but she uses it in almost human maner - she answers when I ask her something or greets me when I am back home. I love her with my whole heart. Actually,everybody who meets her falls in love with her. Even some of my friends who hate cats, say she is the best of the worst. :) I could talk about her for hours actually.

[@ibaphomet6291]

Idk my cat listens to me. He knows when he's being mischievous. A quick "get down" or "no" gets it done.

[@alys4570]

100% agree with you. My cats learned from a certain voice I would use .all I have to say is “get” in that voice and boom , they jump down right away. When they sharpen their nails on something instead of their posts , all I have to do is say “no” in a deep voice and they stop that behavior. I do believe cats can understand vocal commands.

[@TimeIdle]

Yes, they might still do it when you're not around. If you're cool with that, then cool!

[@TheLily97232]

My cat knows it too. I just watch it, it freezes and attempts to go down

[@brahmoone]

@Paige Wiseman true that, you can't trust cat. they are the most disobedient animal ever exist

[@Turbonilla]

mine too

[@magadiendor]

I really enjoyed the video and the mindset behind it. You're not just making us better caretakers for our cats but also better humans.

[@spidaminida]

Punishment only makes a cat mistrust you because you're perceived as randomly aggressive. Do it often enough and the cat will hate you and piss on everything you own. I think human ego gets in the way far too much when dealing with animals, punishment is often simply about the owners venting their frustration.

[@TalonSky]

I think you seriously underestimate a cat's ability to think and reason. My cat and I have a loving relationship, but over the years I've had to teach him not to do certain things. Yes, they take a little longer than dogs will (generally), but a cat WILL eventually learn what actions are inappropriate and get it punished, and what actions get it praised. My cat doesn't mistrust me, it simply understands that ripping up the flower bed gets it punished now.

[@tmsouth1]

TalonSky I don't think you understand the nature of a cat. They are too independently minded to be punished and it will effect your relationship with your cat like Jackson said. Wow, I guess I am older and see life differently. I love flowers too but flowers or my cat. My cat 'wins' every time. Plant the flowers in pots or places where your cat can't get them. You are butting heads with your cat and trying to win. What's the point? Maybe you need a dog. Sorry I am very opinionated and have had many cats and think I know them very well. Good luck!

[@TalonSky]

tmsouth1 We're all pretty opinionated :p I've owned cats all my life, and though I am down to two (we're moving soon), I have a happy and loving relationship with both. That doesn't mean I cater to their every whim more than I would a child; cats CAN understand boundaries if reenforced enough. If you have a small child that keeps getting into the flour in your kitchen, for example, they need to be taught better. They need to understand that that isn't something they can do. It isn't 'butting heads and trying to win', it's reenforcing the rules of their environment. Now, I understand that cats aren't children, but you're giving them too little credit in my humble opinion. Because I'm sitting here with my cat, contently purring in my lap, and I don't believe for one second he distrusts me or is afraid of me. But I know for a fact he stays out of the flowerbed now, and has done so years. He LEARNED, which is something you and Jackson both seem to think cats are incapable of. Well, I guess in the wild all cats should just attack skunks on sight then? After all, they're not able to learn that certain actions had negative consequences, right? That's essentially what you said....that cats are too independently minded, that it's pointless to try and teach them certain actions shouldn't be done in a given environment.

[@spidaminida]

Well I've only had 4 cats in my life so I'm not en expert, but I have read (and watched!) a lot ;) The cat I have now gets freaked out by too much stimulus, not bitey but just hissy and cowering, sort of an autistic trip. So I've had to be a bit more coaxing with her, punishment just makes her piss everywhere. She's very sweet when she's comfortable tho...

[@TalonSky]

That's another thing, all cats have different personalities and need different methods of being taught the rules. What works for my cat may not work for yours, so to say, "Punishment NEVER works to teach a cat because they're too independent/stupid to get it, so you should just cater to what your cat wants!" is a broad and untrue assessment.

[@AngelDavis92]

used to think your show was kinda silly until I watched some of it. now I'm hooked. Mew and I thank you for the awesome advice and tips. :) still working on the part where she lets me sleep though but it's working so far

[@Feathered_Moon]

I really like this. Several years ago, I had my newly adopted dog in a famous pet store chain for training. The trainer had a squirt bottle with her the entire time & used it frequently on the dogs, but not my dog, as she was older. I didn't stay the whole session & didn't return.

[@paprika8334]

When my cat was a kitten he’d scratch me to wake me up. I slept with a spray bottle next to me so when it happened I could just spray him with it... boy was I wrong! He loved it and woke me up at 5 am on purpose just to play!

[@sahars5467]

Lol🤣🤣🤣

[@hani786ish]

😂

[@ivonned32]

Some love water Most hate it Works wonders for others

[@Worthcm01]

This was so helpful. Thank you so much. Ive been so conflicted about this and watching this just made it that much clearer and actually gave me insight as I’m constantly trying to get into the inner workings of my cats mind haha. You’re the man !

[@cherylrichardson9952]

You are a certified hoot, sir and I love you! You make learning about cats interesting, fun and lovable. Thank you!

[@saradaydream3212]

can you make a video explaning if screaming or yelling or even sweet talking at/to cats effects them i dont do it of course but my mum and my friend do it

[@DistantDandelion]

What if you use a squirt bottle on your younger sibling? :p

[@LambentLark]

Younger ones ok. Older ones will hold you down and make you drink the squirt bottle water. . . . . Also, if you ever decide to superglue your older brothers hands to their butt while they are sleeping. . . . Make sure both hands are completely affixed before he wakes up. He still punches me in the arm when some idiot (younger brother) brings it up. Totally worth it. Good times.

[@lorrie2878]

That's fine. As the only girl with 3 brothers in my family I would have squirted them so much!! I don't think we had squirt bottles in the '60s... Hm

[@B_Bodziak]

I suppose it depends on where you get the water!

[@blindguymcsqueezy7293]

LambentLark lmaoo must've been hilarious! Reminds me of a time I tied a string from my big fat cousins toe to a stand and when he woke up and stood he fell with it

[@elsiejrandel1908]

I am SO glad you made this video- along with a million other things you speak about regarding all topics 'cat'. The videos you make confirm my knowledge and understanding of cat behavior IS correct. I have various people comment to me that I am 'wrong' about cat behavior and humans residing with cats-- I tell people constantly I do not 'own my cats; they (2 cats), I am their human companion....bla, bla, bla, you know the rest. I am eternally grateful to you for having this channel available on KZbin. I cannot wait to read your books. ...and the as you say: all light, all love and all mojo! Thank you Jackson!

[@tunasub8097]

I've watched so many My Cat From Hell episodes now that it's gotten to the point that whenever I get into a situation with my kitten I think "what would Jackson do."

[@catsrusful]

Thanks for another great episode.

[@Momma_AL]

My boy is a jumper. He loves to jump. On me. On the screen door. On counter tops. Etc ... I put upside down baking tins on my counter tops whenever I’m not around and it works like a charm!

[@relaxmycat]

As always Jackson, incredible advice and very helpful video. Keep up the amazing work you do!

[@Kellethorn]

FWIW, I was able to use squirt gun espionage in my WFH office. I set it up after we had out cats, and when I let them in to explore, I hid a squirt bottle in a blanket on my lap. Every time they would attack the computer cables, I would spray them, but look at the computer. After just a few times they associated the squirts with the cables and haven't touched them in months now. But, the point was I never let them in when I wasn't there, I never let them see the spray bottle, and I always looked away before they could see me watching. Anyway, thanks for reading my ted talk

[@jerirasulo9543]

Smart! Lol what squirt bottle😅

[@ObsessedwithZelda2]

No discredit to this vid! But I did end up making the method work with my cat years ago. It was kind of a funny development though. There was a space with a lot of wires I didn't want him because he might drag all the tech off, so we'd both butt heads stubbornly on the situation, but I did get him to leave each time. After awhile he did stop going to it.... unless he wanted something! He usually wanted in my room, so I'd let him in. If I was lazy about getting up to let him back out when he was done, he'd go to that spot to bother me. He was a clever guy. Never really had issues about it once we had both kind of reached better understandings with each other. Why it worked may have been down to his temperament or something, or the fact that I'm virtually always in this space, but either way we got along swell all his life. A fun tale I think

[@MCMB0627]

It worked for me as well

[@terri1150]

I Cant stop watching your work, I wholeheartedly agree with you; thank you for your advice

[@tomatocan2502]

" PPSSSSSSSSHHHHHTTTT !!! " works for most everything

[@alexanderwindh4830]

Exactly! I use the same grammatical pronunciation, it works perfectly

[@StinkeyPete117]

Real talk!

[@nyancat.123]

Still pretty much scares your cat.

[@jillianoldfield2300]

My cat's such a sweetie. He's always prepared to meet me halfway. He's perfectly happy for me to use the kitchen bench whenever I want to. The rest of the time it belongs to him, of course!

[@Anthroid9]

Thank you for this video! I’m going to change my behaviors with my cat based on your psychological insight. Very good material

[@Dragonflylane77]

Man, I wish there were more men like Jackson out there!!!

[@robin_birdie_]

Out there where?

[@michellesims6953]

I love my Sassycat so much...I saved her when she was little and sick with cocsidia. She has saved me back a million times with her sweetness. She even loves hugs. I respect her space, and always have, and she always comes to me. I am beyond blessed to have her in my life.

[@camillaknap4836]

In most ways, I agree with +Jackson Galaxy, but I have disciplined my cats (not with a squirt bottle) and it has worked. I start one of the first days they are in my house, no matter their age. I make sure to give them attention, play with them, pet them, snuggle them, whatever they show me they want. Being that full of attention, they have no need for going places they aren't supposed to go. I also make sure that they have platforms from where they can see what is on the tables, so their curiosity doesn't get the best of them. About knowing if the disciplining has worked, flour on counters is a great tell. I have only seen paws on my tables two or three times when I have come home from school or work. Allowing them to see, but not go to, also works. Curiosity killed the cat, remember :P I train them by voice (a simple 'No' when they do something I don't want, followed by a 'Good girl' when they do as I asked) and by snapping my fingers. A snap means no, and it is always followed by praise when the cat does as she is told. The girl I have at the moment has had no problems learning and following my rules. She doesn't respond to the snaps, so it's all vocal training with her. Soon I'm going to start teaching her neat little tricks. My previous cat could do 5 tricks before she passed. Treats and praise are the way to success.

[@crazy808ish]

You should be the one with the cat show. You treat them like pets, rather than small furry humans like he does, and still get things done!

[@camillaknap4836]

I wouldn't say he treats them like little humans. He has their best interest at heart, and most of the time his methods work. I treat my cats as I would a human child. They need boundaries and routines, not to be wrapped in cotton, but if there is a problem, like house training, that problem needs to be addressed and fixed. if it means moving the litter box, then that's what you should do. If they attack your feet, you need to address that with exercise. There is no doubt that the man knows a lot about cats and how they think, but each cat is different, and thus needs to be handled differently from others. Also, in his shows My Cat From Hell, we don't see everything that goes on, so he might talk to the humans about other things that they can do, even if I do doubt that.

[@xkindredxsoulsxxx4195]

Camilla MissKilla Knap Love your attitude!! I've seen so many people say that you should never treat your pet like you would your child, but the problem is really that methods refered to this way, are usually no way to treat your child either. They often involve spoiling, reinforcing bad behaviour and or simply ignoring them all together. What you've just expressed about treating your pets and children the same is exactly the right way to go! Pets and children are the same in that they need discipline, love, and structure. They need to know you are in charge not them. They need clear boundaries both to feel safe and to know how they should behave. They need love, affection, liesure, and outlets for energy and emotion. All this should be tailored to their individual species and personality of course, but the same needs are there. This is what EVERY living being needs to be happy and functional. Too many people give the more pleasant needs, but not the less pleasant like structure and discipline to pets or children or worse simply ignore them and it creates behavioral issues and insecurity.

[@xkindredxsoulsxxx4195]

Camilla MissKilla Knap Also love that you're able to see one thing you disagree with and not decide the guy is a total idiot or wrong about everything. From what I've seen this guy knows his stuff. It doesn't mean that he's right about EVERYTHING, that you will always agree or that his methods will work for you personally with your individual cat.

[@blueskies773]

Right! I trained my cat from when he was a baby. He doesn't ever jump on counters, even in new places.No attacking fingers or legs/ankles. My roommate cat however, was allowed the run of his home before meeting me, and insists on jumping on counters among other bad behaviors (like screaming at you 24/7 for food or attention or biting ankles). The people who insist "cats will be cats" are always the ones with the worst behaving cats.....

[@EskenRock]

I don't know how I got so lucky with my cat but we respect each other and she has one hell of an awesome life.

[@wolfdog1172]

Thanks for the video! I'm a new cat owner, and know nothing about cat behavior. So, I will be watching more from you! Thanks

[@creadoctelesecretariat3697]

Hello Jackson, I made this mistake with the water gun recommended at the time by my vet. It was to prevent my cat Akira from going into the plants. Unfortunately Akira is no more, died October 28, 2018 after 14 years of pure happiness, acute pancreatitis. But for the next cat I will follow your advice and I will find another solution if the problem arises. Thank you Jackson, you are a great guy. 😘

[@nicolec4730]

Thank you so much for your videos and informative content . We just rescued a stray kitten 6weeks old. No mother in sight. This has been extremely helpful.

[@ginenelafontaine8343]

Thanks, Jackson, for opening my eyes as to why my cat now hates me. Spray bottle medicine from the vet.

[@PulseStarz]

My cat loved the sticky tape..... he sleeps on it almost all the time but he has trouble getting up but keeps doing it anyways.... retarded....

[@Wendalore65]

+Master Baiter That is so funny, Mister Baiter!

[@WildKatatHeart65]

lol

[@holistic7980]

No. Cats have short memory loss unless it's really significant.

[@marysmith1936]

LOL. That's your cat saying f-u to your attempts to tell him what to do. That's why I love cats.

[@justinhartman1158]

What a great video, thank you! Adopting for the first time today, i’ve always owned dogs, and your video really just showed that you cannot treat them in any such way related to dogs. Meeting them halfway as important like you said, thanks again.

[@FaithEBodle]

I have always heard, 'You can make a cat do ANYTHING "IT" wants to do!

[@aljoseph5705]

I have come to the conclusion that you have too much valuable information to pass by without watching the entire clip. thanks for the guidance in raising my two kittens

[@Bill-xx2yh]

Our cat loved sleeping on top of the refrigerator, and we loved her sleeping there. We had a little basket, it was high, warm and we all patted her on the way by. We kept open an area on the counter where she could hop on, and then jump up on the frig from.

[@MeyLynn]

Ohh you're so wise, I learned a lot!

[@Leftiesketchie]

So my friend has 4 cats. 3 of the cats pick on the oldest one, scratching him up and making him more fearful. They have plenty of places to climb and when She reaches for the bottle, the younger three back away from the oldest and dont pick on him. They also still rub on my friend and show no fear of her. The bottle sits out for all of them to see, so idk if that's something

[@eileenworth7862]

Exactly! My guys start by licking faces and then it escalates into biting and swiping, sometimes with the result of half closed injured eyes for a few days. I say "NO!" "Not in the face!" "Pfffft!" And when none of that works, I reach for the bottle, if the aggressor does not make hasty retreat from the visual alone, I slosh the water around which does the trick. The cats never get wet, the plants do. It works and they still love me. They know when they are being naughty for attention, they know they don't want to get wet. It isn't discipline or punishment, it's deterrent.

[@justinballoons3235]

Never been a cat person. Found a dying kitten in my yard. She's happy and healthy now and we'd like to thank yoe for sharing your knowledge with the world

[@ghmonroe9872]

Jackson, I purchased motion alarms that made a loud, piercing sound when they detected motion. When Clara went up onto the counter, it blared at her. She did not like the loud piercing noise, and it happened even when I wasn't there. I had 3 weeks of being awakened by the blaring alarm at 3:00am, but then it stopped. Now, the counter is a place where she does not want to go. Problem solved.

[@MissyQ12345]

That sounds extreme to me. Just sayin'.

[@t.c.4321]

That is worse than the water !

[@kuri369kuri]

I am unable to dissuade my lovely Myu kitty from doing anything, except.... when we are sitting on the balcony in the evening and Myu is sitting atop the AC unit scoping the neighborhood. When it’s time for bed, I ask to to come inside and usually she plays the “cat” card by completely ignoring me, I count down from 5 to 1. This started a long time ago. I gave the option of “come” or “carry”. Now, usually at 2 she jumps down and cat strolls to the door. She’s praised, given a head scratch and proceeds into the house. Oh, and Myu is just over a year and a rescue from a garage across the street from our home. Placed her and her siblings (who were about 11 days old according to the vet) outside under a tree and the mother took the other two and abandoned Myu. I waited 10 hours and then dedicated myself to being her papa. Sorry this is so long. Thanks for reading

[@Crystal-ge9gh]

Thank you for this video! I really appreciate how you are direct and get to the point of the vid!!

[@haha-nb9yq]

This is by far the most helpful, respectable and knowledgeable advice I’ve ever received. I’m learning about cats and I realize they have their own language and you have to learn THEM thanks for the insight. A lot of website I google tell you the same thing like squirt them with water cuz no one likes being sprayed etc.

[@ekarodean198]

totally. i have never even once had a useful or pleasant response from hitting or smacking. it is as though their minds are so streamlined that the pain distracts them and then they repress it and forget why. I've noticed their emotions are identical to ours too. and they have an ego, so i would assume that they use some ego defenses similar to ours. repression and regression, etc. we have a little ninja right now that actually takes personal offense, and carries a grudge.

[@shirleychrzanowski6034]

Jackson thankyou for your advice. It has helped me a lot, although I have had cats around most of my life and know quite a bit, I learn something knew and helpful by watching your show. I had 28 cats on my farm, but have never had a visious cat like people have on your show!!

[@Adiscretefirm]

It stops the bullying really well, and the big guy doesn't even have to get wet, as soon as he sees it he lives the little ones alone.

[@deand6411]

Feeding my cat four small meals a day and making wet food a reward (given daily) has given me full control over my cats behavior and training her is as easy if not easier than a dog. This is the key to everything else. I always thought dogs were way more trainable and intelligent but if you can keep your cats attention they are very motivated and intelligent. The bad news is that my cats follows me around a lot more and wants to be near me since I have a much stronger association with food and my cat gets hungry four times a day. Thanks for putting this information out for free Jackson.

[@anthony_galati]

We were the same way with giving wet food as a treat years ago, but have since learned that it's very important for cats to get enough moisture. They won't get enough from eating mostly dry food, and it can lead to a greater chance of them having various health problems like diabetes, etc.

[@OatmealTheCrazy]

@@anthony_galati this, dry food is basically not food

[@beyza2000.]

awwwww so cute, he said "we past the 20k subs" now look at u jackson, 6 years later u are almost on the 1 mill! I love u jackson!

[@IndigoWolfTail]

I live in an apartment, so corrections like clapping and shouting "No," can't be used during certain hours. So, whenever I caught Mischief chewing my chargers, climbing my lamp, or eating foreign objects, I let out a sharp hiss. She immediately gives me the "Oh shit, I'm caught," look, and scurries away from her prey for a few steps before moving on to something else. So this *seems* to work, but would you condone this? Other than what I listed, her behavior is perfectly normal (for a cat), and she never shows me aggression/fear.

[@animeartist888]

I did something similar with a cat that liked to mark in my room. If I saw him entering "my territory" I would hiss and growl at him. It certainly did seem to work, as he eventually stopped going into my room altogether. But I am very curious whether Jackson would agree with this method.

[@simmyabis7330]

@@animeartist888 you should pee in your room

[@ajlahasanbasic]

There is a possibility that he still does it behind your back - if you can confirm that this is not true, then your method is working. :)

[@JT5555]

Ether Way,You're Scaring Your Cat. So No,He Would Not Condone It.

[@Katerine459]

It depends on the negative behavior. Most of the time, you're right; you just want the cat to associate "bad" behavior with mildly unpleasant consequences that have nothing directly to do with you. Since I personally see nothing wrong with counter surfing, I'll use an *actual* bad behavior - wandering into areas that, if you miss the fact that they wandered in for any reason, could result in their deaths, or, at the very least, in them being abandoned and alone and scared for hours. Such as the fridge. Or the oven. Or the bathroom, just before you close the door and leave for 8 hours (it can happen. You can't be focused on them 100% of the time). What you want to do in the case of truly bad behavior, is have them know that there are bad consequences, in *controlled* circumstances, when you *know* they are there, and you're controlling the consequences. You want them to understand that they absolutely *never* want to go in there, for any reason. In the case of the (cold) oven or the bathroom, wait for them to go in, then close them in and make a huge racket. In the case of the fridge, close them in, and wait for them to get truly scared before opening the fridge door again (again, controlled circumstances. This is far better than accidentally closing them in when you don't realize they've darted in). Then they will *never* go in there again. Cruel to be kind - if your cat is prone to going into dangerous areas, this is far safer than just *hoping* that you will always catch them darting or sneaking in, in time to save them. I do think there's one exception to the squirt-gun/hissing rule. If they are coming at your face with their claws out, they need to know, absolutely, that this is not acceptable behavior. It works, too. Hissing at them, I mean. But only if they're attacking you (or a baby or a guest). It's bad if you use it for really minor things, like counter surfing.

[@Juanah92]

Nice tips there. We just set our christmas tree and our cat won't stop trying to reach and play with the christmas balls. I've tried, but I can't figure how to teach her not to do it. She also keeps going behind the sofa to scratch it, because she knows we can't get her there. What should I do?

[@Katerine459]

Joana Ferro Regarding the tree... I couldn't say, sorry. :) I don't do Christmas trees, for precisely this reason! Regarding the couch - she's scratching it because it's her favorite material in the house. It's (presumably) sturdy, and she likes the material. Scratching comes naturally to cats - they *need* to do it. So if your cat is scratching someplace you don't want, the only real solution is to give them better options. Invest in a really good scratching post (a sissal one that doesn't wobble and can take their weight), or, if you can't afford that, the cheap ones that lie flat on the floor, that they can stand on and stabilize with their back legs while they scratch with the front works as well. At least with my cat. But all cats are different. :) Also, I've heard double-sided tape works well as a deterrent. :) But again, only if there's a viable alternative, since scratching is such a necessary instinctive activity.

[@trisharichardson4161]

Joana Ferro Katerine makes a good point, but what I did was I made a water bottle, and mixed eucalyptus and lemon oils in with water, just so it was a strong enough scent, and sprayed the entire couch with it. My cats hated the smell of eucalyptus and made a point to stay away from it entirely. I did the same thing to my plastic Christmas tree, and wiped down any counters with it. My house smelled like eucalyptus and lemon (I think is a fantastic clean smell) but my cats would avoid the areas that smelled like it. It doesnt have to be eucalyptus. Just find some oils or a perfume or something that your cats will hate, (you can tell when you open the bottle in their general area, they will sniff it, and get all squinty eye'd, and then run away) And spray everything you don't want them on, and just respray occasionally. They will eventually associate that unpleasant smell with the item they are suppose to stay away from. I only had to do the spray three times in a corse of a month, before I could stop. They never scratched my couch again.

[@Juanah92]

We did get her a scratching pole, but she doesn't seem one bit interested in it. I've tried to force her to scratch it, but she didn't even seem to understand what she's supposed to be doing with that lol Thank you both for the tips :) I'll try the spray too.

[@Caalip]

Joana Ferro I dont know much about cats, but what worked with me was putting some aluminium foil on the floor where the cat used to scratch the couch, he won't like the feeling of stepping on the aluminium so he won't go there to scratch anymore. Then put the scratching post nearby and buy a laser pointer and play with him while pointing the laser to the scratching post, he will chase the laser and notice that the scratching post feels good, always praise him when he uses the scratching post! And don't force him to use it, he will associate it with bad things.

[@rissabiagi1570]

Love your channel 💓 So cute that you were thanking subs for reaching 20k…look at you now! 🤩AND well deserved! Totally here for your kitty mojo 😎 Looking forward to learning how to be a better cat parent 👍🏼 Appreciate you!!

[@CaptainObvious0000]

why would the cat continue to do it? because the counter is a higher located place and those places are fun. and because climbing is fun.

[@grytlappar]

+CaptainObvious0000 - I used to be able, with my old cat, to get her to not be on the counters-at least when I wasn't looking, hah. (She was like that with everything. Keyword: when I wasn't looking.) But the cat I have now? I've just given up... I can put him down off the counter a hundred times, and he jumps back up again. I used to think, before I had cats, that it was really gross when people had cats on the counters (i.e. where you were prepping food), but there you have it. But I'm hatching a plan to put up "cat shelves" in the kitchen-I have an empty wall, the kitchen is small, so he would still be close enough to "supervise" (ha!), and use the steps to get up on the fridge. I'm gonna get the smallest "Lack" shelves from IKEA. Cheap and good-looking! And hey, Jackson Galaxy is all about cat shelves! I've learned that from him. :)

[@thefunkyJ]

+CaptainObvious0000 Exactly, cats just love exploring.

[@kittie_babies6582]

Thank you so much I’ve learned so much, I recently got a cat and thought I did enough research but now I’ve realized I know nothing...so thanks I’m going to watch every second of all of your vids!

[@crazy4kawaii546]

I❤️ your videos Mr. Galaxy! I have learned so much! My kitten Luna is only 12 weeks old but I will never squirt her. We make sure we play with her a lot, she has a big cat tree, and I’m installing shelves this week. 😊 we took her to the cat clinic and she’s up to date on her shots! We are learning and so is she. 🥰 she has so many toys. She is one spoiled kitten. She gets along with the dogs and my daughters (I have 4) love her. She is puuuurrrfect. We adopted her.

[@judyboyle9232]

I always learn something, even after having cats for 20 years.

[@smolpeaches2634]

I just got a male 3 month old and holy crap I diddnt exspect how much energy he would have I'm also a new cat owner he's either attacking my feet, legs or hands or cuddling me and licking me lol

[@Xeniathan]

so hows it going

[@dekeywongyal2864]

I’m on the same boat minus the licking

[@themicrobiologistbarbie]

Same here, first time having a kitten. She’s somewhere between 2 months old and she’s constantly biting me

[@jerirasulo9543]

Better than my boring cat that just lays there looking at me. Well unless he wants a scratch, then he's all over me lol 😺

[@LilyMcAllister]

Thank you for putting this up, great info and great reminders

[@Maverick99]

A loud "Tsssss" Gets the message across very clear. You can also add a little time out in a room. Example, I had to my cat messing with wires under my desk. Few times of that and he stopped. He does not go playing with the wires anymore at all.

[@OrnateOwl]

It's like you didn't watch the video. Your cat is only afraid of doing these actions when you're present.

[@Maverick99]

@@OrnateOwl Ever stop to wonder how stupid you sound? You talk as if you are inside my apartment monitoring the behavior of my cats whom I lived with for the last 4 years. Anyone with an ounce of self awareness can makes sense of the behavior of animals. I guess you are one of those guys who claims the earth is flat because he saw it in a KZbin video?

[@ashleyguthrie572]

I wish any of that worked on my cat lol 😹

[@kevinoneill41]

I love my cats and they love me and they all have had the squirt bottle from time to time. And hay it works a it only takes one short well aimed squirt then it only takes the threat or just for it to be in my hand and that was 10 years ago So they haven't seen it for anything other than cleaning counters or spraying plants they know what and ware they are allowed to be and what they can play with. My cats and I have an amazing relationship 💖

[@annewayman4862]

Just to prove your point ;- ) I adopted an almost senior bonded pair and as they settled in neither would get on the counter. They did learn from me the kitchen table was okay. I have no idea how their former owners 'trained' them to stay off the counter but I sure enjoyed it. With next adoptions I'll use your yes/no technique... I sure enjoy and learn from your vids. Thanks so much.

[@rowlandbuck2703]

This isn’t always right. My cat put together what the spray bottle was and why it was used after one use. I only had to spray a few times to get my cat off me before it figured out to move as soon as I picked it up. Some cats ARE just so stubborn and confident some water is the only way. Also I didn’t spray at its face, I sprayed in the air and let the water sprinkle down in its head. It was more than enough.

[@ValtronW]

I study behavioral psychology and, no, what he's saying is spot on. The problem with teaching through aversive means is that the animal/person doesn't actually learn anything. What he's saying is that the behavior is occurring because the cat is getting something out of it. Maybe the cat is jumping on the table because it has nowhere else to jump. Squirting the cat isn't going to solve the problem if there's no alternative behavior to fulfil their need. When teaching/shaping appropriate behaviors, you have to reinforce the behaviors you want. So a better method would be to find an alternative behavior (ie, jumping on a cat tree) and reinforcing that. I work with children with autism, and we use the same methodology. Identify cause of behavior> find replacement behavior> reinforce.

[@robins5828]

Thank you for the PSA, Mr. Bottle! We had a counter surfing deaf Dalmatian, and there was no way that punishment would work. You could scold her all you wanted (wagging finger and sad face meant "No," but the reward of getting food was always going to be worth it to her. We quickly learned not to leave food out on the counters...problem solved. Sometimes it's just a matter of not setting yourself up for a power struggle.

[@badboygoodgirl]

Everything always comes back to cat proofing the home 😭😂

[@ivonedefigueiredo9301]

Nobody Important ... and disciplining/ educating the human.

[@Pyreliten]

Love the yes/no, you can apply it to so many things!!

[@isaacwellborn]

Jackson, I would love to have a great relationship with my cat yet my parents will not head to all of your many warnings. I know things would be better for all family in the house if I wasn't alone in this. How can I convince them that spraying and all of their traditions are only causing the problems?

[@imrlaps7097]

Well said. I wish you luck. If he doesnt respond try sending him a message directly, cause this is a really good question.

[@isaacwellborn]

I'll try that, thank you

[@Clonetos]

Isaac Wellborn .m.k.m

[@GamingandMore95]

I have had the exact same problem with parents. I take care of the cats. I'm 23 years old. I have my own money but it's their house and their rules and that's that. They wont listen. I finally about 2 years ago won the "my cat isnt allowed outside" argument because my parents continuously said it was a horrible thing to keep them indoors. I won by holding onto my cat tightly anytime tbey wanted to let her outside and threatening to keep her padlocked in my bedroom so that they could not let her out. It wasnt easy but she has been an indoor only cat for 2 years.

[@anoukdevries8144]

@@GamingandMore95 Just wondering. Why do you want to keep your cat indoors?