When it comes to cat learning and training, one of the most discussed topics is undoubtedly using punishment to correct unwanted feline behaviours. Although it appears clear for caregivers that animals should be properly corrected, feline behaviour experts—supported by the latest science—are convinced that disciplining our cats is not so obvious or appropriate.
While punishing a cat may suppress undesirable behaviours in the short term, it often causes unpleasant feelings like stress and anxiety. Over time, this can also trigger long and medium-term behavioural issues—sometimes even worse than the previously corrected behaviour.
Technically speaking, punishing a cat means trying to reduce a specific behaviour—usually the “unwanted” one—by creating ‘negative’ feelings in the cat when that behaviour occurs.
For example, when a cat meows repeatedly and gets water sprayed in their face, or when a cat bites and then is locked in the bathroom as punishment, these consequences are intended to trigger a negative feeling. When a cat learns to associate their behaviours with these outcomes—like being sprayed with water or locked in the bathroom—the cat may be inclined to stop meowing or biting to avoid feeling that way.
So yes, it is possible to learn through punishment. But the issue with reacting in this way when your cat shows ‘unwanted’ behaviours is that it can lead to negative side effects or reactions in your cat.
Let’s explore the example of a cat urinating outside the litter box, on the couch. When this happens, many caregivers respond by scolding or punishing their cat. By doing this, it is possible that the cat will stop urinating on the couch because of the bad feeling triggered by the caregivers. Understanding the association leads the cats to conclude that such behaviour is not a good choice.
However, we cannot forget the side effects caused by the learning through punishment. The cats can feel so frustrated with the punishment that, when corrected, they may behave aggressively towards anyone who is nearby. In fact, these cats can be so afraid of the punishment that they associate the negative feelings not only with urinating on the couch, but also with furniture itself. As a result, they may avoid climbing on furniture or even entering the living room altogether.
Fear of the person delivering the punishment can also develop. The cat may start to move away from their caregivers, breaking the human-pet bond. This can result in the cats’ movements around the home becoming restricted, and they may live in a constant state of worry, which eventually causes chronic stress.
When talking about the risk of serious issues developing as a result of punishing our cats—also known as discipline training—an experience I had many years ago comes to mind.
When I was a child, I attended swimming lessons in a pool that was very large and deep. In one lesson, we students were placed into a queue and told to jump into the pool, one at a time. However, because we did not know how to swim very well—and despite a lot of effort from us—we were unable to get back to the edge of the pool after jumping in. Eventually, our teacher used a long tube, like a pipe, to hold us and lead us to back to the edge.
When giving a command to jump into the water, the tone of our teacher’s voice was firm and loud. If we did not jump, the teacher spoke even louder, which made us even more afraid. When falling into the water, we were also scared, because we knew we had to keep swimming until that tube was extended to us. We also felt embarrassed and ashamed as everyone could see our despair.
I did learn to swim, but I stopped attending classes as soon as I could because the experience was so unpleasant. For many years, I stayed far away from swimming pools; just the smell of chlorine would give me butterflies in my stomach, even though I already knew how to swim.
As an adult, it took several years—and also different teachers—to regain the pleasant sensation of swimming. The desired behaviour—swimming—was taught, but based on unpleasant feelings. If I did not jump into the water, my teacher shouted at me. If I could not deal with the swimming pool, I would drown. If I did not swim well, I would be embarrassed.
And each of these unpleasant feelings brought their own negative consequences: swimming clubs, pools, and teachers who spoke loudly and firmly all became a source of fear for me.
To this day, it is unpleasant to remember that time, and the blame for this has a name: learning through punishment.
Going back to my example of a cat urinating on the couch, if these attempts to urinate are due to pain from a urinary disease—such as lower urinary tract infection—punishment only masks the problem. And worse still, chronic stress from this approach can trigger other behaviours, like vomiting and overgrooming. In any case, even if the couch is avoided, the cat may simply choose other inappropriate areas to urinate, like beds or carpets.
To sum up, it is simply not worth punishing a cat to correct undesirable feline behaviours. This correction method is neither simple, nor accurate, nor harmless.
Instead, we should all now recognize that the best approach is to focus on encouraging and rewarding good behaviours—such as improving litterbox conditions to suit the cat’s needs and preferences in cases of house-soiling. At the same time, it’s important to identify the exact causes of undesirable behaviours, make changes to the environment, and use products to help cats feel more secure in their surroundings (for example, FELIWAY Optimum plugged into their favourite room).
For more fascinating insights into our cats and the way they experience the world around them, keep exploring our Happy Cat Expert articles online. Want to help your cat feel more secure? Discover our range of products including FELIWAY Optimum. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to receive all the latest updates straight to your inbox!