So my cat’s been acting out lately… scratching the couch, meowing nonstop, and ignoring the litter box sometimes 
. I came across this thing about using positive reinforcement instead of yelling or punishing, like giving treats, more playtime, clicker training, etc. Has anyone here tried that? Like does praising or redirecting actually help stop the bad behavior?
Yeah I’ve tried using treats and more playtime… worked wonders for me. My cat used to scratch my bed frame and now she goes straight to her post lol.
Rafe said:
Yeah I’ve tried using treats and more playtime… worked wonders for me. My cat used to scratch my bed frame and now she goes straight to her post lol.
Omg same, scratching posts are a lifesaver. Did you have to like, show her how to use it?
@Sage
Yep, I literally picked her up mid-scratch and placed her on the post. Gave her a treat when she used it. Took a few tries but she got it.
Rafe said:
Yeah I’ve tried using treats and more playtime… worked wonders for me. My cat used to scratch my bed frame and now she goes straight to her post lol.
So you reward after they do the good thing? Like immediately?
@Dane
Yeah timing is key. Like you gotta catch them doing the right thing and give the reward right then.
Clicker training was actually so cool?? I thought it was just for dogs but it works for cats too. It’s all about associating the click with something good.
@Arley
Basically you click a little device when they do what you want, then give them a treat. It marks the behavior so they know exactly what got the reward.
@Arley
Kinda like saying ‘good job’ but with a click sound instead?
Zane said:
@Arley
Kinda like saying ‘good job’ but with a click sound instead?
Exactly! Some cats respond way better to the click than just words.
Tbh yelling never worked for me. Just made my cat more skittish. Once I stopped doing that and used treats + play, she chilled out a lot.
Kiran said:
Tbh yelling never worked for me. Just made my cat more skittish. Once I stopped doing that and used treats + play, she chilled out a lot.
Yeah yelling just makes them hide or act worse. I read that it messes with the bond you have with them.
Kiran said:
Tbh yelling never worked for me. Just made my cat more skittish. Once I stopped doing that and used treats + play, she chilled out a lot.
For real. I tried clapping once too and my cat just looked at me like I was crazy lol. Didn’t help at all.
@Bao
Same 
. It’s just a quick fix but doesn’t actually teach them anything.
My guy was peeing outside the litter box and I almost lost it. Turned out the box was just super gross. Cleaned it daily and he stopped doing it.
Ozzy said:
My guy was peeing outside the litter box and I almost lost it. Turned out the box was just super gross. Cleaned it daily and he stopped doing it.
Oof yeah cats are picky af with cleanliness. Mine won’t even go if I forget to scoop for like a day.
Ozzy said:
My guy was peeing outside the litter box and I almost lost it. Turned out the box was just super gross. Cleaned it daily and he stopped doing it.
Did you change the litter too or just cleaned more often?
@Zola
Just cleaned more often. Same litter. I also moved the box to a quieter spot and that helped too.
If your cat’s suddenly acting up, it could be a medical thing too. Like mine started biting and turned out she had dental issues 
Freddie said:
If your cat’s suddenly acting up, it could be a medical thing too. Like mine started biting and turned out she had dental issues
That’s wild. So always good to check with a vet first?