4. Punishing your cat in displeasure
Swatting, striking or hitting is not an effective negative reinforcer. Cats learn to fear you rather than unlearn the behavior of which you disapprove. Reinforce positive behaviors and reward as indicated above. Cats are inherently curious and are always probing their environment. . Give them places to go in the house and things to do. Remove dangerous items (plastic bags and ribbon/ string) from their reach.
3. You Play Using Your Fingers and Then Get Upset When They Bite
Cats are natural predators and movement arouses the predator-prey instincts. They normally grab prey with teeth and nails. Redirect your cat’s behavior away from your fingers with a play toy attached to a long stick or spring. Never use a gloved “toy” with small objects attached; you are again teaching your cat that aggression directed at your hand is acceptable
2. Hugging or Kissing Your Cat
Cats prefer to be able to move and escape. Contact with the wary and cagey felid is always on their terms. When they are rubbing their forehead on an object or on you, they are actually rubbing a facial pheromone that has a dual function of marking their territory and conveying a sense of well being. Holding a cat tightly creates stress and a cat so held is naturally expecting that something bad is about to happen. Cats interact with humans the same way they interact with a competing or aggressor felid – activity restriction is a provocative act.
1. .Communicating in a foreign tongue
Cats respond more to nonverbal cues. They spend much of their time observing you and know your moods better than perhaps even you do. English is a foreign tongue to them but they can be trained to perform tasks if they are rewarded with a favorite treat that is not a part of their standard diet AND if the reward is given within 3 to 5 seconds of the performance of the task.