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- Training & Behavior
How to train a stubborn 10-year-old cat when old methods fail?
Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It may be helpful for you to provide more details as to what behavior you're trying to correct in Sabbath. As you have found out spraying with water and tapping or hitting never work. These punishments can actually make things worse and are not recommended. Positive reinforcement and consistency are key in any training. A Feliway diffuser may help you as well. Again, depending on the behavioral problem there may be different solutions so more details are helpful in Sabbath's case. If you are running into problems a consultation with your veterinarian or even a boarded veterinary behaviorist will help. They can even discuss behavioral medications if necessary.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
- Vet Q & A
What cat harness prevents escapes for safe outdoor supervised time?
In my experience, a cat who wants to escape from something like a harness will eventually find a way. I do think that this type tends to work a little better: I also think training is very important: put the harness on for very short periods of time while offering food or a treat and gradually work your way up to longer time. If he starts to get upset with the harness training is over and you should take it off. All harness time should be fun! Once he seems comfortable you can then try adding a lead.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
- Training & Behavior
How can I stop my cat from getting aggressive when we end walks?
I would focus on getting him to follow you by using a treat that he really loves (hopefully he is food motivated) inside at first. A clicker can be very helpful for training cats - whenever he is making eye contact with you or following you first you click, then you give a treat. Eventually you can work on a ‘come’ or ‘heel’ or ‘follow me’ command and hopefully he’ll be more likely to come with you when you ask. This website has good info on clicker training. https://shop.clickertraining.com/collections/cat-training-books
Updated on September 24th, 2025
- Vet Q & A
How do I train my dog to ignore cats and stop pulling on walks?
Hello! There are definitely things you can do to help modify this behavior! I would recommend starting by watching some dog training videos- the user Kikopup on youtube is a good one. Good dog trainers will always focus on positive reinforcement. Beware of dog trainers that claim to use dominance or punishment for training, as these methods can do more harm than good. Start by training Ali to sit and stay for a treat. On walks, have her periodically sit on command. You may need to bring REALLY good treats to bribe her at first! Eventually, you can have Ali sit and look at you every time you walk past a cat. This breaks the cycle of chasing behavior, and over time, she will learn to not pull on the lead and become more focused. This is how I trained my cat-reactive dog to go on walks, and it took a couple of months of dedication, but he doesn't even notice cats anymore! I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! :)
Updated on September 24th, 2025
- Training & Behavior
How to stop my cat from misbehaving, eating food, and ripping trash?
Uh-oh, naughty Cassie! This is tricky. In general, when we're trying to shape our pets' behavior, of course we want to reward behaviors we like and either ignore, punish, or redirect behaviors we don't like. We want our pets to learn that "good" behavior gets rewarded, and "bad" behavior does not. The tricky part here is that Cassie has started misbehaving - but every time she succeeds in stealing food, or playing with something she shouldn't, if it's a good experience for her, she is essentially "rewarding" herself. We need to stop her ability to reward herself - and I'll be honest with you, it's challenging! My advise is that Cassie not be unsupervised around *anything* that she might get into, until these behaviors stop. This is easier said than done! But, again, every time she does these behaviors and has a great time doing them, she is solidifying the behavior. We cannot punish animals after the fact - we have to respond to them in that moment or they do not make the association. So, she cannot be allowed to get into real food without someone there to intervene. Again, I realize this is not easy advice - but unfortunately behavior issues generally require time, energy, diligence, and patience to correct. So, if you have a room in the house where there is nothing Cassie can get into, I would place her there when you are not home or are unable to watch her. Otherwise, make sure she is in the same room as you so you can catch her "in the act" when she is getting into something she shouldn't. You could also invest in a large cat playpen such as this one: https://www.chewy.com/midwest-collapsible-cat-playpen/dp/45740?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=MidWest&utm_term=&gclid=CKHwxcaC9dQCFQONaQodFwwFog&gclsrc=aw.ds ...where Cassie can spend her time unsupervised (overnight, etc). Make sure to place safe toys, cat treats, etc where she is confined so she still has things to do. She can then "earn" more unsupervised freedom around the house as you work on these behaviors. If you're still running into trouble, I would recommend chatting with your vet. They will likely have recommendations for trainers or behaviorists in your area who could consult with you. I know this is not an easy fix - but I hope it helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
