to keep them off the counters...... I heard it works but dont want to try something cruel.
2006-10-13 12:00:03 · 39 answers · asked by jrschulz 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
Lol not at all...I use one and it works great! I use a sprayer I bought at Menards that is cat shaped & has a more diffuse spray than a squirt gun, holds a lot more water & never leaks.... and it has great range! Lol! I've named it the "equalizer" and all I have to do most of the time is just SHOW it to my cats and they toe (or paw) the line! Lol! Cat's need to have some rules just like the rest of us mere mortals & I think a squirter is a very effective tool without doing a bit of harm to your beloved feline buddy (other than maybe a bit of wounded pride) and don't worry, kitty'll get even.....sometime! Lol! Good luck! Good for you for being kind & humane!!!
2006-10-13 12:12:36 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
No it is not cruel..it is actually vet recommended. But do not use a spray bottle that once held any kind of chemicals in it...like windex and stuff. They have cheap sprayers, but try to get one that has a stream setting on the nozzle because by the time you get to them with something that just sprays...they're no longer doing something wrong or will barely feel it to know you did it. A water gun will do provided it's not a super soaker or something intense like that. It won't be mad at you or dislike you for it, it will learn. And never "spank", not even lightly. This and yelling actually can cause communication problems and bad feelings between your cat and yourself. You should really check out purinapetpages.com
2006-10-13 15:30:19 · answer #2 · answered by emeraldlily_82 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think it is cruel and I also don't feel it's very effective as you must always be behind the squirt bottle for it to work and the cats will get on the counters when you are not there.
I did use a spray on my kittens because I ate off the coffee table when I watched TV in the evenings and they would not let me eat a meal in peace.
Why don't you go to www.littlebigcat.com and read Dr. Jean Hovfe's article titled "Squirt Bottles: Punishment and Cat Behavior".
2006-10-13 12:50:30 · answer #3 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No it is not cruel as long as its just water. But beware your cat may get to like it and think its a game. I have 4 cats and 3 love the water. Good Luck KG
2006-10-13 12:10:13 · answer #4 · answered by kgreives 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think it's cruel at all, as long as it is just water.
Have you seen the computer game dogs, and then cats? There was a squirt bottle used in that game for training them.
It doesn't seem like a bad thing at all - cats don't respond well to verbal commands, and it is a lot better than hitting them or yelling at them in their face. Just don't get carried away with it. And don't encourage your children to do this, if you have any.
2006-10-13 12:09:04 · answer #5 · answered by Fun and Games 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No it isn't cruel. It's affective without being harmful. I just wouldn't use an old windex or hairsray bottle because of residue. I figure if I wouldn't use the bottle on my plants, I won't use it on the cat. I use it when I find him on my counters or the kitchen table. Just simply taking him off the surface wasn't enough. One spray vs. 10 times taking him off the dinner table did the trick.
2006-10-13 12:25:48 · answer #6 · answered by kitty 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Picking the cat up by it's tail and whipping it's behind is cruel. A little water is harmless. I mean, the cat licks himself all day long - with a wet tongue. We used this on our cats and it worked great and quickly - so the "suffering" that the cat may endure is only temporary.
2006-10-13 12:04:00 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ipersonally dont think you can discipline cats they have their own way of thinking and shooting them with a water gun is only going to make them angry and defensive with you just try shooing them instead ,I have 6 cats and they know when they are doing something I dont like they run when they hear the different tone of my voice
2006-10-13 13:50:51 · answer #8 · answered by Black-Widow 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no...as long as it's not physically hurting them, then it's fine. and water doesn't physically hurt them, they just don't like it. a lot of zookeepers use water to get animals to move to a certain part of their exhibit. your cat will learn to associate getting on the counter with the water gun (something she doesn't like), so she won't get on the counter anymore because she wont want to have water sprayed on her. it's not cruel b/c it's not harming her physically or psychologically.
2006-10-13 12:02:47 · answer #9 · answered by mighty_power7 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you seen the movie Lilo and Stitch? Lilo uses a water gun/ spray bottle to train Stitch. It's a good tecnique in my opinion because it doesn't harm the animal, but it's still unpleasant enough for them to realize not to do the bad thing again.
2006-10-13 12:13:10 · answer #10 · answered by Gina C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋