Hello everyone!

Really liking it here on the forum, lots of great people!

I am wondering what all of your opinions are on what the best way to discipline or train your bengal cat is?

Here are a few examples of behaviours that I may want to correct in the future:
- Incorrect roughplay, biting, (or someone posted recently in the discussion forum about their bengal jumping up onto them)
- Getting onto kitchen counters (say you already have a cat tree in the kitchen)
- Snooping around while cooking meals

I know you can never really truly "train" a cat, rather we can try to guide where we would like them to be.

The main training methods I have seen are:
1) Positive reinforcement / clicker / treat
2) "Yes/no"
3) Ignoring the behavior
4) Sticky tape from placemats placed on counter tops so cats are deterred from going there
5) Compressed air spray bottles that automatically shoot a burst of air when cats go up on counter

*(most of these are from a Jackson Galaxy video lol, does he actually know his stuff or is he just a pretender?)

I actually had no clue about this at all. I catsitted for a friend for a few weeks once and I had no idea punishment didn't work. All I would do was say "No" really loud and it seemed to just frighten the cat and not change her behaviour at all. At least I didn't use a spray bottle lol.

What have you guys found success with? I looked up some videos of the compressed air (SSScat or Stayaway) and they look a little cruel lol.

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Matt

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The little monsters 3

I have given up on the counter surfing issues and just wipe them down with an animal safe antibacterial spray before food prep. I also put saucepan lids on the hot hob as Oscar loves to walk on the cooker to go from window to window. If he is clawing the sofas etc a loud NO and clap of hands seems to startle him out of the behaviour. When the play gets too rough then just a loud NO and stop playing and walk away. That should send the message that rough play means play stops. Give the cat toys he can wrestle and kill so he gets his aggression out on a kong kikaroo or something! Jackson Galaxy does use the compressed air on difficult cases as a last resort. With cat behaviour I just think you need to pick your battles and don't sweat the small stuff. Good luck

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Melissa

UK
Oscar - Rescue (Rascal!!!) Bengal

I worked on the principal of lots of love/cuddles/strokes and positive reinforcement when they are good ( and they mostly are ), along with removal to a quiet room if they were bad, were told ( their breeder had taught them that "Ack!" meant stop ) and didn't listen/continued to do something I didn't want them to do - a timeout in their room.

This has worked well and rarely do they misbehave now.

Note of course that good/bad/misbehave are all human concepts, rather than cat ones - your cat is not good or bad, it is better to use the terms (un)wanted behaviour instead.

Verbally a lot can be done with tone of voice - always gentle, except when they are doing something that they shouldn't - then it can go progressively lower, almost into a growl - just saying their name like this is generally is enough to steer my two off their chosen path if needed. I have on two occasions had to hiss at Ada - both times when she was manically trying to disembowel my leg - the effect of that was that she went from manic leg-murder beast to instant stop with her ears flat in a heartbeat. This is, of course, how her mother would have reacted in the same circumstances, so it is easily understood, but kept for rare circumstances when their/my safety is at risk

I agree pretty much with what the other's have said. I also tried tin foil on the counters but it didn't work and now they run when I pull a sheet of tin foil out of the package. I pretty much gave up on the one counter that has bar stools around it. They hop up on the stools and jump on the counter. I just keep it clear because if I put anything on it, Blondie pushes it to the floor. They have never gone on the counters by the stove and sink. They tried as kittens and kept falling down with each attempt so they never tried it again. This is where I put all my stuff I don't want them to have. I never had a cat that went on counters before but there was no stopping these two they are much faster and stronger than me so I let them do what they want.

Gee, I have a little angel! He will hop on the countertop while I am preparing his food, but always happy to jump down to eat it. Raiden does understand the word "no." But cats simply do not understand punishment. Their brains are not quite as developed as a 2-year old toddler, although they act like one. Play should always be with toys only -- no hands. Bengals have so much energy, it is hard to wear them out.

Thanks a million to everyone who replied. Brian, you always go above and beyond with your explanations. So happy you are here to help! Thank you!

I will try all of the techniques you guys have mentioned, specifically 1. figuring out what the cats needs are (in general) and trying to give ways for it to fill all of those needs, 2. positive reinforcement, 3. "no" can work sometimes, 4. stop play whenever things get too rough, 5. no punishment, 6. use a low tone of voice and say their name when they are doing something they shouldnt be.

OK, glad I am armed with that info. Now, here is my next question.

Say my cat jumps up onto the counter and Im slicing up food for dinner. Do I go and move him onto the floor? Or perhaps move him onto the cat tree that's in the kitchen? Maybe the cat tree could have a treat on the top perch as well? Or do I just let him take his time until he gets down himself?

Sorry if these questions seem a little *simple* lol, I always loved cats but I have never owned one of my own and am still learning how to be a good cat dad

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Matt

To be honest, I used to shut my two out of the kitchen when I was cooking etc. However, we have got to a point where if they look like they are going to jump up, I hold my hand out, palm down and say 'no' very firmly. It doesn't always work - it depends what I have on the side and how desperate they are to get to it. Obviously with two it was harder to control them when they were younger, you'd get one off the counter and the other one would appear - so it was just easier to shut them out. And then we'd have to run with our dinner and shut them out of the dining room as well or they'd be trying to steal our dinner from our plates! But they grew out of that, thank goodness!

It is a good idea to move your kitten onto the cat tree though - he has a place he is allowed and if you reward him only there, he should get the message very quickly (hopefully!). Bengals are very determined creatures though and if they really want something they are seriously persistent!

Going to back to toys etc, my two were never very into the Kong kickeraoo's - however, I bought another Kong toy recently that is definitely a good wrestling toy! It is a Kong Cat Scratcher, and when the cardboard is shredded, you take it off and its just a cuddly toy. I think Jagger prefers it as it is solid and he can really get tucked in to beating it up!

Jagger v kong (536x640).jpg

The other thing I do (as you can see from the mess beside Jagger) is a cardboard box with packing paper - they love that, dive bombing the paper, hiding under the box lid etc - I put some of their toys in it as well for them to find etc. If you get a laser pointer I used to use that over a pile of packing paper (which I used to buy specifically for this purpose!) and they loved that.

You will find out what your kitten is in to - get some coloured springs, they love chasing them and Hendrix is big on playing with bouncy balls and will play fetch endlessly. It's all about wearing them out with 'good' play in order to avoid boredom and idleness as that is when they look to get into things they shouldn't

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Clare
Hendrix and Jagger, Brown Marble Boys (born 18 August 2013)
Hampshire, UK

Gently put the kitty on the cat tree or down on the floor. It could be a while before your kitten is able to jump up on the counter. If you get him accustomed to being on the cat tree while you're in the kitchen, that may be where he loves to end up. He will be at a height that he can see you and what is going on. Perfect set up.

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Matt