# dominance



## mr. meowface (Apr 23, 2005)

How do i assert dominance over my cat?


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## Lori (Jun 8, 2003)

Cats are pretty independent creatures. It really isn't in their nature to obey like a well-trained dog does. This is not to say a cat should be allowed to get away with misbehaving, they certainly can be trained.
I am curious as to your specific behavior issues.


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## Gudewife (Jun 27, 2004)

The short answer is "you don't."

Cats don't really operate on the same pack mentality that dogs have, where there's an alpha dog and a pecking order all the way down to the pariah. Cats establish their brand of dominance through personal space, subtle body language, and territory (particularly vertical territory). So as far as being an "Alpha Cat," it is unlikely that you'll be successful (unless you want to spend quite a bit of time crouching on high shelves and conversing in cat languages :wink: ).

That said, there are certainly bully cats, bossy cats, victim cats, and cats who are happy to let others have the prime windowsill, but they settle their arguments not in a pack mentality, but based on what's best for each cat at that particular moment. If you ever see two bossy cats stuck in close quarters, you'll see a constant changing of who's "top cat" at any given time (sometimes you have to watch closely because the signs are hard to see, and it can change every five minutes). 

Inter-cat relationships are very fluid, and change constantly depending on circumstance (such as when two littermate cats who've grown up together suddenly have a bad aggression episode and become complete enemies); so there's no way of permanently asserting dominance over a cat. 

Cats, however, can be trained...usually by out-thinking them and making them think that what you want them to do is actually their own brlliant idea. Punishment/reinforcement and dominance/submission models just don't work on cats, they'll walk away and ignore you (or strike at you if you're being offensive to them), and just know to repeat the unwanted behavior when you're not around next time.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

"Asserting dominance" over a cat in the same way as a dog will not be successful and will likely just make the cat afraid of you or dislike you. You're smarter than the cat. You have to be creative in getting the cat to do want you want by getting it to do what it thinks it wants to do of its own accord. Two good books I recommend are: _Outwitting Cats_ by Wendy Christensen and _Think Like a Cat_ by Pam Johnson-Bennett


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## Tygerboy (May 24, 2005)

Hi , I have the same concern with my cat . My 5y old female cat is very Dominating over me . She so afraid of me runs & hides scared of me. Is there anyway of training her to be more freindly to me . My other male cat is on the other hand very freindly & more to me than she is . Is this normal for i need some advice to help me .....


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## Adrienne (Jan 15, 2005)

timskitties said:


> You're smarter than the cat. You have to be creative in getting the cat to do want you want by getting it to do what it thinks it wants to do of its own accord.


Most people are smarter than their cats. :wink: I have met some very dumb pet owners in my time at the shelter


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Tygerboy said:


> My 5y old female cat is very Dominating over me . She so afraid of me runs & hides scared of me.


Sorry if I laugh at your expense....I think you've got your definitions a little twisted. :lol: 

But to try to answer your concern...I understand your cat is afraid of you. Timid cats aren't all that unusual, and their response to what they perceive is a threat is to run and hide.

You want to make your cat trust you. So that she doesn't see any threat to her. Do not go after your cat. Let her come to you in her own time. Don't make any loud noises or sudden movements. Be calm and reassuring. Don't try to grab her or make her do something she doesn't want. Let her hide when she wants to hide.

You want to arouse her curiousity to come and and see what's going on. You can quietly do something interesting to a cat, without paying any attention to her. Crinkle some paper or play with a lattice ball. Bat around a mousie. If she comes out to investigate, don't pay any attention. Just let her come at her own speed. Eventually she'll get bolder and want to take part in playtime.

Work on her desire to eat. Give her a treat when she comes out of hiding. Just put it down on the floor and back off.

So you see, by working on the cat's nature, you can get her to change her ways and do what you want her to do.

Good luck and have patience!!


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