# Ignoring bad behavior in attention seekers?



## saitenyo (Nov 28, 2010)

I've discovered something interesting about Apollo.

I've posted before on how difficult he has been to train. He's a stubborn, determined, very energetic cat. Despite getting ample attention, he constantly craves more. I've experimented with a lot of different good training methods. Even the ones that are temporarily effective (like hissing/loud noises) just deter him for a moment before he comes right back.

I read somewhere (I forget where) a suggestion to try _ignoring him _when he is misbehaving. In his case, it oddly seemed to make sense. He only misbehaves when he wants attention, and he seems to view punishment (be it me removing him from the area, or scolding him) as rewarded attention, even if it's negative attention. It seems he'd prefer to get in trouble (and may even view it as a game) than to be ignored. 

I've been trying it out, and it's actually working! It's not 100% perfect obviously. If he's literally destroying something I have to stop him, but other than that, I've found it to be a _very _effective training method for his stubborn attention-seeking. If he's not getting any kind of reaction, he gives up on what he's doing, because he's not getting the results he wanted.

I just found that very interesting. It's a totally different way of thinking than what I'm used to in training pets. With Athena, you scold her, she stops, and eventually learns not to scratch that thing or walk on that counter or tip over the trash can. With Apollo, you scold him, he runs off, then he comes right back and does it again. You ignore him, he eventually gets bored and finds something else (hopefully a cat-designated toy) to entertain himself.

Has anyone else had to use this method with one (or more) of their cats?


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## saitenyo (Nov 28, 2010)

I should add on: I'm definitely not saying this is an ideal training method for _all_ cats.  I'm sure most cats, if ignored when misbehaving, would never learn that their behavior is inappropriate. But for cats like Apollo who clearly seem to be doing whatever they do to get attention, and when other methods have failed (after over a year of trying in his case), it seems like it may actually be a viable alternative.


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## swimkris (Jul 17, 2010)

Yep; your situation is similar to mine. Pumpkin is pretty behaved now, but I used to have to ignore her and/or move her to the opposite side of the room when she was doing something bad; even then it would take a few times to work. When I used to use the "punishment" method (squirt bottles, hissing, blowing air, scruffing, etc) she would actually turn around and bite/claw me. Simone is like Athena, if you so much as glance in his direction when he's doing something bad he takes off running lol!


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## praline (Jun 3, 2011)

You will be happy to know this is an actual training technique that is extremely popular with professional animal behaviorist (notice I didn't say animal trainer). 

The official term is call "negative punishment." 
"Positive punishment" would be swatting the cat with a newspaper (as an example)

In negative punishment you are taking away something (your attention) and in positive punishment you are adding something (loud noise, spanking..etc)

It has been proven time and time again that negative punishment is much more affective long term. In positive punishment the animal eventually becomes immune to the punishment.

You were training your cat the same way some of the most important animal behaviorist in our lifetime do it!!! :love2


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## saitenyo (Nov 28, 2010)

Good to hear praline!


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