# Water spray bottles - cruel or not?



## Bonnie82 (May 4, 2011)

I posted on Facebook earlier today about the kittens having (finally... not sure why it took them so long?!!) figured out how to get up onto the cupboards from the floor by jumping. They used to jump onto a chair from the floor, then onto the cupboards from the chair, so we solved that by tucking all of the chairs under the table, or facing them to the wall. But now they can just jump straight onto the cupboards, meaning those areas are no longer places we can put stuff out of reach of the kittens!

One friend suggested spraying the kittens with a fine mist of water in the face. Now, from everything I have seen and read on here, most cat owners seem to disapprove of that, so I have never considered it. I mentioned to this friend that it's generally frowned upon to do that, and that I've been told it teaches your cat to fear you, and she is curious about why it would be deemed cruel as it doesn't hurt them. Another friend suggested squiring Jif lemon juice in the cat's mouth but was really referring to dogs. (From a health point of view, I am not convinced that would be wise anyway, due to the acid.  I personally would hate to have lemon juice squirted in my mouth so wouldn't do it to a cat... then again I wouldn't want water spraying in my face either. :lol

So... what are your thoughts? Cruel or not? Or perhaps just unwise, rather than cruel... and if so, why? This is something I'm unlikely to do anyway, as Monty loves water, so would probably enjoy it.  Dinah is so used to being splashed in the face by Monty that she probably wouldn't think anything of it either, so I doubt it work work as an effective deterrent. But still, my friend is curious as to why this is deemed a bad idea, so I thought I'd pose the question on here.


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## Dally Banjo (Oct 22, 2009)

I think there are at least two cats here that would be naughty on purpose just to get wet  :lol:

Jif Lemon :w00t:


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## Bonnie82 (May 4, 2011)

Well I've just had a shower and Monty is already in the shower cubicle padding around.


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## Dally Banjo (Oct 22, 2009)

Bonnie82 said:


> Well I've just had a shower and Monty is already in the shower cubicle padding around.


Sounds like our house  :lol:


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## pinkfluffyballs (Sep 7, 2010)

I occasionally use it on Eric, don't see how it is cruel to give them a little spray when they are doing something wrong. I mainly do it when he is doing something dangerous. As long as you do not do it repeatedly and for no reason then in my eyes it is a perfectly fine training technique.

Eric obviously doesn't like getting a squirt but is fine with getting in the shower after me also!


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## Grace_Lily (Nov 28, 2010)

I agree with pinkfluffy, as long as it isn't used any old how and is timed so the cat knows exactly which behaviour they are doing is unacceptable I don't think it's cruel.


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## porps (Jun 23, 2011)

nah its a good method, and i've used it on all my cats..
i tried to avoid using it on my latest kitty Rumble, to see if i could teach him without it, but when he became partial to chewing wires i had to get the spray bottle out. When he chewed wires i sprayed him with it, and i had to do that twice. 
he doesnt chew wires anymore. and i wont have to spray him ever again (picking up the bottle is deterrant enough now if he develops any other potentially dangerous habits)
I couldnt care less if people wanna call me cruel for that, i'd rather have him get wet than get electrocuted.


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## raggs (Aug 3, 2008)

Personally i wouldnt say its cruel to give a cat a quick spray, but i do think its more inclined to frighten them, as for chewing cables where they could possibly get electrocuted then it would be far better to cover the wires i think...........Chris.


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## oliviarussian (Sep 2, 2010)

I occasionally use a little hand held fan on Rosso if he's doing something he knows he shouldn't, a little burst of air usually does the trick  I now don't even have to turn it on as just picking it up is enough to make him for him to stop... he's already chewed through a speaker cable and my phone charger... little bugger :smilewinkgrin: :smilewinkgrin: :smilewinkgrin:


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## OwnedByCats (Sep 5, 2011)

Here's what our two Bengal kittens think of water


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## MoggyBaby (Mar 8, 2011)

IF.... I were to use water spray to deter my cats, I would NEVER spray it in their faces!!!!! hmy:

I think it is possible to teach kittens and cats a specific 'naughty' deterrent. Mine get a very firm 'NO' plus a stern face and 'the finger' - the combo of this threesome quickly has them stopping whatever they were up to.


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Cruel probably not ,unnecessary yes,and IMO not the best method to use when trying to communicate with your cat/kitten.In a situation where the kitten needs a quick reminder of a dangerous act it is in the middle of,then it may be useful,but only if it is done without your cat seeing you do it,and never in its face.As for the Jif Lemon juice that is cruel and very possibly dangerous .Shame on the person who suggested that


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## gloworm*mushroom (Mar 4, 2011)

buffie said:


> Cruel probably not ,unnecessary yes,and IMO not the best method to use when trying to communicate with your cat/kitten.In a situation where the kitten needs a quick reminder of a dangerous act it is in the middle of,then it may be useful,but only if it is done without your cat seeing you do it,and never in its face.As for the Jif Lemon juice that is cruel and very possibly dangerous .Shame on the person who suggested that


Agreed. Spraying water, when you cats KNOW it is coming from you, is just teaching your cats to fear you.

I dont think its cruel, but I also don't want my cats to be scared of me. There are way easier ways to do it. I rustle paper or a plastic bag when my kittens go somewhere they shouldnt.


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## Marley boy (Sep 6, 2010)

i have used a spray bottle not often but it works and i dont think its crule, they are more than happy to come for a cuddle after


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## buffington (Nov 6, 2010)

we use a spray bottle very occasionally when the little madam goes to claw our new leather sofas we sprayed a couple of times into the air above her and let the water fall on her she hasn't clawed them since . and has not shown any sign of fear towards us . the spray bottle is not on show she cannot see it or us when we did spray as only seems to accociate the wetness with clawing the sofa.


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## porps (Jun 23, 2011)

raggs said:


> Personally i wouldnt say its cruel to give a cat a quick spray, but i do think its more inclined to frighten them, as for chewing cables where they could possibly get electrocuted then it would be far better to cover the wires i think...........Chris.


They arent bare wires, but yeah that would be better. except when the cat doesnt realise that chewing wires is bad. Mistakes can happen and i'd rather not take the risk. Plus he was fascinated by them, he would try to climb into places like behind my computer which is already as well covered as i could make it, to chew at the wires. Its not like i didnt try everything else i could think of before resorting to the spray, but he already chewed through a phone charger wire which i thought he couldnt possibly get at, and was continuing to chew others. Fact is this : he doesnt chew any wires any more.



oliviarussian said:


> I occasionally use a little hand held fan on Rosso if he's doing something he knows he shouldn't, a little burst of air usually does the trick  I now don't even have to turn it on as just picking it up is enough to make him for him to stop... he's already chewed through a speaker cable and my phone charger... little bugger :smilewinkgrin: :smilewinkgrin: :smilewinkgrin:


Yeah, you are right, that really works a treat to.. I wish i had known it a few months ago... my mate stayed over a fortnight or so ago and he's a bit scared of cats, especially my cat cos he's a badass. When little rumble was terorising him e used the wind trick to deter him, by exhaling hard,making a pooof sound, and it really did seem to have the similar effect to the water spray.. so OP u should try that first, only resort to the water if nowt else works. 
But it does work. No matter if you say it will make him scared of me, it stopped him chewing wires. And he aint scared of me (unless i pick up the water bottle) and tell him OI 
currently i use a psst sound, i guess it sounds a bit like a water spray? seems to work now, and always worked with my other cats too.


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## dom85 (Apr 5, 2011)

I wouldn't do it but I don't think its necessarily cruel I just don't want to scare them.

I have found that clicking my fingers distracts them and stops them in their tracks.

As for counters, this is just something that they do, I have always placed Arnold down gently and told him No and finally its worked, he jumps up onto a chair and sits and waits for his food now. He still comes up when I'm washing up (he has a thing for bubbles) but I don't mind about that as the counters get wiped down after anyway.


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## Guest (Sep 8, 2011)

I personally wouldn't do it, a firm NO was always good enough for Furball.


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## lechatnoir83 (Jun 24, 2011)

I'd rather not do water or jif lemon to the kittens... I on the other hand really like jif lemon... so if someone were to squirt that at me   

:smilewinkgrin::smilewinkgrin::smilewinkgrin:


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## Guest (Sep 8, 2011)

I wouldn't do it either, a firm no works for us


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## Bonnie82 (May 4, 2011)

Glad to hear a "no" works for the rest of you but 2 and a half months on, after hundreds of firm "no"s and lifting them down every time they go somewhere they shouldn't, we have made no progress whatsoever! 

Clapping, hissing, blowing, rustling, etc. don't work either... :lol:


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## koekemakranka (Aug 2, 2010)

I have occasionally used a water spray, but never directly on the cat, just a quick squirt in their general direction. They don't like the noise. Mostly I use a box of matches, fling it in their general direction without hitting them. The rattle is enough to startle them. Now if they are naughty, I just shake the box of matches and they stop what they are doing. They also do not realise that the noise is coming from me.


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## Ian B (Jul 19, 2011)

I have been known to use a water spray on my lot, it works, which has always puzzled me due to their habit of sitting out in the pouring rain without even attempting to find shelter, yet a short spray of water will have them heading for the flap. Equally puzzling is their reaction to being accidentally splashed with water when in the kitchen, they move like I've tried to murder them :lol:

Ian


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## jenny armour (Feb 28, 2010)

if i dont want them on work surfaces or anywhere else for that matter i just clap my hands. when i first got oliver as a mature cat he kept getting on my tops so i just clapped my hands, he soon got the message


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## Bonnie82 (May 4, 2011)

Hmmm ours don't react to hand clapping.  Well they do, but not in the way I want! For example, Monty gets on the dining table, starts walking across it, so I clap my hands and he looks at me, startled, so I clap them again and he looks at me like I'm mad, then sits down on the table to watch the show.   He obviously thinks he's being applauded or entertained or something!

Have tried the approach with the firm "no" then lifting the kitten down from the area they shouldn't be in, and within five minutes they're back up there again. 

This is one thing we've been consistent with since we brought them home. I'm not very good with stopping them from climbing up my legs (secretly I love it, even though it hurts ) so have not discouraged that... but have always discouraged getting on the dining table as I know my mum would have a fit if she saw it and refuse to eat at our house ever again.  Would really like to nip it in the bud but am at a bit of a loss as have tried everything!

Don't suppose it helps that they can do what they damn well please when we're not there. :lol:


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## koekemakranka (Aug 2, 2010)

I always used to say I would not tolerate a counter/table climbing cat. I have since given up for the sake of my own sanity. Luckily they don't do it often, excpet Girly who like to supervise the washing up from her perch on the kitchen counter: my OH calls her "mommy's little helper" 
Well, nothing a good wipe down can't solve and besides, germs are good for the immune system.


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## Ian B (Jul 19, 2011)

I used to have a regular visitor, a fabulous little tom called Bobcat, from a house on a nearby road who's owner told me he hated plastic bags, and she wasn't kidding. You didn't need to shake one at him to stop him doing something, the slightest rustle from one was enough. I had hoped it would have the same effect on mine, but while shaking a bag will get their attention, it's only temporary and they're soon back to what they were doing.

Ian


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## Jenny1966 (Feb 7, 2011)

When Molly was a baby I did buy a spray water bottle, after reading somewhere it was a good detterent when they were doing something wrong ..... but when push came to shove I couldn't bring myself to use it 


Nowadays Molly will ALWAYS react to a firm no, and immediately stop what she is doing!























2 minutes later she goes back to doing whatever she was doing wrong


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## shamykebab (Jul 15, 2009)

Same problem here, a problem I gave up years ago trying to solve. All my cats have always jumped up onto surfaces. Jazz's arthritis has stopped him now, but Hobbes still insists on sleeping on the dining table. Hobbes also refuses to drink from his water bowl, instead prefering to jump onto the kitchen worktop and drink out of any glasses of water he finds there :cursing:.

They have all been impossible to correct - they just think I'm mad, or run off looking offended only to come back again and commit the same crime 10 minutes later. If I tell Hobbes off for drinking out of cups/mugs, he throws a tantrum and swipes the cup (full of water!) off the work surface.

Nowadays if we have guests come over I quickly whip Hobbes off the table, act surprised and tell them he's never done that before...


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## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

shamykebab said:


> Same problem here, a problem I gave up years ago trying to solve. All my cats have always jumped up onto surfaces. Jazz's arthritis has stopped him now, but Hobbes still insists on sleeping on the dining table. Hobbes also refuses to drink from his water bowl, instead prefering to jump onto the kitchen worktop and drink out of any glasses of water he finds there :cursing:.
> 
> They have all been impossible to correct - they just think I'm mad, or run off looking offended only to come back again and commit the same crime 10 minutes later. If I tell Hobbes off for drinking out of cups/mugs, he throws a tantrum and swipes the cup (full of water!) off the work surface.
> 
> Nowadays if we have guests come over I quickly whip Hobbes off the table, act surprised and tell them he's never done that before...


LOL, sounds exactly like my two!!

A while ago Basil couldn't seem to understand that he was a cat & could actually jump up on to things so was never up on worktops. Then one he mustered up all his strenghth courage & was UP!

He couldn't believe it & was so chuffed with his achievement he actually slept up on the worktop (he could get down but didn't want to). I think he realised he was closer to the food cupboards in that position & was planning a raid on them

The cats are a law unto themselves. the dogs are so well behaved in comparison & would never get away with the behaviour the cats display.

I try to 'train't them but they look at me like I'm an idiot. I've tried clicker training with them seeing as it proved so successful with the dogs but Basil literally mugged me for the treats.

If I telll them off they may stop what they are doing for a second then just carry on  Even the poor dogs get bossed around by them.


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## KochiKi (Aug 20, 2011)

I've never minded cats on the counter, hubby does. Ki has learned from hand clapping and loud no's. Honestly, I was surprised she did, because in my tiny Japanese apartment, where I had one burner and a sink and a tiny space in between, she would jump up at the burner. Scared me to death. Had to guard it so intently.

Now, in a spacious kitchen with 4 burners and plenty of counter space, she has no desire to pop up.

I did try the water bottle thing with her and it didn't deter her. It would make her stop, but she'd be right back to it as soon as I turned away. I think it all depends on how wide your cat's stubborn streak is.


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## lulubel (Apr 28, 2011)

I've never used spray bottles and never would. However, all cats, and everyone's situations are different, so I'm not about to condemn people who do. It's just never been necessary for me.

Milly and Eva are easy to deal with. A firm "no" or "down" depending on what they're doing does the job. Sam is a different matter because most of the naughty things he does are to get attention, so any kind of attention is a result. I generally just pick him up and move him away from what he's doing, then leave him alone for a bit before making a fuss of him. If he's doing something potentially dangerous, however, he seems to react to the fear in my voice and stops immediately, and generally doesn't do it again either.

I'm not fussy about tables or worktops, and if my friends want to be my friends, they learn to deal with that. Having said that, Milly and Eva aren't allowed on the table (and know it, although they do push their luck) because it's where Sam eats out of their way, so they don't take his food. Sam is the only one who gets on the worktop, and then only very occasionally, if I'm taking too long preparing their food, so he gets up to help himself.


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## K337 (May 20, 2011)

I started with 'No!' and lifting them down but then added a loud clap and in a stern voice 'Down'. Still using this after a year but it only works when I'm very close to them - less than a meter. Any further away and they look guilty but stay on the table top. I'm currently clicker training them with the command 'Mat' in the hopes that once they've learnt that sitting on the mat gets them a treat I can use that instead. We shall see


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## pinkfluffyballs (Sep 7, 2010)

I never spray directly in his face, just in his general direction. 9 times out of 10 it doesn't even get him as he is too quick for me.

Punishment only works as animals associate doing something with an unpleasant experience such as water. As water is not harmful in anyway it cannot be cruel. It works in the same way as rewards. Good behaviour becomes associated with a pleasant experience like a treat or stroke. Both must be carried out when the good/bad behaviour is taking place or the learning process will not work. (Psychology degree experiments can be useful to me sometimes )

As for cats become scared, I imagine that would only happen if done repeatedly as Eric is far from scared of me, he won't leave me alone!!


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## Jenny1966 (Feb 7, 2011)

When Molly does something wrong I'm sure she does it on purpose!!


I am certain she gives me a look just before she does something wrong, just to make sure I'm watching!! What hope have I got!!


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Jenny1966 said:


> When Molly does something wrong I'm sure she does it on purpose!!
> 
> I am certain she gives me a look just before she does something wrong, just to make sure I'm watching!! What hope have I got!!


Meeko is exactly the same.He will be up to something he knows he shouldnt be ,yelling to tell me to come and see.As soon as I do he goes all soppy and rolls about,Im beaten before I start :smilewinkgrin:


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