r/CatTraining • • Jan 11 '26

Behavioural What actually stopped my cat from scratching the couch (no punishment)

304 Upvotes

I tried everything first: covers, sprays, double-sided tape.
Some worked for a few days, nothing worked long-term.

What finally made a difference was treating scratching as a behavioral need, not a bad habit.

This is what worked for me:

  • I placed a scratcher right next to the couch, same height and orientation
  • I chose a texture similar to the couch fabric
  • Every time my cat used the scratcher, I rewarded immediately (treat + calm praise)
  • When the couch was targeted, I removed attention instead of reacting

After about two weeks, the couch stopped being interesting.
The scratcher became the default spot.

Blocking or punishing never worked for me.
Redirecting the behavior did.

I wrote this process down step-by-step for myself.
If anyone wants more details, I’m happy to share.


r/CatTraining • • May 26 '24

Are The Cats Fighting or Playing - Introducing Pets Playing or Fighting: The Basics

44 Upvotes

Greetings cat owners! I see a lot of posts on here asking about if cats are playing or fighting, and as a long-term owner I thought I might share a few insights.

Points on Play:

  1. Entertainment: Like most mammals, cats need physical and mental stimulation. Playing with each other satisfies this requirement and allows your kitties to burn off some energy. This is why it's also important for owners to play with their cats as well.

  2. Murder Training: Cats are obligate carnivores and hunt instinctively. Play between cats is often employed to hone these skills.

  3. How to Cat: Play between cats helps establish boundaries and acceptable behavior. This is particularly true between an older cat and a kitten: in the wild, such play between an adult and a kitten is a way of training the kitten in social behavior. Learning the difference between a gentle warning bite versus an over aggressive attacking bite.

Is It Play?

Cat play can get pretty boisterous, and to the untrained eye, can easily look like fighting. How can you tell the difference? The biggest key is Body Language

  1. Prick up Your Ears: Cats that feel comfortable around each other will keep their ears upright. Cats who are feeling either threatened or aggressive will lay their ears back flat against their skulls. It's a very clear warning sign.

  2. Tell Me What You Really Think: Cats will make all sorts of noises while they are playing. Generally speaking, these are nothing to worry about. But if you hear pronounced yowling or screaming, combined with other aggressive signs, then they may have crossed the line.

  3. Belly! Belly! Belly!: This is a big one. A cat's underbelly is the most vulnerable part of its body, which means that rolling over and showing it demonstrates comfort and trust. When cats are truly fighting, one or both will try grasp each other face to face to dig their back claws into the other's belly. Also why rubbing a cat's tummy is generally no Bueno.

  4. POOF: Tail or body fur all poofed out? Back off! Cats will fluff up their body hair to make themselves appear bigger when they feel threatened, usually accompanied by the typical low long growl / hissing that is also an unmistakable warning sign. If this isn't happening, the cats are probably fine.

Also: tails up and smooth - happy cat. Tail down or lashing about - danger, Will Robinson!

Obviously, cat owners should monitor the behavior of their charges. Owners should make play a regular part of a cat's routine, which will also help burn off energy and reduce any overly aggressive behaviors.

TL; DR

Play= Ears up, showing belly; fur down; no hissing or yowling; claws in.

Fighting = Ears back, poofed tail; tail down / lashing; prolonged growl / hissing; claws out and going for the belly.

Hope this is useful!


r/CatTraining • • 7h ago

Are The Cats Fighting or Playing - Introducing Pets Is this playing or fighting

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54 Upvotes

I got a new 8 week old kitten like 3 weeks ago and i’ve done all the steps in their introduction. The little one is milo and the big one is nacho. Nacho didn’t rlly care about the kitten he comes from a shelter so im guessing he’s used to being around cats. when they’d “play” usually when milo would hiss or make sound nacho would back off. it’s always milo that starts by pouncing and immediately getting on his belly. nacho does not really care but he gets on him. but now milo seems to not enjoy it. at first i thought milo was just scared but nacho doesn’t rlly back off anymore. like i said i thought it was ok because milo is always the one to engage for some reason lol. Look at he video and lmk what yall think and what steps i should take to get them to be more friendly with eachother because I can just restart the whole process. i just thought it was ok since milo is the one always engaging


r/CatTraining • • 20h ago

Are The Cats Fighting or Playing - Introducing Pets Rough wrestling - Is this playing?

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145 Upvotes

Hi! I recently adopted a second cat (the full orange one), and him and my resident cat (orange and white) are constantly wrestling and chasing each other around the house. Orange and white is younger and more playful, and sometimes a little insistent, but as the other one grows confident he initiates play more often. Older one makes a sound when they play too rough but comes back for more, and Im always wondering if I should break them apart or not.

Thoughts?


r/CatTraining • • 6h ago

New Cat Owner How often do I replace cats scratching mats so she doesn’t scratch the couch?

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8 Upvotes

I’ve had my cat Cheeto for a little over a year now, and I got her these scratching post/pads after she started scratching the couch. Once a gotten them she stopped but in the past few weeks she’s been hasn’t been using them and scratches the couch (a part of me feels she also does it to get my attention, because the second I get up from the couch as she’s scratches she runs away). Should I buy a new ones/is there something I’m missing?


r/CatTraining • • 1d ago

Behavioural Help- exhausted of my food driven cats

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324 Upvotes

ISO advice. I have two cats a 6 year old male and 4 year old female. They are both fixed and get along well, they don’t have any territory issues and are extremely well taken care of and spoiled. The male was a stray I got from the shelter and the female was a rescue from a pet hoarder house. I’ve had them for 3+ years now and this issue just got super bad within the last 9~ months. They are extremely food driven (especially the male) and it is exhausting me. I just spent HOURS making a huge pot of soup, and walked in to them eating and sticking their paws in the pot after I left the kitchen for less than 5 minutes. They are both a healthy weight and active cats, they have an automatic feeder that feeds them 4 times throughout the day- and I’ll often add pumpkin puree, a topper, or broth in their bowls when it feeds them at night. They have PLENTY of mentally stimulating toys that they use often, and I religiously play with them every night when I get off work. They are both very hyper and active cats but overall are healthy with no severe behavioral or health issues. The male will eat rubber bands, chew through plastic, and will eat ANYTHING that can fit in his mouth. I’ve walked in on him ripping open a bag of coffee grounds off the counter in attempt to eat it. Scat mats don’t work, spraying with a water bottle doesn’t work, redirection doesn’t work, and closing off in a different room for a time doesn’t work either. I’m at my wits end, what can I do to stop them from destroying anything that’s in my kitchen? I’m worried one day they will eat something they’re not supposed to and I’m desperate.


r/CatTraining • • 14h ago

Trick Training What easy tricks can I teach him?

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27 Upvotes

He already knows sit but lay down or roll over never work…he’s polydactyl so he just grabs me or loses interest. He follows me everywhere so I figure I can at least make the most out of it!


r/CatTraining • • 16h ago

Trick Training Amo questo tonto ❤️

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40 Upvotes

Lui è Tøffy (Tøffel)! Norvegese di 90g. È con me da poco più di una settimana, dal primo giorno ho notato la sua passione per il suono dell'acqua, così ho provveduto da subito a lasciargli a disposizione una vaschetta con 1cm di acqua e dei giochini. Ho passato ogni giorno qualche minuto ad invogliarlo a bagnarsi le zampe e questo è il risultato dopo una settimana 🤣 mi fa morire perché sembra allo stesso modo amare l'acqua, quanto odiare avere le zampette bagnate 🤣


r/CatTraining • • 11h ago

Introducing Pets/Cats Can’t tell if they’re getting along ok or not

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10 Upvotes

r/CatTraining • • 16h ago

Are The Cats Fighting or Playing - Introducing Pets Playing or?

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18 Upvotes

Hi! i got new cat (male 2 months old).I have two more cats female(2y)and male(14y). They were introduced slowly because we had him in quarantine for 2+ weeks. At first there was hissing but now its okay. But i am not sure that she likes him trying to play with her. Mostly she meows and runs away, sometimes she engages. I need to know for sure since she has occasional epilepsy attacks ( vet figured is stress induced or during sleep) she had one last night and i need to know if she looks under any stress.
Thank you!


r/CatTraining • • 34m ago

Are The Cats Fighting or Playing - Introducing Pets Behaviour new cat

• Upvotes

Hi,

I need some advice and encouragement about introducing my new cat. I have two cats, W (8) and D (12), both Persian cats and really mellow. 2 months ago we adopted M (8, also Persian). We unfortunately don't know much about her background, but she has lived with cats before.

She has her own room in the attic where she settled for 4 weeks. Then we started switching scents between them. M got to leave her room for a couple hours at a time and explore, while the other cats were locked up. Then we made a frame for the door, so they could see each other. M growled, but responded well to high value treats and she got curious. After two weeks she could sit in front of the frame without growling, so we moved on to the next step which was small supervised visits.

W and D are curious about her, but leave her alone. They mostly look from a distance or go to sleep.

M growls or hisses when she walks by them, but leaves them alone otherwise. Sometimes we play with W with a stick or a laser and M even plays along at a distance.

So here's the problem: everything looks quite harmonious/calm for about half an hour. As soon as everyone is a bit settled, M seems to change. When W or D walk past M and away from her, M's energy changes and she wants to chase them. But only when they have their back turned to her.

I don't know why she does is or what her intentions are. Is it playing? Is it to establish territory? Should I let it happen or do I stop it? I'm experienced with cats, but I've never encountered this before.

Any advice, experience and encouragement is greatly appreciated! I really want this adoption to go well. Thank you!

Tldr: new cat seems to change after half hour of socialising, I can't read her behaviour. Need help on next steps.


r/CatTraining • • 1h ago

Introducing Pets/Cats Moving in together with two indoor cats and a small dog. How can we help them feel safe around each other?

• Upvotes

Hi everyone! My girlfriend and I are planning to move in together, and we’ve found a 105 m² apartment (around 1,130 sq ft). We live in Germany and between us, we have two cats and a dog, and I’d really appreciate some advice on helping them live together peacefully.

My two cats are brothers, both six years old, and are British Shorthair/European Shorthair mixes. They’ve always been indoor cats. They generally get along well and occasionally play together, although one seems a little more dominant than the other.

My girlfriend has a 3.5-year-old miniature poodle who is roughly the same size and weight as each of my cats. He’s been around cats since he was a puppy and used to play with them. He doesn’t bark and is very gentle, including around other dogs.

We’ve tried introducing them at my current apartment. During the first attempt, the dog was very excited and wanted to play, which the cats definitely weren’t comfortable with. The usually more submissive cat in particular hissed and puffed himself up. We ended the introduction and tried again another day.

The second attempt went much better at first. Both cats were curious but cautious, and the dog fell asleep on the sofa. At some point, though, the same cat lashed out at him. Since then, the dog has been really scared. We separated them afterward, of course.

Looking back, I think we may have rushed the introductions, and I’d like to take a slower, more structured approach.

Has anyone successfully introduced two adult indoor cats to a small dog? How would you restart the process after an experience like this, especially now that the dog is frightened? We want all three animals to feel safe and comfortable, and we don’t expect them to become best friends—peacefully sharing a home would be enough.

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences, what worked for you, and how long it took. Thank you!


r/CatTraining • • 1d ago

New Cat Owner Just bought 2 kittens

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400 Upvotes

So we bought one kitten 4 days ago (enzo) and he has got all settled in-ish after day 3, but after being out of the house for a couple hours we did decide to see if he had any brothers left from his litter… and he did.

So today we bought his brother (beau), and brought him home. They are both just 11 weeks.

Since beau has been home, they have both been chasing each other playing and wrestling non stop, it’s been about 5hrs with a nap, breaks, and food in between. Is this normal? Enzo seems to be the most excited out of the two.

Also while I am here are there any other tips or advice for me?


r/CatTraining • • 2h ago

Behavioural bonded pair suddenly fighting after 3 years - anyone have experience with this?

1 Upvotes

i’m at a lost and my vet doesn’t know what’s happening either. have ruled out health issues with bloodwork. there is a neighborhood stray that comes around but it’s been around since the beginning. have tried feliway and calming care.

M6 and F4 are both fixed. lived happily together for 3 years and fought for the first time Feb 2026. since then they’ve fought a total of 5 times. each time, i have separated them and successfully reintroduced. it’s taking longer each time and the windows between fights are shortening.

i have only been in the same room at the start of the fight once - they were napping together and suddenly started going at it. the other times i was asleep or in another room.

i really don’t want to rehome one of them. they got along so well before and was instantly bonded when they were first introduced. my boy cat let the female kitten suckle from him and was like her mom. they’ve always been 2 peas in a pod.

anyone have experience and success with this situation?


r/CatTraining • • 11h ago

Behavioural Moving my cat to a new home

3 Upvotes

Hey everybody, I’m looking for suggestions on how to make the easiest stress free move for my cat Deto, she’s 5 years old and has only every lived at my dads house,

We’re getting ready to move her roughly 3 hours away to my new apartment, but she’s a easily stressed cat and I’m very worried about moving her this far as she’s only ever done 15-20 minute car trips to her vet office, I’d be lying if I said I had any clue on how to move Deto this far away. And I’m worried she won’t like her new living place,

I already have her anxiety medication for the trip, as well as calming spray, to try to ease her, I just need as much help and suggestions I can get to make Detos move and home introduction as smooth as possible so I don’t traumatize her


r/CatTraining • • 8h ago

Behavioural my kitty is eating so quickly!

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2 Upvotes

r/CatTraining • • 5h ago

Behavioural My cat won’t stop biting things and just destroyed my bfs computer monitor with his teeffff >:/

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0 Upvotes

r/CatTraining • • 1d ago

Are The Cats Fighting or Playing - Introducing Pets Playing or fighting?

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68 Upvotes

The one on the left is our 2yo male cat (neutered), the other one is a 4 months old male cat we just got. Today is the first time they meet each other. Is the older one too rough? Should I keep them separated?


r/CatTraining • • 5h ago

Behavioural My cats keep fighting

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1 Upvotes

r/CatTraining • • 10h ago

Behavioural My cat chomps on me randomly (cat tax included)

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2 Upvotes

r/CatTraining • • 1d ago

Are The Cats Fighting or Playing - Introducing Pets Is it play or fight?

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28 Upvotes

These two have been around each other for almost a year.
Ash (smoke) is diabetic and 8 years old tabby (white kitty) is 2-3 years old and super active.

I can’t tell if they’re besties or they’re fighting. I think they’re having a good time but my husband gets stressed and stops them frequently.

What do you think?
Do u need more videos to decide?


r/CatTraining • • 8h ago

Behavioural Keeping outdoor cat inside at night

1 Upvotes

Hi guys, I already made a post a couple weeks ago on other cat subs about this but just wanted to discuss it again. My Bonnie is 8 1/2 years old and is my world. My family made the decision that she was going to be an outdoor cat when she was a kitten without really knowing the risks of outdoor cats as far as I know, and this year I’ve been doing more research on the risks of letting cats out unsupervised, so I’ve been trying to put in safety measures for her, and the first step for me is at least keeping her inside at night. The issue is the only other person who lives with me is my dad, who is completely against keeping her inside at all, a lot because the cat flap is in his room and therefore if she doesn’t get to go out she will whine and scratch at his door and wake him up. It’s very hard to keep her stimulated since she doesn’t really like toys. I’ve been trying to encourage her to go out more during the day so she hopefully has less energy at night, but my dad isn’t keeping this up much. We just had an argument because he is insisting I keep her in my room at night but I am trying to not make this emotionally distressing for her by trapping her in one room (especially because my room is messy af and I worry about there being lots of cat hazards). I feel terrible trapping her in one room on her own but unfortunately that’s the only option my dad is giving me since if she roams around she will just scratch at his door, the only other option is letting her outside at night which I am not budging on. I am literally writing this at 10:53pm as she’s meowing at the bedroom door and I’m supposed to be up at 6:15am 😭 does anyone have any ideas? I don’t know what to do. I feel so mean as she’s just meowing at the door, but I want to keep my baby safe. If it were up to me she would just roam around the house at night but, like I said, my dad doesn’t want that because she will wake him up (which is fair but idk what else to do)


r/CatTraining • • 1d ago

Behavioural My cats new boyfriend

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25 Upvotes

My cat(8months) is going crazy daily at night at the door so she can get out and meet her boyfriend in the building behind mine . I have been trying to keep her in the room but yesterday she was shouting constantly the whole night to let her out, she woke me up at 3am shouting at the door to let her out. Now in the morning the other building owner talked about beating both the cats because they poop in the building. She is not spayed yet and she is very aggressive. I want to know if all this will be fixed after she gets spayed. And how I can train and monitor her better


r/CatTraining • • 9h ago

Behavioural Don't know how to get my cats to be nice to each other

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1 Upvotes

r/CatTraining • • 10h ago

Behavioural Territorial Kitten Advice?

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1 Upvotes