Practical feline behaviour understanding cat behaviour and improving welfare

110 Chapter 7

punisher. Also, if the behaviour is repeated without the expected reward, the con-
tinued lack of reinforcement can result in a decrease in the frequency and intensity
of the behaviour and eventually the behaviour not being performed at all. This is
known as Extinction.

Box 7.4. The problems with punishment.

Unintended associations

One problem with the use of punishment, or intended punishment for an unwanted

behaviour is the risk that the cat may not associate the aversive event with the ‘bad

behaviour’, but may instead make a completely different association.

Practical feline example

A cat is caught urinating on the carpet. The owner makes a loud frightening noise in

an attempt at punishment. The cat associates the frightening event with another

household cat who is nearby, resulting in fear and defensive behaviour towards the

other cat and a breakdown in the relationship between the cats.

Timing

To increase the possibility (but not guarantee) that the cat will make the desired asso-

ciation, the aversive event needs to occur at the same time or immediately after the

behaviour. Any delay increases the risk that the cat will associate it with a different

behaviour.

Practical feline example

A cat jumps up on a work surface and steals food. The owner walks into the room and

the cat jumps down to greet the owner. The owner shouts angrily at the cat for stealing

the food but it is the behaviour of approaching the owner that is punished instead.

Intensity

To act as effective punishment, i.e. to decrease the likelihood that a behaviour will not

be repeated, a punisher needs to be sufficiently aversive. However, if it is too aversive

the more likely outcome is that it will cause fear, anxiety and stress without influencing

the behaviour, owing to increased fear and arousal inhibiting learning (Teigen, 1994).

To find the correct level of intensity can be extremely difficult because what is considered

aversive is a subjective experience that can vary tremendously between individuals.

Practical feline example

Three cats in the same household are scratching the sofa. The owner attempts to

punish the behaviour by squirting the cats with water whenever they scratch the sofa.

For one of the cats, being squirted with water is sufficiently aversive that it avoids

scratching the sofa (although it still scratches other items of furniture). For another cat,

the squirt of water is not aversive enough and it continues to scratch the sofa. For the

third cat, being squirted with water is highly traumatic and the experience causes it to

become stressed and anxious, which negatively influences its relationship with the

owner and the other cats and increases its scratching behaviour.