Do Cats Understand Time Out – Disciplining Bad Behavior

With all heard the phrase, ‘like herding cats, and as any cat owner will tell you, it’s an accurate phrase. Trying to get cats to do precisely what you want them to can be difficult and time-consuming. So what does that mean when it comes to disciplining your cats for bad behavior? Do cats understand time out? 

Cats do understand time out. Cats can understand when their behavior isn’t what it should be and when you’re trying to correct that behavior. With consistent use of timeouts and other discipline and encouragement techniques, you can train your cat to behave the way you want them to.

That’s great news for cat owners who despaired of ever having a well-behaved cat. The thing is, it’s going to take time for your cat to adjust to the new normal. Even if you’re raising a kitten with timeouts from the beginning, it will still take some time to figure out what’s going on and what you expect them to do.

So, like most things with cats, persistence is vital if you want results. Here’s what you need to know to get time out to work for you and your cat.

Do Cats Respond To Time Out

Cats respond to timeouts when they’re used correctly and consistently. A time-out that’s too short or too long is likely to have the opposite effect of what you intended. Time-outs should be considered a disciplinary tool that gives your time to calm down and re-center. That means that the time out can’t be too sure it’s because your cat won’t have calmed down, and it can’t be too long because your cat might get angry or irritated with the time out.

Figuring out the right balance of time is a matter of practice and adjusting to each cat. You also should know that your cat likely isn’t going to change behavior after the first time you put them in time out. It’s going to take several repetitions so that your cat can associate the time out with the problem behavior before they’ll change.

Don’t get discouraged until you’ve tried time-outs at least three times with every cat.

If time-outs still aren’t working after you’ve done them several times consistently, it may be time to consider that your cat isn’t responding well to this technique. If your cat isn’t responding, there are other options you can try to help get them to behave the way you want them to.

Is It Okay To Put Your Cat in Time Out

It’s natural for pet owners to wonder if it’s okay to put their animals in time out. After all, your cat’s life revolves around your schedule and routines. Their bond with you is essential, and putting them in time out can be difficult for both of you.

Simultaneously, though, enforcing good behavior is better for you; it’s better for your cat, and it’s better for your relationship.

It’s okay to put your cat in time out occasionally. Try not to use this technique too often because your cat may feel neglected if you’re doing it constantly. But one or two times a day, or even three if you stay at home all day, is fine. Over time, you’ll notice that your cat’s behavior is improving, and you don’t have to use time-outs as often.

If you’re worried that your cat isn’t getting enough positive attention, make sure to spend a little extra time playing with them or giving them treats on the days when you put them in time out. Just make sure the extra attention only comes when they’re behaving well. Otherwise, you’re both rewarding and punishing bad behavior which will only confuse your cat.

How Long Should Cat Time Out Be

The exact time for a time out can vary widely between cats and what the problem is. A cat that’s having minor behavioral issues may respond to a 10-minute time out. That’s chronically bullying; one of your other pets may need a longer time out, think 30 minutes to an hour for a starting place.

Usually, it would help if you didn’t put a cat in time out for more than about an hour. At that point, they won’t necessarily know why they’re in time out and may think that they’re just being isolated.

Since it takes at least a few minutes for a cat’s time out to work, you also need to make sure your cat’s basic needs are seen when they’re in time out. One of the easiest ways to put a cat in time out is to put them in a room with plenty of food, water, and a litter box. That way, your cat has everything they need, but they also have time to calm down and recognize that the behavior was unacceptable.

Some cats may seem more anxious or needy after a time out. Try not to indulge that behavior to munch when they first come out; otherwise, they might see acting out and getting a time out as a way of also getting positive attention from you.

Bond affirming actions, like petting, giving treats, and playing with your cat should be reserved for at least a few minutes after they come out of a time out. That way, your cat knows that your relationship is secure, but you’re not giving confusing mixed signals after time out.

Do Cats Understand When You Are Mad At Them

Yes! Cats might not always seem like they understand when you are mad at them, but they know.

That’s partially because cats are very sensitive to body language and emotional expressions. After all, cats express their own emotions with their whole bodies, so it’s relatively natural for them to start learning how you express their emotions.

It can take a little while for a cat to figure out your unique expressions, especially if you adopted them as adults and they’ve had previous owners, but they’ll generally have it figured out after a couple of weeks.

That means that your cat understands that you’re mad at them if you show it. They can also learn to associate specific behaviors in themselves that cause specific emotional reactions in you. We’ve even heard of cats figuring out that stepping on their owners’ paintings is upsetting and trying to avoid it.

That doesn’t mean that your cat always reacts to that anger, though. Cats can be very independent and don’t always care if their actions impact others. Most of the time, cats are considerate of their owners’ emotions. But sometimes, they might get into some intentional mischief too.

A cat that is acting up intentionally may tell you that it isn’t getting enough attention any other way. Or there might be something wrong with their environments, like not enough toys or other stimulation.

The takeaway, your cat is probably as aware of your emotions or more aware of your emotions than you are of theirs.

Do Cats Know When They Misbehave

Cats sometimes know when they misbehave. Why only sometimes? Because cats don’t naturally know what misbehavior is. Your cat only knows that they’re misbehaving if they’ve been corrected or noticed that their behavior upset you before.

That means that you must be very consistent if you want your cat to know when they’re misbehaving. If you want to teach her cat not to get on the bookshelves, for instance, you have to tell them no every time they get on the bookshelves.

Some kinds of misbehavior your cat may understand to start with, but this is mostly misbehavior between cats. Your cat has some idea of what good socialization is like, but they’re less likely to know what behavior you expect as their owner.

Try to give your cat a chance to get used to any new rules you’re teaching before you get too irritated when they break them.

Things To Consider

Timeouts can be an effective disciplinary tool for your cats, but they work best when used in combination with other disciplinary and reward tools. If your cat is consistently misbehaving, consider what their behavior may be telling you.

For instance, if your cat is constantly knocking things off the shelves, they might be telling you that they don’t have enough places to hang out and spend time. One solution might be providing a cat tree that gives them a high place to see the whole room without knocking things off and breaking them.

Giving your cat treats for good behavior, teaching them tricks, and responding when they ask for attention are all equally effective ways to manage your cat’s behavior. It would help if you used them in combination with time-outs and any other disciplinary tactics you use, or your cat may feel like rules are essential because they aren’t rewarded for following them.

We can’t emphasize enough that consistency is critical when it comes to giving your time outs. The more consistent you can be, the faster this technique will start to work. And the sooner it starts working, the sooner you and your cats can get past all this frustration.