(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best cat repellents & training aids

So it works by emitting, “... a hiss of compressed gas (which is completely safe for animals) to interrupt a dog’s unwanted behavior. The noise is similar to the hiss warning sound made by a cat or snake, alerting him to the danger.”

Here’s an [Amazon link] (https://www.amazon.com/Pet-Corrector-Behavior-Training-Harmless/dp/B0051GO5WM).

Nine weeks- wow! I got my little psycho (he’s almost three and has mellowed out considerably, thankfully) at 12 weeks. Isn’t it amazing how these precious, cuddly little babies are actually cold blooded monsters? I seriously spent my whole life fixated on wanting a dog, and it took maybe two hours before I realized I was in way over my head.

The bitter apple spray, like you mentioned, is supposedly a deterrent for things you don’t want the pup to chew. Given his propensity to chew everything- clip boards, floor moldings, area rugs, the fig tree, ME- I definitely tried it on whatever I could think of, and went through a couple of bottles. I found that initially it was effective, but you need to respray it frequently, and eventually the pup’s will to chew was greater than his aversion to the taste.

I’m also a believer in positive reinforcement training, and it’s really hard for me to subject my dog to anything unpleasant. From what I read about the product that ultimately worked for me, it’s not supposed to be detrimental to the dog. But to be perfectly honest, and this is probably not a super popular perspective, after trying literally everything else and really being at the end of my rope, I think whatever temporary trauma it may have caused the dog was worth it.

Again though, your pup is still a few weeks younger than mine was when I rescued him, and I had a good six months at least of trying more conventional methods to curb the biting.

Sorry for the novel, just wanted to give you as much information as I could. Puppies are hard.

For my one cat we bought her a stool that wad about counter height so she could watch what was going on and out worked. To train her, when we caught her on the counter we would place get on the stool and praise her. Other times i would place her on the stool and give her a treat. She quickly learned the stool was hers and she was happy.


My other cat was not so easily trained. For him we had to get SSScat spray. It's motion activated and sprays an air blast. A couple of these and your cat won't be back. http://amzn.com/B000RIA95G


If all else fails they do sell scat mats which give a mild shock when a cat walks on it. It sounds mean but the highest level is like a static shock. It did work. I had to use this for my smartest cat when everything else failed. http://amzn.com/B0007NWNM8


I find these things work better because they work whether you are there or not. All you cat has currently learned is he can't be on the counter when someone is in tha room. You didn't say anything about being on the counter when you are not in the room :)

1. get a good lid for the trash can, 2. you can get shock strips for around the trash can. Mine was smart enough to stand on the foot pedal to open to the lid so he could stick his head in. Deterred my dog from getting into it, although he was just acting out because I was gone a lot. This has the added benefit of actually training your pet instead of just allowing the behavior to continue.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/d/Cat-Repellent-Mats/PetSafe-ScatMat-Training-Strip-inches/B0001AB42W

I tried foil and plastic carpet runners with the feet right side up and kitten did not care, she would lay on top of them! So far I have had good luck with these training mats, you put them on the surface you want to train your cat to stay off of and they give a little shock when the cat touches it.

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https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-ScatMat-Indoor-Training-Electronic/dp/B0007NWNM8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1537189864&sr=8-3&keywords=cat+shock+mat

I think so, though I bought mine online. Here's one at PetSmart with mixed reviews. Just be careful, some dogs actually like the taste so you don't want to spray it on everything before testing. I would try one specific thing that your dog chews a lot before putting it all over.

They also sell other "no-chew" sprays like Fooey that last about a week.

Again, though, the spray isn't a replacement for regular obedience training. You'll still need that, this is just a little extra help if you have a particular piece of furniture that seems to get attacked more than normal, or for extra precaution.

Oh, and I meant to say Bitter Apple spray, not Sour.

There's something out there called the Scat Mat which is a plastic mat with wires running through that sends a shock (feels like a static shock like when you rub your feet on carpet and touch something metal).

I used it to keep my cat off my kitchen island. It worked for about a week and then my cat got wise and realized that she could step between the wires. So beware if you have a smart/determined cat.

Try one of these things. They work on some dogs. It’s worth a shot.:


ELenest Anti Barking Device, 2019 New Ultrasonic Bark Box Outdoor Dog Repellent Device with Adjustable Ultrasonic Level Control Safe for Dogs, Sonic Bark Deterrents, Bark Control Device https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R1WN6FF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rHOiDbJAEVFTA

My 10 month old puppy gets a 4' lead. I like the braided paracord leash Kong makes. She's a chewer...

http://www.amazon.com/KONG-Kong-Paracord-Leash/dp/B00G9FQWR0

May I recommend the Scat Mat? Place it on your table or whatever. She will stop jumping up. Here is one in action.

on amazon (uk)

my pug was obsessed with tugging on his leash. i broke the habit with fooey spray https://www.amazon.com/SynergyLabs-Fooey-Ultra-Bitter-Spray/dp/B000FOYMFU. its basically just super biter and i would spray it on his leash, only took a couple times before he gave up on tugging it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0009MZ1EE

My dog has allergies and will lick his feet raw and he scratched a hole in his head once.

We use benadryl, (1mg per lb of dog), twice a day.

You need to use actual Medicated shampoo and sprays. An oatmeal shampoo isn't going to do anything for allergies. You might need to figure out which one works for your dog.

You need to bathe the dog often to remove whatever allergens are on him. Might even need to wash his feet every time he walks through any grass or plants.

A Pramoxine (local anesthetic) Shampoo
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0078LOVD6/

Hydrocortisone (topical steroid) Spray https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JHPBDX2/

A Chlorhexidine (antiseptic) & ketoconazole (Antifungal) spray
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0180A1EXI/

Chlorhexidine and Ketoconazole Shampoo https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0180A1CWG/

Check out Scatmat and Ssscat.

By the way I don't know if you have ever heard of Pet Corrector. I carry it in case of unleashed dogs. I haven't had to use it yet, but I've seen it break up a scuffle at the dog park.

This has come up on /r/legaladvice before and the conclusion was that unless extremely spicy food was something you normally ate, adding excessive spice with the intent to get someone else to eat it would still be considered booby trapping and against the law.

A bitterant spray, though...

Horns such as these are supposed to work but I haven’t tried them

Throw one of these on it

https://www.amazon.com/Zomma-Repellent-Adjustable-Ultrasonic-Deterrents/dp/B07R1WN6FF/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?keywords=dog+barking+deterrent+devices&qid=1564356159&s=gateway&sprefix=dog+barking+deter&sr=8-6

My solution:
ssscat works wonders for our cats. We've even tried the shock mats.

Electronic scarecrows

http://www.amazon.com/Contech-CRO101-Scarecrow-Activated-Sprinkler/dp/B000071NUS
http://www.amazon.com/Mini-ScareCrow-Automatic-Pet-Deterrent/dp/B0009MZ1EE

I used this stuff with my cat and she stopped doing it https://www.amazon.com/8oz-Extra-Strength-Chew-Repellant/dp/B01820DLJ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496343280&sr=8-1&keywords=cat+bitter+spray

Oh yes! I still consider that positive training if it is clear when it happens. Improper technique can just make them scared and confused, but I feel if you are consistent, it's kind of hard to screw that up.

I would give my girl timeouts in the bathroom anytime she was mouthing and biting us when she was a puppy. Just a quick 15-30secs each time she did it and was OK with the bathroom being the timeout zone (since her crate was her safe place, and our laundry closet had too many chemicals). She learned quick after a few days to stop biting.

I've actually seen the Pet Corrector pop up recently as a way for some shiba owners to get their shibas to stop barking at things, and for some, to break their predatory drift focus if they are aggressive towards small dogs (or other animals) and get them to focus back on you.

How big is the windowsill? Maybe put something uncomfortable on it?

The sell these plastic pads you can put on your couch to keep cats off, they just have little plastic spikes on them, they are like the underside of the plastic office chair pads for carpet. Not like something that will harm them, just something that is totally uncomfortable to sit or stand on.

I had a rottweiler foster that would push the blinds with his head and break them to see out the window. A few firms "No's" fixed that for me, but it always depends on the dog. It had to be when he didn't know I was busting him, so he got the idea that I would always be around to bust him.

Does she have enough toys to keep her occupied so she doesn't care about the window?

Maybe something that would make noise would also work. Another thing you can do with cats is something like tin foil, that is noisy and feels unstable.

There is also stuff like this https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-ScatMat-Training-Strip-inches/dp/B0001AB42W

I know that probably sounds like mostly negative stuff, but it is hard to give positive reinforcement when you aren't around...

My GSD is also not allowed on furniture and tries to be sneaky sneaky about it. We just put stuff on the couch/loveseat when we're asleep or not home. I bought a flagpole online and the long box is a perfectly sized deterrent.

Otherwise, there is something you can buy but, again, it involves placing it on the furniture when you're not on it. It's a nylon pad with sensors that emit an alarm when your pup tries to get on it.

I had the same problem but found a solution. An electric door mat. The damn thing works. My cats used to jump on my doorknob while my wife and I slept. Now they won't go anywhere near my bedroom.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0007NWNM8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1407861365&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40

You can get a spray to stop cats from chewing anything. Spray the cord and problem solved.

Bitter Spray

You could buy some bitter spray that is normally used to deter cats.
https://www.amazon.com/SynergyLabs-Fooey-Ultra-Bitter-Spray/dp/B000FOYMFU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

This worked on an obnoxious billy goat. It's just compressed air.
http://www.amazon.com/Company-Animals-Pet-Corrector-30mL/dp/B00GMOQ5LQ/ref=zg_bs_3024230011_15

It's so effective that people sell appallingly expensive "pet corrector" sprays with extra plastic bits to amplify the noise:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Company-of-Animals-COA-AP-CORRECTOR/dp/B0051GO5WM

But if you find a cheap "air duster" you can scrunch some gaffer tape around the nozzle to have the same effect.

My fuzzies enjoy nibbling on anything rubbery, but I've never actually had them be diligent enough to chew through it. If you're worried, use this. It tastes awful, so she will eventually learn to avoid the nasty tasting cord. If you do use this, don't just spray it, the particles will go everywhere and you'll end up tasting it. Daub some onto a paper towel and wipe down the cord.

As for the zip ties, look at them. Is she tearing pieces off? If so, she could swallow them and you obviously don't want that. If they're sturdy enough that she can't do any damage, I think you'll be fine.

I petsat someone's ferret who enjoyed scratching and biting at the carpet immensely, but my two fuzzies show no interest in that. So you'll just have to watch and see what she does.

Other tips:

I believe it's pretty commonly accepted that ferrets prefer water bowls to water bottles. Would you want to drink water by flicking up a little ball and getting one drop at a time?

Look at this if the zip ties are a problem, then you won't need them.

You could try using a Pet Corrector when the dog barks at you. It makes a loud, startling noise. Most dogs dislike it and are startled out of their incessant barking when they hear it.

I've used this to get my kitten to stop chewing on cardboard:


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01820DLJ6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


But you may want to wear gloves while you apply it - I've gotten it on my skin before and it's difficult to wash off!

I also had that issue with my cats when I first adopted them. I ended purchasing a little zap mat that gives a very mild shock and corrects the behavior pretty quickly. I always set it on the lowest setting. Test on yourself so you know what the cat will be experiencing. It’s very light on the lowest setting.

PetSafe ScatMat Indoor Pet Training Mat for Dogs and Cats, Medium Size, 30 X 16 inch, Pet Proof Your Home, Electronic Training Mat https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007NWNM8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cqGVCbR2RZNKQ

however after much research I think I may hve found something that just might work! http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-ScatMat-Electronic-Training-16-Inch/dp/B0007NWNM8/ref=pd_ybh_3 This was recommended somewhere else and I may try it! Its a mat I can put in front of the door that delivers a noise or an electrostatic shock not to harm but to scare.

Found some for you.
Stop that! is the pheromone spray. Boar pheromones trigger an immediate "WTF was that" response and has saved me multiple times.


Pet corrector. This one is like a silent air horn. Definitely has worked to deter dogs from coming near me.

This is the citronella repellent.

I have also heard that some people have used a diluted pepper spray. Personally, if I was being attacked by an unknown dog or it attacked my own dog, I have no qualms with pepper spraying them. There is a brand called SABRE that is marketed for protection against dogs, but it is essentially just normal MACE. I'm not sure if pepper spray is legal for civilians to carry in the UK as even some states here restrict the use, so I looked up another type of defensive spray for you.

Defense spray.

A low powered tazer designed for women is another thing I carry around. More for my own safety, but would consider using it on a large dog as well if the circumstances warranted. Mind, the more extreme sprays and tazers are precautions I can legally take, because an attack against my service animal is a felony due to classification as necessary medical equipment. Assault on my dog is essentially assault on my life, and in my state I have a lot of freedom for self protection in these cases. Always check your local laws before picking up defensive sprays.