Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Why Your Cat Thinks You’re a Huge, Unpredictable Ape

wired.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 117 posts

Re: Why Your Cat Thinks You’re a Huge, Unpredictable Ape

#31

Post by rbehrends »

jchendy wrote: post #9

"This is because cats evolved as solitary hunters with little need for reading social cues, especially those for behavior modification." [...] “How the hell is your cat supposed to know that you’re yelling at him because you want him to stop scratching the couch?” [...] "When your cat does the thing you want her do to, reward her with a treat, or affection." If we accept that cats can't learn from negative reinforcem…

That's not negative reinforcement. Negative reinforcement is when behavior is reinforced by removing an aversive stimulus. Yelling at a cat because it's scratching the couch is positive punishment [1].

And punishment works quite differently from reinforcement to begin with; it is typically less effective for far better socialized species such as humans and dogs, too.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning#Consequenc...

Re: Why Your Cat Thinks You’re a Huge, Unpredictable Ape

#32

Post by RankingMember »

ck2 wrote: post #15

If you've ever had shingles you'd never name something you love shingles! But one thing I know about cats is they really have a set routine, getting them to change it is near impossible, you juat have to go with the flow.

As someone who started brushing their cats' teeth after cavities/tartar/gingivitis caused a lot of pain and resulted in some expensive extractions, change is possible, but you've got to stick to it 100%, no matter how much blood you lose.

Re: Why Your Cat Thinks You’re a Huge, Unpredictable Ape

#33

Post by breischl »

gadders wrote: post #21

Reading that article, I can't help but think most of those problems would be a lot less likely to occur if your cat was allowed outside with a cat flap or similar. If you're cat goes outside you tend not to need scratching posts and litter trays for starters.

Everyone in your neighborhood would like to thank you for encouraging your cat to crap in their yards and letting them pick it up.

Get a litter box and clean up after your own damn pet.

Re: Why Your Cat Thinks You’re a Huge, Unpredictable Ape

#34

Post by mcv »

jchendy wrote: post #9

"This is because cats evolved as solitary hunters with little need for reading social cues, especially those for behavior modification." [...] “How the hell is your cat supposed to know that you’re yelling at him because you want him to stop scratching the couch?” [...] "When your cat does the thing you want her do to, reward her with a treat, or affection." If we accept that cats can't learn from negative reinforcem…

Well, positive reinforcement is better than negative reinforcement because instead of presenting yourself as an unpredictable angry ape, you're presenting yourself as a source of treats, which is better. Who cares why the cat is getting treats?

Re: Why Your Cat Thinks You’re a Huge, Unpredictable Ape

#35

Post by gadders »

ohhoe wrote: post #28
gadders wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or install a cat flap and let your cat go outside?

Yeah so your cat can go to someone elses house, or get run over by a car, or get attacked by animals. Great suggestion.

Or so your cat could, you know, explore outside like they're supposed to?

Cats do occasionally get run over, but most learn to avoid dogs and if they're getting second helpings of dinner at someone else's house, so what?

Re: Why Your Cat Thinks You’re a Huge, Unpredictable Ape

#36

Post by josefresco »

gadders wrote: post #21

Reading that article, I can't help but think most of those problems would be a lot less likely to occur if your cat was allowed outside with a cat flap or similar. If you're cat goes outside you tend not to need scratching posts and litter trays for starters.

At least in my part of the world, coyotes and foxes prey rather successfully on household pets allowed to roam freely outside.

Re: Why Your Cat Thinks You’re a Huge, Unpredictable Ape

#37

Post by post_break »

zrail wrote: post #26
post_break wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah that's great and all but I've tried that. 3 litter boxes. All cleaned twice a day, and he still shits on the carpet 2 feet away from the box. Lid on, lid off, big sidewalls, different cat litter. I've tried it all. The little shit just likes shitting on carpet I guess. And putting the fear of god into him does nothing.

Then there's something else about his environment that isn't right, or he's sick. Have you taken him to the vet lately?

He's completely normal. Has done this for about a year. Multiple costly vet visits for them to say "What have no fucking clue". I think he just likes leaving me presents to come home to at this point.

Re: Why Your Cat Thinks You’re a Huge, Unpredictable Ape

#38

Post by lingben »

XorNot wrote: post #20
jchendy wrote: post #9

"This is because cats evolved as solitary hunters with little need for reading social cues, especially those for behavior modification." [...] “How the hell is your cat supposed to know that you’re yelling at him because you want him to stop scratching the couch?” [...] "When your cat does the thing you want her do to, reward her with a treat, or affection." If we accept that cats can't learn from negative reinforcem…

This is all wrong though. Domestic cats have been domesticated for a long time. Cats which live with humans (or even other cats - they do naturally form colonies) adopt a number of pro-social behaviours to interact with us. They are in fact very adept at reading social cues - but conversely they are not pack-animals. They don't have the same instinctive need to identify a hierarchy of command, so much as "mess with"…

Among the most common being meowing. Cats do not mew at other cats, only at humans.

Re: Why Your Cat Thinks You’re a Huge, Unpredictable Ape

#40

Post by _neil »

ohhoe wrote: post #28
gadders wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or install a cat flap and let your cat go outside?

Yeah so your cat can go to someone elses house, or get run over by a car, or get attacked by animals. Great suggestion.

I do understand your concern but we had a cat door for years and the cats were fine, if not happier, going outside at will. The worst that happened was they would occasionally bring in dead/mostly dead animals to show off as trophies from their hunts.
Post reply on HN