Pamela Merritt

“They get to stay in their Outpost when they stay in their Outpost. Now, we are both happy. ◆ Isn’t this… giving in to the cat? Sure. ◆ Doesn’t this make the cat… our Boss? Yes. ◆ Our cat knows better than we do when it comes to what they need. Once we have gifted them their kitchen Outpost, we can simply move them from the counter to their Outpost and be happy and pleased they have a spot to be in without getting into trouble. Explain why we gave them this Outpost — it was for their own safety. Because the next time we see our cat on the counter, we should act shocked — shocked — that they are on the counter. ◆ Project worry, not anger. Tell them this isn’t a good place for them, and use a cleaning spray on that area with great gusto, and clean it off. This takes care of our cleanliness issues, and it also lets our cat know we are looking out for them. That area was about to be sprayed. It could happen again at any moment. ◆ Is it ever too late? ◆ No, we can always do what we should have done in the first place. ◆ It is easier to train us to do it right than argue with the cat. Why can’t the cat just stay out of the kitchen? They have a strong interest in where the food happens. Why can’t the cat just leave the kitchen when we want them to? Because they have a strong interest in being with their people and sharing their lives. We got the cat for companionship. We are getting it.”
― Pamela Merritt, The Way of Cats: How to use their instincts to train, understand, and love them