Why Animals Don’t Misbehave

It’s time to reframe how we perceive our pets’ behavior.

Photo by Victor G on Unsplash

Carol has a cat named Princess. Carol is frustrated because Princess has a bad habit of scratching the couch. No matter how many times Carol punishes Princess or tries to deter the behavior — yelling, using the spray bottle of water she keeps nearby, putting tape and foil and citrus-scent on the couch — her cat always finds a way to ruin the couch.

Carol feels that Princess takes enjoyment in trashing the furniture, and that she understands she’s not supposed to touch it. Carol is getting so frustrated with the cat’s misbehavior, she’s wondering if it’s time to find Princess a new home. She just can’t keep her house looking nice and it feels like Princess has no respect for her authority.

We’re going to be looking at a few different examples in this piece of animals behaving badly, how it impacts their owners, and why it matters. Carol and Princess may be fictional, but they represent countless pet owners at their wit’s end with their animal’s behavior.

Here’s the issue. People take the way their animals behave personally, and that’s a problem. Perception of animal behavior becomes wrapped up in our ego. Human ego is the biggest obstacle to improving animal welfare across domesticated species. The issue starts at home, with…