Cats are not like dogs. They are also not like humans. All cat behavior consulting has to start with this awareness. That's because nearly all failed efforts to modify cats' behavior assume that cat psychology is like dog psychology (or worse, like human psychology). These efforts are doomed to fail because they are based on ignorance of the uniqueness of individual cats and colony behavior dynamics.
http://www.thecatbehaviorclinic.com/
Physical punishment will only offend the cat and make it distrust and dislike you. Rather than punishing bad behavior after it happens, anticipate trouble and head it off. Instead of angrily shooing your pet off the dinner table, feed the cat before you sit down to eat. Instead of yelling when your cat chews on an electrical cord, or any other object, coat the cord with Bitter Apple jelly. Reverse the toilet paper roll so that the paper comes out from the bottom. Hang plants and ferns out of reach.
http://www.animalhospitals-usa.com/cats/cat_training.html
While there isn't any one solution to the problem of plant eating that will work for all cats, there are a few tricks a distraught owner can try. First, providing a source of fibre or vegetable matter for the cat may eliminate the cat's desire to forage on its own. If the problem is the result of a dietary deficiency, supplement in the form of higher fibre catfood or a small pot of grass or catnip which the cat is allowed to eat may eliminate the problem. Second, removal of plants from accessible locations may provide a physical barrier to grazing. Third, scare tactics may work, and many methods have been suggested. One method uses a water spray bottle which may be either rigged with a string to allow training without the owner's presence being directly associated with the disciplinary action, or simply used whenever the owner catches the animal "in the act". The second technique would be easier to do, but probably less effective because some cats simply learn to misbehave in the absence of the owner. Another scare tactic method involves strategic placement of mousetraps, often overlaid with a sheet of newspaper to prevent their detection by an inquisitive cat. Finally, a technique called aversive taste conditioning can also be very effective. Pepper sauce, vinegar, and other noxious substances are applied directly to the plant leaves where the cat normally chews. Generally, conditioned aversions are most effective when the compound applied (if it produces nausea) is on a new food, so it may work best if applied to a new plant. However, steps may be required to eliminate old favourites from the cat's forbidden plant diet.
http://www.usask.ca/wcvm/herdmed/applied-ethology/behaviourproblems/catplanteating.html
"scare tactics" what lucky pets!
