Shrieking

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"EEEEEE!" my daughter shrieked shrilly in our cat's face. Calypso's ears flattened and she leaned away from the tiny, loud human. 

This had been happening too frequently over the last few weeks for my liking. Calypso is wonderfully patient with our 1.75-year-old daughter, Lucy, with hardly a hiss when poked or prodded. But if the shrieking continued, I worried that someone would get hurt.

My animal trainer mind began to analyze the behavior. Lucy's shrieking was becoming more frequent and that meant she was getting something enjoyable from it. What was reinforcing this behavior?

I noticed that after shrieking, Lucy looked back at me. What did I do? I usually rushed to Lucy's side, gushing explanations. "Oh no, we can't scream at Calypso. That's scary for her. We can wave at her instead and say 'Hi Calypso.'" 

Was my attention the reward Lucy was looking for? Next time I heard a shriek, I glanced over, modeled a quiet wave ("Hi Calypso") and turned my attention back to the dishes. She screamed again and I worried that Calypso was getting more annoyed. I walked over without saying anything, physically moved Lucy away from Calypso, and returned to the dishes. She came over to help me and I enthusiastically chatted with her and gave her a spoon to put away.

After one or two more shrieking episodes with my minimal response, the screaming became less frequent. Now, a few months later, I can't remember the last time Lucy shrieked in Calypso's face. They're more likely to be seen side-by-side at the window looking for birds!

Calypso and Lucy love watching for birds out the window together!


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