
You
can't punish a cat for doing something wrong because they don't do
anything wrong. Cats use instinct and training to decide how to behave.
A
cat knows her instincts are never wrong, so you can't punish her for
that. Maybe you have inadvertently
trained your cat with some bad behavior. You can't punish her for doing
exactly what you trained
her to do!

Punishment can only make your cat afraid of
you. She will
just continue to do annoying things when you are not watching. Real
behavior changes require positive reinforcement.

You also never want to
make your cat's home feel hostile. Things that surprise your cat with a
hiss, a balloon pop, or a mouse trap like snap are hostile. They
make your cat insecure and trigger instincts that can lead to bad
behavior. Security is the most important aspect of your home to
trigger the good instincts that make your cat easy to live with.