I often complain that cats do not follow instructions and behave bossy. I say this is totally the fault of the cat parent. Training your feline is fun and effective if you know how to do it. If the session includes rewards like food or toys, then there is no way your kitty will ignore you.
I know dogs are the best to obey your instructions and all. But with the proper techniques, you can influence your kittens or cats to behave. In this article, I will share all the tricks on how to train cats in a fun way. You need to design the whole session in such a manner that both you and your kitty enjoy the time. So, let’s start.
How To Train Cats: Tips And Tricks
Cats are independent animals and are not bound to obey your instructions. But it does not mean you can not manipulate their behavior. With gentle and kind behavior, it is totally possible to train your kitty. Follow the tips mentioned below to successfully coach your kitty to behave better.
1. Never Punish Your Kitty
If you are short tempered, then training a feline will be tough for you. You can not expect your kitty to be disciplined or in a good manner always. For the starter, treat the cat as a cat and do not expect much from it.
Punishing the cat can stress it out and give the pet anxiety. In the long run, the pet will suffer from behavioral and health issues due to this trauma. Spraying water on the cat’s face is the oldest way to teach it anything. Never hurt the pet physically.
2. Treats Are The Best
When you are at the office or doing an assignment, positive reinforcement or reward always encourages you. This is not exceptional for the cats. If you treat the cat whenever it does something good, the pet will be more than happy to do it again.
Over the years, different tactics have been proposed to make the training session of the cat more effective and easy. A clicker is just the simplest form of it. The secret here is to do a click before treating the pet. Generally, getting rewarded all of a sudden might confuse the cat. The click will help them process things.
3. The Sessions Should Be Short And Simple
A study shows that the human mind can concentrate for 90 minutes and then it will require a break of 15 minutes. Well, it will be foolish to expect the same from your kitty. A cat can stay focused a lot less than humans. So, do not bore it with all those long training sessions.
Also, kitty’s brain is not developed to accept and process complex things. Try to simply show the cat what it needs to do.
Read Also: Why Do Cats Hiss? Annoyed Or Scared? – Find Out The Facts Behind This Behavior
4. Try Baby Steps
I know getting a kitty for the first time in more than exciting. You may start the training right away. Sometimes, the hustle may backfire and give your cat anxiety. A new place already stresses the cat. On top of that, if you add heavy mental training, the cat will get mentally sick.
Professionals claim that for a positive result, you need to take baby steps. In another sense, practice one session at a time. For example, while teaching the cat how to use the litter box, do not train it to be social. Rather, let the cat master one lesson and then move to the next stage.
5. Do Not Limit Your Cat
Do not confine your cat in one room or one environment only. Teach it to behave properly in all conditions. For the starter, introduce your kitty to different areas of your house. This way the cat will learn different things, what to touch, and what not to.
Also, try introducing the feline to other pets in your house. In that case, you must follow the tips on how to get along with two cats, or a cat with another animal. As cats are concerned about their territory, they may not mix with other pets easily. So, that will be another lesson for them.
6. Why Not Everybody?
If only you get the chance to play with your cat, the pet will not be social at all. So, push the pet to mix, greet, and meet with other people of your family. Usually, cats are shy and do not like strangers. But once they know the person is safe, no one can keep the kitty away from him.
Involving other people in the training makes the session interesting and more fun. The feline will get to learn relation bonding and being social at the same time.
7. How To Train Cats To Use The Toilet
Maybe it is the first thing, each cat owner teaches his or her cat. Because, of course, you do not want your feline to make a mess in the middle of your room or bed. Sometimes, a kitten learns to poop or pee in the litter box just by watching other cats and their mother doing the task. Remember, observing can be a great way to train your cat.
However, if you need to teach the pet, then follow the steps given below:
- Introduce the cat to the litter box as soon as it arrives at your home. Let the pet sniff around the box.
- Make your cat sit on the litter box right after its meal and when it wakes up from a nap. This is the time when your cat takes a dump.
- Treat the feline if it does it right.
- In case, your cat makes a mess outside the litter box, do not punish it, rather, repeat the session.
How To Train Cats Not To Bite
Cats bite humans or other things out of emotion. Sometimes, it can hurt you and so, resisting the feline is a must. You can do it by saying no to your cat each time it bites. Or stop playing with the pet if it bites you. Eventually, the kitty will understand it is bad and you are not encouraging it.
Cats need to be trained if you want a peaceful environment at home. While teaching the cats, do not punish, yell, or hurt these little fur balls. The pets will understand you in their own way and you have to be patient for that.
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