Cat Training: Can It Be Done?

Cats are very smart and will respond quickly to training. The subject of cat training is important because cats are very popular pets. They are both affectionate and smart and can suite many different lifestyles, some living inside, just outside or some combination of the two. Training them is a definite possibility.

If you ask around, most cat owners will say that cats have a strong independent streak and do not try to please their owners the way that dogs do. Consequently, training cats takes more work as the techniques that work in training dogs do not work with cats.

Your success in training your cat will rely on several different factors. The first of these is timing, your cat will be more receptive to changing behavior when it is young. With this in mind it is wise to begin with kitten training, starting out as soon as you have your new cat. Another thing to consider is what "cat training" actually means to you, if it means nothing more then coming when called and using a litterbox, well these things can be accomplished easily.

Use kind words in order to get your feline to follow your orders. This will work wonders when you are trying to teach them simple commands. Gently call your animal to you, and when it arrives, say some kind words and stroke its fur. An association between the request and the praise will soon form. In order for this to work, you must always provide the kind words. If you are inconsistent, or alter the pattern, it will do nothing but confuse a cat.

When litterbox training your cat, be prepared for it to take a while. This may not be what you hoped to hear, because the smell of cat urine is certainly not something you want lingering in your house, but it pays to be patient. There are various different methods available to you- research to find one which seems like it will work for your situation- but, as I mentioned above, be consistent. Once you choose an approach, stick with it, so that your cat knows what is expected of it.

A different form of cat training is the elimination of bad habits that your cat picks up in daily life. Occasionally a cat will start a habit of not using the litter box as it has been trained to. This will result in urination under beds, in corners and other spots. Often this is just a bad habit to be broken but sometimes it can be medical related. Before you begin any changes, be sure to take your cat to the vet. If nothing is medically wrong, then a good strategy to break this habit is to put cayenne pepper in the areas where the cat frequents. Cats do not like the pepper therefore it will dishearten the cats want to urinate where the pepper is.

Cat training is certainly possible, it just requires you as an owner to be sensible and consistent. It can help you build a better bond with your beloved pet, by eliminating any unwanted behaviors, and it can be very satisfying to succeed in teaching your cat something new.