You Dont Have A Mean Cat, You Have A Misunderstood Cat!

Unlike many cat owners, I luckily have two very well behaved cats. Actually, "very well" is a bit of an exaggeration, but I can safely say that I do not have mean cats... Anymore at least! Unfortunately, cat lovers around the world are living with ill tempered, bad behaved, plain old mean cats! Or at lest that's what they think. Why don't they break those bad behaviors and train their cats, you might ask? Many of them (including myself) have tried countless times but have been met with the same bleak result - nothing!

The number one mistake most people make when trying to train their cats is that they go about it like they are training a dog. NO! Cats and dogs are completely different and learn completely differently! Oh, and alot of people say that cats cannot be trained because they aren't smart enough... au contraire! Cats are extremely intelligent. They have a will of their own and are independent in nature. This is why the same methods used to train dogs will not work with cats. Majority of the time a mean cat isn't really "mean" at all, he's just misunderstood.

For instance let's say you have a cat that is sweet and playful with you, but get him around guests and he's a terror - sneaking up behind them nipping at their ankles, clawing at their shoulders or collars, and biting their hair for beginners. Your immediate instinct is going to be to pull away, yell at the cat, or give him a little smack on the hind end. These types of reactions will actually provoke more of the same bad behaviors. The conventional methods will not break your bad cats bad behaviors.

These unprovoked attacks are actually miscommunicated, normal cat behavior. Your cat is going to bite or scratch when it feels threatened, insecure, frightened, or if someone hurts it. Your cat is basically saying, "I don't know you, therefore I don't like you, therefore I must get rid of you." Use treats and slow movements - coax your cat and reward its good behavior. Don't over extend the exposure and contact because, unlike dogs, when your cat has had enough he has an unpleasant way or showing it. Learn to recognize the warning signs that your cat is becoming agitated and has had enough - a twitching, rolling flicking tail, ears turning towards the back of the head or flattening against his head.

This scratches the surface a little bit, but in order to live in a happily functioning cat home you need to take all the right steps to get there. I have two barn cats interestingly enough named Wammy and Tweeder! Wammy stays off my counters and Tweeder isn't the "mean" cat anymore! Knowledge is power!