How To Train A Cat

Cats are well-known for being thoroughly tractable pets. Even the most ornery cats are generally willing to keep to themselves if left alone. It is true that some cats will scratch other pets, play rough with kids, or develop other sorts of behavior problems, but at their worst they are generally much better than bad dogs. Unfortunately, the flip side of this is that cats are notoriously hard to train. They tend to not develop as many bad behaviors, but it is almost impossible to teach them to develop good behaviors. cat behavior modification requires patience, persistence, and determination.

That isn't to say that it can't be done. As a matter of fact, often cat behavior modification Is easy enough that the pet owner can do it on their own without a lot of free time. For example, training you cat to stay off furniture and away from certain forbidden objects is a pretty easy process. All you do is spray water on your cat and say bad every time they go on the object.

You can even take it one step further and put bitter orange or something similar on the forbidden object. The cat will get this on their paws and hate the taste of it, causing them to avoid it altogether. It takes persistence, it might get your cat mad at you once in awhile, but it definitely will work.

Of course, other forms of cat behavior modification can be a lot harder to train. Getting a cat to follow complex commands is so hard that most pet owners eventually give it up. It can be done, but it takes twice the dedication of getting dogs to do it. Dogs, you see, instinctively want to please the herd. They are pack animals and they always see you as the head of the pack. Cats, by contrast, are solitary animals. They may like you and feel affectionate towards you when you pet them, but that doesn't mean they want to do what you tell them. You have to reward them constantly for a while to get them to do tricks or follow complex commands for you.

Nonetheless, anyone who has seen a well-trained cat knows that cat behavior modification is a possible thing. Cats, like humans and pretty much any other mammal, are extremely malleable creatures. If you start early on in their lives, you can really give them the motivation necessary to get them to behave properly in your house. The key is to never give up and never accept disobedience. If it is important enough to you to be able to train a cat, he or she will eventually accept your authority. It is just a matter of time.