Cat Training

Archive for March, 2009

Many cat owners are probably not aware that cat pet training can actually work. There are limitations as to what your cat will do.

If you think you are going to train your cat to retrieve a stick, fetch the paper, or play dead, then forget it, buy a dog.

The differences in cat training and dog training are vast. A cat by its very nature is a creature of independence, but cats, like many other animals are reward orientated, they work on a "what's in it for me" attitude. Throw a stick for a cat to fetch and it will look at you and think "what do I want the stick for? If it's important to you, well you fetch it".

Using punishment to train a cat will not work either; all it will do is alienate the cat from coming anywhere near you. Train your cat by putting something on offer when it does something good. This is about giving your cat a reward when it does something that you want it to, not when it does something that you don't want it to.

The first step is to never try and punish your cat in any way when it does something wrong, learn to ignore what it has done but make sure that you do not give it any attention whatsoever. Contrary to popular believe, cats do want attention, regardless of how aloof they may come across. Cats are clever creatures and need interesting things to do to stop them becoming bored. When your cat misbehaves and you don’t supply any attention or stimulus, it will register this in its brain, and your cats problems with behaviour can increase.

Cat pet training can work if the training is based on reward, and not punishment. You give the cat this every time you see it doing something right. Give your cat lots of attention and a treat if it uses it's litter tray. If it begins to use a scratching post instead of your furniture, you should go overboard with praise and attention. Your cat will soon learn that it will get some kind of reward for behaving in a particular way.

From when your cat is a kitten, make sure that you spend plenty of time with it and offer it plenty of attention, so that it becomes normal for you to act in this way with your cat. Your cat will soon learn that it gets treats and praise by doing certain things, and gets nothing by doing other things.

Cat pet training does work, it’s just a question of doing the right things, and knowing how your cat’s mind works, realise this and cat training becomes easier.