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Cat Training Basics
By Albert Tang
Cats can be trained, but not in the same way as dogs. In
general, dogs respond to commands to please their owners whereas
cats perform to please themselves. Cats only do what you want
them to do if there's some reward in store for them. Using this
little piece of information, you can select positive training
methods combine with lots of love and treats to achieve maximum
results.
With plenty of patience, persistence and positive reinforcement,
cats can also be taught to perform tricks and entertain
audiences. However that's not most cat owners really want.
Instead, what cat owners really want is for their cats to stay
off countertops and refrain from climbing the draperies or
clawing the furniture.
Here are pointers when training your cat:
Consistency and timing is the key to training your cat. Correct
your cat's mistakes immediately if it does anything wrong. Your
correction must be at that exact moment when you see the mistake
being made, not minutes or hours later but immediately. If you
don't correct immediately, later on if you come home, and find
that while you were away, your cat has clawed and tarnished your
furniture and then you start screaming at it, you will only
succeed in making your cat fearful of you. Your cat does not
have the ability to connect the corrective action to the misdeed
hours after it happened.
If you are able to anticipate your cat's misbehavior, initiate
your corrective action at the moment before your cat misbehaves.
The end results will be much better.
Use a stern tone to reprimand. Your voice is your most
accessible disciplinary tool. Use your voice in a stern but not
overly forceful tone. At the same time, you can clap your hands
sharply. Use a negative word such as "NO" or "BAD" and
consistently use that word in a firm and stern tone whenever you
correct your cat's behavior. In time to come, your cat will come
to acknowledge it with bad behavior.
Avoid linking negative remarks with your cat's name. Refrain
from using your cat's name in any reprimand. For example, do not
say "No, Baby" or Bad girl, Baby". By refraining from such
usage, your cat will only develop positive and pleasant
associations when its name is being called.
Whatever training methods and tools you use, train your cat with
love, not fear, so that your cat will learn to trust you, not
fear you. Never ever strike your cat with your hand or any
object. Be swift, stern and immediate when a correction is
necessary and remember to communicate your displeasure clearly.
But be even more generous with your praise and pats when your
cat behaves appropriately.
About the author:
Albert recently developed a eCourse for looking after your cat's
mental and physical needs. If you are interest in learning more
about this free eCourse and taking good care of your cat, please
go to http://catcentral.justast
ore.com or you can send an email to
catcentral@getresponse.com to request for your free eCourse.
Cat Training Is Not Always Easy
By Albert Tang
Cat training is not always easy, but it is possible if you want
to have a well trained cat that will add a lot of fun, joy and
laughter to your family. A cat that is not properly trained will
not understand what is acceptable and what is not, which is why
cat training is so important to both the cat and his/her owner.
It is much easier to instill good habits on a kitten as opposed
to an older cat, which is something that every cat owner should
take into consideration prior to selecting a new addition to
their family. It is thus best to begin your cat training as
early as possible.
Well first, let us at some basic fundamentals when training your
cat:
1) The bonding process is especially important while you attempt
cat training.
2) It is important to remember that reprimands don't work well
in cat training. This is a totally unacceptable method and
instead of having a positive impact will have a negative impact.
3) Cat training tries to encourage good behavior and discourage
bad behavior.
Now, let's look at some of the problems you may face as a cat
owner and how to resolve them.
So is there any method to prevent or reduce scratching?
One method would be to spray some lemon juice on certain
targeted areas where your cat is about to scratch. Another
method is to use repellants instead. However, using repellants
may not be a good way as your cat may be sensitive to them. Of
course the cat will never stop scratching but using caps is also
a good method to prevent damage when your cat scratches
something. Cat training for indoor cats may also involve the
implementation of a scratching post, which will prevent them
from ruining furniture or carpet with their nails.
These are some of the house cat training methods to prevent your
cat from scratching your favorite furniture or objects.
Another typical problem that many cat owners face is training
them how to use the litterbox.
One method to train your cat will cover a period of several
weeks during which the litterbox is elevated and moved until it
is near the toilet. During this period, the litter can be
suspended above the toilet using either a small bowl or box. At
the end of this training period involving the toilet, the cat
will be able to use the toilet by perching over the bowl.
Being a cat owner is not a one day process, it takes time and
patience to train your cat to your ideal expectations but
remember not to rush things as it will have a detrimental effect
instead.
About the author:
Albert recently developed a eCourse for looking after your cat's
mental and physical needs. If you are interest in learning more
about this free eCourse and taking good care of your cat, please
go to http://catcentral.justast
ore.com or you can send an email to
catcentral@getresponse.com to request for your free eCourse.
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