How To Train Your Cats

 Even if you have no experience at all, cats are one of the easiest domestic animals to train.  Some tips on how to train your cat can help to reduce the frustration and make the entire experience positive and successful.

Litter training is a priority for pet owners.  Whether you have a young kitten, or an older cat who is not properly trained, helping him to become accustomed to using his box each and every time without fail will make cat ownership more pleasant. 

In all areas of cat training, consistency is an essential factor.  One aspect of consistency is taking your new cat to his box regularly.  This means after he eats or drinks, the first thing in the morning, the last thing at night, and periodically throughout the day.  It should not take long for him to notice the pattern, and take up the routine of visiting the box himself. 

Consistency in litter box training is enhanced by being consistent with the products.  First, the box should always be kept in the same place.  It can be helpful for you to choose a location before bringing your pet home, and leaving it in that one particular location.  Unless there are extreme circumstances, resist the urge to move the litter box to a different room after he has learned where to find it. 

As cats love routine, and routine makes training much easier, find one brand and style of litter, and continue to use it.  While you might be tempted to purchase the most expensive brand, it is usually a waste of money.  Also, while litters which contain deodorizers and various scents might sound appealing to you, many cats simply do not like them.  You can usually get good results from a basic litter with nothing added.  There is no point in spending extra money when a scent is so bothersome to the cat that he refuses to use it.

Many cat owners have found that placing a box directly on the floor is best.  The reason for this is some cats view a rug or paper underneath the box as an "extension" of their litter boxes.  Instead of protecting the floor, your kitty may be inclined to urinate or spill waste on the paper or rug.  If possible, placing your box on a tile or linoleum floor with nothing underneath is beneficial in training.

While some felines are more destructive than others, scratching is a natural need for all cats.  Purchasing a cheap scratching post is more likely to draw his attention away from your good furniture and curtains if you praise him lavishly each time he uses it.  Having kitty treats on hand to reinforce the praise is also helpful. The more he knows you appreciate his positive actions, the less likely he is to engage in destructive actions.     

Many people are fond of cats because they are cuddly and cute.  One would not think that it would not be difficult in house breaking a cat because of their loving and friendly nature.  Were you aware that it much harder to house train a dog?  Yes, this is true because cats are know to respond faster to someone who is diligent and consistent with their training methods.

Using a litter box is mandatory for the training process.  Teaching a cat to learn the process of using the litter requires plenty of patience and time.  It is best to begin the training regimen at the stage of the cat being a kitten.  This will help instill proper habits at a very early age.  Studies show that kittens respond to training much better than adult cats.

Do you keep your cat inside of your home?  If so, here are a few pointers on training a cat how to respond to a litter box positively:

Purchase a reliable box that is suitable for your pet.  Your cat should have easy entry to the newly purchased box.  He or she will not be favorable to the idea of using it if there is any difficulty in gaining access.  It is vital for you to remember that you need to have a box with height that is suitable for the size of your cat.  Cats are known to pee on the floors and carpet when they do not find comfort in going to the box.

It is your responsibility to keep the area sanitized in order to be attractive to the cat.  Felines have the uncanny ability to pick up distinctive scents with pinpoint accuracy.  Any undesirable smell will cause the cat to reject the litter box.

Maintain the order of the area by using reliable cleaning products that have pleasant and natural smelling scents.  You should not use any type of scented soap.  Please remember to clean out the container every five to six days in order to keep it clean and desirable for the cat.

Pet training experts suggest that feline owners place their beloved animal within the box during the beginning stages of the training process.  Take out the time to put the feline into the litter after a meal.  You should also do this even after a session of playtime. You may have to perform this task for several weeks.

Give your pet a big reward after he or she successfully uses the box.  The reward can consist of warm petting and a desirable treat.  This will help your pet learn about the emotions of being treasured and rewarded by using the litter box.  In time, you can expect your cat to begin getting in the box whenever he or she has to go through the process of elimination. This is a positive step that shows that you have implemented the correct method of training a cat to use litter.

 Those who like dogs more than cats usually say it is because cats are too dumb to be trained. Even though a dog is a lot more simple to train than a cat is, that does not mean your cat can not be trained at all. When training a cat, you are going to have a big challenge and need a ton of patience. Just like it is easier to train a puppy than a full grown dog, kittens are much more simple to train than their older counterparts. It is not impossible to train an elderly kitty though, you will just have to spend more time on it.

It may be hard to get an older cat to use their litter box if they have gone a long time without any regulations on where they should poop or pee. A good idea to start out is putting the cat litter box in the bathroom, and then you should take out any rugs or soft surfaces. Be sure that all that is left in the bathroom are thing that will not absorb the cat scent. Show your cat the litter box by putting her inside it. When you do this, she will be able to feel the soft cat litter beneath her feet. She probably is going to jump right out of the box, but that is okay. Shut the door and let your cat stay in the room for up to fifteen minutes. If she has still not gone to the bathroom in her litter box, try putting poop from other cats in the litter. Because of her great sense of smell, your kitty might understand that the poop in her box means that she can use the bathroom there. The more advanced in age, the more training time it will take. If they are going to realize they did something good by using the litter, you are going to have to reward them with a treat of some kind after they poop or pee.

Introducing a new kitten or cat to your home can be hard.  You may lose your cool a couple of times while you are training an old cat how to behave around the kitten. Elderly kitties do not generally like having curious, playful kittens around. During the beginning few weeks, you will need to look after both of them. You have to show your cat that he will still be getting the same amount of attention as he used to. Give them toys that they can play with together and watch them while they play. To keep out jealousy, give them both a litter box and a food bowl. It is not always that difficult to train an elderly cat to be nice around a kitten. It just might take a lot of time and effort to do it.

Because of the increase in time you will be needing, you may find that training older cats is a lot more fun than training a kitten is. When you see that your cat is finally trained, you will know that all of that hard work was for something great.

Many people do not realize that cats can be trained to stop some of the destructive behaviors they have, before they destroy your home and your personal belongings.  Scratching and marking their territories are only a few of their destructive tendencies, but scratching will cause the most visible damage to your home.

Scratching is as natural to a cat, as digging is for a dog, it is just something that they are born to do.  While it is normal behavior it can be very stressful for the owners to deal with, and sometimes leads to owners having to declaw their cats in order to save their furniture and their sanity.

They scratch to mark their territories, they scratch to exercise their muscles, they scratch to sharpen their claws, and they scratch to release stored energy. 

Cats scratch on walls, furniture, carpets, and just about anything they can get their little claws into.  For example, that 200 dollar cocktail dress you bought and only had a chance to wear once.  Yeah, it happens, anything they can scratch or hang from, they will find it and go to work.  That is, unless you train them to scratch in a specific area.

Experienced owners who understand cats needs to scratch, will often try to train their pets to scratch only certain surfaces, and in designated areas.  Since it is impossible to stop cats from scratching unless you have their claws removed, you have to train them where to scratch.  Purchasing or making a scratching post or scratching area for your pet is the ideal solution.  You will need to pay attention to the types of materials your cat is scratching on in order for this to work.  By doing this, you will know what types of materials to add to your scratching post or area.

Once you have an area or post designated for scratching, you will need to spray the area you do not want them scratching with a repellent.  Place the designated post or area near to the place that they are scratching, and the first time your cat uses this area you should give it a treat and pet it.  This should be done every time you see your cat scratching where is should.  Remember consistency is key when training animals, especially cats.

Once the cat has taken to using only the post or designated area, you can start moving it slowly to a different location in the house.  Cats are not always fast learners, and may go back to scratching your walls and furniture if you try to change things too quickly.

Cat training is possible with some patience and consistency.  A well trained cat, makes a better pet and a friend. 

Patience and time are necessary when it comes to training your family cat. Cats can be very difficult to train, especially when compared to dogs. A cat's interest must be engaged during training or they will become bored and wander away. One way to keep them concentrating on training is to show them new cat training devices. The devices allow you to use more creativity with training methods.

A scratching pole is a one good example of a training device. Cats can be very destructive if allowed to use furniture or draperies for scratching and stretching. You must give your busy cat an alternative place to scratch and stretch. One way to redirect their interest is to create a scratching post that is similar in texture to the items your cat is already using. You can easily make your own scratching post or you can purchase one at your favorite pet supply store. Try to find something that is similar in size and shape to that arm of the couch that your cat uses now. Place your new post near the things the family cat likes to scratch and make the furniture unpleasant being spraying with a commercially available deterrent. Another deterrent you could use could be anti-scratch tapes. You could also use a scratching mat instead of a post.

If you enjoy the more complicated devices that are now availble, there are electronic censors that will warn you if the cat is coming close to something that you would like left alone. Some of these things will either spray the exploring cat with water or emit an extremely unpleasant, loud noise. The noise will startle the cat and send him bounding off in another direction. After a few encounters with either the spray or the noise, the startled cat will not be interested in the forbidden areas. It takes time to train your pet to recognize the areas he must avoid, but it is worth the investment of time to have the cat stay off of counters.

When trying to litter train your young cat, it might pay off to try several different litters with various textures and scents. After finding the one that your house cat seems to use more readily, the hardest part of litter training is already done.

Your pet supply store may have many other devices that will help you with training your cat. You will be able to find many cat toys available to increase the fun you have with your pet. A well behaved, well trained cat is a pleasure to have around the house.

Training one's cat will most likely be more of a challenge than training a canine. When a cat is first brought into the home, there are many problems that could be encountered. The attention span of a cat is short, so training may require more time. However, this also means that the reward of having a well-trained cat will be great. One will feel fulfilled as they witness overall improvements in behavior.

Being playful and curious animals, felines will attempt to play with any object or human within eyesight. They will also change what they are doing frequently. This can be frustrating when one is attempting to teach a cat. To reduce this behavior, clear the area of all distractions. Select a room that is clean and clear of toys, or objects that cats may see as toys. Be sure the room is different from where the litter box or food is located. Training is best done with one person in the room, so keep children and other adults away. This will help that cat stay focused on the task at hand.

While cats make wonderful pets, they may not always do well with children at first. Cats are still animals, and they have the ability to scratch or bite when scared or agitated. For this reason, it is a good idea to keep children separated from the cat during training. Take time in introducing the cat to any young kids. Up to the first week, stay with the children when they are interacting with the cat. Give reminders such as "never pull kitty's tail" or "remember, kitty can scratch if he gets scared." Show by example how to interact with the cat. Demonstrate gentle petting and have the children imitate the motion. Once confident that neither the children nor cat will be accidentally injured, one can leave them unsupervised. Having both the children and cat comfortable with one another is a big step in training.   

Another common training problem comes from having additional felines together. They may not always interact properly or behave when another cat is around. Attempting to work with multiple cats a time is nearly impossible. Most likely, two cats will rather play together than listen to their human owner. Therefore, keep cats separated while training. They can go back to playing together once the ten to fifteen minutes of training time is over.    

Knowing how to avoid cat training problems is a very important step in creating a lasting bond with one's pet. Many cats are given up and brought to shelters due to disobedience and other training problems. Be patient and work with your cat to teach them proper behavior. In time one will be rewarded with a best friend for life!