How To Train A Cat

Cats are very intelligent, loving animals and they make great companions. They are much more independent and less needy than dogs, making them a perfect pet for someone who has a busy lifestyle. Owning a cat is very rewarding, and provides you with a wonderful creature to love, with an added convenience of not demanding as much of your time. Even though they are more independent, you will still need to know how to train a cat the right way to make sure your cat exhibits the best cat behavior.



Once you have decided to adopt, make sure to take the time to learn how to train a cat. Despite their independence, your cat will still require a bit of your time to teach it proper household behavior. Start teaching your cat when it is still a kitten for the most success, as animals learn bad behaviors over time and the sooner you start training, the better. Decide what you want to teach your cat, then prioritize. Always stick to training one thing at a time. Your cat will stay more focused if you teach one task at a time. If you notice any bad behavior issues such as scratching furniture, biting, or chewing on objects, they should be addressed first. If you notice your cat is chewing on things, make sure it does not have access to any electrical cords in your home. Start training with whatever behavior problem poses a risk to your cat and proceed from there.

 If you are looking to train your cat to stop scratching your furniture, you need to consider purchasing some furniture or cat trees that will belong to your cat. Cats are territorial and scratching at things is one way that they mark their belongings. It is also how they groom and condition their claws and exercise. This behavior is a natural instinct for cats so teaching them not to scratch is not an option. However, you can train a cat to know which items belong to them, and praise your cat when it does scratch the appropriate things. It is also helpful to put the scratching post near the items or furniture that the cat has been scratching and redirect the cat to its new post whenever you see it scratching on something you do not want the cat to scratch. This will help the cat learn that this is where you want him to scratch. Having the post near the couch or place where you dont want your cat scratching will help the cat understand that the post is the appropriate place for scratching. You can also use catnip as a great way to attract them to the items you prefer they scratch on. Catnip comes in a dried leafy form but also available in a spray form. The spray form is just as effective as the herb form and is much less messy and when used, you will find your cat cannot resist the items that have been treated with catnip.