Practical Reasons
To Train Your Cat
by Lee Dobbins
A
good number of people prefer a feline pet than a
canine one. They each have their own reasons: that
cats are tamer, that a cat's purr is not as loud as
a dog's bark, that it is more economical to keep a
cat than a dog. Whatever your reasons are for
keeping a cat as your pet, training Puss 'N Boots is
not exactly the same as training Pluto. In fact, it
requires less repetition and more affection.
A
more harmonious relationship between pet and master
is the objective of training your cat above anything
else. Teaching your cat nifty tricks comes only
secondary to relevant training; in fact, it is more
enjoyable to see your pet seemingly getting what you
are trying to say.
Training your cat begins with displaying affection
towards it. Cats are naturally affectionate pets,
and they will seemingly demand from its master to
constantly brush its fur. You can augment this
method of affection by talking to your cat. It may
sound silly, but cats found an audio sensation
soothing, especially if it comes from the master. If
a cat starts to behave negatively - it starts
hissing, scratching furniture, or even biting - you
do the opposite of reinforcement by withdrawing the
brushing of its fur and talking to it. Cats do
somehow realize the consequences of its behavior.
Another useful training is how to train your cat not
to beg for food especially at the dinner table. The
key here is to not give food from the dinner table
in the first place; doing so will only reinforce the
behavior. You bet the begging for food will happen
again in the next meal. If you have started feeding
the cat from the dinner table and would want it to
stop, do not pay attention to your pet while meal is
being served. Another way of preventing your cat
from disturbing your own meal is to feed it on its
dish before dinner is served. This way, the cat will
be full when it is your turn to eat; cats do like to
take a siesta after feeding.
You
might also want to do train your cat not to attack
other animals. While it may be fun to watch cats
chase mice and birds in cartoons, it quite messy and
violent in reality. You cannot take this instinct
away from your pet, as it is inherent in a cat to
hunt. It is like watching lions attack gazelles,
only at a smaller scale. If you want to be spared
the mess and violence of your cat's natural
instinct, there is a remedy to this. There are
specialized devices around designed to keep the
innate ferocity of your cat in check, while at the
same time ensuring that it does not cause a bloody
hunting exercise. It will also not hurt if you keep
smaller animals away from your cat. It is also
advised that you do not keep other pets that are
above or below your cat in the food chain. Birds,
guinea pigs, goldfish are best left in the pet shop
if you are keeping a cat at home. It is also advised
that you invest in pest control to keep mice and
other small animals from infesting your house, and
thus stimulating the hunting instinct of your cat.
Cats also have the unavoidable tendency to call for
a mate, the reason why they make a lot of nice in
the wee hours. In order to avoid this, it is up to
the master to increase display of affection by
brushing its fur or patting its head; this will
lessen the impact of loneliness and thus the call
for mating.
Finally, it is always useful to include discipline
in defecating and urinating when training your cat.
A litter box is always helpful in helping the cat
relieve itself at a designated spot in your house.
Initially you may want to observe your cat before it
urinates or defecates. You will sense when it is
ready to relieve itself, when it becomes restless.
You as master can place the litter box to the spot
where it chooses to relieve itself. Eventually it
will associate the spot it has selected to the
litter box, and will look for the litter box instead
of the spot - thus saving you from the bother of
cleaning up your cat's mess.
About the Author
Lee Dobbins writes
for
http://cattraining.biz-review.com where you can
learn more about cat care and
training
your cat.
