Mary Allen
Can you train cats? Yes, you can! Here are the basics, ideas, and tips that your velvet paw can learn.
Cat Training: Prior Knowledge
Cats are known to be predators and tend to live solitary lives. However, they are very well able to live in larger social groups if sufficient resources (feed, water, space) are available. There is a hierarchy and certain rules there. When cats live alone, territorial marking and defense, and competition for food are normal behavior.
Unlike dogs, cat owners don’t get such a big advance in terms of willingness to cooperate: cats tend to be opportunists and quickly learn what is important to them. They are willing to work hard for that. So a cat’s cooperation has to be earned a little; it must become attractive for them to work together with us humans (e.g. via food rewards). These qualities are probably the reason why it is still often said that cats cannot be trained.
Cat Training For Beginners
If you get a cat, plan in good time what it should be able to do (e.g. getting into a transport box, using the litter box) and start training the cat when the animal moves into the household. Be consistent from the start, stay tuned and practice regularly! The cat will learn what it wants all the faster and will also find its way into everyday domestic life better. It’s easier to raise a small cat; an older animal already has its quirks and set behaviors. But you can also train an adult cat – it just takes a little perseverance!
Prerequisites For Successful Cat Training
Not only the cat should behave you as the owner is of great importance! First of all, create a cat-friendly environment. Which includes:
- sufficiently many and clean litter boxes
- healthy feed
- always fresh water is freely available
- cozy lying and hiding places
- retreats
- lookout opportunities
- Variety, incentive to move (play), if necessary, clearance
- Attention, stroking (popularity varies depending on the cat)
This creates an environment in which the cat can feel comfortable and pursue its natural needs. This is the best precaution against unwanted behavior and the development of behavioral disorders.
It is best if you have a good relationship with your cat. Regular undivided attention, whether it’s playing, scratching, or sleeping together on the sofa, builds a good bond and makes training a cat easier.
Basics Of Good Cat Training
The education of the cat should be based on the following pillars:
- positive reinforcement: avoid punishment! Punishments are stressful and can actually reinforce unwanted behavior. Instead: Recognize and reward even small advances. With a positive mood, the cat learns much easier and faster!
- Patience: give your pet time! It can take two weeks or more for a new behavior to become effective or for old patterns to be discarded. Practice every day if you want to learn something new and take small steps forward.
- Consequence: Don’t let up! If you really want to enforce something, you always have to do it. You are a reliable partner for your cat who knows what he wants. If you keep deviating from the rule, it only confuses your cat – and she will take advantage of it.
Raising Young Cats
Baby cats educate moms and littermates about self-control, social behavior, and much more that they will need later in life. The first 7 weeks are extremely important. Getting used to people also takes place during this time. These are some of the reasons why kittens should not be separated from their mothers before 12 weeks.
When choosing a cat, choose an animal that comes from a similar living environment as you (e.g. household with children). This gives you the best chance that your new roommate will get along well with their new home and that you both will enjoy it. On the other hand, you shouldn’t try to make a cuddly cat out of a shy kitten.
In the 12th to 20th week of life, you should train the young cat intensively: Unwanted behavior should be consistently prevented. For example, if you regularly practice getting into the transport box, brushing your teeth, or wearing a harness, make it a routine item in your everyday life. This massively reduces stress when it becomes necessary, e.g. for a visit to the vet.
Helpful Routine
The little cat should learn to get into the transport box happily and voluntarily. Make a game out of it: put the kitten in the box and let him start a game from there, e.g. chasing a paper ball or a ribbon. Small cats are usually enthusiastic about something like this. In this way, she associates something positive with the box. It is also helpful to turn the “transport” box into a “living” box. Set it up as another lounging cave in the apartment, equipped with a cozy blanket. So it goes without saying that it is part of the inventory.
Tips
With conditioning for something positive (food, clicker: With food rewards, the cat is taught that a small “click” sound is to be understood as positive reinforcement. The clicker can be used after conditioning as a reward for desired behavior that needs it then no more food.) you should start early. The sooner the kitten gets to know this as a reward, the longer it will last and improve your stance when trying to establish something new.
Important for many cat owners: the reliable use of the litter box. This is usually completely unproblematic: the little kittens like to use the litter box because cats are very clean animals and like to bury their feces and urine. The fact that something goes wrong shouldn’t be a reason for stress: After the mishap, but the kitten in the toilet to show him where to go. Important: Calmly show the way there again and again and make sure that it is never blocked.
What Exactly Does Cat Training Look Like?
A clear “No” and stopping the action are already allowed. However, offer your kitten (or adult cat) an alternative afterward. So:
- Pick a cat out of the curtain and show on the scratching post that you can climb there.
- Lift the cat off the bed and place it on the berth.
- Take the cat out of the flower pot and put it in the toilet – or outside if it’s outdoors
Basically, it should be said: If cats are bored, they also like to mess up. Therefore, with high-spirited cats, use a ribbon, paper balls, and cat toys to get the day going and the practical jokes are already forgotten. Even outdoor cats get their fun 5 minutes every now and then and need some entertainment. Body parts such as fingers should not be used as toys – this can be very painful.
But it doesn’t always have to be playing: cats are happy if you do something with them every day that they can have a say in. This can also be brushing or “digging” together in the garden. She then has a sense of control, undivided attention, and appreciation.
Please Don’t!
Violence has no place in cat education. Newspaper rolls, flying slippers, and the rough packing in the neck are taboo! They hurt, destroy the trust between you and the cat, and add more stress than desired behavior. Even tapping your nose into the excrement is a thing of the past in cat training. Take a deep breath, even if something is really annoying you! Then consistently enforce what you actually want.
Cat Training For Professionals
If you want to mentally challenge your kitty (e.g. because otherwise, he would do nonsense out of boredom), the clicker can also be a good tool. In addition to learning desired behavior, some cats even learn little tricks and really enjoy doing it. Please don’t build up any pressure! Then the clicker loses its meaning.
When Education Is Not Enough: Behavioral Disorders
If the cat shows behavior patterns that are different from its natural one, its adaptability has been exceeded and one speaks of behavioral disorders. But unwanted behavior such as urine marking can also be extremely stressful for everyone involved. Therefore: If your darling gets unclean or is screaming through the night, aggressive and/or confused and anxious, please do not hesitate to consult an expert! Possible physical illnesses should be ruled out. And then a professional behavioral veterinarian can help: He is particularly familiar with the needs and behavior of cats and sees points in the home and everyday routine that owners often do not realize.
Cat Training: Conclusion
With a lot of patience and perseverance, you can educate your cats. The extent varies depending on the cat, but harmonious coexistence without destroying the inventory is definitely possible!