5 Tips to Train a Cat to Avoid Dangerous Human Food

It is annoying to have a pet begging while you are trying to eat, or worse, trying to steal a bite of food off of your plate. By starting with a kitten, you can easily train your cat to not beg or steal food as she grows older.

Begin with a kitten.

Feed your kitten before you begin to cook. While you are busy cooking, you kitten is getting the full tummy she needs. The smells of cooking food will not be interesting to a kitten that has a full stomach. Instead, they will be much more interested in taking their bath or curling up for a nap. This will let you have peace and quiet to enjoy your own mean.

Never Feed Your Cat from Your Plate.

Kittens look so cute and adorable when they gaze up at you. It is hard to resist giving them a tiny treat off of your plate. However, human food is not good for cats. Some things, such as chocolate, are actually poisonous. You have to resist your kitten if you want your cat to grow up to be a polite pet that does not bother your guests while they are eating.

Keep Your Cat Supplied with Cat Food:

If your kitten does come begging, be sure to tell her "no" and to take her to her food bowl. Always keep dry cat food available for your cat. If she knows she has a snack available when she wants it, she will be less likely to bother you for food.

Discourage Your Cat's Bad Behavior:

One way to correct bad behavior is to use a spray bottle filled with water. If the cat begins to do something that needs to be corrected, such as jumping on the table while you are cooking, firmly say "No." and spray a small stream of water at your cat.

Be Careful How You Reward Your Cat:

When a cat does something great and needs to be rewarded, pay attention to her and tell her how well she did. When a kitten goes to her dish for a snack while you are eating, tell her what a great girl she is. Be sure to use a sweet tone of voice. You want her to associate your eating your food and her eating her food with pleasure. Do not reward her with scraps or anything other than cat food. You can use canned cat food for special occasions, but be sure to use a good quality canned cat food. There are also special cat treats you can give your pet when you feel she truly deserves it.

By the time your kitten has become an adult, she will not be interested in human food. You will be able to walk away from your kitchen for a few moments and know that the steak that is marinating on the counter will be safe from the sneaky thief opportunistic cats can become if not trained properly.