How to Train a Cat

It's widely accepted that a smart dog can be trained to do anything. Cats, however, are just too independent and you can't expect them to do anything they're asked to do. We expect a dog to be active and to interact with his surroundings, but tend not to notice when a cat seems oblivious to the world.

You might be surprised to learn that cats have been trained to do all sorts of things. After all, we see the large varieties in the circus doing tricks their trainers guide them through.

You may not succeed at getting your kitty to jump through rings of fire, but you can triumph at making him a more pleasant companion around the house.

Litter Box Training Your Cat:

A cat, like a dog, is trained more easily with a system of rewards. Your animal also will be more readily trained to the litter box if he is fed at regular times. Then he will probably have to use his box at somewhat predictable times.

Make sure the litter box has sides a kitten can crawl over. You don't want him to be immediately discouraged by repeatedly falling down when he tries to enter his potty environment. The litter, to begin with, should not have a scent.

Each kitty should have its own litter box, and it should be apart from sleeping areas or loud appliances. Most of us who have had cats know that they may dig in potted plants, and you want to discourage this habit early. When the cat is being trained, remove the plants or cover the soil with rocks or something to discourage a digging kitty.

Clean the litter box often. Praise and pet your kitty repeatedly when she is first learning to use her special bathroom. Spanking or slapping a cat is more likely to scare a cat than train it.

Remember if your cat is continually eliminating away from the litter box even though the box is clean, there could be a physical problem. You may want to take the cat to the vet for a checkup.

Training Your Cat Not to Scratch the Furniture:

One of the most difficult cat training exercises is teaching a feline not to scratch the furniture.

Removing a cat's claws is painful for the cat, and expensive for the owner. A cat's claws can actually even be trimmed, although not many people think of doing this. The recommendation is to start the kitten being used to having his toes handled from a very young age, or simply take the cat to a groomer. Some animals require sedation or restraint to do this.

However, a cat can be patiently trained not to scratch your furniture. This is not an overnight process. Cats will feel the imperative to scratch something, so you will have to provide an alternative place for them to exercise this imperative. There are mats and posts which actually come with catnip to help attract the cat away from the furniture and to his scratching object.

Start the training when the kitten is young. It's hard to break a bad habit of any older animal.

When does your cat usually reach for something to scratch? Is it right after eating? Then you may want to place his scratching post not far from his food dish. Does he like to scratch right before he goes outdoors? Then you may want a post or mat by the door. Most kitties do have a "routine" when it comes to the urge to scratch.

What do you do when you catch your cat trying to mutilate your new sofa? Make noise! Be loud and try to use the same word every time, for instance: STOP!

When your cat is enjoying his scratching post or mat, make sure he is praised plenty and petted a lot. You might want to get some fun kitty toys and spend a little time playing with him when he's around his post. Then he associates the whole experience with having good times with his owner. We'd all rather have fun than get yelled at, wouldn't we?

Aggressive Cats

There are some cats, in particular some breeds of cats, who are louder and more aggressive than others. We often think of the Siamese kitties in "Lady and the Tramp."

Remember that the cure for aggression is not more aggression. A cat will tend to respond to the way he is treated. If you hit him, he will scratch or bite you and so on.

A more aggressive cat will be one you will want to make sure is spayed or neutered. The biological imperative to mate will make any cat more aggressive than he would be otherwise.

Be sure your cat has enough stimulation. Play with him and provide him with toys he can bat around in a safe place. If you find he is getting in the way when you have guests and such you may need to start removing him from that area early. You will want to use the same strong tone of voice and the word with which you are scratch-post training him. Remove him to his play area and make sure he has a distraction. Again, this requires patience but scold him, do not strike him.

Consistency and Patience:

Your cat responds to patience, kindness and reward in much the same way that his doggie neighbors do. If you are firm and consistent, you should be able to attain your cat training goals without too many marks to show for it!