Training a Kitten

Your kitten should be trained while it is still young to behave the way you want it to, because it is hard to change the habits of an adult cat.

A kitten cannot know when it is doing something wrong, and will not understand if it is punished, so it is important to remember you are not punishing your kitten, only teaching it good habits.

There may be rooms in which your kitten is not allowed, or cupboards where it could get shut in by mistake. It may want to jump up on tables where there is food. It has to learn that these places are out of bounds.

The way to teach your kitten is to pick up at once every time it goes where it is not allowed. Hiss, and say "No!" firmly. Do not overdo it. You do not want to scare the kitten-only alarm it a little, so that it learns to dislike that place. It should feel that though you are not pleased, inside you still feel kind towards it.

In the same way you can train your kitten not to claw and spoil furniture and carpets. However, to keep their claws in good condition, all cats do need something to scratch on. The best thing is to train them to use a scratching post.

Your kitten has to learn that the litter tray is the only place in which it is allowed to wet or mess. So if it begins to puddle or mess anywhere else, pick it up at once. Hiss, and take it to the tray.

If it has already made a mess, after washing the dirty place, it is a good idea to spray it with vinegar to cover up any smell, or the kitten will go back and use it again.

If you want your kitten to wet and mess outdoors when it is older, mix earth with the cat litter and keep the tray by the garden door. When your kitten is allowed out on its own, move the litter tray outside, and keep it there until the kitten finds places in the garden to use instead.

The kitten will prefer the litter tray to be in a corner or under a shelf ot table. Cats instinctively need to feel protected and private when using the tray, because if living wild they would be more open to attack by enemies at this time.