Cat Training: Dont Think Its Impossible to Change Your Cats Behavior
Surprising Cat and Kitten Training Techniques to Help You Enjoy a Calm and Happy Feline Friend
Written by Janet Lewis
Copyright 2020 by Janet Lewis and Captivate Publishing.- All rights reserved.
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Train a cat? No way! Thats the response that I normally get when I get into discussions about how cats can be trained in many different behaviors. Well, lets end that myth today!
It's true that cats generally aren't as enthusiastic about training as their canine counterparts. It's also true that training cats will require more time and patience. After all, cats are independent creatures and have pretty short attention spans. However, they are intelligent and are blessed with excellent memories. They understand that working hard can earn them rewards - and they seem to care more if those rewards come in the form of a tasty treat. Those factors, combined with some dedication, time, and effort, will lead to successful cat training.
You wont be able to just snap your fingers and have it happen though. How well a cat responds to training and how soon a cat will adapt to trained behaviors depends on many factors. First of all, training should be limited to consistent, yet short sessions. Gradual progress must be carefully maintained without rushing through. The owner's ability to communicate and understand the cat also plays a major role. Many other factors such as the cat's age, prior experience in training, breed, genetics, and many more play vital roles. Well have a more in-depth discussion of the various factors that affect training in Chapter One.
Though there are some similarities, training cats will require a much different approach than training dogs. These differences are identified and discussed in Chapter Two in order to help you adjust your mindset a bit. Chapter Three takes a good look at common training challenges associated with the different breeds of cats. While some cats may not pose big challenges, some particular cat breeds will prove to be tougher in training. Hopefully this explanation will help you go into the training with eyes wide open.
Cats preserve their energy in the wild for hunting. They usually don't waste their energy on activities that are less likely to bring them food. Positive reinforcement with treats is a training approach that rewards animals for responding appropriately. Youll find this described at length in Chapter Four. Food treats have a high success level as rewards when training cats, especially in the early stages. Therefore, it's important to find a few types of treats that your cat will adore and be willing to take action for. Chapter Five will help you determine the best and the healthiest treats for training your kitty.
It's important that a cat clearly understands why she is being rewarded for when training cats with positive reinforcement. A clicker is a simple tool that helps connect an appropriate response from the cat to the reward that follows. Chapter Six explains the basics of clicker training and how it can be used to make training more efficient.
Kittenhood is the ideal time for training, although it isn't the only suitable time. Kittens soak up all kinds of information and are naturally in a stage of learning. Therefore, they respond to training a lot better than older cats. Chapter Seven provides valuable tips for training kittens. It's safe to say that the majority of domestic cats in the modern world spend most of their time indoors. While living with cats can be special and enjoyable, it also present many challenges. Chapter Eight explains what to expect when living with indoor cats and how training can help solve various challenges and aggravations that most indoor cat owners face.
Many cats naturally show fear and, at times, aggression, especially if they aren't socialized enough during kittenhood. Chapter Nine discusses ways to train cats to be calmer and relaxed in the company of humans and other animals. Hygiene and nourishment are two of the highest priorities when raising a cat. Chapter Ten and Eleven discuss essential training to ensure excellent hygiene practices and nourishment when raising cats so that they are healthy and happy.
Cats inherit many wild instincts from their ancestors. These instincts usually contribute to the development of various behaviors that are considered inconvenient, inappropriate, and even dangerous by cat owners. Chapter Twelve examines various problematic natural behaviors in cats and provides tips to use training to curb and correct those behaviors.
Aggression is a common behavior displayed by many cats. They usually become aggressive towards humans and other animals due to fear, competition for resources, territory, and many other reasons. Chapter Thirteen discusses in detail why cats show aggression and how they can be trained to be more calm, gentle, and affectionate around humans and other pets in the home.
Living with cats is a highly enjoyable experience. Cats love to play, although they are more known for being lazy. Furthermore, they can also be trained to perform many cool tricks that are also convenient for their care. Chapter 14 explains ways to train cats to play and teach them to do many unique and useful tricks.
Cats need some physical and mental stimulation every day. When they are deprived of enough stimulation, the pent-up energy contributes to the display of various undesirable behaviors. Walking is a great way not only to physically and mentally stimulate a cat, but its also good for helping their owners to stay healthy. The use of a harness that is securely attached to a leash is the best way to walk a cat. Chapter Fifteen explains the multi-step process that can be implemented to gradually train a cat to walk with a harness.
Many cats fear car rides. Some of them simply don't like the destination that car rides usually lead to - often the vet's office. And some cats don't like the sensation of being moved when theyre not the ones in charge. Chapter Sixteen offers the reader a step-by-step guide to train a cat to be comfortable in a cat carrier and remain calm in their car carrier during car rides.
Allowing cats to spend some time outdoors every day is a great way to provide the physical and mental stimulation that they need every day. However, cats have lost many of their inherent outdoor survival skills due to decades and decades of domestication. Chapter Seventeen takes a good look at ways to train cats to survive outdoors and skills that can be taught to make living with outdoor cats more fun and convenient.
