When we talk about training, we’re usually talking about dogs. Their owners teach them to sit up, shake their paws, play dead, carry things…
But have you ever wondered whether it’s possible to train a cat in the same way as you do dogs? Of course it’s possible!
In this way, you’ll be able to teach your cat some basic rules of behavior and make living with him much easier and more satisfying.
Like dogs, cats need a leader to guide them, otherwise they end up doing what they want and taking control of everything. Education is necessary for all pets!
How to train a cat
To ensure that your cat has an exemplary attitude and develops a pleasant personality, here’s what you need to do:
Correct your cat’s bad behavior
It’s very important to get to the root of problems so you can solve them effectively. Here are the most common behavior problems in cats:
- Ignore the litter box, i.e. relieve yourself elsewhere.
- Mark furniture, either with urine or by scratching.
- Scratching while playing (we don’t mean doing it accidentally, but when he doesn’t know scratching is wrong and uses it as part of play).
- He’s aggressive with people, sometimes attacking them.
- He will not tolerate living with other pets, even if they are other cats.
- Anxiety and stress.
- They’re scared.
Does your cat have one or more of these problems? Then we can start looking for a cure.
How to react when my cat behaves badly
The first thing you need to know if you want to train a cat is that there’s no need to get excessively angry with it and constantly punish it. And no physical punishment! At Tespasunchat.fr, we believe in positive training, not animal abuse. Not only is this cruel, but it doesn’t produce positive results either – quite the contrary. You’ll only scare him!
Bad pet habits are corrected with patience, affection and respect. You can teach your cat to associate certain unpleasant textures, smells, sounds or tastes with the behavior you don’t want to repeat.
Which ones can you use?
- Textures: aluminum foil, plastics, adhesives. You can place them in places you don’t want your cat to step on.
- Scents: citronella, aloe, eucalyptus, air fresheners…
- Flavors: citrus, bitter flavors, pepper… You can rub them in areas where you don’t want your cat to be.
- Sounds: a cat can be trained to react to the sound of a whistle. You can use it every time he does something wrong so he knows you don’t like him.
So, to train it as effectively as possible, remember :
- Don’t listen to him or play with him when he misbehaves.
- Establish a routine and stick to it.
- Make sure he spends all his energy playing every day.
What you can teach your cat
As you’ve seen, you really can train a cat, and it’s not too difficult! Like everything else in the pet world, all you need is dedication and patience. It’s even possible to teach it certain things.
First of all, teach him to come
Cats spend their lives exploring and hiding everywhere, so you need to teach them to come when you ask them to. To help him learn to respond to his name, repeat it whenever you can, and associate it with pleasant moments, such as playtime, petting, praise, mealtime… Cats learn their names pretty quickly.
Learn how to use the litter box
Accompany your cat to the litter box two or three times a day and reward him when he does his business. If your problem is that he relieves himself in a certain place, it may be that he likes it, so you can move his litter box there.
It relieves itself where you don’t want it to? Put up pieces of aluminum foil, which is a great way to scare them away.
Do not eat the plants
Cats tend to eat plants to purge, but they can be hazardous to their health. Since we can’t be sure whether they’re toxic or not, it’s best to avoid them.
When you see your cat approaching plants, say NO forcefully. He’ll soon understand that it’s better not to touch the pots.
Sleeping in your own bed
Teaching a cat to use its bed is easy if you prevent it from climbing on yours and sofas from the start. It’s important that, just as you have your own room, he always sleeps in the same place.
Before going to bed, take him to bed with you, and close the bedroom door when you go to bed. The surest thing is that he’ll start meowing to try to get you to open the door. But don’t give in, he’ll soon give up and go to sleep in his own bed. Within a few nights, this will become a habit and your cat will have learned to sleep in its own place.
Final tips for training a cat: the scratching post
Cats need to scratch, it’s part of their nature. So, when they don’t have a scraper at hand, they do it on the furniture, but it’s not the most pleasant thing.
The ideal way to avoid this problem and let your cat satisfy his scratching urge is to buy a fixed scratching post that looks like the bark of a tree. When you see that he’s going to scratch your furniture, take him to the scratching post; it won’t take long to realize that it’s a much better option for everyone.
Training a cat takes time and dedication, but if you have clear guidelines and are consistent and firm with your cat, you’ll succeed sooner rather than later. Courage and good luck!
