Training a cat isn't the same as training a dog because cats are not small dogs.The process of training a cat is more difficult for people used to training dogs or other animals because kittens are more independent and less interested in the opinions of humans than other house pets.With proper techniques and lots of patience, you can train your kitten to be a happy, healthy, and obedient companion.
Step 1: Allow the kitten's mother to socialize it for at least eight weeks.
Before a kitten can be separated, it needs at least two months with its mother.Most of the "training" we associate with having a good, well-behaved house cat should be done by the mother during this time.The kittens should be eating solid food by eight weeks after they are fully snoozing.If your cat has had a litter of kittens, it's important that you wait at least two months before you separate them.The mother should teach the kitten how to use the litter box.
Step 2: Don't buy kittens who are too young.
If you're buying a kitten from the store, make sure you know how old it is.The more aggressive the kittens are, the more training they need.
Step 3: Continue to play with your kitten.
Pets that are socialized at a young age are the best.A well socialized kitten should be handled by a variety of people from 2 weeks of age.The more often the better, as this handling should take place every day for 5 - 10 minutes at least twice a day.It will be difficult to train a kitten if it is not socialized and used to people.The kitten will be wary of people and not trust them.To win the kitten's confidence is your first task.The kitten is likely to behave like a wild kitten if it is older than 8 weeks.The likelihood is that the kitten will grow into an anti social cat once this behavior is established.
Step 4: When your kitten is interacting, be patient.
You cannot force a kitten or cat to do anything, and so your weapons are patience and providing positive rewards when the kitten is around so they begin to link you to nice experiences.Lying on the floor when you watch TV is one example of this.A curious kitten may approach you if you lie down.Dropping a treat on the floor rewards the kitten's boldness and may help them to link people to tasty snacks and make them more willing to approach in the future.
Step 5: Positive reinforcement can be used.
A bad way to train kittens is to rub a cat's face in messes.Positive reinforcement is achieved by rewarding the behavior that you want the cat to repeat, so that it will eventually abandon the behaviors you don't want it to do.The easiest way to change a cat's behavior is through this method.Ignore the cat if it does something you don't like.If you want to get your attention, you can whine at the door or claw at something.The cat will abandon the behavior if it doesn't work.It is possible that a reward is a tasty treat.Most cats have a treat.If your kitten doesn't seem to be interested in food, then try a variety of different foods.
Step 6: The kitten should not be punished.
The cat will become more devious if the kitten is punished.The cat urinates in the middle of the lounge room carpet.They will link the punishment to you rather than urinating on the carpet if you frighten the kitten.The kitten will be careful not to urinate in front of you.The kitten is more likely to seek hidey-holes to urinate, or alternatively, become hesitant to use the litter tray when you are about because they are wary of you.
Step 7: When you disapprove of a kitten's behavior, make the sounds the mother cat makes.
Cats make a clicking sound at the back of the throat when they chastise kittens.It is more effective and in-line with the training of the kitten to try to do what it is used to.The only thing you have to do is click your tongue against the roof of your mouth when the kitten is clawing something.
Step 8: catnip can be used to help with training.
Training a cat with catnip can be very effective and rewarding it with treats will work better than yelling.This can be a great way of getting cats to sleep in certain areas and playing with toys you want them to play with.A bag of catnip can be placed in a cat's mouth.Not all cats like catnip, making it more difficult to do your job.If your cat doesn't seem interested, you can try to get it to eat something it likes by giving it a treat.
Step 9: There are a lot of cat spaces.
scaring the cat off won't work if your kitten keeps climbing up on the kitchen counter to see the scene or get into areas it should not be.The only thing this teaches is that cats should fear you.The cat can jump up and watch the entire area from above if the platform or bench is put in an adjacent area.This is the cat's area.If the cat jumps on the counter again, move them to the bench.
Step 10: Play with the kitten.
Integrating exercise into the cat's feeding routine will keep kittens from acting out.Before every meal, set off their hunting instincts by playing with a toy the cat likes.This is part of the daily routine for cats.They can get excited if they don't have it.Put a toy in the cat's mouth and let it catch it, then go to dinner.Cats usually groom and sleep after meals.Play for at least 20 minutes a day.
Step 11: If you can leave food out for your kitten, figure it out.
When it comes to feeding cats, there are two basic philosophies, and it will largely depend on how your cat eats.It is possible to take a constant feeding approach for most cats, but not both.A full bowl of food left out at all times is fine with some cats.As long as your cat can control their intake, this is the easiest for you.Ad lib feeding is when food is available all the time.The way a cat eats in the wild is to take frequent small snacks.A cat that is not bored and has plenty to entertain them and provide mental stimulation is usually fine at controlling their calories and can be trusted with ad lib feeding.
Step 12: The kitten should be fed at regular intervals.
If the cat is bored or under stimulated, it can become a hobby and they lose control of their calories.These cats will whine for food when it isn't present, so it's important that you start feeding on a regular schedule.When a kitten is 12 weeks old, they should be fed four times a day until they are 6 months old.An adult cat can be fed twice a day after this.Do it at the same time each day.
Step 13: Feed the kitten food.
In the first few weeks of growth, kittens will often double or triple their weight, meaning that they will need to eat a diet higher in calories and fat than adult cats will.If you want to feed a kitten kitten food, it's best to separate commercial food from the age of the cat who will be eating it.Don't feed an adult or geriatric cat kitten food.In the case of the kitten eating adult food or the adult cat eating kitten food, the calories in the food are vastly different and can lead to either malnutrition or excess weight.
Step 14: Provide clean water for the cat.
Cats will whine if they don't have something that they need, and this can turn into a long-term habit that can be quite annoying.If you don't want to have to re-train a kitten, make sure you do it right the first time.The kitten will never whine for you to refill the water bowl if you know that it's going to be empty.Don't forget to stay on top of your cat chores.
Step 15: The cat shouldn't be fed from the table.
Cats shouldn't eat many human foods, like garlic, onions, chocolate, grapes, and raisins, which are toxic to cats, because it will cause your kitten to clamber around every time you try to eat food.Feed your kitten cat food at appropriate times.It's never a good idea to give a cat milk.Cats will not digest dairy and will result in a disgusting litter box for you to clean up the next day.Cats should only eat tuna once or twice a week.Some cats can become addicted to eating tuna, at the expense of other more healthy foods, because canned fish doesn't contain the vitamins and minerals that cats need for all-around health.It would be like a human eating potato chips.
Step 16: A simple litter box is what you should get.
The most friendly litter boxes are the simplest.The most inviting environment for a cat to do its business is a tray full of fresh litter.It can be frightening to use an automated litter box.The lid on the litter box can help to keep the mess contained, but it can also make it harder for the cat to get into the box.If you can't get your cat in the box, use an uncovered litter box.Don't get a cat unless you want to scoop cat poop.Cleaning up after a cat is something you're going to have to do in order to keep the cat happy, and there are lots of complicated contraptions and products designed to make it less messy.Setting up 2 litter boxes for your kitten is a good idea.Always have at least one more litter box than you have cats.
Step 17: The kitten should be placed in the litter box.
If you want your cat to use the litter box, all you have to do is put them in it.Cats want to do their business in litter boxes, so it shouldn't be difficult to put them inside once to show them where it is.Trainers recommend sitting with your cat and forcing them to paw the litter a few times to get used to the feeling.The idea is to get the cat to cover up their feces after using the tray.Abandon the idea if the kitten becomes distressed by you holding their paws.
Step 18: In the corner of a room is where the litter tray should be placed.
This is a good place for a kitten to go to the bathroom.The cat only has to watch for predator approaching from the front if it has a wall on either side.Don't put the litter tray next to the washing machine or any device that makes a sudden noise.If the machine goes into spin cycle while the kitten is on the tray, he or she will be less likely to use it in the future.
Step 19: The litter box needs to be cleaned frequently.
Cats and kittens want to use the litter box, so it shouldn't be difficult for them to get inside.Cats will urinate or defecate outside of their litter box if the environment is not usable.The litter box is difficult to get to, you have changed litter too frequently, or it is messy.Every single day, the litter boxes need to be cleaned.Change the litter regularly to keep it fresh, and use a scoop to remove the feces.The smell of the litter box is bad for your cat.Keep that in mind.
Step 20: On a regular basis, use one kind of litter.
Changing the type of litter can be hard for the cat.If you want to provide the best environment, you need to use pine-based cat litters.Do not use scented cat litter.The scent is overpowering to a kitten, who has a much more sensitive nose.The box may be deterred from being used.To make the cat have enough room to paw around, use fresh litter in the litter box.Cats don't want to paw around in their own urine.
Step 21: Don't put litter in the litter box.
If you want cats to use the litter box, don't put toys, treats, or food in it.If you put food in the litter box, it will make it difficult for your cat to know where to defecate.
Step 22: When your cat is a kitten, teach clicker training.
It's an ideal time to teach clicker training.You use a clicker to mark the exact moment when you want the cat to repeat a behavior.This is a great way to teach a cat how to do tricks.
Step 23: Give the clicker a treat.
Simply click and give your kitten a treat.They will make a link between click-clack and a reward when you make the noise and give the kitten a treat.Press the clicker and give the reward when the kitten comes towards you.They have learned to associate the clicker with the reward if you keep repeating this.Some cats are not motivated by food.If you can find out what the food is, every cat will go crazy for it.Try different foods like ham, tuna, chicken, fish, steak, and prawns.When you find their favorite, it will disappear in seconds and the kitten will meow for more.
Step 24: Since a full stomach will take the shine off a food reward, train at a time when the kitten's tummy is not full.
Give the treat to the kitten, and when they take it, press the clicker.Leave it at that number of times until the next session.Do it again.
Step 25: Use the click-clack to mark the behavior you want.
When a kitten associates a clicker noise with a treat, you can adjust your clicking, which acts as a down payment on a reward, to only happen when the kitten does something good.
Step 26: Once the behavior is completed, connect the clicking with a treat.
To complete the training, you can team that behavior with a word such as "Sit".
Step 27: Even though it may take some time and effort, commit to training your kitten to come when called.
It's a good idea to teach a kitten to come when called.If your kitten gets lost, this can help you find them.When a kitten gets lost, it goes to ground and hides as a protective mechanism.If they are trained to come on command, they may not stay put in a frightening situation.
Step 28: Training sessions are used often.
The concept of little but often training is what you need to commit to when training a kitten.Keep your training sessions short because cats have short attention spans.A great schedule would be three, 5 minute sessions a day, or alternatively, frequent short ad hoc sessions when the kitten was around and playful.
Step 29: To call the kitten, pick a cue word.
As the kitten comes towards you, summon you will give the word cue you have decided to use to the cat.An unusual or even a made up word is ideal because the cat won't hear anything else.The kitten's name will be used in other circumstances so it is best not to use it.IfKitty isn't expected to come when you say she's a pretty girl, it will confuse the cat.
Step 30: The kitten should be trained to come on command.
When the kitten turns towards you, click to mark the moment of the desired action.Give the kitten a treat.Over many training sessions, the cat will learn to come to that word if you repeat this frequently.This principle can be used to train a cat to do many desired behaviors such as shaking paws and jumping off a work surface.
Step 31: The kitten needs a place to scratch.
Provide other places for the cat to scratch if you're worried about your kitten scratching up your clothes or furniture.Cat scratching posts or cardboard liners with catnip underneath make the best scratching spaces.Cats need to use their claws to keep themselves trimmed and healthy, meaning that they're going to have to scratch something.There is no point in punishing a cat for scratching because they are not doing it in a malicious way.Cats scratch because they have to.
Step 32: The cat will be rewarded when they use the scratching post.
The cat will return to the post if you give them a treat.
Step 33: You should keep a spray bottle with you.
To keep cats from scratching things you don't want them to, keep a water spray bottle on hand, and gently spray the cat when they scratch the object.The effect will be to get them away from the area.You should hide the spray bottle after spraying the cat.The cat may be afraid of you if it knows it was you.
Step 34: Mint oil is good for areas you don't want the cat to scratch.
Applying a small amount of essential oil, typically mint, on the area that you want the cats to avoid deters them from scratching there.This is a great way of keeping young kittens away from certain surfaces.There is a scent that repels cats.They don't like the smell.It's not harmful to the cat.It's a good idea to apply essential oils to surfaces that might be damaged.Before applying oil to a visible surface, apply on a hidden test spot.