Cat Training
 | "Cat Training - Good Luck!" |
Cat Training, if such a thing is even possible, should be done as early as possible. If you inherited a cat that is already older, good luck. The cat will probably train you.
The most important and necessary aspects of training, especially in an indoor environment, are scratching and using the litter box.
I used to have a cat when I lived in California and I refused to have a litter box in the house, so the cat always had to potty outside. She never did have a single accident. The only problem with having an indoor/outdoor cat is hygiene and fleas. But that depends totally on how you deal with it.
In addition to an outdoor potty arrangement, I also trained the cat to just stay on the floor inside the apartment. No sitting on the couch, chairs or tables and of course never on the kitchen counters! My husband would cringe to hear it but I did allow her to sleep at the foot of the bed. It was a very controlled environment though and I was living alone at the time.
Cat training is necessary in order to set boundaries, otherwise the cat will just be the ruler of the house. I mean, cats can be demanding no matter what and they have a will of their own. I sometimes think that they know when you don't want them to do something, but they do it anyway, just to check and see if they can get away with it this time.
Bhima is a perfect example of this. His big naughty thing is to climb the screens. He does it to get attention - to get us to go outside and play with him. He knows he isn't supposed to climb the screens but something inside of him has to keep trying now and then.
Cat Training is never done with punishment. You will not get what you want from that. The cat will be confused if anything about your behavior and it can lead to anxiety. This can lead to more scratching and littering outside the box.
So you just have to make it palatable for the cat to do it your way. Pay attention to your cat's individual preferences and try to work with them. I know this takes more effort, but you will notice a much better relationship developing with your cat.
Some people believe in treats, I think that that's an option although I also think it works a lot better with dogs than with cats. Treats should not be overdone for any animal though.
Be forgiving. If the cat goes outside the litter box, clean it up and try to train it again. If it scratches your furniture and not the scratching post, try to make the furniture unattractive (by using a scent repellant to the cat) and the scratching post more attractive (maybe by using catnip on it).
The one and only method I have always used successfully with cats is the water spray bottle. Personally, I don't view the water sprayer as punishment but as a training tool - a natural repellant if you will. You just have to be consistent. Most cats hate water so avoiding a squirt of water is usually enough of an incentive to get them to come around to your way of thinking. Eventually, they will get to know the meaning of the spray bottle and you will only have to pick it up for them to stop whatever naughtiness they are up to.
Over time, cats get to know what you don't like them to do and the places you don't like them to hang out. Just the tone of your voice should tell them your feelings. Usually, I only need to say 'no' or 'get down' in my scolding voice for them to move on to something else. The other option is just to pick them up and relocate them to another spot where they can't do any damage.
Once the initial cat training is done, you won't need to put a lot of effort into it. Cats are very much into routines and don't like change very much themselves.