Cats may not be as easy to train as dogs, as their character structure is much more independent than dogs. Dogs are very intelligent animals and are very receptive to commands, but cats are also very intelligent animals, but they do not like to take orders. For this reason, only if your approach to your cats is focused on training and you choose the right methods, you may have a chance to train your cats.
Training your cat will make it more sociable, docile, less anxious and a better companion in the home. If you want to embark on this path that requires some effort, patience and time, we have included 7 recommendations for cat training in our content.
How to train cats?
- Decide what you want to teach your cat.
- Keep training sessions with your cat short.
- Focus on one purpose you want to teach at a time.
- Remember to reward good behavior.
- Do not punish bad behavior.
- Include other people your cat knows in your sessions.
- If you can, start training when you are a puppy.
It is useful to set out with a purpose: Decide what you want to teach your cat.
First, decide what kind of training your cat needs or what you want it to learn in order to use the right methods in training. E.g; Set a goal whether you want him to go to the toilet, not damage the furniture, or teach basic commands such as come, sit, lie down. After you decide on your goal, you can start your training in sessions.
To maximize his interest: Keep training sessions with your cat short.
Progressing in sessions to train your cat can help you be more planned. Dogs have a much longer time to focus on their owners and their duties because of their higher sense of responsibility, but cats can be short-lived even in the things they love very much. Therefore, you should follow the course of the lessons completely according to your cat’s mood and interest. The most logical thing is to have the sessions as short but as frequent as possible. If your cat turns out to be more apathetic and stubborn than you think, don’t give up. You should definitely be patient with them.
Don’t get your cat confused: Focus on one goal you want to teach at a time.
Let’s say you have a lot of things you want to teach your cat. For example, you are thinking of both toilet training and teaching not to damage furniture. As I said before, cats are very intelligent animals, so they can learn many things at the same time, but this can reduce the efficiency of training. Therefore, while training, it may be more effective to focus on one goal and move on to the next after completing that goal.
Motivational progress can be good: Don’t forget to reward good behavior.
All living things love to be loved and motivated, cats included. When your cat does something good or when you start to see the fruits of training, rewarding him with a favorite food or stroking his belly will increase the efficiency of his training.
There is also a method developed through a tool called a ‘clicker’ to reward them. If you use the device that makes a ‘click’ sound when the button is pressed, when your cat does something good, after a while, she will begin to associate the click sound with her good behavior, and therefore she will understand that her action is a good thing.
No need for stress and anger: Don’t punish bad behavior.
When rewarding your cat’s good behavior, do not think the opposite and punish bad behavior. Because cats generally do not like to be stubborn or obedient and this can cause stress for them. Instead, when you observe your cat’s bad behavior, warn it quickly, consistently, and forcefully, but without getting angry. If you use the same word each time for this warning, for example, the word ‘no’, the clicker may associate that word with their bad behavior, as well as associating their good behavior with the device.
If you have a social cat: Include other people your cat knows in your sessions.
It may be more motivating for your cat to include acquaintances, family members or friends whom your cat loves. But there is something to be aware of: you should tell your cat about the discipline and stability you have acquired to other people you know who attend the training, so that you all have the same attitude towards your cat and not get confused.
A more open mind to innovations: If you can, start training when you are a puppy.
If you got your pet as a puppy, your job may be easier. Because none of his behavior has become a habit and he has a much more open brain to learn new things. However, do not be upset if you have adopted an older cat as a friend. All cats can be trained, while training older cats requires a little more patience and time.
But how can we give more special training such as toilet training?
1. For potty training, first purchase a litter box and place it in a place you think is appropriate in your home. After each meal, take your cat to the litter box at frequent intervals until he/she urinates. He will probably instinctively cover his stool with sand after he goes to the toilet, but if he doesn’t, cover the litter with your cat by supporting his paws.
2. You need to understand why your cat is making these movements so that she doesn’t bite or scratch. If he is doing this because he is angry with something, if the situation is something that can be removed, remove it. If he gets irritable and starts biting while playing, stop playing and warn him. You also need to make sure that your cat meets his daily movement needs. According to their character traits, there may be lazy cats or there may be cats that like to move. You must meet their game and activity needs.
3. You can try to distract him as soon as he starts messing with the furniture so that he doesn’t damage the furniture. This can be a toy that won’t be too loud, or a ‘no’ that you can say confidently but not nervously. You should be careful to give the same reaction consistently every time.
4. To teach your cat to sit, the verbal ‘sit!’ When you give the command, do the hand gesture, which means sitting down with your hand at the same time. When he does this, you should reward him by using a clicker or by giving him a food he likes.
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