Cat Training 101

Dogs are rightly called Man’s Best Friend. Yet a lot of people have the misconception that Pet Trainings are only possible for Dogs.

The Dogs can be trained for Obedience, Drug Detection and (depending on the Dog Breed) as Seeing Eye Dogs for Blind People. As such, Training is not a word associated with the Cats due to the misconception about Cats that they cannot be trained as they are not intelligent like the Dogs.

However; with Patience and Perseverance, Cats can follow typical commands such as: To Sit, To Roll Over, To Shake a Paw or High Five, Spring up to you and so on. Like Dogs, Cat too are motivated to do things in Life that benefit them. Some of the Favourite Activities of the Cats includes: Seeking Cat Food from Cat Food Puzzle, Play with Cat Toys and so on.

Moreover, it is important to remember that Cats like to do things as per its own convenience and timing. As such; training a Cat requires Motivation, Time Allocated for Training, Patience and Perseverance. Furthermore, it is important to remember that every Cat like every Person has their unique personality and reacts differently to the training. Some Cats are curious and some are just plain disinterested.

Before training any Cats it is important to ascertain as to what Training methods can be adopted for your Cat to learn and start training each day. Also, think of what kind of Training Methods was adopted in the past to train your Cat(s) whether: To use a Litter Box, Stay calm on trips to the Veterinarian’s office, Stop scratching furniture and so on.

Whatever worked in training your Cat(s), you can also train the Cat(s) to:

• Remain calm while grooming
• Respond and come to you after your call or gesture
• Nail Trimming
• Interactions with you, other people and other animals
• Remain calm in the Carrier while travelling in the car
• Playing with Toys with you and (or) with another Cat or Dog
• To pee even in the toilet and flush afterwards!

Training helps to develop stronger relationship between the Cat(s) and Cat Parent(s) as well as avoid unwanted anxiety or stress between the Cat(s) and Cat Parent(s). Moreover, Training stimulates the Cat(s) body and mind.

Following are some of the Simple Ways to Train Your Cat:

• Perform the Sit Posture and High Five Commands: Since all Cats sit, so this is easy to teach. As your Cat sits, say “Sit”, then make sure to encourage your Cat(s), with a pat or treat. Then eventually extend this training to have your Cat(s) perform a ‘High Five’ with you, where they raise a paw to your hand. Again never rush and only encourage any tiny movements of their paw by giving a cat a treat each time their paw moves off the ground. Gradually lift your hand higher and reward your Cat(s), when your Cat(s) touches your hand with their paw.
• Use a Clicker: One of the most simple yet effect way to train your Cat is by using a Clicker. It is easier and faster for the Cats. When your Cat does the Desired Behaviour, just click and offer a Grain Free Cat Treat. The Click allows the Cat(s) to realise that they are doing the right thing and learn faster as a result. Just make sure you click at the exact moment your Cat(s) does the behaviour you want, and then give your Cat(s) a Grain Free Cat Treat. Keep using the Clicker and maintain the Training sessions for few minutes at a time. Never overdo using the Clicker as most Cats gets bored doing the same routine repeatedly.
• Use Grain Free Tasty Cat Treats: Firstly, find a Grain Free Cat Treat that your cat loves very much. There are many flavours such as: Poultry diced in tiny cubes, Tuna bits, Meat-Flavoured Food, and so on. After ascertaining the Grain Free Cat Treats your cat likes, for every good behaviour reward your Cat(s) with the Grain Free Tasty Cat Treats. This kind of training is called “Reward Based Training”. Please note that Cats does not see things properly those that are still and close-up. So, offer Grain Free Tasty Cat Treats from flat palm or just toss it on the floor if your Cat(s) are having difficulty taking the treat from your fingers, try offering it to him in your flat palm or tossing it on the floor.

One Very Important Fact To Remember: Never Punish the Cat(s)!

Always please remember while training your Cat(s), if you punish your Cat(s) they will respond very poorly to punishment! 

Never slap, shake and (or) physically correct your Cat(s) during training, but don’t forget to keep your voice calm.

Punished Cat(s) usually just learns to run away depending on their temperament and can frighten your Cat to the extent of being reclusive by hiding away from you as well as your family members.

In addition, punishment creates stress and creates behavioural problems in Cats such as: Peeing or Pooping outside of the litter box; Compulsive grooming; Compromise the immune system thereby making your Cat(s) vulnerable to disease (including inflammation of the bladder) and much worse.

When you Cat(s) does undesired behaviours, just a stern voice of “No” suffices more often than not.

As always, kindly be patient and perseverant when you are training your Cat(s). Reward your Cat(s) with Grain Free Cat Treat. Regardless of the Cat Age, very soon you’ll have your Cat(s) sitting as expected and happily purring.

Verdict: Rome was never built in a day. In the same way, Training your Cat(s) never happens overnight and your Cat(s) is likely to make mistakes.

So, just be patient and perseverant. Surely, with the right Training Methods and some creativity from your side; your Cat(s) will even amaze you with the things they can learn. Through “Reward Based Training”, Cats respond to positive reinforcement and never punish your Cat(s).

The Cat’s ability of being able to be trained further validates as to why Cats are more suitable Pets than Dogs.

#Cats #Training