Kitty Training Made Easy

You may scoff at the idea that you can train a cat. After all, they’re not as smart as dogs, right? You can’t train a cat to fetch, come or even stay. That’s just nonsense. But what if you could train a cat? The fact is you can train a cat and it’s not as difficult as you may think. Kitty training is not unlike dog training. You only need to remain consistent, use positive reinforcement instead of negative reinforcement, and you need to show your cat lots of love and attention when it does what you want it to do. We’re all familiar with litter training kittens. You only sit the cat in the litter box and, shazam, the job’s done. Kitty training may not be as easy as litter training but it’s not that hard once you get going.

Most people fail at kitty training because they get frustrated when the cat doesn’t do what they want. They end up yelling at the cat or, worse, they end up smacking the cat on the butt because the cat acts stubborn and aloof. That’s a cat’s personality, however. A cat usually won’t come to you until you stop showing it attention. A cat would rather look the other way than show you affection. That’s how cats are. However, if you praise your cat and you show your cat that you’re pleased whenever it comes to you or fetches a toy, or whatever else you’re attempting in your kitty training efforts, the cat will be more likely to respond positively to you and your training. Positive reinforcement is the act of using toys and treats and affection instead of punishment whenever you’re involved with kitty training. If you’re using treats, which work wonders for kitty training, gradually ease back on treats until you’re only using affection. That way, your cat won’t expect a treat every time yet will continue to perform whatever trick you teach it.

So what can you train a cat to do? Kitty training varies from person to person. Circus performers have successfully trained cats to walk on two legs and jump through hoops. This isn’t for the faint of heart, however, and you should probably stick to simple tricks before you move on to circus stunts. Some basic tricks you can use during kitty training include coming to you when your cat is called, fetching a toy or other item, sitting and staying and you can even guide behavior. You may want to teach your cat not to claw your furniture or even to stay off your furniture. Once you get better at kitty training, you can move to more advanced tricks but it’s best to keep it simple at first so your cat doesn’t get confused.