How Can Cat Training in 10 Minutes Be So Easy!

Cat Training In 10 Minutes

Anyone who has a cat would love to get a few easy, quick tips on training their pet. Of course, no article can tell you all there is to know about your cat's behavior. However, there are a few tricks and tips you can pick up quickly. While you'll never know all there is to know, you can learn the basics of cat training in 10 minutes.

A key to training your cat effectively is being consistent. No matter what method you pick, do it on a regular basis to avoid sending mixed signals to your pet. Confusing your cat just makes him a lot harder to train. Here are a few tips to help you through the beginning part of cat ownership.

1.Punishing your cat doesn't help. Most cats just don't care that they're being punished. While dogs will change their behavior in response to a negative reinforcement, cats will keep it up. Whether they don't understand, or it's just not important to them what you think, punishing your cat is a waste of time.

2.Corporal punishment is an especially poor form of cat training. While it's possible to give dogs a gentle swat to get your point across, cats are too delicate. Plus, the above point means that your cat may be confused about why you're hitting him, or may become belligerent. However, all that means is that when you get into cat training, you'll have to make it a matter of wits.

3.Positive reinforcement, however, is a great way to train your cat. People who have owned cats for a long time know how hard it is to catch your cat doing something wrong – the only time punishment might work. It's a lot easier to reward a cat that's doing something right. Rewards vary, from offering a treat, to making a clicking sound become a type of reward. Clicker training cats has been known to be effective, but success varies by the individual cat.

4.Make sure that there are plenty of toys and other things to keep your cat interested. These little predators evolved to have short attention spans and periods of high activity. That means a bored cat is a destructive cat. When your kitty decides that it's time to bounce of the walls, tear the curtains, or have a go at the couch, try providing toys to keep him occupied.

5.If you need to be away, it's important to keep your cat busy. This is particularly true for cats that are used to having people around. They'll quickly get bored and lonely, and turn to destroying things, knocking items off of tables, and being a general nuisance. Some options for keeping kitty busy include having a large stock of toys, or getting a timer for your TV. A channel like Animal Planet or a wilderness show will offer plenty of motion to keep your cat entertained for a little while.

6.Spray bottles can work. All you need is a plant mister full of ordinary water. When your cat does something wrong, give him a squirt. It's important not to let the cat see the bottle, however. Cats that learn to associate punishment with you will just misbehave when you're not around.

7.Try blowing in your cat's face. While this might sound silly, it's actually an effective cat training technique. When your cat won't get away from your face, teach him to give you distance by blowing a puff of air into his face. The air will be startling and confusing enough to chase him off. If he learns to associate it with bothering you, you'll experience a lot less annoying attention.

8.Offer a view. Cats love to watch what's going on outside, so providing a clear window sill or ledge that lets him check out the neighborhood birds and squirrels. If the sill isn't big enough to be comfortable, you can make or buy a device to extend it. While this might be a little bit of an inconvenience, a cat that stays entertained is a cat that's not getting into anything. Remember this when deciding whether or not to provide "cat TV".

9.Remember to spend time with your pet. While this might sound like an odd cat training method, remember that the more time you spend with your cat, the easier it will be to communicate. Reading your cat becomes simpler as you get to know him, too. There's more than just a series of meows – cats have a whole set of body language that we can pick up. Your cat will learn to read you better, too.

10.If you have more than one cat, and they're territorial, be sure to reward the victim and confine the aggressor. When you see cats fighting, the first step is to stop it. A water sprayer, used to squirt the aggressive cat, will end the fight. Remember to avoid squirting the cat that's being picked on. Once you've separated them, put the bully in a confined space, and reward cats that don't fight back. A treat, a walk outside, or some other reward will reinforce this behavior. When the two cats get back together, try to watch them as much as you can. Of course, these ideas are only the kind of cat training you can learn in ten minutes. Once you get to know your cat better, you'll learn what works and what doesn't work when it comes to training. As soon as you know this, telling your cat what he needs to know gets a lot easier.

I could not go into too much detail in one article, so for an in depth look at cat training I highly recommend “Cat Care Secrets: A Complete Caring And Training Guide For Cat Owners.”, it goes into great detail about cat training and cat care. Just click on the blue text above and get your hands on a copy today.