How To Understand Your Cat's Behavior Problem and How Quick Cat Training Can Fix It
Many people believe that it's only dogs that need to be trained. This is just a myth. Cats behavior improves greatly and your relationship strengthens with you and your cat once you have employed a little cat training. Plus, cat training sessions give your cat something to focus their energy on. Many cats become destructive if they naturally have a lot of energy and they do not burn it off.
Don't be alarmed. This is not a complicated process. Cats are smart animals and learn quickly with the right training program. While cats are independent and stubborn at times this is true, however if you can learn to understand your cat and use their resistance to change to your advantage you can train your cat in no time. First thing to know about your cat is that they learn through experiences. Anything they enjoy and find pleasant is what they end up repeating and will avoid any negative unpleasant experience at all costs.
You have to keep this in mind when training your cat because many times cat owners make a fatal mistake with their cats. This mistake is rewarding bad behavior. You may not even realize that your are doing it. That goes back to why it is important to understand why your cat is doing something. For example, you may want to break your cat's bad habit of excessive meowing, but whenever he starts doing it you pick him up or give him food or do something to make him be quiet. What you are doing is exactly why he meows in the first place - he wants attention and he is getting. So, as you can see he is not going to stop meowing if it is getting him what he wants.
Cat owners are frustrated and confused when their cat training practices are not successful. Well, if you are trying to train them like a dog it won't work. Using punishment to train your cat like using a spray bottle to spray your cat when they are doing something wrong doesn't make them afraid of behaving badly it just makes them avoid you since you are the one spraying them. If you're are the one making the environment unpleasant they associate the punishment with you.
One major cat behavior problem that cat owners have is that their cat is not using their litter box. This is a good place to start eliminating anything your cat finds unpleasant. Cats are private animals and want privacy when using their litter box. Here you would put the litter box in a quiet low traffic area. It's important to keep the litter box clean as well. No one likes to use a dirty toilet. Another reason a cat won't use their litter box is because it's shared with another cat. They want their own space and will find a place to eliminate where they'll get privacy.
What do you do if your cat is scratching up your home. You need to know that your cat scratches out of naturally instinct. This is not something that can or should be stopped. Your cat scratching to groom their nails, relieve stress, and mark their territory. The only ways to stop cat scratching is to buy a something that is OK for them to scratch on and praise them for using it. To encourage your cat to use the scratching post or whatever you decide to buy them rub a little catnip on it. They'll get in the habit of using the post and leave your stuff alone.
To have a healthy relationship with your cat avoid punishment at all costs, and remember they love attention. Popular belief is that cat are anti-social nothing cat be further from the truth. They are just independent. Cat's will do anything for a little attention just make sure to give to them when they are not misbehaving or you will reinforce that bad behavior with a pleasant association. An important note to remember is to take your cat to the vet before you decide their bad habit is a behavioral problem. They may be ill and need medical attention and that's why they are acting out.
Take a little time to understand your cat. It will strengthen your relationship with them and keep their behavior under control.
Training your cat have you frustrated? Are your cat behavior problems getting out of hand? Go to SecretsofCats.com
Published June 11th, 2009
Filed in Family