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Are you scoffing yet? \u201cTrain a cat?\u201d you say. To do what? Sleep sixteen hours a day, beg for food, turn her nose up at the food, sprinkle litter throughout the house, leave fur on everything, scratch furniture, dive for the door when someone opens it, meow when you\u2019re talking on the phone?<\/p>\n
Yeah, that\u2019s what cats do. Most of us would like to retrain cats from some of their natural habits or habits that maybe we allowed them to develop because\u2014well, because she was so cute when she was a kitten. Sometimes we create the monster in our precious kitty-cats.<\/p>\n
I once had a cat named Pom-Pom (my small children named her). She liked joining the![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/winfieldIMG_1980-300x300.jpg\")
family for supper, so the kids and I provided her own chair and let her sit at the table with us. How do you explain that to guests who, perhaps, aren\u2019t as cat-friendly as you are\u2014you know, those who believe cats have their place?<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been guilty of confusing my poor cat when a guest comes in and sees the cat sitting on the kitchen table or counter. I\u2019ll say, \u201cNo-no, Fluffy. You know you\u2019re not allowed up there,\u201d while lifting her down and sending her on her way. Talk about mixed messages for the poor cat, who often sits on the table.<\/p>\n
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So how do you train a cat? It depends on what you want him to do. A favorite treat is a good start\u2014but you\u2019d better be clear about how you want the cat to behave. You must be strictly consistent and clear in your \u201cdemands.\u201d But be reasonable too. Is this something beneath the dignity of the cat? For some, no amount of treats is going to make him change or perform.<\/p>\n
You must have a deep understanding of cats and your cat in particular. And it doesn\u2019t hurt ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/catcafecamarillo-300x225.jpg\")
to choose a breed or a cat with just the right personality that is conducive to training. This is not all cats. I know of some who were rescued from shelters with just the right temperament, including some who have performed in movies. Samantha Martin, the woman behind Acro-Cats, the wonderful troupe of performing cats, adopted all of her cats from shelters.<\/p>\n
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If you have a desire to train your cat to embrace the cat carrier, for example, to stop inappropriate elimination outside the box, or to do a few tricks, put your paws on a good book on the topic or a video. There are so many for a variety of purposes, I won\u2019t even try to advise. I suggest doing your own research to find the most appropriate teaching device for your situation and desires.<\/p>\n
Read a lot of articles and books, and watch a lot of videos. Would love to hear the results.<\/p>\n
As for training my own cats\u2014in our house it\u2019s the other way around. They have us trained to observe treat time and meal time. They know how to wake us up if we\u2019ve slept in or randomly if they\u2019re bored or they can see the bottom of the kibbles bowl.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know what books they\u2019ve read or what videos they\u2019ve watched, but they\u2019ve done a pretty good job of teaching us our place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Are you scoffing yet? \u201cTrain a cat?\u201d you say. To do what? Sleep sixteen hours a day, beg for food, turn her nose up at the food, sprinkle litter throughout the house, leave fur on everything, scratch furniture, dive for … Continue reading