Cat Behavior Training – Effectively School Your Feline With These 4 Tips
Cats are fascinating and adorable creatures that offer an unrivaled companionship. But there’s more to them than just purring and curling up in your lap. They are also independent and self possessed, which means it can be difficult when it comes to cat behavior training. However, don’t give up hope. It’s not an impossible feat. Here are some things to keep in mind when trying to school your feline.
THEY ACT UP WHEN THEY’RE BORED
When felines are bored, they will do naughty things in order to work off excess energy. Racing up and down the stairs, jumping on counters and knocking things down are only the tip of the iceberg. This can be resolved by spending more time with your pet. Playing with him will not only relieve him of his boredom, but also create a stronger bond.
REPRIMANDING DOESN’T WORK
Here’s the deal, cats really don’t care if you punish them. Dog owners know that punishing them will help change their bad manners. Not so with these frisky fur balls. As a result, reprimanding your cat is often an ineffective tactic. He will learn that getting caught while misbehaving brings about some awful reactions and will simply learn to hide it better and do it when you’re not around.
ENCOURAGE GOOD BEHAVIOR
When it comes to cat behavior training, it’s far easier to reward your kitty when you see him performing a right behavior. This is called operative conditioning. Anything you want him to do should be rewarding, enjoyable and pleasant. Whenever he does something positive, reinforce this good behavior with praise, petting and a couple of treats.
REMOVE THE AGGRESSOR, REWARD THE VICTIM
If you live in a multi cat household, you’ve probably seen your share of “cat fights”. Felines are territorial by nature and will occasionally get into scuffles over their domain. If you witness such a battle, the first thing to do is disengage them. However, don’t try to do this physically. You could get severely injured, since they may not recognize you in the heat of emotion. One of the best cat behavior training tools is a spray bottle. Use this to squirt the aggressor while trying to avoid the victim. Then, confine the “bully” in a separate room and reward the innocent pet. Give him a treat or free roam of the house. Try to keep them as supervised as possible when you reunite them again.
Cat behavior training isn’t hard at all. It just takes a little bit of patience. With the proper tools, you can be on your way to a more fulfilling relationship for the both of you.