If training your cat to sit, stay and heel is your goal, perhaps you should get a dog. If training your cat to adroitly perch himself over your toilet to do his business is your goal, perhaps this article is not for you either. This article is for all of us who would be happy to train a cat to just use the litter box instead of our comforter, closet or shoes. This is for owners who would be happy training their cat to use a scratching post instead of the stereo speakers.

A cat cannot be trained to do something contrary to its nature, so cat training has the sole purpose of controlling a cat's behavior. Cats learn by experience, attempting to repeat positive experiences and to avoid repeating negative experiences. They continue to claw furniture because they enjoy doing it and want to repeat their previous scratching experiences. However, they do not enjoy the shock of sticking their noses into a candle flame, so they will not repeat that action.

When conducting cat training, remember that reprimands are completely ineffective. If you catch you cat doing something wrong and reprimand him, he will act up when you're not there. If you punish your cat after the fact, he won't associate the punishment with the act. Many cats misbehave because they believe you're not giving them enough attention; give them attention and they will continue to act in ways that you don't want.

Many owners become frustrated because they can't catch the cat in the act of the crime, so instead they show the cat the evidence, usually a wet spot on the carpet or pieces of shredded drapery and discipline the cat at that time. However kitten training is pretty straightforward and easy. Provide them with a litter box and show it to them, they'll use it. Put their little paws on a scratching post and watch them go to town.

Often while cat training, cat owners make the mistake of grabbing the cat, pointing at the urine spot, then taking the cat to the litter box and forcing him to dig in the litter. This experience teaches the cat that being reached for by the owner is a negative experience and that the litter box is an evil place.

The most certain way to solve your cat's behavioral problems such as excessive scratching, not using the litter box, or destructive scratching is by first getting rid of physical causes. Then use these resources to gradually train your cat to avoid such behavior.

 

Behavioral problems in cats can be eliminated with the help of these resources, and a program of gradual retraining. Reprimands simply aren't a workable cat training or kitten training method. When caught in the act and reprimanded, the cat will likely continue to misbehave when the owner isn't present. If instead the cat is reprimanded later, the cat will never associate the punishment with the misbehavior. Misbehavior is sometimes simply a matter of the cat seeking the attention of its owner. To train a cat, common problems such as litter box avoidance, excessive howling, biting, or destructive scratching should first be addressed by eliminating any potential physical causes.