Heads up, cat-parents!
Flash news: if you think that your beloved pets will never learn to follow your orders, think again.
Although cats are known for their independence, they can and will still be trained to do simple things such as reacting to your calls and using the litter box.
Yes, cats are not as hopeless as you think.
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No, you don’t need magic to do that.
These fluffy and sweet animals are teachable, but brace yourselves.
It won’t be rainbows and sunshine.
You are in for a challenge!
Just like dogs, training cats will do well on them.
The more you spend time training them, the stronger the connection between you and your pet.
Imagine the training session to be your bonding moment.
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Your cat will eventually adore you even more like you are the only human in the world.
And you, you will feel that your life and your cat’s life are intertwined.
Go for it!
Train that cat of yours and prove all the naysayers and cat-haters wrong!
First things first, train the cat to respond to you whenever you call; to recognize your voice and come to you.
This skill may seem very basic, but this skill will be life-saving.
What if you and your cat are faced with an emergency?
What might your cat do?
Your cat will run for its dear life and hide to safety.
That’s what their instincts tell them to do.
So how will you rescue your cat now if you don’t even have the slightest idea where that fluffy creature is hiding?
See?
By teaching your cat to respond to you, you prepare your pet for the worst-case scenarios, the between-life-and-death situations, like earthquakes, fires, and typhoons.
It’s just right that this is the first thing to teach.
Indeed you are now determined to train your cat so that your cat could live long with you.
Do you know that it is best to start early?
As the familiar adage goes, “the early bird catches the early worm, the late bird gets none.
Train your cat when they are still young.
As kittens, they are full of energy and curiosity.
That is the best time to teach them because they are still susceptible to training, and they will open up to you.
Remember the principles of training dogs?
Well, they could be applied to cats as well.
Just be consistent; it’s the key.
Don’t just train your kitten once in a blue moon; it must be regularly.
Yes, your kitten is hyper and may seem untrainable, so why not use rewards (cat food, candies, toys) as you train.
Play with your cat too.
Like a young child, cats love to learn when it’s fun.
Have a playful atmosphere, and be supportive.
You are the cat’s human parent, after all.
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What are the strategies for training cats?
You might wonder.
One fantastic method is to link two actions.
For instance, to train a cat to respond to your call, you may condition the cat with food, petting, and other praises as rewards.
The cat will react when they know there is something delicious after it.
You might also consider changing the cat’s training rooms.
Don’t imprison the cat in just one place.
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Let the cat explore and unleash its natural curiosity.
Speaking of curiosity, kittens are naturally curious about the world.
They run after just anything that moves.
They play with whatever they see.
They love to goof around like innocent little ones.
These kittens are more comfortable being trained than older cats.
Why?
The older cats seem lazier.
They tend to sleep around all day.
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Their natural playfulness is not as high as those when they were little.
But don’t worry.
You can still train your adult cats; it’s just that you might need more than petting.
Use toys or treats, bribe your cat with something – those might work!
