Please don’t do what I hear you say. Well I will explain.

The reason I have felt compelled to write this article is that, as a big fan of the feline, I am staggered by the number of people that have problems training their cats, despite following very good training guides. It just seems to be something built into human nature and something everybody overlooks.

I’m not going to waffle on about general cat training and kitten training methods. There are loads of great books, DVDs and, more recently, downloadable eBooks available from the internet on this subject. All I will say is that, whichever method you prefer, make sure you get hold of ‘good quality’ training materials.

But while you are training your cat, please bear this in mind;

“Do not praise or reward your cat for exhibiting behaviour you don’t want to see”.

While this sounds really obvious, people still do it! Perhaps it’s because cats are notoriously devious in their seemingly endless number of ways of manipulating humans and often catch us off guard. But more likely we just haven’t got this idea fixed strongly enough in our mindset.

Let me illustrate with an example.

You finally make it to bed after a hard day at work and you feel your eyes begin to close. Now guess whose eyes are, at that very moment, starting to do the exact opposite. Cats are naturally nocturnal and, without training, will remain so. Now when your wide awake moggy jumps on your bed, attacks your toes & nuzzles your face, there could be any number of things on its mind. What do you do as a cat loving person in this situation?

Well I’ll tell you what most people will do. They will get up and give their adorable pet some food or even treats. Or they will stroke their cat lovingly for a few minutes until it ’seems’ like they might actually leave you alone. Anything to get their cat out of their bedroom in the hope it will give them a good night’s sleep.

So now, what does your cat associate with this behaviour you really don’t want? Getting rewards! If your moggy has this state of mind, don’t even think about resorting to more extreme tactics like locking them out of the bedroom, not if you want any paint left on the door that is.

Cats have to associate unpleasant things, things that bring no satisfaction or benefit to them, with inappropriate actions. It’s the practise of being cruel to be kind. But you don’t have to be really cruel to your cat like throwing it off the bed or shouting at it (unlikely to work anyway). Just ignoring it will soon work wonders! If your cat is particularly persistent, keep something nearby the bed that you can use to remind your cat not to do this in future. How about something your cat really hates the smell of? Or something to make a sound they hate? Or my personal favourite, and much more entertaining, a small water pistol. Now I don’t mean jet-washing your moggy out of the door. I’ve yet to meet one cat that likes even a small amount of water being sprayed onto them. Just a quick squirt and they’ll be off and, very soon, won’t keep coming back expecting anything else.

And better still, you can apply these techniques to just about any ‘bad’ behaviour your cats exhibit.

I hope this advice helps some of you out there to enjoy a more ‘co-operative’ relationship with your cats.

Best Wishes,
Dave

Dave Cocker is owner and publisher of eproductselect.com eproductselect.com, reviewing and recommending top online and downloadable eProducts on a variety of subjects including training pets, aiming to find those products that offer great content and fantastic value, helping people to navigate through the minefield of sub-standard eProducts.

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Tags: kitten, kitten training, squirt

Okay, you rescued this adorable little kitten, you’ve brought it home, and now reality has started to set in. You have to litter train this little kitty, unless you want to constantly walk behind him with a mop and bottle of disinfectant, yuck. If you have friends who have tackled this monstrous-sized feat before, then you have probably already heard all of the horror stories of just how difficult litter training your kitten can be.

While litter training your kitten is not as easy as any of us would like it to be, it is not nearly as bad as everyone says it is, not if you do it the right way. Just as with potty training your toddler, you have to have patience, and be willing to work with your kitten, especially if your kitten is younger than three months old.

When it comes to litter training your kitten, the first thing you need to do is purchase a litter box. Visit your local pet supply store, and let them know that you are looking for a litter box for a small kitten, and they can direct you to the right ones. You need to get a litter box that is small enough so the kitten isn’t afraid of it, and can get into and out of easily.

The next thing you will need to do is purchase some kitty litter to go in the litter box. There are many different varieties to choose from, and again, your clerk at the pet supply store might be able to give you some good suggestions. Some people say that they have had better luck in the past with litter training if they used a scented litter, but it varies from kitten to kitten.

When you take the litter box home, you will need to decide where you want to put it, and leave it there. You can move it around, or you will only confuse your kitty. Once you get it in place, with the litter inside, take your kitten to the box, so that she can see where it is. The litter box should be placed close to your kitten’s favorite place, so she can get to it quickly and easily. If your kitten has decided that it prefers your living room, then that is where you should place the litter box at, at least until your cat is fully litter trained, and then you can move it around as needed.

You may need to place your kitty in the litter box a few times, and scratch her paw in the litter to help her understand what it is for. It is a good idea to place your kitty in the litter box after she finishes eating or drinking, as this is most likely when she will need to use it. It may take some time, but she will soon catch on. Litter training your kitten may take a lot longer if she is young when you begin, so be prepared. If your kitten doesn’t seem to be catching on to litter training, you may have to shut her in the room with the litter box for a few days, so that she will have fewer places to go potty at.

A kitten will not use a dirty litter box, or at least not for very long, so you should make certain that you change your kitty litter regularly.

Jean Morgan is a writer of articles concerning pet health. For more information about kitten care please visit natureshealthypet.com natureshealthypet.com

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Tags: kitten, kitten training, potty training