Training Cats- Overcoming Bad Behavior

Cats tend to be very independent animals, which is why many people prefer them over other types of pets. However, you might find that your feline friend doesn’t always do what you want. At this point you need to find a way to train your cat that doesn’t involve hitting and screaming at him. If you bought your cat as a kitten, the odds are he will pick up on what is allowed and what isn’t fairly quickly. If you bought an adult cat you might have to work on a few bad habits, but remember to be patient while doing so.

Below are a few ways that might help you deal with training your cat;

The first thing that you should know is that it helps to use the same words when training your cat- don’t change what you say because you will end up confusing him. If there are several family members, you need to make sure that your training techniques are the same so that your cat will not be confused when trained by another person.

‘Come Fluffy, Come!’
You need to realize that your cat is not like a dog. They are not always going to obey when you call because they basically have a mind of their own. Although they do have a completely different personality, it is possible to get your cat to come to you if you call him and reinforce your command with positive behavior. You can do this by offering him a reward such as being petted or giving him a treat.

If you are screaming at your cat to come to you hoping to shock him into obeying, you will soon realize that such tactics will not work as he is likely to saunter off in the completely opposite direction.

It’s Green and Leafy, it’s a Plant!
If you happen to have plants in your home that are not harmful to your cat, the odds are that you don’t want your cat to destroy them. Cats are very curious and will try getting into everything. It is also important to note that it is instinctive for cats to claw or dig as they do in the litter box, so they might do the same to the soil surrounding your plants. In order to prevent this, you need to go to a craft store and purchase plastic needlepoint mesh.

Then cut it to fit the opening of the pot, cut in an opening for the plant and then apply it over the soil. This will keep your cat from clawing at it. Chewing on plants is another matter entirely. All you need to do is spray the leaves or coat them with a cayenne spray or citrus spray that you can get at most pet shops. The bad taste will stop your cat from chewing.

Ouch! He Bit Me!
Biting is not fun when your cat has needle sharp teeth. Often cats tend to bite or nip when they are playing and it can be very painful when those teeth connect with your skin. In order to get your cat to stop this behavior, you need to take the right action. The next time he decides to take a playful nip you can choose to do one of two things; you can either hiss at him like another cat would, or scream in pain. Either one of these reactions is sure to get your cat’s attention and make him stop. Never be tempted to hit him as he will not associate this with his actions and will become afraid of you.

Keep Your Cat from Electrocution
As mentioned before, cats are curious creatures and some love to chew on things. For this reason it is very important to cat proof your house. Part of cat proofing involves keeping electrical cords out of reach of your cat because they will invariably end up chewing on them. If it is not possible to have your cords shortened, there are other things you can try to keep them from chewing on cords that have an electrical current running through them.

Try coating the cord with some different substances such as cayenne pepper, hot sauce, nail biting polish, or orange peel. Your cat will find the taste abhorrent and should leave the cords alone. You can also try organizing your electrical cords into specially made plastic tubes. This will keep them out of reach from your cat and help keep them safe from any electric shocks.

For more information on training your cat and dealing with his problem behaviors, click here.

For more information on training cats and overcoming problem behaviors, see our new ‘Solving Common Cat Behavior Problems’ guide.