You feel like you’ve done everything. You’ve tried the spray bottle, clanking pots and other forms of discipline but still can’t train your cat. We’ve seen this a thousand times. Want to know why this approach isn’t working?
How To Train Your Cat
Cats are best trained with positive reinforcement. They do not understand punishment: yelling, spray bottles, loud noises and (God forbid) hitting only scares your kitty – it does not help train her. Cats are (little) predators, but they are also prey – with very strong fight or flight instincts. Punishments engage this instinct – and cats do not understand the ‘traditional’ connection between punishment and training like dogs tend to. However, if you want to train your cat to dislike people (including yourself) punishment is the fastest way to success.
Offering rewards like treats or love for good behavior and ignoring unwanted behavior is the best way to train your cat. If your kitty is scratching the furniture for instance, direct her to a scratching post and reward her with a treat when she uses it. Do this each time you see the undesirable behavior and soon she’ll begin to favor the scratching post because of the treat and positive attention.
Punishment creates stress in cats, which can cause future behavior and health problems. Yelling, shouting, spraying and hitting your kitty will make them learn to fear you and others. It’s a waste of your time and energy to try and train your cat through negative enforcement because it doesn’t work and you are left with an anxious untrained kitty.
Most cats are quick learners and can be trained to obey house rules and even learn tricks with positive reinforcement. Take your time and spend a few short minutes per day training your kitty. They learn best in small incremental doses. Grab your cat’s favorite healthy treat and train her to be the coolest cat in the neighborhood through positive reinforcement. 🙂
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