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Cat Pet Training Techniques for Positive Reinforcement

Cats > Training > Cat Pet Training Techniques for Positive Reinforcement

also see Kitten Training

Your cat can do pet training just like your dog, and the proper techniques can teach your cat to be well-behaved. These techniques can be practiced at home to prevent destructive or dangerous cat behavior. Cat's learn by experience and will repeat pleasurable experiences and avoid unpleasant ones. You can learn to teach your cat to behave according to your needs by rewarding good behavior, a technique known as Positive Reinforcement.

Common Behavioral Problems in Cats

Cats can get into a cycle of regularly behaving some of the following common problems:

Excessive meowing
Aggression
Destructive chewing
Clawing at furniture
Cat urination or avoidance of litter box

Do not try to correct all behavioral problems at the same time, as this is confusing for a cat. It's important to rule out any underlying physical cause of bad behavior before you rebuke your pet. Moreover, you will not attain better behavior by punishing your cat. It's necessary to be patient and persistent during the training period.

Tips to Encourage Good Habits

Consider the following suggestions for cat behavior modification:

Regularly clean the litter box and replace with fresh litter as your cat might find it dirty and choose to urinate elsewhere. If the behavior still persists your cat might have a urinary tract infection that causes painful urination and requires medical help.
Build cat scratching posts in places where your cat most frequently scratches. Use catnip to draw your cat to the post rather than your couch.
Cats don't like sticky surfaces. Try two-sided tape on your furniture or Sticky Paws!® to discourage them from destructive behavior.
Consider an indoor cat enclosure. Your cat will have exercise to prevent boredom and limited access to the outdoors.
The key to train your pet is to constantly praise him when he exhibits good behavior. Give them their favorite treats immediately after they perform any praiseworthy actions. They will soon associate the treats to specific behavior and will repeat such behavior.

Commercially available products to help in cat training:

M.A.X. Scratchers
Organic Catnip which is pesticide free
Clicker training to reinforce behavior with a clicker sound
Soft Paws or caps for your cats claws
Cat repellent spray to keep them away from select areas

Ensure Cat Has Stimulation to Prevent Boredom

Cats often engage in unpleasant behavior to ward off boredom. Create time to play with your pet and command your cat with a firm ‘NO' for aggressive actions or rough play. If you find your cat or kitten chewing on electric wires or cables, discourage these actions by spraying wires with cat repellent. Give them alternatives for the objects they target and reward them for playing with it. Pet Training Alarms are commercially available to train stubborn pets. However, if your pet suffers from stress or OCD, you should try another approach.

It's important for cat owners to understand normal cat tendencies and make provisions to accommodate habits like scratching, rather than to try and stop them completely. Your training attempts will be rewarded when you give your pet substitutes to pursue their natural activities. In order to gain your cat's attention or reward behavior, food or treats work best.

Do not attempt to battle with your cat's misbehavior as this only causes frustration. Once your vet determines that your cat is in good health, proceed with the handy tips and techniques to reinforce behavior in your cat.

also see Stopping a Cat From Scratching Furniture

also see Introducing a New Kitten to Your Pets

also see Choosing a Cat Scratching Tree

also see Distinguishing Useful Cat Training Aids From Gimmicks