Tips for Siamese Cats' Training

While all types of cats training can be difficult, due to the natural stubbornness of the animal in general, many people find that training a Siamese cat is even more difficult than average. One reason for this is that Siamese are especially unwilling to listen to different admonishments and are particularly independent. While this makes for cats with clear and strong personalities that can be very endearing, it also makes it very difficult to impress upon your Siamese cat what you want him to do in a certain situation. Read on for a few basic tips for training Siamese cats.

Be Consistent

Perhaps the single most important tip for training a Siamese cat effectively is to provide a consistent response. Set up a system by which you admonish the cat for doing something wrong, and stick with it in every situation. An ideal system will be something that shocks or jolts the cat but doesn't hurt him in any way. Squirt guns are effective at this method, as are shouted phrases. Whatever you decide to do, however, be consistent so that your cat learns to expect a certain behavior from you when he engages in an action that is against the rules.

Respond Immediately

Siamese cats, and cats in general for the most part, will only respond to admonishments in the moment of their misbehaving. If you delay your response to your cat's action by even a second, he will not understand why he is being punished. You must therefore be very careful to link the admonishment with the action completely in your pet's mind. Cats learn through actions and reactions, and this should influence the way that you set up your system of admonishment. Many people argue that a squirt gun tactic is not as effective because it can take a few seconds for you to claim the squirt gun and spray the cat. Therefore, only use a squirt gun if your cat is very close by.

Other ideas that may work for immediate responses are shouts, claps and other loud noises that shock the cat into changing his behavior.

Set Up the Environment to Avoid Misbehavior

Take advantage of the things that your Siamese cat naturally dislikes in order to dissuade him from committing any misdeeds. For instance, if your pet enjoys clawing at furniture, consider placing double sided tape along the edges of the furniture, or spray the furniture with a particular smell that he finds unpleasant, like citrus. This will naturally work to discourage him from sharpening his claws or scratching. Eventually, you can remove the scent or the tape and your pet will have trained himself to avoid those items. Other things that pets tend to dislike include:

  • Trays of water
  • Peppermint scent
  • Rubber

The exact method you use will depend upon your individual cat. For more information about trainingyoru Siamese cat, visit a cat trainer or speak with a veterinarian in your area with any other questions.

 

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