Behavior Training for Your Stubborn Cat
Learning cat behaviors before you start training them would be an good idea
for anyone that is going to train a cat’s behavior.
A cat can jump and land on its feet as this is a natural instinct for a cat.
When a kitten is born the cushion in its paws are not developed with the cushion
to land on its feet. It takes about 7 weeks to develop the cushion in a kittens
paw for landing. A cats bone structure is unique to other animals as the bones
are flexible, cats have no collar bone, which enables them to twist and bend
their bones. A cat can jump a great distance without sustaining any injuries.
With this behavior, you will want to teach the cat to jump hoops, sticks, or off
the scratching tree. Letting a cat jump from extreme heights will cause injury
to the cat.
Cats have a unique hearing ability; they are able to hear high tones and
pitches, like opening a door or a can of food. Cats also have unique smelling
abilities. The reason a cat will scratch or urinate on the floor , rub its self
up against a door or furniture, is the cat is leaving their scent in those areas
so they will be able to come back and know they were there, in other words
marking its territory. In addition, if another cat or animal comes along in the
area a cat will know this. Cats can also smell with their mouths. There is a
gland called Jacobson’s organ, it is a sac in the cats upper mouth filled with
blood, as the cat smells the scent and the slightly opens their mouth and upper
lip, this allows the scent to be carried in and to the sac, which it will carry
the scent goes to the cat brain. This mostly happen to male cats when a female
has urinated.
Knowing these natural instincts and behaviors can give you some insight training
your cat. With behavior training you will want to make sure that you allow your
cat the ability in some way to play out its natural instincts and behaviors.
When training a cat for behaviors there are some things you need to take into
consideration. Aggression, especially in older cats, can be caused from illness
or other cats in the home. You may want to contact your vet to have your cat
checked out to see if it’s alright at this time to train a cat.
Depression and anxiety can play another part in trying to train your cat. If a
cat is separated by a recent owner the cat can become depressed. Stress is not
uncommon for a cat. If you think that your cat has depression or high anxiety,
this would be a good time to take him to the vet. Vets can talk to you about
some of the things that may be causing this. There are also medications that a
vet can prescribe for the cat to help with depression and anxiety.
Never hit a cat for punishment, he will learn to fear you, and fearing will be a
behavior you will not be able to control or retrain. When they do something that
is not right, ignore the problem unless you catch them in the act, you can
associate a noise with that behavior you don’t like, or in a stern voice tell
them “NO”.
If a behavior is becoming impossible, you may have to resort to the baby proof
home, all containers that have food in them have a lid on it. Make sure that the
counters are clean and have nothing that a cat would want to play with.
You will want to start training your cat or kitten almost immediately after you
get them. This will stop many unwanted behaviors and hopefully not let any new
bad behaviors to start.
Healthy cats need healthy relationships with their owners. Good Luck!
J. Brian Keith is a Cat Training author. Please visit my other sites for Product
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