August 12, 2008

Train a Cat to Listen

Filed under: cat1 — papap @ 5:01 am

Cats cannot be discipline as you would a dog. With a dog they are social dominant that can be trained to have you as the dominant one. The reason that cats will not react as a dog is that cats have social groups only by respect and social groups.

Physical punishment on cat will only result in the cat fearing you. So never, hit your cat or any physical punishment.

Train your cat to have appropriate behaviors and that they cannot do the inappropriate behaviors as you will not tolerate this type of behavior. Cats do not like surprises; an advantage that you will have on the cat, in order to be able to train by using surprise noises. Use clapping, firm voice “NO”, hissing, or water bottle to have your cat stop the unwanted behaviors. For these to be effective you must do a surprising sound immediately when the unwanted behaviors are being done. Seconds later or even when you come home and find the unwanted behavior done is not going to be effective as doing it as soon as the cat starts the unwanted behavior.

Never rub the nose of the cat. Use the face push method, pushing the palm of you hand in the cats face. This is a great way to let your cat know that biting is not acceptable, if you have a cat that is biting. Simply push the cats face back gently, do not hit the cat.

Some behaviors will not be able to train. Childproofing might be the solution to that behavior. Small plastic container, keep the valuable breakables out of reach, find our of reach places for the dangerous items so your cat cannot reach and get into them. Make sure all items that the cat might be able to get on if there is a climbing or a jumping problem is secure.

Pet stores do offer assorted sprays, creams, powders, scents, and other items to help with the training your cat. Catnip is available in different forms to help with having your cat know some of it territory. Scat mats are mats that have very little current that runs on a battery. These are great for on the counter, couch, or anything that the cat has been jumping on when your presents is not in that room. Scents in sprays and creams for furniture, litter boxes and other item that help deterrent your cat from. So they will use a scratching pole.

Place fabric that is lose woven down, or netting cats does not like to have their nails snag. Rubbing lemon, bitters, cayenne pepper, orange peelings on items that the cat is not allow playing with. Put foil paper around plants so that your cat is not digging in the dirt. Cats do not like the feel or noise from the foil paper.

Toys for actives are also import for you to help with behaviors. If you do not supply actives for the cat to do you will not be able to train your cat. Toys with catnip in them are great, scratching poles, ropes, and hoops for jumping through. You can be crafty and make items that the cat would like to play with.

Starting to train a cat when it is young is the best way, this is the easiest with you and with the cat. Less stress, your cat will learn the good behaviors easier, and you can get a handle on the natural bad behaviors.

Once of the best things to make sure that your cat is ready to train is take him to the vet for a check up and make sure he has had his shot. This is important; as if your cat is ill, you will not be able to train your cat. Also, for the groomer to maintain his fur and nails. Both of these are great to for the social part of training. Your cat will need to see these people on regular bases and if started right away, will help with the training.

Most of all Patience, love and caring for your cat will be a great gift that you can do for the training. They will love you back.

Author is the editor of Special Feature section of newkerala.com, the Online newspaper published from India. Read more articles by the author at http://www.newkerala.com

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June 29, 2008

The Ragamuffin Cat Breed

Filed under: cat1 — papap @ 4:06 am

If you are looking for a cat breed that won’t mind if your children decide they want to play dress up, you may want to take a look at the Ragamuffin cat breed. These cats are very tolerant of children and other pets and will allow children to play games that would have other cat breeds and even many dog breeds running for cover.

The same characteristics that make the Ragamuffin such a wonderful family pet make it a bad choice for people who are not home for long periods of time. This breed thrives on attention and enjoys ‘helping’ its family do routine household chores, such as putting away groceries or folding laundry. Spending a lot of time alone can make your cat very unhappy. After all, a cat breed that will ride around in your child’s doll carriage or attend a tea party obviously loves plenty of company and attention.

The Ragamuffin is one of the biggest cat breeds, weighing in at a very hefty ten to twenty pounds. Although these cats have larger than normal bones, part of their weight also comes from their tendency to carry a bit of extra fat on their bellies. This breed has a big, solidly built body, a wedge shaped head that is a bit round and large eyes that are so expressive that many people say that their cats seem to talk with their eyes. This breed has a long, gracefully tapered tail that is covered in long hair, giving it a bushy appearance. You can find the Ragamuffin in almost any coat color and any pattern. However cats with points can not be shown.

The Cat Fancier’s Association classifies the Ragamuffin as a member of the Miscellaneous class. This cat breed is the only one currently in this category. As the breed becomes more established, it will eventually move to the Provisional class. While the Ragamuffin can be shown, it can not receive any ribbons or awards until it moves from the Miscellaneous class and into a different class.

Ragamuffins have long hair with an extremely soft texture. Despite the fact that these cats are longhairs, the silkiness of their hair makes them easy to care for. This breed is not prone to developing matted hair and one of these cats only needs to be groomed about once a week to keep his coat looking beautiful and tangle free.

Since these cats have a tendency to carry a few more pounds than necessary around their stomachs, you may need to keep a close eye on your Ragamuffin’s weight. If he grows too overweight, you should ask your veterinarian about feeding your cat a weight management cat food. Except for this weight problem, this cat breed has no hereditary health conditions and is an extremely healthy breed overall.

If you want a large, gentle cat that actually enjoys being around children, then the Ragamuffin is the perfect breed for you.

I would love to share my secrets with you and my new special articles on
cat training do just that! Everything you need to know to train your cat is included in these special reports: See our section on Cat Breads.

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June 17, 2008

The Ragdoll Cat - A Closer Look

Filed under: cat1 — papap @ 9:04 am

During the mid nineteen hundreds, an American breeder developed a cat breed that was so laid back and relaxed that it would hang limply like a cloth doll when people held it. This breed was developed from a Birman cat and a longhair cat with an unknown ancestry. The breeder called these cats the Ragdoll because of their calm, relaxed nature. Although the Cat Fancier’s Association did not recognize these first cats as the Ragdoll, their descendants became the gentle Ragdolls we know today.

This breed is one of the largest of the cat breeds, weighing between ten and twenty pounds. It is no surprise that such heavy cats have big, muscular bodies. Their heads are slightly round, their ears are small and rounded, and their large eyes are in a brilliant blue color. This breed’s tail is slightly bushy and tapers at the end.

The Ragdoll does not come in a wide range of colors and patterns. In fact, there are actually only four colors accepted by the Cat Fancier’s Association, Seal, Chocolate, Blue, and Lilac. You can find these colors in pointed, mitted, or bicolor patterns, but some breeders avoid mitted cats because they look too much like the breed’s Birman ancestors.

The Ragdoll’s calm demeanor makes it the perfect choice for families. These cats are almost dog like in their behavior, greeting family members at the door, following them through the house, and snuggling down beside them on the sofa. If you do not believe in de-clawing your cat, but are concerned about having your furniture ruined, you may want to consider this breed as well. Some Ragdoll owners say their cats have learned to use a scratching post instead of furniture arms to sharpen their claws much more quickly than their other cat breeds. Since these cats seem to make an effort to keep from scratching people, as well, they may be less prone to scratch furniture in the first place.

While this cat breed does not need the company of other pets and seems to prefer to spend time with family members over cats, it does not mind living with other cats. Perhaps this is because this breed is so much larger than other cats, but it is most likely because the Ragdoll is just so sweet natured.

Since the Ragdoll is a longhair cat, some prospective cat owners are a bit hesitant about choosing this breed. They are afraid they won’t have time for the frequent grooming most longhairs require. However, this breed’s silky coat texture makes it a very low care cat. Combing through your cat’s hair weekly to remove stray hairs or debris is all that is necessary to keep his coat looking fantastic. One thing you may want to keep in mind is that although most longhairs are prone to hairballs, these cats rarely develop them.

If you want a sweet tempered, family oriented cat, then the big Ragdoll may be the ideal breed for you.

I would love to share my secrets with you and my new special articles on
cat training do just that! Everything you need to know to train your cat is included in these special reports: See our section on Cat Breads.

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