Proper raising of a cat: advice and recommendations from experts

You love your cat very much. Nevertheless, she loves to demonstrate her independence, and sometimes behaves aggressively. Therefore, you need to learn how to properly raise your pet. The question is where to start.

Success is achieved through trial and error. The fact is that all animals are different. One cat may respond adequately to the use of a certain training technique, while another, on the contrary, will completely ignore all your efforts and behave even worse. In addition, there are methods that cannot be used under any circumstances.

The problem is that it is quite difficult to understand what to do if you have never raised a cat before, or if in the past your pets learned the rules of behavior on their own, without your intervention. To make your task easier, it is important to understand the basic principles: what you can do and what you cannot do. If a kitten or adult cat understands the rules of behavior, you will be less likely to have to use educational measures. After all, cats are quite smart.

Aggressive or fearful cat

These are two sides of the same coin, since most often a pet’s aggression is caused by its fear. This behavior can occur if the cat has not been taught the word “no” since childhood. Or if you took into your home an adult cat that grew up on the street or in a shelter. If you have two cats, problem behavior occurs because the animals are defending their territory.

What to do? The child should be raised strictly. Don't start the education process! If the kitten does something wrong, tell him in a stern tone: “You can’t!” Only this should be done immediately after the baby has done something mischievous. As time passes, he simply will not understand why you are punishing him.

If your cat is already an adult, long-term daily work is required. Approach her as often as possible, talk gently and kindly. Don't touch at first, just be close. Gradually the cat will get used to it and allow itself to be petted.

Sometimes cats show aggression when trying to bury something. This indicates the animal’s fear and loss of its sense of security. Give your pet a mat on which he can scratch his claws. Be gentle with him, show care, and over time this condition will pass.

When a new animal appears in the family, be attentive to the first one. Let him know that he is still loved.

What not to do

Don't assume that the process of training cats and dogs is the same: training dogs is a special process that cannot be transferred to cats. You cannot use the same methods for cats and dogs. These are completely different animals that learn in completely different ways. For example, a dog during training will wait for your command, while a cat will ignore your “sit” and “place”. So the first step to success is to understand that you need to take a different approach.

Do not use physical punishment under any circumstances: you may be annoyed by the training process itself, but you should not hit your pet under any circumstances. Cats react extremely negatively to any form of human punishment, so using physical force in addition to it can destroy your bond with each other. You cannot hold the cat, pressing it to the floor, shake it or hit it. The use of physical force will have negative consequences: the cat may rush at you or, conversely, hide. In addition, animals rarely understand the logical connection between their bad behavior and subsequent physical punishment, so you may not achieve your educational goal. If you experience difficulties, call your family and friends for help or contact a cat training specialist. Don't think of this as an admission of defeat: you were just asking for help!

You shouldn't shout. You speak different languages, and you don’t need to think that the cat will understand you better if you raise your voice. Yes, a cat may recognize that raising the tone means a change in the situation, but screaming can frighten it or unnecessarily emphasize bad behavior. As a result, she will feel stressed and anxious and begin to behave even worse.

You should not poke your cat's nose into a puddle. The only thing you will achieve is irritation on its part. You won't know why she's walking past the litter box, and you won't be able to prevent a similar situation from happening in the future. Such nose poking can also have the opposite effect - the cat may remember this place and interpret your actions as permission to use any place as a toilet. It is best in this case to thoroughly wash away the traces of her bad behavior and continue training her to the tray.

Inappropriate gaming methods should not be encouraged. It looks touching when, while playing, a kitten bites and scratches your fingers. Now imagine an adult cat doing the same. You probably won't want this. It is you who set the correct behavior patterns when you take a new pet into your home. Therefore, when a cat begins to scratch and bite during play (even if it does not intend to hurt you), stop it immediately so that the kitten understands what can and cannot be done. In particular, keep this in mind when it comes to playing with children. If you allow your kitten to bite your fingers, he may think that this is the way to behave with children. As a result, children will begin to fear him. This is unlikely to be what you are aiming for.

Do not use a spray bottle. If you think that by splashing water on your cat you can stop it from misbehaving, then this is a myth and nothing more. In fact, there is a high probability that the cat will not associate the fact that water was splashed on it with its bad behavior. Most likely, she will simply run away, but will not understand the reason why you are raising her this way. Moreover, the cat will begin to hide at the sight of the spray bottle. This is unlikely to be your ultimate goal.

Cat Emperor

This is an arrogant cat who looks down on its owner, as if allowing him to take care of himself. This pet is usually very picky about food. One of the main problems is that he is accustomed to eating from his owner’s table, but refuses his own food. Or the cat may go on a “hunger strike” for several days if you suddenly decide to change its diet.

What to do? The cat should be weaned from feeding from its table. To do this, mix cat food with your pet’s favorite food, increasing the amount each time. After a week, offer your cat new food in its pure form. If the pet refuses this food, the food should be removed and the other food should not be offered. Be firm and soon the cat will have to eat what you give it.

What to do

Reward good behavior. Punishments serve as a poor motivator for learning, while praise, on the contrary, will be evidence to the cat that she is behaving correctly. Be sure to immediately reward your cat for good behavior. Then she will be able to establish a relationship between her action and the reward.

Interrupting your pet's bad behavior immediately is a form of passive parenting. For example, one of the most effective ways to combat biting and claw grabbing can be to shift your cat's attention to another object. You can try distracting your pet with something else - this is a great way to manage your cat's behavior. For example, if a cat scratches the sofa, show her a scratching post.

Pay attention to your cat's health. Does the cat use any place other than the litter box as a toilet? Kittens may indeed still not know that they need to go to the litter box, but in the case of an adult cat, not everything is so simple. If your pet suddenly starts walking past the litter box throughout the house, you should consult a veterinarian. This behavior may be a consequence of health problems, so you need to show it to a specialist. He should not be punished for something he cannot control. A consultation with a veterinarian will help identify the hidden cause of changes in the animal’s behavior. If there is indeed a health problem, the doctor will offer treatment options. If we are talking exclusively about behavior, a veterinarian can also give the necessary advice.

Don't be afraid to change your environment. If you're trying to stop your cat from scratching a leather sofa or jumping on a table, you can try using additional tools. For example, place a baking sheet on the edge of the table: if a cat jumps on it, it will fall to the floor. Place a soft silk blanket on a leather sofa and your cat will roll off it. But be careful and do not use objects that could injure your pet. You can find many safe ways to correct your cat’s behavior online.

If we talk about raising a cat, the most important thing in this process is to spend time with it, communicate with it and reward it for good behavior. Cats can be independent, but they want to have loving relationships.

Erin Ollila

Erin Ollila

Erin Ollila believes in the power of words and that her articles will make a difference. Her work can be found online and in print and includes interviews, articles, blog posts and non-fiction. She graduated from Fairfield University with a Master of Arts in Creative Writing. Check her out on Twitter @ReinventingErin or find out more at https://erinollila.com.

Don't break your own rules

Remember that kittens, like adult cats, live according to the laws of nature. They will not understand if one day you caress them and allow everything, and the next, when you come home in a bad mood, “disperse them.”

If you prohibit something, then this rule should always work. If the kitten gets into the habit of clinging to your legs or arms, it hurts and scratches until it bleeds - this is also due to lack of upbringing: you should not play with the baby using your own limbs as a toy. Remember: hands are only for affection.

In general, if you follow these simple rules, there should be no problems with your baby: gradually the kitten will understand what is good and what is bad, and your life together will be filled with harmony and mutual tenderness.

How to deal with cat disobedience?

Only humane and effective means are applicable as methods of combating cat leprosy. By combining these characteristics, the owner can easily cope with the pet’s disobedience.

After applying punishment, you can ignore your pet for a while - the cat does not like to go without communication for a long time. It will be useful not to respond to calls to play with her, not to respond to inviting sounds and the desire to lie on your lap. Then the mischievous woman will realize the wrongness of the act and will try not to do it again.

Cats are independent, inquisitive, capricious and vindictive, so punishment for wrongdoing must be used delicately. Incorrectly selected measures lead to the opposite effect. The best thing is to correct the behavior of the mischief maker by understanding the motives of negative behavior and eliminating them.

Source

Basics of raising adult cats

Every living creature is born with a certain set of instincts. People, cats, dogs, hedgehogs and squirrels share a set of skills that allowed the species to survive and evolve - these skills are called unconditioned reflexes (instincts). Some breeds of animals have additional skills literally sewn into the DNA chain, this could be affection towards people, aggression towards relatives, hyperactivity, talkativeness, etc. Unconditioned instincts include:

• Self-preservation instincts - food, cleanliness, defensive, indicative, gregarious. In relation to cats, this includes the desire to imitate, hunt, strive for freedom and peace, play, achieve goals.

• Procreation instincts ; sexual and parenting skills.

It is important! The character of any living creature is built on these two fundamental groups. Please note that raising a cat involves moral pressure only on conditioned reflexes. By infringing on unconditional instincts, you will create problems for yourself and plunge your pet into stress.

A conditioned reflex is a habit or automatic action that is not related to survival or the desire to procreate. Simply put, it is a skill that is useful to you in your daily life . This may include training to use a litter tray, weaning off scratching furniture, etc.

Conditioned reflexes are developed by stimulating unconditioned instincts. Try to stay positive when training your pet, as some cats are vindictive and quite capable of taking revenge. It is optimal to use only a food irritant, but if your pet is not timid, it is worth increasing the “pressure”.

Night serenades

Sometimes they also involve frantic running. Again, the reasons are very different from banal hunger to the discrepancy between your regimes.

• In the evening, keep your cat busy with active games; they get tired quickly and sleep for a long time after activities.
• Be sure to feed the animal before going to bed; after eating, cats also like to sleep, and the feeling of hunger will not cause a night riot
• Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time, the cat will get used to a certain daily routine

Most often, a cat’s hooligan impulses can be explained by a lack of attention on the part of the owner, since any bad behavior has a reason. Eliminate it and you will be able to find a common language with your pet.

Do your cats often misbehave? How do you raise bad boys? Share your stories in the comments!

Source

How to train a kitten to sleep

When purchasing a kitten, it is recommended to take care of a comfortable sleeping place for it. Experts do not recommend that owners allow their cat to sleep in the same bed with them. Not only is this unhygienic, but also in the understanding of the animal, by sharing a sleeping place with it, the owner seems to equalize positions, and the owner must still be the clear leader.

In addition, sleeping with a kitten is simply dangerous. For example, you can accidentally crush a baby, causing him serious injuries. There are cases where cats scratched people in their sleep. If claws accidentally get into the eye, the most tragic consequences are possible, including complete blindness.

It is necessary to equip the kitten with a comfortable sleeping place, suitable in size, protected from noise and drafts. Often babies do not want to sleep alone and come to bed with their owners. In this case, you should calm the kitten down and then take it to its own sleeping place.

In this matter, you should be gentle, but at the same time firmly adhere to your positions. Once you let the kitten fall asleep in bed with its owner, the process of further accustoming it to a sleeping place will be extremely difficult and can take a long time.

Cat etiquette

An adult, well-mannered cat should know that you can only eat from a bowl, go to the toilet only in a tray, and sharpen your claws on a scratching post. In nature, such rules of etiquette are not provided for, so the owner will have to tell the cat about them.

Teach your kitten to order: put his bowls and tray in a certain place that will not change. It is also worth setting feeding times. This way you will prevent the cat from stealing the treat from the table.

The best way to raise a kitten is through play. Refrain from swearing at the kitten and spanking: this will only make the baby afraid and stop trusting.

The secret to successful parenting

Yes, yes, it is with the comprehension of this simple truth that everything begins. Actually, raising cats itself comes down to only correcting cat behavior. And it can be corrected correctly only if you can convince the cat that she herself wants it. That is, that changes in the cat’s behavior are caused solely by its own desire. This method is considered the most humane and most effective method of education.

And one more additional condition for successful upbringing for you and your cat - the sooner you start, the greater the effect you can achieve. Agree that it is still easier to educate than to re-educate. But even if you are faced with the need for re-education, success is quite achievable if you follow some rules. Namely: cunning, patience and perseverance on your part, trust and understanding on the part of the cat. Let's start understanding the secret of successfully raising cats from the beginning, that is, from the moment a kitten appears in your home.

Feeding mode

Raising and disciplining a kitten also involves maintaining a proper feeding regimen. Kittens, like small children, should be fed according to a certain pattern. It looks like this:

It is recommended to feed the kitten strictly at certain hours. After feeding, the food bowls are removed. Only an adult cat over a year old can independently determine the time of meals and its quantity. As for water, the kitten should have constant access to it. The water in the drinking bowl should be changed 2-3 times throughout the day.

Train your cat!

“No, you can’t train a cat! - You object - Much has already been written about this! Even cat trainer Yuri Kuklachev admitted that he simply finds some interesting character traits in a cat and adapts his act to them!”

Yuri Kuklachev with cats

I agree with you - a cat cannot be trained and raised in the same way as a dog. A cat needs its own methods.

Cats are smarter than many people think and they have excellent memories. Experts say cats have both long-term and short-term memory, so they can be trained.

Pets, like people, respond well to positive reinforcement, so cats will remember when they get something they like.

Most cats love attention, food, toys, and everything in between.

Choose a motivator that you can use to encourage your cat to do what you want.

If possible, reward your cat with this special item only when teaching a specific behavior.

If a valuable treat or training toy is only attracted during the training process, the item will be a valuable reward and will be very attractive to the cat.

If you're struggling to find an item that motivates your cat, consider things like tuna, cheese, shrimp, and catnip toys.

These may be items that the cat has never tried before, so they can help attract attention.

Proper care

Raising a kitten includes proper care for the baby. In order to provide it to your pet, you should pay attention to the following recommendations from experts:

1. From an early age, teach your kitten to hygiene procedures. Brush his fur regularly.
2. Give your kitten water treatments. It is best to accustom your baby to water from an early age.
3. Once every 1.5-2 weeks, trim the kitten’s claws, clean the eyes and ears. If you do not accustom your baby to such procedures, caring for an adult cat will be extremely problematic.
4. When bathing your kitten, use high-quality shampoos designed for its age category and coat type.

Caring for a kitten in this way will teach it discipline and help the owner establish contact with his pet.

Walks

In general, cats do not need walks, but if you wish, you can use a harness for control and take your pet outside if there is a fenced area. An animal that has never been outside the house may react warily and remain in one place or run back and forth. This is fine. Take your time and be patient, allowing the cat to explore the surroundings and get used to the environment.

You should not try to stir up your pet. A kitten is not a puppy. The latter love active pastime. Cats prefer to quietly bask in the sun's rays and watch what is happening around them. It is strictly forbidden to let an animal go outside without supervision and control. Cats obey less well than dogs, so if they are frightened, even in the personal presence of the owner, they can run away and get lost. On the street, a pet can get hit by a car, become a victim of dogs, freeze, die from hunger, or contract an infection.

How not to punish a cat: unacceptable actions

When choosing a method of influencing a naughty dog, it is important for the owner to be guided by the principles of humanity. It is strictly forbidden to use violence, leaving without food, medicines and other means of punishment that negatively affect the psyche and health of a mustachioed friend.

Physical violence

Veterinarians and animal psychologists are unanimous in their opinion that beating an animal is prohibited. Cats are considered very vindictive, so after physical violence is applied to them, the four-legged animals begin to indulge even more actively.

In addition, beating someone who is weaker is very mean and inhumane. And this can literally injure the mustache - for example, there is a cluster of nerve endings on the back and in the tail area. This is similar to the solar plexus in humans. Touching, let alone hitting a cat on the back is simply dangerous, because any touch to a sensitive area will cause discomfort or pain.

The use of physical violence against a cat leads to a complete loss of trust in people. A naughty person will identify a person's hands with pain and danger. These are strong emotions, and subsequently it will be difficult for a person to regain the favor of his mustachioed friend.

Left without food and water

You cannot deprive your pet of food and water for committing offenses. This is not only harmful to your physical condition, but also absolutely useless. It is difficult for an animal to associate the lack of food in a bowl with a bad deed. A mischievous pet will most likely experience severe stress, and the opposite effect will occur - resentment towards the owner and a desire to steal food from the table will appear.

Removing body parts

Some inexperienced owners decide to undergo the declawing procedure. For an animal, the operation is equivalent to amputation - this is a cruel act that greatly complicates the daily life of the poor creature. He not only loses coordination, but also begins to experience mental problems. In many European countries, this procedure is strictly prohibited due to its inhumanity.

Strong medications

Any medications can only be prescribed to a pet by a veterinarian. Self-medication is not allowed.

It is even more dangerous to use strong drugs that affect the furry’s psyche - the doctor can prescribe calming drops or tablets only during periods of stress or during long trips. In any other cases, the use of medications that affect the emotional state of the cat is strictly prohibited.

If an animal behaves inappropriately due to sexual instinct, it is much more humane to perform a castration or sterilization operation. This will have an extremely positive effect on the pet’s health, and its behavior will quickly return to normal.

Collars and other electric shock devices

Electric current is dangerous for all living beings. It is unacceptable to use it to pacify a mischievous pet, although many devices and collars that deliver electric current are sold on the Internet. Their use is illegal and unacceptable to obtain the desired result. Such devices cause irreparable harm to the mental and physical state of the four-legged animal - they simply cripple it.

Unwanted kitten behavior

In most cases, the cat does not behave as the owner would like, not out of harm. Often the kitten is simply trying to fulfill its needs or satisfy its curiosity.

For example:

• If a kitten chews on wires, baseboards or flowers, he wants to sharpen his teeth and replenish his supply of vitamins. Distract your pet with a scented toy;
• If a kitten is rummaging through the trash, he is looking for food there. Don't leave scraps in the trash;
• The kitten walks on tables and looks into cabinets - it shows curiosity. Make sure that he associates such an action with something unpleasant: a sound or smell;
• If the kitten goes to the toilet in the wrong place, the baby does not like his litter box, he does not know how to use it, or he does not know where it is;

• The kitten sharpens its claws on the furniture - it doesn’t know how to use the scratching post. Teach him such wisdom.

For a kitten, the whole world is you and the house in which he lives.
He doesn't know how to behave correctly if he was never told about it. Did you like the article? Share with your friends!