How to properly raise a kitten or an adult cat
You love your cat very much. However, she loves to demonstrate her independence, and sometimes behaves aggressively. Therefore, you need to learn how to properly educate your pet. The question is where to start.
Success is achieved by trial and error. The thing is, every animal is different. One cat may adequately respond to the use of a certain method of education, while the other, 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 in the past your pets learned the rules of behavior on their own, without your intervention. To make it easier for yourself, it is important to understand the basic principles: what can and cannot be done. If a kitten or adult cat understands the rules of behavior, you are less likely to have to apply educational measures. After all, cats are smart enough.
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What can not be done
Do not think that the process of raising cats and dogs is the same: dog training is a special process that cannot be transferred to cats. You can not use the same methods for cats and dogs. These are completely different animals, which are trained in completely different ways. For example, a dog in the process of training will wait for your command, while a cat will ignore your “sit” and “place”. Therefore, the first step to success is to understand that you need to use a different approach.
Never use physical punishment: you may be annoyed by the learning process itself, but you should not beat a pet under any circumstances. Cats react extremely negatively to any form of human punishment, so using physical force in addition to them can destroy your affection for each other. You can not hold the cat, pressing it to the floor, shake or beat. The use of physical force will have negative consequences: the cat may rush at you or, conversely, hide. In addition, animals rarely realize the logical connection between their bad behavior and subsequent physical punishment, so you may not achieve your educational goal. If you are having trouble, call your family and friends for help, or contact a specialist in raising cats. Don’t think of it as an admission of defeat: you just asked for help!
You shouldn’t shout. You speak different languages, and you don’t have to think that the cat will understand you better if you raise your voice. Yes, a cat may recognize that raising his voice means a change in the situation, but screaming can frighten him or overemphasize bad behavior. As a result, she will feel stressed and anxious and will start behaving even worse.
Don’t poke your cat’s nose into a puddle The only thing you will achieve is irritation on her part. You will not know why she walks past the tray, and you will not prevent a similar situation from occurring in the future. This nose poke 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 the traces of her bad behavior and continue to accustom to the tray.
Unacceptable methods of play should not be encouraged. It looks touching when the kitten bites and scratches your fingers while playing. Now imagine an adult cat doing the same. You are unlikely to want this. It is you who sets the right behaviors when you take a new pet into the house. Therefore, when a cat starts scratching and biting 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 a kitten to bite your fingers, he may think that this is also the way to behave with children. As a result, children will become afraid of him. It is unlikely that this is what you are striving for.
Do not use a spray bottle. If you think that by splashing water on a cat you will be able to stop him from misbehaving, then this is a myth and nothing more. In fact, it is highly likely that a cat will not associate the fact that water was splashed on it with their 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 gun. It is unlikely that this is your ultimate goal.
What to do
Reward good behavior. Punishment serves as a poor motivator for learning, while praise, on the contrary, will be evidence for 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 deed and the reward.
Interrupt your pet’s misbehavior immediately It is a form of passive parenting. For example, one of the most effective ways to deal with biting and grabbing may be to shift the cat’s attention to another object. You can try something else to divert your pet’s attention – this is a great way to control your cat’s behavior. Let’s say if a cat scratches the couch, show her the scratching post.
Pay attention to the health of your cat. Does the cat use any place other than the litter box as a toilet? Kittens really may still not know that they need to go to the tray, but in the case of an adult cat, everything is not so simple. If your pet suddenly starts to walk past the tray throughout the house, you should seek the advice of a veterinarian. This behavior may be the result 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 to identify the hidden cause of the change in the behavior of the animal. If there is indeed a health problem, the doctor will suggest treatment options. If it is only about behavior, a veterinarian can also give the right advice.
Don’t be afraid to change your environment.If you are trying to stop your cat from scratching a leather sofa or jumping on a table, you can try using additional tools. For example, put a baking sheet on the edge of the table: if the cat jumps on it, it will fall to the floor. Lay a soft silk bedspread on a leather sofa and the cat will roll off it. But be careful not to use items that can injure your pet. There are 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 her, contact and reward her for good behavior. Cats may be independent, but they want to have a relationship built on love.
