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| Sunday, 31 October 2004 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Basic training for your feline pet 'Cats are hard to train, unlike dogs', is what most people would say but with a little patience it is possible to encourage behaviour which allows the owner and the cat to live together in harmony. Understanding your pet cat's behaviour is the key to getting it to fall in line. It is important to set the ground rules as soon as possible. Cats cannot resist getting on to chairs,tables, beds, any place they find cosy to sleep. Respect for furniture is not difficult to achieve. All it takes is a firm 'no.' But make sure you show a lot of affection when it does comply with your rules. If you teach a kitten not to get on to a bed, or climb on curtains, it will grow up with the knowledge such areas are 'out of bounds' for it. Toilet training Many cats learn to use a litter tray but place it in a quiet corner and make it easily accessible to the cat. Kittens often need to use the tray after a meal. It is easy to say when it wants to go to the toilet. It will start sniffing, scratching and then begin to crouch. Catch it at this point and place it on the litter tray. If you have garden space, take it out after every meal. Soon it will go out on its own. Strong smelling disinfectants should not be used to clean a cat's litter tray because it may keep the cat away from using it. Stop them ruining your furniture Cats are born with sharp claws they instinctively want to keep in 'top condition.' They are always sharpening their claws! They enjoy scraping. Unless they are trained,they will not realise that the furniture is not there for them to scratch on. Try telling them. The best solution is to provide them with a scratching post. Ideally it should be covered with whatever material it has shown a liking to, such as carpet, corduroy or plaited string. What's important is that this scratch post is placed upright firmly so that it won't topple when the cat starts to scratch. And remember to make the post higher than the cat's height when fully stretched. Half the fun of sharpening claws is the opportunity to stretch, right out. General rules of training Always reward good behaviour. Never punish a cat. The punishment may not be associated with the behaviour and may confuse and scare the cat. Be firm and consistent with your rules. Never allow it to break rules sometimes without being reprimanded, and at others be severe with it for doing so. |
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