Has Anyone Ever
REALLY Trained a Cat?
by Susan Nelson
Hopkins
 Cats are extraordinarily
independent, intelligent creatures that respond readily to their
environments... especially sounds and smells.
Your success will depend on
your approach... delete the word "train" from your vocabulary. Focus
instead on becoming your cat's guide. Your job, then, is to show her
what's expected. Tutor her on what to do to achieve the goal.
Then...
IF the goal is
desirable to your cat, she will do it instinctively.
So here is the secret...
if your cat considers the goal to be a natural
activity, then she will more readily embrace it as her own idea.
To ensure domestic
tranquility, every cat owner should set these three goals for their
cats:
1. Use a litter
box...
This is by far the most
important goal for your cat to achieve. Fortunately, it's also
one of the easiest for them.
Remember, their
natural choice would be an area that is private and
convenient, and sandy. Of course, it also needs to be easy for
you clean.
- Provide the correct
size
litter box... it's critical that it not be too small.
Your cat should not feel restricted when using it.
- Fill it about half
full with kitty litter... just enough to cover your cat's
"gifts", but not so much that litter spills out when she
rakes it around.
- Privacy is also key
because their instinct in nature is to seek out a location
where their scent will not betray their lair.
Introduce your cat to
the litter box immediately... just place her in it. Remarkably,
90% of the time this is all it takes.
If she needs reminding, just
put her waste in the litter box. Cats are so fastidious that the
very presence of exposed waste triggers an impulse to cover it up.
They are so intelligent, the lesson is quickly learned! (It is also
helpful to remove the scent from the "accident" by cleaning it with
soda water.)
2. Don't scratch
furniture and drapes...
Use another of their
natural instincts to resolve this habit.
The urge to scratch is often
triggered by certain type of smell. Introduce an offensive odor to
correct them. Apply a
citrus or a bitter apple scent where you don't
want them to scratch.
Be sure to provide an
acceptable place for them to scratch, because this urge is as
compulsive as covering up their waste.
3. Don't jump
on counters...
Again, use their
natural instincts to correct this.
Cats naturally seek elevated
spots for quite, secretive viewing. Put something on the counter
that will create a loud noise when they land there.
If you don't have anything
handy, resort to the "bitter smell" tactic that you used to cure
your cat's scratching habit. Place a towel soaked in citrus on the
counter, or use a commercial room freshener (just make sure it's
safe for animals).
Your cat will adapt
quickly... she will just find an alternate perch.
(By the way, if
your kitty "attacks" your ankles, check out "Is
a Tiger Stalking Your Living Room?)
By the way...
Some folks have reported
success using a "clicker"... it makes a loud clicking sound. Since
cats avoid loud noises, a
cat training clicker works quite well.
However, there is a
drawback... you need to monitor your cat constantly until its
behavior changes... you have to catch her "in the act" of
scratching, jumping, etc. Note that it should not be
used to litter-box train because you don't want them to stop "in the
act".
So, when all is said and
done, have you actually trained your cat?
From your point of view,
absolutely.
From her point of view,
absolutely NOT... she's merely rewarding you for paying attention to her!
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