Is it Possible to Train a Cat? Find Out!

You usually hear a lot about dog training. Teaching them to follow orders like “Sit, Down, Stand, Stay, Heel, Take it, Drop it” etc seems easy. We can even teach them these at home! However, you never hear about whether it’s possible to train a cat. What do you think? Would it be achievable?

There are many differences between cats and dogs. They say that dogs are among the most intelligent animals and that it’s therefore easy for them to learn to obey orders. But what about felines? Well, it turns out they can also be educated to follow basic rules at home.

If you don’t do this, then the cat will live independently and do whatever he wants without any leader to guide him. Animals act on instinct, so they need a guide to know what to do and how to behave.

Is it possible to train a cat? How?

The answer is Yes! and we’ll show you how to do it right now.

Find out what their bad behaviors are

Before trying to end bad behavior, we must learn how to recognize it. This way we can know where the problem is coming from and treat it at its source. In cats, the most common behavior problems are the following:

• They avoid using the litterbox
• Marking furniture and other things with urine or their claws
• Scratching you or other family members while playing
• They have aggressive behavior toward their owner or others
• Behaving aggressively with other household cats or other pets
• Stress and anxiety
• Fear of objects or people

Knowing what the most common misbehavior is, we’re ready to get down to work on our job of training a cat.

Correct their behavior

Since we already know what cats shouldn’t do (unnatural behavior), we’re now ready to try to change those behavior patterns. However, to do this, we need to avoid punishments, regardless of whether they are verbal or physical. Neither is acceptable when dealing with any living being.

Punishments don’t get you anywhere. In fact, they’ll get quite the opposite effect that you originally wanted. The cat will be afraid of you and won’t want to play with you or other family members. In addition, it may also show aggressive behavior as a result.

Although punishments may seem to offer solutions, these are always short-term. Therefore, even though it’s normal to feel frustrated when the animal does something wrong, take a deep breath or take a step away until you can calm down. This way you’ll avoid doing or saying anything that you may regret later.

Correct them from a distance

What’s this supposed to mean? Well, help the animal learn to relate textures, smells or unpleasant sounds with the wrongdoing. As a result, the cat will want to avoid repeating it. But how can you do this?

1. Textures. Aluminum foil, adhesive, plastic carpet or any other material you think your cat dislikes. You can place these in the places you don’t want your cat to go.
2. Smells. If there are surfaces or places where you don’t want your cat to be, place cotton balls soaked in citronella, air freshener, aloe, eucalyptus or any smell you think is unpleasant for your pet.
3. Flavors. Citrus, bitter apple, hot sauces, red pepper or any other substance you know your pet doesn’t like and will avoid. Therefore, you can rub it all over places or surfaces where you don’t want your cat to be.
4. Sounds. A whistle, for example, to warn your cat not to go up there. In addition, a bell or any other noise that bothers them is a great idea for training a cat and conditioning their behavior.

Together with these tips, always remember these important hints:

• Don’t pay any attention to them when they misbehave at playtime
• Maintain their routines
• Provide cat scratchers and playtime sessions daily
• You can use artificial pheromones sold in stores to reduce their stress and anxiety.