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Believe it or not, training cats is not as difficult as some people think it is. Yes, cats are very independent and aloof and often don't care if they make you happy, but they do respond to rewards and attention from their owners if offered. You can use this when training cats to entice them into doing what you want them to do as they associate something pleasant with that task. There are also ways of making things you don't want them to do very unpleasant without hurting them or scaring them.

Training Your Cat

For example, when training cats to stay away from houseplants, it's usually recommended that you sprinkle some chili powder or other strong tasting edible powder on the leaves. The cat will chew and then hate the taste and stay away from the plants. Make sure the powder is edible; don't use baby powder as chewing and swallowing this can hurt them physically. As another example, when training cats to stay off a certain ledge or shelf, you can put some marbles on that shelf so they can't get a foothold when they jump up there. Usually it just takes once for them to jump and fall off for them to avoid it.

Spend Time With Your Cat

It's also important when training cats to work with them. If they have a tendency to play at night and keep you awake, make sure you're spending time with them during the day. Set aside twenty or thirty minutes every day to keep them active so that they're tired enough to sleep through the night. If they have nothing to do during the day cats will usually nap, which means they're up during the night. Part of training cats involves understanding how they think and why they act the way they do, and then working with them accordingly. Wearing them out during the day with scheduled playtime can also mean that they're less likely to jump up on shelves and furniture because they just don't have the energy to explore.

Your Cat Needs Reward And Praise

You also need to remember rewards and praise when training cats. Usually cats respond to rewards more than they do to scolding and punishment, as it's difficult for them to connect your scolding to the act they've committed. When you praise a cat and reward him with special treats or with physical petting, he typically looks forward to that and is able to connect his actions with that pleasant experience. Often owners forget this when training cats and rely only on scolding something they don't want kids to do rather than praising their other actions. Try a special treat they get only when they use the litter box or when they come when called. When training cats to use a harness or leash, give him another special treat he gets only as you're putting him in the harness. As your cat looks forward to that treat and associates it with the harness or whatever else, he'll be more cooperative about it in the first place.

If you'd like more of my Cat Training Tips, check out my "Insider Tricks and Secrets to Training Your Cat".

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