Guest Post: Cat Care 101: Dogs Aren't the Only Pet in Need of Training

Liz Becker is a blogger, freelance writer and recent college graduate. She currently performs market research for an online marketing firm when she is not contributing her own thoughts and observations to the online community.

Cat Care 101: Dogs Aren't the Only Pet in Need of Training

When most people think about pet training, they think about dogs. However, the more you learn about cat behavior and cat care, the more you will realize that your cat or kitten needs to be trained as well! Cats have a number of natural behaviors that can make them undesirable as companion animals. If you want to know why you should train your cat, check out the list of reasons below! 

 

Saving Your Food and Your Paperwork 

Some cats love jumping up on tables, and there are plenty of reasons for a cat to wish to do so. They may be interested in what you are doing or they might want to know what you are eating. When your cat jumps up on the table, say “no” very sternly and remove it. If it persists, spray it with water from a garden spray bottle. 

Never feed your cat from the table, as this will only promote this undesirable behavior. Reprimand your cat every time you see it on the table; otherwise it will think that being on the table is allowed. 

 

Protecting Your Furniture 

Scratching is a natural behavior, but it can ruin your walls and your furniture. You can mitigate the issue by keeping your cat’s claws clipped, but this is only a short term solution. Give your cat a few different options when it comes to scratching. Some cats prefer mats, while others prefer posts. Place the mat or post in front of the location that the cat typically scratches. Scold the cat when you see it scratching on your furniture and praise it when you see it scratching where it should. 

 

Preserve Peace at Dinner 

Some cats haunt the dinner table when you are trying to eat. If your cat picks up the habit of begging, it can turn into quite a pest. Never feed your cat from the table. If it lingers around the dinner table, ignore it. If you want to give your cat something from your plate, something which should be a rare occurrence, simply wait until after dinner and put it in the cat’s bowl. 

If you are invested in turning your cat into a well-behaved member of your family, take the time to train it appropriately. While cats do not need the same kind of training as dogs do, you’ll find that training your cat can be rewarding and that it can even lead to a tighter bond between the two of you.