Training Aids For Cats

By Liz Canham

I don't know if obedience classes for cats exist, but it seems unlikely. The idea of independent cats being paraded around on leads is somewhat hard to deal with but despite what dog owners would have you believe, cats can be trained using a few simple aids.

Feeding Time

Be consistent in the times that you feed your cat. Although they obviously can't tell the time as such, cats appear to know when it's their feeding time if you keep to the same time daily. A well-fed cat is unlikely to beg at your dinner table, particularly if it has already eaten when you sit down to your meal. If the cat does beg at table, remove it at once to its own food bowl.

Scratching Post

Cats need to claw at something. In the wild they use tree trunks but if you have no trees or have an indoor cat, a scratching post is a must in order to save your furniture and carpets. Whenever the cat shows signs of clawing where it shouldn't, pick it up and take it to the scratching post. Soon enough it will learn what it can claw at and what it can't.

Repellent

A liquid repellent can also be applied to furniture to stop cats from scratching, as the taste is dreadful to a cat. However, apply a very small amount to fabrics in a hard to see place to start with, just to make sure that there is no adverse reaction with the material.

Toys

A bored cat often becomes a badly behaved cat and kittens love to play but even older cats need exercise. Ping pong balls are great for a game of football - many cats are very dextrous and watching them is as entertaining for the owner. Something on the end of a piece of string which they can bat about and attack as you dangle it in the air or drag it along the ground is also fun for owner and cat. Wear your cat out with some strenuous exercise and it will be too tired to be naughty.

Treats

As with dogs, treats are a useful training aid for cats as they can be used as a reward for a task achieved or just for good behaviour. Some cat treats have other benefits such as removing plaque from the cat's teeth and preventing fur balls.

Water Spray

A water spray is useful to train a cat that fighting with other cats or using your best plant pots as a toilet is not acceptable behaviour.

Cat Grass

Cats instinctively eat plant matter or grass to induce vomiting when they have a fur ball. If you don't want your best plants eaten, provide a pot or two of specially grown grass for cats. It will be a lot better for them too.

Observation Post

Cats like to have a good view of the world. If you don't want them sitting on the backs of your chairs or on your window sills, provide a specially built high up place for the cat to sit. As with the scratching post, if they make for your sofa back or bookcase, pick them up and put them on their observation post.

No matter what training aids you use, training your cat will still require patience but it will pay off in the end.

Liz Canham is the proud owner (or maybe servant) of three cats and is webmistress of The Cat Lover