Cat Habits & Training

According to The Humane Society of the United States, the best way to train cats is through positive reinforcement. Cats need to be motivated to break bad habits or develop new ones. Knowing what motivates cats is the key to training.

  1. Significance

    • Many cat owners often inadvertently reward their cats for bad habits or behavior, which perpetuates the inappropriate behavior and creates frustration.

    Solution

    • Food is the number one motivator for a cat. Give the cat treats every time it allows you to brush it, uses the scratching post, or behaves appropriately.

    Time Frame

    • Reward the cat within seconds of its appropriate behavior, because its attention span is so short. Only train the cat for up to 15 minutes at a time, or it will lose interest. Be consistent. Everyone in the family should use the same technique, every time.

    Misconceptions

    • When a cat misbehaves, yelling at it will not help, because the cat will immediately forget what it has done and will not associate the yelling with the bad behavior.

    Considerations

    • When the cat is in the habit of behaving appropriately, gradually replace treats with emotional rewards like petting, scratching its chin or play, so that it does not get fat.