5 Tips to Have a Well-Behaved Cat
Having a well behaved cat starts when they are a kitten just as being a well behaved adult starts as a child.
Some owners have the idea that kittens will become well behaved on their own when they get older but this is not the case.
Kittens learn from their parents or if they aren't present, from what their owner learns them.
So start as you mean to go on with your kitten to get a well-behaved cat.
Ground rules You can't tell a kitten what the ground rules are for the house because they don't understand a word you say so you need to lay down the rules with your actions and a few words.
From the first day, the kitten arrives in the house, when the kitten does something that you don't want them to, you need to tell them 'No' in a firm voice.
They will respond more to your tone than the actual word and lets them know you don't like something they have done.
Another idea is to ignore the kitten for a short period when it has been naughty as this lack of attention will help them realise they have done something wrong.
Habits Once a habit is in place in a mature cat, it is difficult to change so the best thing to do is to alter the behaviour before it becomes embedded or while they are a kitten.
This can be a whole range of little habits and it is down to the owner to let the kitten know what is okay and what isn't.
One example is when a kitten bites and scratches during play.
If this becomes too excitable and the biting becomes too hard, then the game should be stopped.
They will learn that excessive biting or scratching ends the game and stops doing this.
Learning them to use their scratching post from an early age is another important step.
Cats need to scratch and if they aren't directed to the proper place, they will make use of whatever is around that fits the bill - usually the furniture.
Whenever they begin to scratch, take them to the scratching post.
Another suggestion is to put adhesive tape or tin foil over the furniture they are scratching to make it scratch proof and they will quickly turn away from it.
Reprimanding Never use physical force with your cat - teach them what is good and bad by your voice and your actions.
Hitting the cat won't learn it what to do and will end up where they are aggressive with you or fearful, neither making for a good and happy pet.
Understanding why a cat is behaving in a certain way is another big factor to solving the problem - they don't do things just to be awkward but because an instinct is telling them to.
Learn the kids with the cat While teaching your cat how you want it to behave, at the same time teach the kids how to deal with the cat.
It is important from an early stage that the kids realise the cat isn't a toy and should be treated with love and respect.
If you have a baby, then it may be best to supervise interactions until you can learn the child what the cat is and how to react to it.
If the kids pull the cats the tail or whiskers and the cat lashes out, don't blame the cat as it is simply defending itself.
Rewarding behaviour The best way to show a cat that it has done something good is to reward the behaviour.
Praise and encourage the good stuff so that they know what is good and what you want them to do - this is just as important as scolding them for bad behaviour.
Some owners have the idea that kittens will become well behaved on their own when they get older but this is not the case.
Kittens learn from their parents or if they aren't present, from what their owner learns them.
So start as you mean to go on with your kitten to get a well-behaved cat.
Ground rules You can't tell a kitten what the ground rules are for the house because they don't understand a word you say so you need to lay down the rules with your actions and a few words.
From the first day, the kitten arrives in the house, when the kitten does something that you don't want them to, you need to tell them 'No' in a firm voice.
They will respond more to your tone than the actual word and lets them know you don't like something they have done.
Another idea is to ignore the kitten for a short period when it has been naughty as this lack of attention will help them realise they have done something wrong.
Habits Once a habit is in place in a mature cat, it is difficult to change so the best thing to do is to alter the behaviour before it becomes embedded or while they are a kitten.
This can be a whole range of little habits and it is down to the owner to let the kitten know what is okay and what isn't.
One example is when a kitten bites and scratches during play.
If this becomes too excitable and the biting becomes too hard, then the game should be stopped.
They will learn that excessive biting or scratching ends the game and stops doing this.
Learning them to use their scratching post from an early age is another important step.
Cats need to scratch and if they aren't directed to the proper place, they will make use of whatever is around that fits the bill - usually the furniture.
Whenever they begin to scratch, take them to the scratching post.
Another suggestion is to put adhesive tape or tin foil over the furniture they are scratching to make it scratch proof and they will quickly turn away from it.
Reprimanding Never use physical force with your cat - teach them what is good and bad by your voice and your actions.
Hitting the cat won't learn it what to do and will end up where they are aggressive with you or fearful, neither making for a good and happy pet.
Understanding why a cat is behaving in a certain way is another big factor to solving the problem - they don't do things just to be awkward but because an instinct is telling them to.
Learn the kids with the cat While teaching your cat how you want it to behave, at the same time teach the kids how to deal with the cat.
It is important from an early stage that the kids realise the cat isn't a toy and should be treated with love and respect.
If you have a baby, then it may be best to supervise interactions until you can learn the child what the cat is and how to react to it.
If the kids pull the cats the tail or whiskers and the cat lashes out, don't blame the cat as it is simply defending itself.
Rewarding behaviour The best way to show a cat that it has done something good is to reward the behaviour.
Praise and encourage the good stuff so that they know what is good and what you want them to do - this is just as important as scolding them for bad behaviour.
