Cat Behavior

One cannot train cats, like dogs, to heel, sit and stay.



Cat behavior is all about the cat using its litter box and not the cat’s owner’s cupboards, shoes and closets. The right cat behavior also involves the cat using a scratching post to sharpen its claws and not the furniture around the house or any available tree trunk.



Cat behavior training is actually about a cat behaving like a cat but the need is to make sure it is a particularly well mannered one. When an owner is concerned with cat behavior modification, the first step is towards the owners understanding the method through which they intend to train or teach the cat a specific activity.



Cats unlike dogs do not understand words of a language; they simply learn and understand new things through the process of experience. If by the cat’s standard, a specific activity has been a good one, then the cat will make attempts to repeat the said activity. However, if by the cat’s standards a specific activity has been an unpleasant one for it, then the cat will try to avoid repeating that activity. The cat will ensure that it avoids that activity after that. Cats like to scratch surfaces using their claws and hence will persist in this activity, however, they do not like singeing their noses in the candles flame so they will avoid repeating this behavior.

Some cat behavior advice is that when attempting to train a cat on a specific activity, one should try and make sure the experience is a pleasurable or rewarding one for the cat. This will ensure that the cat will try to repeat its behavior. Likewise if an owner wishes to prevent the cat from repeating a said activity, then make sure that the activity is not rewarding or fun for the cat. Sometimes owners can erroneously reward their pets for what qualifies as bad behavior and this can cause the pet to repeat the activity. For example if the pet wakes its owner really early in the morning, then in an effort to pacify the cat the owner may cede to all its requests, which can contribute to bad behavior and can also serve to confuse the cat. The cat may also begin to associate behavior patterns as activities that are related to each other. Cats are intrinsically clean and well behaved and when trained properly become the perfect companions.