Are cats trainable?
To train your new kitten, you need an understanding of how
she thinks and behaves.
Cats are not like dogs. Dogs are pack animals who want to
please their 'leader' (you). Your kitten will be more
interested in pleasing herself!
That said, with a bit of understanding and patience, there's
no reason why you can't train your kitten. And it's important
that you do. After all, how will you groom your kitten or keep
a close eye on her health if you don't train her to be handled?
And do you really want her padding about on your kitchen
counters?
The basic principles
The first thing to realise is that cats do not understand
punishment. Encouraging good behaviour is much more effective.
Sound tricky? Just remember the three 'R's' - respect,
reinforcement and rewards.
Let's take respect. It's important that you behave in a 'cat
friendly' manner. Did you know for example that cats dislike
being stared at, or that they can't abide sudden noises or
movements?
Reinforcement just means consistency and repetition. If your
kitten does something you wish to discourage (like jumping on
the kitchen counters), always gently and firmly say no. If she
does something you want to encourage, be sure to always make a
big fuss of her.
Which brings us neatly on to rewards. There are two types of
rewards - praise from you and a tasty treat. Both are very
motivating to your kitten.
Training your kitten to be handled
Most cats don't like being picked up, and the earlier you
get your kitten used to it the better.
A lot of people unwittingly teach their kitten bad habits.
They pick their kitten up, she struggles and they immediately
put her down again. Thus, the kitten learns that if she
struggles, she gets her own way.
A better approach is to pick your kitten up and then, if she
struggles, continue to hold her gently but firmly. When she
settles, lavish lots of praise on her and set her down.
Scratching
Can you train your kitten not to scratch? No. Kittens love
to scratch - it's a natural form of territorial marking that
also gives the muscles a good stretch. Does this mean you have
to accept ruined furniture? No. You just have to train your
kitten to re-direct her
scratching.
Buy your kitten a scratching post (rough surfaces are
particularly appealing so you might want to choose one covered
with something like rope). Play with your kitten near the
scratching post and then, when she uses it, reward her with
praise and maybe a treat.
If she does scratch an item of furniture, she'll mark it
with her scent and cleaning it with an anti-odour product may
discourage her from going back there. Some people find putting
something like polythene on the item of furniture helpful as
kittens generally aren't so keen to scratch slippery
surfaces.
Discouraging biting
Play biting is natural kitten behaviour. If your kitten
bites your hand during play, end the session immediately.
Whatever you do, don't jerk your hand away. This just makes the
game even more fun! Toys and balls are safer objects of
prey.
Clicker training
Clicker training is a modern, kind and scientific way of
training animals. You use all the same principles already
discussed but your kitten also gets a 'click' to mark any good
behaviour.
More information on clicker training.