Tips for Cat Training and Behavior
For new pet parents, it might seem overwhelming to understand all the subtleties of your cat’s behavior. Luckily, there are easy ways that you can learn how to interpret your pet’s body language and communicate better with your cat. It includes learning what different vocalizations and body postures to avoid misinterpretation and miscommunication, which can compromise the human-pet bond. Here are some practical cat training tips.
Start with Training the Cat on Using the Litter Box
The priority in your cat training must be to teach your pets about how they should properly use their litter boxes. Fortunately, cats pick up quickly on this training. However, the major mistake that many new pet owners tend to make is that they have insufficient litter boxes around the house. Veterinarians recommend at least one more litter box for every cat, which means that if you have two cats, you should get three litter boxes.
When buying a litter box for your cat, ensure you consider the size of your cat and also place the boxes tactically around your home, not clustered together. Look for finely grained cat litter that is clumping and unscented. Heavily-fragranced litter boxes that mask odors could end up deterring the cats from learning how to use these critical tools.
Be Alert and Prevent Any Unwanted Behaviors.
To prevent common cat training problems, like peeing outside the litter boxes, it is critical that you are proactive in maintaining tidiness. Ensure you keep the cat’s box clean through scooping daily and washing and refilling it with fresh litter every two weeks or so.
The other familiar, frustrating cat behavior is their tendency to scratch up your curtains or furniture. To solve this issue, you must offer the appropriate scratching accessories and posts. Cats instinctively like to scratch for various reasons, including stretching their limbs, marking their territory and also removing the worn-out outer claw layer.
Offer Enough Environmental Stimulation to Your Cat.
Besides giving your cats a nice place for scratching their nails along with the necessary litter boxes, it is vital to ensure your pets are mentally and physically stimulated. Your cats require sufficient enrichment to help in satisfy normal behaviors like scratching, climbing, playing and hunting. When your cats do not have the best outlets where they can perform these natural behaviors, then it leads to unwanted behaviors. Some of the solutions include food puzzles, interactive toys and also interacting with your cats regularly.
References: Pet Coach, The Spruce Pets, Anti Cruelty
