Methods of Cat Training

Target Training

This is when you get your cats attention when calling a command. For example if you wanted your cats to stand on it’s back legs while you issue the command to stand hold a stick above your cats head and they will naturally go to grab it. Once they stand on their back legs, reward them with affection or a small treat.

Clicker Training

Clicker Training uses the idea of operant condoning, this is where the cat consciously associates a particular behaviour with a outcome.  This type of cat training gets it’s name due the small device that emits a click when the correct action is being performed by  the cat.  For example if you were training your cat to sit on command, the section your cats bum hit the floor you would press the clicker and immediately reward your cat with a small treat.  After enough repetition you can will realise they their own behaviours can acquire them treats.  So when they hear the click, they will sit because they know that if they do there’s a treat heading their way.

This type of cat training has the huge advantage of allowing the trainer to know the exact behaviour that being reinforced, with Target Training the reward may not come immediately after the behaviour so the cat might associate another behaviour with the treat.

Tips for Cat Training

If you leave your cats food out all day so they choose to eat, restrict them to scheduled meal times just like humans, other wise they will have no incentive - We’re not saying starve them, just ensure they’re hungry like we are just before a mealtime!

Try cat training just before meal times this will increase your cats responsiveness and heighten their senses.

Take it one step at a time when cat training and be patient, remember if neither of you are enjoy it stop and throw a ball for them instead.

Cats have a short attention span so lessons need to be very short, interesting and fun, otherwise you might just get a look of disdain.

If your cat is anything like mine, they decide that they want to go outside minutes before you want to go to bed.  How many times have you stood there late a night shouting for your cat to come home so you can lock the house up and take your weary body off to bed?  You stand there waiting for your much loved cat to come home because you don’t want to leave them out all night in the cold and rain.  I know from personal experience it’s hard to fall asleep when you’re aware that your cat is outside in the rain and cold while your snuggled up in bed, especially in the winter.  How many time do you get up and go to the back door to call them in?  Eventually you’ll reluctantly give up and hope your cat is ok and has found somewhere warm and safe for the night.

Some cat owners fit a cat flap into a outside building such as a shed or garage but many people down have one so this isn’t an option.  So some have gone for the option of a outdoor cat house which is a bit like a kennel.  This is fine for those who don’t mind something ugly in their garden and don’t mind treating the wood every year, but for some cat owners this isn’t acceptable.  If your a cat owner who has spent a long time and a lot of money making your garden a paradise the last thing that you will want to do is add a outdoor cat house that looks awkward against the clean lines and carefully selected colours of your garden.

Until now there has been a very limited selection of outdoor cat houses and if you had done a google search chances are you would have been given larger type outdoor cat house more suitable to catteries.  But now there is something new on the market - KatKabin.

These outdoor cat houses come in a variety of colours and are sleek in design so they will add style to your garden not cramp it.  They are great for your cat too.

The KatKabin DezRez is a luxurious outdoor cat house that gives your cat the freedom it needs to spend time exploring outdoors while you’re at work or while you’re asleep.  You don’t need to worry about your cat while you’re not available to cater to their every need as the KatKabin provides comfort, safety and shelter for your cat giving you peace of mind. This outdoor cat house stand above the ground and provides a warm, cosy and shaded insulated den so you cat can use it  for napping, stretching, relaxing and eating. Your cat is protected from the weather and is safe and relaxed until your able to let them back into the house.

The benefits of  Katkabin outdoor cat house for your cat are clear, they are safe, comfy and warm, so you can stop worrying about them when they decide that they would rather play out for the night, but the KatKabin also has the added benefit of being sleek in design and being available in a number of colours resulting in a a stylish addition to your garden.  With such style there’s no need to hide this outdoor cat house away in the corner of the garden, instead it can be incorporated into the gardens design and many of they house guests won’t even realise it’s there or what it is.

“We have adopted a part feral cat who quickly found his KatKabin most accomodating. The KatKabin is well worth the money. The only snag is the cat will not go inside with the door on so in driving rain the first couple of inches at the entrance get wet.“

The KatKabin outdoor cat house is available in chocolate brown, royal blue, Divine purple, spring green, scarlet red.

The  Kat Kabin  Outdoor  Cat house has the following benefits :

• A warm outside cabin to shield your cat from the cold weather.
• Ideal if you’re not allowed to install a cat flap at your home.
• The cat flap is fully detachable.
• The KatKabin is fully ventilated by holes in the rear of the cabin.
• Can be fixed to decking or paved surfaces (if you fancy a spot if DIY).
• An insulation cushion is included to keep your kitty warm while it lazes around inside the KatKabin.
• The oval shape of the Kat Kabin and the legs raising it above ground level ensure that the heat is evenly dispersed inside the cabin.

To view more details about KatKabin outdoor cat houses click on one of the images above.

At some point you’re going to need to try and get your cat to swallow at tablet and if you’ve tried this before you’ll know that it’s not as simple as it sounds.

Below is a good way of giving your cat a tablet, just follow the instructions and remember to stay calm.

Step One - Be Prepared to give your cat the tablet

Here’s the plan: You are going to wrap the cat up in a towel or blanket so that it can’t struggle or get away, give it the tablet, and make sure the tablet is swallowed. First, you need to gather your materials:

tablet
towel or small blanket

It may also help to have a little butter or margarine, a bit of canned food, and an eyedropper that you have filled with low-sodium chicken broth. Some medications cannot be given with food, while others are supposed to be given with food. Pay attention to the details of your prescription so you know whether or not you can offer treats or mix the tablet with food. If the tablet can be given with food, you may wish to coat the tablet with a bit of butter or margarine. This helps it to go down more easily. Giving the cat a bit of broth or liquid from canned food right after administering the tablet can help get the cat to swallow. Treats can also be used for afterwards, to reward your cat.

Once you have gathered your materials, you need to catch your cat. I recommend performing the pilling procedure in a small enclosed room such as a bathroom because a highly resistant cat may try to make a break for it or spit out the tablet, requiring you to start over again.
Step 2 - Do the Deed - Get your cat to swallow the tablet
You need to be decisive and confident about this part. Be gentle with your cat, but don’t take no for an answer.

1. I usually start out sitting cross-legged on the floor, with the medication in easy reach, but do this however you and the cat are comfortable.
2. Wrap the cat in the towel, sort of like bundling a baby, so only its head protrudes. Don’t allow feet (claws) to get out either the top or bottom of the towel.
3. Hold the cat in your non-dominant arm.
4. Use your dominant hand to pick up the tablet and gently prise open the cat’s mouth from the corners of its lips.
5. The goal here is to get the tablet to the v-shaped area at the back of the cat’s throat. Don’t flick the tablet, as that involves a risk of choking your cat. Insert your fingers and the tablet into the cat’s mouth from the front. Don’t go at it from the sides unless you want bitten.
6. Let the cat close its mouth. Use your hand to keep its mouth closed, while continuing to hold it close.
7. Stroke the cat’s throat and lightly blow on its nose to encourage swallowing.
8. At this point, you can try offering a dropper of broth, tuna liquid, or water. This is a good way to see if the tablet has truly been swallowed.
9. If you are pretty sure the tablet has been taken, offer a treat.

I have had a cat that would hide the tablet, unswallowed, to spit out as soon as he was set free. Be certain the pill has been taken before releasing your cat. If the tablet is unswallowed, start again. If the pill becomes too degraded, discard it and try another.

Just like babies kittens grow extremely quickly, in a blink of an eye your kitten will turn into a young cat and when you look again, they’ll be a full grown adult cat.  Below are the major milestones in your cats life.

New Born Kittens

Kitten like most newborns are completely dependant on their mothers, they are born blind, at this stage they learn how to feed. After kitten’s eyes have opened they will be keen to explore, by 4 weeks old they will be play fighting with the other kittens in the litter.  Four weeks is a suitable age to teach the kitten how to use a litter box, if you’re lucky you may find that the mother does this for you. It is at this age that the mother would supplement her kittens diet with small wild animals so begin weaning the kittens on to kitten food.

A Six Week Old Kitten

Your kitten will be egar to explore by this age, if your kitten had been reared in the wild then their mother would still bring back small animals, but these would no longer be dead.  This allows the kitten to develop important skills.  You may find it beneficial to give your kitten toys that would mimic their natural environment such as wind up mice. At 8 weeks old the kitten should be fully weaned onto kitten food and litter trained, see our article on training cats to use a human toilet. It is at this age that kittens are ready to go to a new home, any earlier than this can cause serious health problems.

The Next Months in your Cats Life

Over the next few months, you’ll notice that your cat goes through a huge growth spurt just like babies do.  They will need their vaccinations which prevent them from some of the most deadliest threats to your cats life.  You will need to teach them what is acceptable behaviour and that plucking on the sofa is not allowed.  You may want to teach them how to use a cat scratching post if you haven’t already done so. If you have a long haired cat then you should get your cat used to grooming, if you make it a regular and positive experience both you and your cat will enjoy it.

This stage is the adolescent stage for cats, they tend to get moody just like your average teenager.  This teenage like cat behaviors usually starts around 5 months and lasts until your cat is a year old.  You’ll discover that they are more aggressive when they play.   Your cat should be neutered at 6 months to prevent any further kittens, this will also help with their stroppy tendencies.   At six months, your cat will look like a perfect miniature of a fully grown adult cat.

Adulthood Stage in Cats

Your adult care will continue to go through various stage, just like adults but you will find these stages quite subtle and may go unnoticed.  Ensure your cat is getting all their nutritional requirements by purchasing cat food which meets their needs such as cat food for nursing queens or senior cats.