The Dos and Don'ts of Training Your Kitten
Sep 23, 2022
If you’ve recently brought home a new kitten, then you might be wondering how to begin training it. It’s best to start as soon as possible, because kittens develop habits quickly, and it’s easier to reinforce good ones at an early age than break bad ones later on. Here are the dos and don’ts of training your kitten based on behaviorist studies.
DO Read Up On Cat Behavior
If you're trying to train a kitten, it's important that you know what you're getting into. Start by reading up on cat behavior so you have a better understanding of how they think. This will help you make smarter decisions about how to discipline your new kitty. There are plenty of great books out there with information on cat behavior written by experts in the field.
Don't Leave Them Alone Too Long: Some cats don't mind being alone for long periods of time, but others can start acting out if left alone for too long. Try to get your kitty used to being left alone before he or she is completely trained. Use some cat toys to achieve cat and make them life more fun
Don't Punish The Cat For Bad Behavior: When training a kitten, always avoid punishment because this just causes them more stress and anxiety which can lead them to act out even more often in the future.
DON'T Expect Immediate Results
Don't expect your kitten to be perfect from the start. It takes time for kittens to learn how to behave as they grow up. You will need patience, consistency, and guidance if you want your kitten to have a successful training experience.
DO Start Slowly
It's important to start slowly with a new kitten. One way to do this is by enticing the cat with a treat or toy. The cat will then associate good things with the desired behavior, which will make it more likely they'll repeat it. This may take some time, so patience is necessary. But you'll be rewarded when your kitten catches on!
Don't Punish: It might seem like punishment can work, but in reality it can make your cat fear you. If your kitty makes a mistake, try not to scold them in front of others as that will only reinforce the negative behavior for their human companions.
DON'T Force Things
There will be times when you think your kitten should or could do something, but if they don’t want to, there is no point in forcing them. You are not likely to succeed in getting them to do what you want if they’re not interested and it will just frustrate both of you. DON'T Force Them: If you find yourself trying to push a stubborn cat into the bath tub, stop and ask yourself why they're resisting this particular task. If there's nothing specific about the task that makes it undesirable for the cat, then maybe the problem is more about you than the cat.
DO Be Consistent
Don't: Give your kitten mixed signals. If you want them to stop doing something, make sure they know that by saying no or picking them up. If you want them to do something, make sure they know that by giving the command for it. Do: Be consistent with what you ask for. If you train your kitten to sit on a chair but then one day start asking it to sit on the ground, it will be confused and may not respond at all.
DON'T Give Up
Training a kitten is not as difficult as you might think. Just remember to be patient, consistent, and to never give up on them. Try to find out what motivates your kitten the most--it could be food, a toy, or something else. Make sure to offer lots of attention when they do something right. Remember that kittens can be very stubborn! If you find that your kitten is not cooperating with you at all, don't give up! They will eventually come around if you are persistent enough.
DO Keep Trying New Things
Keep trying new things with your kitten, even if they don't work. For example, if you're trying to teach your kitten to jump onto the kitchen counter, but it won't do it, try having a treat up on the counter. If that doesn't work, try getting the cat up there with a chair. Just be sure to give a verbal command like jump or climb before you physically show them what to do.
DON'T Stop Playing With Them!
Playing with your kitten is an important part of their training. It helps to build up their muscles, teaches them how to socialize with humans, and fostures the bond between you. Plus, there's something about that little meow that just makes you want to play more!
