Page 40 - Complete Cat Care: How To Keep Your Cat Healthy and Happy

Training and fun

Cats are naturally active and need plenty of stimulation to ensure mental
and physical well-being. Teaching good behavior and playing games are
positive ways of interacting with your cat and great fun, too.

How to train your cat having his claws clipped or going behaving naturally, but use
Kind, effective training involves in a cat carrier, take things very physical barriers if there is a risk
rewarding “good” behavior and slowly and reward your cat for he might do something dangerous.
ignoring “bad” behavior. Never remaining relaxed. You can also use indirect
use aggressive methods as a distraction by making an exciting
deterrent—for example, shouting Realistic expectations noise in another room so he will
at your cat or spraying him with Cats are motivated to perform stop what he is doing to investigate.
water. This may scare him, lead behaviors such as hunting,
to a deterioration in his behavior, climbing, jumping, and scratching Be consistent
and damage the bond between —so be prepared. However, if you It is easy to be indulgent with a
38 you. Build up your cat’s training find any of these problematic, try kitten, but bear in mind that his cute
gradually, session by session. If you to provide safe and acceptable behavior may not be acceptable in
are teaching him to behave well in alternatives. Never punish your cat an adult cat. For example, rough
potentially scary situations, such as
or forceably restrain him from
and tumble or pouncing games on
Everyday care ◁ Scratching post your hands and feet could later
develop into aggressive play (see
A post must be sturdy enough not to
p.37). Set house rules early on—
topple over and have a surface that
will not catch claws. Some models
make up your mind whether you
double as activity centers.
will allow your cat to sleep in your
bedroom at night, sit on the tables,
▽ Simple pleasures or climb onto shelves—and stick to
Cats love investigating, but also your decision. If you permit the
instinctively hide when they feel
insecure. A simple cardboard box occasional lapse, your cat will
satisfies both of these needs. never learn what is wanted of him.

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