Feline Questions and Answers on Training a Cat and More
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Q: Can you train cats?
A: Yes, training a cat is not as difficult as many individuals imagine it is. Kitties are not as responsive to training as Rover or Spot are but they are trainable. Tasty treats offered as positive reinforcement is probably the best way to successful cat training.
Q: Why and how do kittens purr?
A: Grown cats purr because they are happy and contented and to manipulate humans — Who can ignore a purring kitty? Kittens purr in response to their mother cat’s purr to assist in bonding them. It is widely thought that the purring is a vibration of the vocal chords as air is pushed though it. It is also believed that purring is a voluntary action.
Q: What is the reason quite a few individuals are allergic to cats?
A: Cat allergies are caused by the proteins in cat dander originating from the cat’s saliva. The dander dries and becomes airborne. People with cat allergies have an allergic reaction because their immune system is attempting to fight the foreign protein and creates histamines.
Q: How do you stop bad cat behavior such as clawing?
A: The best way to halt naughty cat behavior is the same way the mother cat controls an errant kitten. This is by scuffing the cat. You firmly but gently grasp the cat by the scruff of the neck and hold it down until it calms down. You must do this at the time of the undesirable behavior.
Q: How do you litter train a cat?
A: You really shouldn’t need to do any training for a cat to use a litter box, but if your previously litter trained cat has begun to avoid the litter pan you need to figure out why. The cat may have a urinary tract infection in which case you need to go to the vet. If it is just too dirty you need to keep it cleaner. If you have switched to litter you may have to change back or sprinkle a little catnip in the litter to attract the cat to the new litter.
Q: How do you keep cats off counters?
A: This is one of the most asked about cat behavior issues and can be a tough one. Cats like high spots and they often find food or food aromas on counters and tables. It is best to keep the counters clean and to use something like foil or double sided tape to keep cats off the counters.
