How to educate a cat since he is small?

When we adopt a cat puppy we have the obligation to guide him towards a correct behavior so that his coexistence with us is pleasant and he is a educated and happy pet in our home It is not at all pleasant that it bites or destroys your furniture. It will also be important to teach him how to use the sandbox.

Cats are smart and they immediately grasp what we intend to teach them. However, their playful nature and lively temperament must be educated in an appropriate and positive way. Whether it’s a Siamese, a European cat or a cat without a breed, you must follow a line for it. If you continue reading, you can find out how to educate a cat since he is small correctly:

The arrival of the kitten at home

The first day of the puppy’s arrival home will be fundamental. During this short period we must show him a lot of affection to our little friend, so that he can trust us fully and be receptive when it comes to learning. Caresses and words in a kind tone will make the kitten purr, showing his complacency. When you lick us, it will be the sign that you already consider us your family.

Another primordial action will be teach him The ubication of all its objects personal: the toys, the bed, the trough, the drinker and the container with sand. Soon you will learn how to use them. You should also always have clean and fresh water, which we will renew frequently.

Once the cat show adapted To your new environment, it will be time to start teaching some things that we explain below so you know how to educate a cat since he is small.

Educate a cat to use the scraper, sandbox and toys

It is advisable to have a scraper from the first day and motivate him to play with him on a regular basis so that your cat learns to use it. For this we can choose a dynamic scraper, which includes toys and other objects, but it will be enough to stimulate ourselves, in this way we will avoid the destructiveness towards the furniture of the home.

It may happen that the kitten learns to sharpen her nails on the sofa, but that sometimes, when you leave home, use sofas and other objects. In this case we will continue to motivate the cat to play with the scraper and we will reward him every time he does it to reinforce the behavior. We can use tasty food prizes or caresses and kind words.

Teaching him how to use the sandbox is another of the primordial tasks that we should teach a kitten. We must choose one that has easy access and we will take you there after eating, when waking up or after an intense session of games. Every time he does it well we will reward him and if he did it in another place on a frequent basis, we would move the sandbox to that area, to be able to congratulate him later.

The small cat is owed provide toys so that he learns to “hunt”. Rag mice, small balls, feathered rattles, et cetera. With very simple toys, many of which you can make yourself, the cat will have a great time.

If you throw the objects at them, they will reach the point where they will be brought with their mouths so that you can throw them again. If you want some ideas do not hesitate to visit our article on toys for small cats. Remember that the key to motivate him to play is to be present in the game. If we do not spend time with him, he will soon get bored with the toys he has.

Educate the cat not to scratch or bite

By nature to small cats they like to fight with their hands, attacking the fingers with fingernails and teeth. It is convenient to lose this innate habit as soon as possible, which could become an annoying vice. The ideal is to follow this step by step:

• When the cat is still very small, before three weeks of age, we must allow it to nibble and explore, since it is characteristic of this stage and fundamental to its exploratory behavior.
• After three weeks each time the cat bites or scratches us we will emit a small squeak and stop playing with him. Since the game is very important at this stage, the cat will begin to relate the end of the game with his unfriendly attitude.
• Avoid overexciting your kitten so it does not tend to bite or scratch.
• Use fishing rod-type toys for your cat to learn that these objects can scratch and bite if you wish. Remember that this is a normal behavior in cats and we should allow them to show it if they wish, yes, always to their toys.

If this problem is habitual in its behavior do not hesitate to review the basic tricks to avoid that your cat scratches you and bites you. Remember that it is important work it right from the start.

The stalking cat

The cat is a feline that its atavistic nature pushes him to stalk. For this reason when they are small they like to hide and jump suddenly on your feet when you pass by their side. Is a custom that they lose relatively soon, since on more than one occasion you accidentally step on them and soon realize that you do not know how to play a docile victim, demonstrating it in a very painful way.

Dangerous places

It is very important that the cat associates the kitchen as a “taboo” place. There are several reasons: the most important is that a trip with him can cause a lot of damage to you or him; the other is that if he is a petty thief cat he can steal something succulent, or cause some damage. The fires, the oven and the knives are elements that he does not know that they can hurt you.

Especially if the cat has shown interest in this place, we will place the feeder and drinking fountain in another area of ​​the house, depriving him access to this room. It will be very useful also for cats “dumpsters” who love sniffing the kitchen.

Educate through positive reinforcement

Small cats are naughty, and even more so when they are “teenagers”. For this reason it is very important to know some techniques to use, as is the case of positive reinforcement in cats, very useful when learning how to educate a cat since he is small.

• Reward your cat with food, kind words or caresses whenever you show a behavior that pleases you, so that you understand that this is positive and that you should do it.
• If your cat likes to scratch you to demand your attention, ignore him completely, so that he learns that scratching does not get any result. On the contrary you should reward good behavior, such as approaching you in a relaxed manner.
• Avoid punishing or scolding him when he shows behavior you do not like. Sometimes cats demand attention and, even if you end up punishing them, they will continue to try it because their goal is your attention. In this case you should spend more time with him and dedicate games or caresses.
• You can use the No on some occasion, but only if you catch your cat “with his hands in the dough” otherwise scolding him is useless. Even so, we recommend you only use a serious tone of voice, you should never use physical punishment, to corral or make you fear.

Games and mental stimulation

For a cat to learn tricks and show itself agile mentally to learn new things, it will be essential to devote time to the games of intelligence for cats. You can buy toys in the market, but you can also make them yourself at home or use everyday objects for it, the classic trilero game with food is great for the feline to begin to feel stimulated.

Playing with him and making him “think” will help us a lot in his education. The repetition and use of positive reinforcement in cats are essential elements to ensure that our kitten understands what we are trying to transmit.

If you want to read more articles similar to How to educate a cat since he is small?, we recommend that you enter in our Basic Education section.