How to Train Cats: Easy Tips for First-Time Pet Parents

From deities to witchcraft, cats have many interesting histories to them.

Can you believe a cat called Stubbs was the mayor of a small town in Alaska for 20 years? That furry guy was praised for his honesty and no-sales-tax policy.

Cats have such a mystical, dominant, and independent aura. That’s why many people think that they are hard to train. But that isn’t true. With patience and persistence, even you, a first-time pet parent, can train your cat or kitten.

So, to rescue you from the constant biting and scratching of your cat, in this blog, we explained how to train your cat, with tips and tricks to win your cat’s heart.

Benefits And Importance Of Training Your Cat

How many times have you said Aww! when you watched a cat do a high-five to his owner in Insta reels?

As a new pet parent, you may also want to teach all that cool stuff to your cat. There is nothing wrong with that. But training a cat has more importance and benefits to offer than you think.

Training your cat helps them to socialize and live a comfortable life in your home. It is much more like a life skill to them. Some notable benefits of training a cat are:

• Increases your bond – Each training session creates an opportunity to spend time with your cat to know more about them. This will strengthen the bond between you two.
• Easy-Peasy Vet Visit – Training your cat how to get into the carrier and to ride in a car from an early stage will help them stay calm during vet visits.
• Protect them from harm – Teaching them not to enter the kitchen, or to touch poisonous items, will save their lives.
• Connection with others – If you have kids in your home, training your cat how to behave around kids will eliminate unnecessary worries.

More important than them all is training your cat will make your new pet parent life much easier and a lot happier.

How To Train Cats?

When it comes to training your cat, always follow positive reinforcement and negative punishment methods.

The positive reinforcement method involves rewarding your cat after they perform the desired action. This encourages your cat to do the action more often.

Whereas, in negative punishment, you stop doing the thing your cat likes, to decrease the frequency of negative behavior. If your cat bites you while you pet them, stop petting and hide your hands until they stop biting you. It will help them reduce the negative habits.

But don’t ever try to yell, beat, or spray water at them. By doing these things, you might break the trust they have in you.

For example, let’s say your cat always enters your kitchen or pooja room. Don’t scream or yell at them. Try to find why they like to enter the place and eliminate the reason behind it, or if they visit without any particular reason, create a cat tree space near the spot and redirect them there.

Understanding your cat’s behavior is the foundation of all. But it will take some time to get to know your pet.

Things You Need to Start Your Cat’s Training

As a first-time pet parent, don’t overwhelm yourself with too much training material. Start with what you have. The very basic things you need are:

• A Calmer place – First of all, you need to find a calm and comfortable place in your home. This will help your cat feel comfortable and avoid distractions.
• Treat – This is the most important thing. To reward your cat, pick its favorite treat. If you are worried about your cat’s calorie intake, then break them into small pieces and give one piece for one task.
• A Clicker – Cats can’t process long sentences. So, a clicker will help you to command the cat with a click sound.

Looking to streamline pet care and training routines? Check out the Top 5 Pet Care Apps for First-Time Pet Parents in India for helpful apps that track vet visits, reminders, and more.

Train Your Cat These Skills And Tricks

YouTube is filled with numerous skills and tricks. But you don’t have to teach them all to your cat. Pick the essential skills at first and start there. Then, after your cat has mastered the basics, you can teach even more skills and tricks.

Here are some basic tricks and skills we picked for you to teach your cat.

How To Train Cats To Use The Toilet?

The most basic and important skill you need to train your cat is how to use the toilet.

But first, train them how to use a litter box. Because cats have a natural instinct to bury their waste, and to make them comfortable at your home, use a litter box.

Make sure the litter box is the right size and placed in a safe, quiet spot. Clean it regularly and avoid washing it with scented dish soap, as cats are sensitive to smells. Reward them when they use the litter box to pee.

Once they have mastered this, move the litter box near the toilet. Then, gradually increase the height of the litter box, and after a few days, place the litter box in the toilet. Increase the hole size in the center of the litter box. That’s it. They will eventually start to use the toilet.

How To Train Cats To Not Bite?

Cats show affection, hate, and overstimulation through bites. Finding the right reason is crucial to stop them from biting.

• Affectionate bite – If your cat bites you out of affection, redirect them to cat toys and reward them when they play with the toy.
• Stop petting me, bite- Some cats bite to signal you to stop petting them. If that’s the case, respect your cat's privacy.
• Playtime bite – An overstimulated cat also tries to bite you. So, engage them in regular playtime activities.

Installing scratching posts and redirecting them when they bite will also stop your cat from biting you.

How To Make Your Cat Sleep At Night?

Is your cat or kitten sleeping all day but is active and disturbs you at night?  It is one of the common problems faced by all kitten parents.

If you want to match their sleep rhythms to yours, engage with them in their play hours during the day. Or give them food right before you go to bed. This will synchronize their sleep routine to yours.

How To Train Cats To Sit?

To make them sit, place the treat near their nose and raise it upwards. When they follow this and sit on the floor, capture that by clicking and say,” sit”. Reward them with a treat. Repeat this every day to make it a habit.

How to make them come when called?

This is also a simple trick. Lure your cat with a treat near you and click by calling their name. Reward them after this. Continue this training until they learned to recognize their name.

Some Tips To Train Your Cats

Training cats is not an easy task, but a rewarding experience. Here are some tips to make your training experience much easier.

• Make your training sessions short – Cats may feel tired and bored with longer training sessions. So, make your sessions short and sweet.
• Consistency is the key – Train your cats every day. Use the same voice and cues to avoid any misunderstanding and confusion.
• Pick the right treat – Give your cat the treat that they love the most. Something they don’t eat regularly.
• Train for their welfare – You shouldn’t train your cat for selfish reasons. All the training should aim only at your cat’s welfare and a comfortable living.
• Never punish them – Negative reinforcement may trigger behavioral problems in your cat. So, don’t try to punish them.
• Make it enjoyable – At the end of the day, it is an activity to spend time with your cat. Make it memorable and enjoyable for both you and your cat.