When it comes to cat behavior training, motivation is key. Most cats enjoy receiving rewards for good behavior, whether their treats or wet cat food spooned into their mouths. Finding a treatment that will motivate your cat is key, and this may take a little trial and error. For some cats, tuna is the perfect reward, while others prefer to receive a small portion of wet cat food.
Motivation
If you’re training your cat to perform a particular behavior, you’ll need to provide it with a motivator. Often, food is the most effective motivation. However, cats can be distracted and stressed when they are deprived of food, so you’ll need to offer backup motivations in addition to food. Try offering treats, toys, or your cat’s favorite spot on your lap. Ideally, you should rotate these items to avoid boredom.
Stages
If you want to train a cat, it is important to have the right tools. This includes calming products, food treats, and lures. In addition, you will also need to know about cat health, vaccinations, and safety. You will also learn how to safely handle a cat that has exhibited problematic behavior. Common problems in cats include avoidance of the litter box, biting, and spraying.
Rewards
Rewarding your cat for a specific behavior is an important part of cat behavior training. You can use food treats or cat toys as rewards. Depending on the behavior, you may have to set stages that your cat must reach in order to get a reward.
Punishment
Punishment is an integral part of cat behavior training, but there are risks to it. For starters, it increases stress and fear in the cat, which will affect the bond between you and your feline friend. In addition, it makes your cat more likely to engage in unwanted behaviors when you are not around.
ASPCA recommendations
While the ASPCA recommends using a treat as a reward, many cats will react to other forms of reward instead. For example, providing treats for quiet behavior is better than not rewarding it at all. Once the behavior has been consistently reliable, cat owners can reduce the frequency of food rewards. They can try introducing a treat as a reward for three or four times, or less. In time, the cat will be trained to associate treats with praise and other non-food rewards.
Tools
Cat behavior training is a process of teaching your feline friend to display desired behaviors. There are many methods for doing so, including clicker training, which teaches your feline friend to think in a specific way. You can also use treat lures to mold your cat’s behavior into what you want it to do. Pheromone sprays, which release calming scents, can also be used to train your feline friend.
