Cat Obedience Training Guide

Updated on August 6, 2019
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I have experience working with cats and have researched the best ways to train them.

Obedience training isn't just for dogs. Read on to learn about training your cat.
Obedience training isn't just for dogs. Read on to learn about training your cat. | Source

Why Cat Obedience Training?

Cats are often underestimated when it comes to behavior, simply because the average owner has very little need to attempt any sort of training at all.

Unlike with dogs (obedience training for dogs is well documented), there’s no need to train cats in the basics of pet protocol like house training and bathing. Consequently, only a few people are aware of their cat’s abilities in this area. Using cat obedience training is a great way to enrich your cat's life.

Pros of Cat Obedience Training

  • It builds a strong bond between you and your cat—Because training makes your cat understand who is in charge. (He has to do what you want in order to get what he wants.)
  • It keeps your cat’s mind active and stimulated.
  • It teaches your cat good social behavioral skills.
  • Anxious and nervous cats are reassured and calmed down by the repetition and routine of training.
  • So how do I train my cat? Target training and clicker training are two common methods. Here is a brief summary of each:

Training Tips

  • Remember to be patient. Your cat is unique, with his own abilities and preferences. He will learn some tricks quickly, but may struggle with others. Consider the appropriate obedience training for his personality, and don’t lose your temper if it doesn’t go exactly according to schedule.
  • Train smart. If you’re using food treats (which is highly recommended ) then schedule training sessions for just before mealtimes: your cat’s natural desire for food at his regular mealtime will sharpen his focus and increase his desire to obey you.
  • Take baby steps. When training your cat, it’s best to build up a solid foundation of the basics before attempting to expand his repertoire. Cats have pretty short attention spans, and they can be bored easily. Keep the training sessions short and interesting—and always try to end on a positive note.
  • If clicker training, be sure to associate the clicking with the same behavior so as not to confuse the cat. Without the clicker, it’s too easy for the cat to form associations between the treat and a completely unrelated behavior (since it’s impossible to feed the cat a treat at the precise moment that he’s performing a trick).

Cat Obedience Training

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Most Common Cat Behavioral Problems

Most people think that cats don't pay much attention to their owner . . . provided they have clean litter, water, and food. Cats can behave in strange at times, which can easily confuse their owners and make it really hard to figure out what their cat wants. As much as cat behavior can be confusing, there are some ways that you can solve common cat behavior problems.

They Are Territorial

Almost all cats brush their heads on any type of object that will allow them to do it. You have probably seen your cat do this before; probably against table legs, TV stands. This can be noticed more when you have other people who own animals or those with allergies over at your house. When a cat notices this, he will rub his head against the person.

By putting his saliva on something, that being either an object or a person will have a familiar odor. Although this can be very annoying, you have to understand that other people in your home are seen as strangers to your cat. When a cat does this, he is simply trying to make the visitor belong. When he brushes up against them and puts his saliva on them, he is trying to put his scent on them, which in his mind means that they a part of his territory. Even though marking someone or something with saliva is beneficial to the cat, saliva is one of the most common forms of pet allergies. When someone wipes the saliva off of them, the scent will be gone and the cat will go back and attempt to do it again.

They Won't Leave Visitors Alone


They Are Natural Hunters

Those of you who an indoor cat should expect the cat to spend quite a bit of time lying near windows. During this time, you may hear your cat make very strange noises or weird movements. But there's no need to worry, whether it's another cat or object outside moving about, the cat will see it and simply go into his natural hunting instinct.

As most people already know, cats love to play. They will pounce on things. If you try to prevent this type of behavior, your cat will take a very negative approach and you'll end up with a lot of broken things in your home. You can always play with your cat using a string, as he will love to chase the string around the room.

Start training your cat as soon as possible.
Start training your cat as soon as possible.

Understanding Your Cat's Behavior

The longer you own your cat, the more odd behavior you will see him display. Cats behave in strange ways, although they always have a reason for behaving the way they do. If you can understand why your cat behaves as he does, you will have no problems keeping your cat healthy and happy. If you simply pay attention to your cat and the way he behaves at times, you will be able to understand him better.


Questions & Answers


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        2 weeks ago

        My one cat knows how to use the litter (he’s 3) but since he was a kitten he will periodically tag fabric or yarn with pee. But he’s so loving towards us. Most recently he peed in a fabric container with 15 balls of yarn and a contractors drop cloth. I am not appreciating this at all. Help!

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        3 months ago

        how can I keep my cat off my plant table? He does not destroy my plants.

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        2 years ago

        My cat is 2 years old and for some reason has started to pee on the floor and not in her litter box. I dont understand why, i keep it clean and she has never done this before. If any one has answers it would be much appreciated!?

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        cynthia clements 

        5 years ago

        My cat bites me and scratching me


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