Cat Questions and Responses on Training a Cat and More
Q: Is it possible to train a cat?
A: Yes, cat training is not as tough as most cat lovers take for granted it is. Cats are not as responsive to training as dogs are but they are trainable. Food rewards offered as positive reinforcement is certainly the primary route to train a cat.
Q: Why and how do kittens purr?
A: Grown kitties purr because they are happy and contented and to play on the emotions of humans — Who can ignore a purring kitty? Kittens purr in response to their mother cat’s purr to assist in bonding them. It is usually assumed that the purring is a vibration of the larynx as air is pushed though it. It is also believed that purring is a voluntary action.
Q: Why are the reasons some cat owners 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 demonstrate a reaction because their immune system is trying to attack the foreign protein and creates histamines.
Q: How do you break bad cat behavior such as biting?
A: The best way to curtail undesirable 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 unwanted behavior.
Q: How do you litter train a cat?
A: You really shouldn’t be required to do any training for a cat to make use of a litter pan, but if your adult cat has started 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 veterinarian. 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 the kitchen counter?
A: This is the most asked about cat behavior issues and can be a challenging one. Cats like high perches and they often find food or food odors on tables and counters. It is best to keep the surfaces clean and to use something like foil or double sided tape to keep cats off the counters.
