Winter 2005
Training Your Kitten
General behaviour training:
Ultimately everything boils down to positive and negative reinforcement. You reward good behaviours and you do not reward bad behaviour. The kitten that jumps up on a bench (assuming you don't want them to do this) is not being punished by being picked up stroked and saying "Bad kitty". A firm "No" and, if necessary, a squirt from a water bottle is "negative reinforcement" i.e. punishment. Don't hit your kitten, it can lead to them becoming more timid and increase your frustration.
Toilet training: This is still a vital part of cat training so I will mention this. Fortunately, most cats tend to be fastidious and relatively easily learn what is required. Anticipating when the kitten needs to go to the toilet is the key. Whenever the kitten is likely to need to go to the toilet i.e. first thing in the morning, last thing at night, after a sleep and after each meal; you put the kitten wherever you want it to toilet (litter tray or outside). If there is an accident a firm "No" is usually all that is required to punish it.
Socialisation: Socialisation is important in a kitten's development as this teaches the kitten how to interact with people and other pets. Remember to supervise small children with kittens as kittens can break when thrown, dropped, squashed etc.
Experiences: Introduce many experiences gradually to the kitten. They need to become accustomed to household noises- vacuum cleaners, washing machines, doors slamming, new people etc. They are less likely to be fearful if these noises and experiences happen a lot.
Despite my earlier comment about small children, the most placid cats often have a small child in the family who will dress the cat up in doll's clothes, wheel it around in a pram, pick it up carelessly etc. The cat realises that these experiences are not harmful, so remember that the kitten is not made of fragile glass, handle it a lot- play with its ears, touch its tummy, cradle it on its back etc.
Learn their body language:
Cats tend to have moods, more so than dogs do. Learning to recognize how they are feeling is useful. Here are some pointers to tell you what your kitten is feeling.
Toys and games: Kittens instinctively love to play. It keeps their minds stimulated and their bodies agile. Avoid games that encourage biting your hands – they are cute when the kitten is small but no fun when the cat is older (if you positively reinforce that as a kitten, what do you get when they are older?). Some kittens will initiate running games where they want you to chase them, do so- then hide and see what the kitten does, use your instinct here. Cardboard boxes are fun for the kitten to hide in and spring out of. Many kitten toys are very cheap- anything that moves, rolls, squeaks or jumps is a toy. This includes crumpled paper balls, empty toilet rolls, ping-pong balls, as well as fake furry mice, jingle balls etc. Something attached to string that you can make move (an empty kitchen paper roll, a furry mouse etc) are good toys that you can both play with. Kittens play when you are not at home with them so make sure there are toys around for them otherwise expect that they will make their "own fun" which can mean getting into things you may not want them to.
Some kittens can learn to play "fetch". Pick a toy your cat really likes and call its name while you toss it up and down in the air. Once you have your kitten's attention, toss the toy so that it lands nearby and let the kitten play with it. As soon as you notice your kitten getting bored with the toy, call its name and if it looks at you, take the toy away. Repeat this process twice a day for about 10 minutes at a time. Some cats will get the idea and start bringing the toy back to you.
Overall, be consistent, cats will learn what is acceptable and what is not, but like dogs, they enjoy at times being naughty. It is part of their charm. Rosalie |
When we think of training with our pets, we tend to think of obedience training in dogs and yet mostly just toilet training in cats. Why do we train our dogs to obey us, and yet let our cats train us to obey them? I think a lot of the appeal of a cat is its independence but there are some tips to try to stay "top dog" around your new kitten.