Such a moment as raising a cat is very important and must be taken seriously. Educational manipulations should begin as soon as the little fluffy crosses the threshold of a new home. After all, in order for a pet to grow up as a calm, obedient and kind animal, you need to make a lot of effort. Therefore, new owners should understand that along with the joy associated with the appearance of an animal, considerable troubles should also be expected, since proper care and education are the key to a peaceful and affectionate relationship between a person and an animal.
When should you start parenting?
Veterinarians and trainers unanimously agree that raising a kitten should begin as early as possible. Children under the age of six months are best suited for learning and development. It is this time that should be devoted to the development of the baby, instilling in him certain behavioral skills. If time is lost, re-educating a teenage kitten will be much more difficult.
Despite the fact that you really want to pamper your baby, you need to explain to him from a very early age what he can and cannot do. Already a three-month-old kitten should know where its toilet and toys are located. Understand that damaging furniture, sharpening claws on walls, scratching and biting is strictly prohibited.
However, you should use the right tactics. Physical punishment and loud screams will make the kitten nervous, embittered, and intimidated. In addition, many cats to whom such measures are applied begin to take revenge on their owners.
The best method of raising a kitten is to prevent unwanted behavior. However, what to do if the offense has already been committed? For educational purposes, clapping your hands loudly or sprinkling the baby with water will be enough. If you repeat these actions regularly, the baby will clearly understand what he should not do and will not receive psycho-emotional trauma.
You should accustom your pet to order by strictly observing its regime and daily routine. The kitten must have its own sleeping place, toilet, and place for feeding. It is recommended to give food to the baby at certain hours, at the same time. At the same time, it is important for the owner not to violate the rules he himself has established. For example, if one time the owner punished the child for an offense, and another time he ignored his action, the educational moment will be missed.
If the owner accustoms the animal to eat in a strictly defined place, then under no circumstances should you feed it from the table, etc. Proper upbringing of a kitten is based not on severity and cruelty, but on maintaining order and discipline.
The right ways to adapt
When a kitten leaves the house where he was born and lived next to his mother, he experiences the greatest stress in his still small life. The owner’s task is not to aggravate it, but to help him get out of a depressed state easily and quickly.
To do this you need to follow simple rules:
- Organize the correct feeding, sleeping, and playing schedule for the baby and under no circumstances disturb it.
- In the first months of life in a new home, limit visits to friends and noisy companies. Your pet should be accustomed to new people gradually and only after it has fully adapted.
- Under no circumstances should you change the food or type of filler in the first days. This will add to the baby's stress.
- Take a piece of bedding with the mother's scent from the nursery and put it in the new house. This will make the adaptation process easier.
- A handful of litter from an old litter box will also help your pet quickly learn the new litter box.
- If you plan to have another animal in the house, it is better to either bring both of them at once or wait until the kitten fully adapts (up to six months).
- To train a dog to use a scratching post, you can use valerian, catnip, and special sprays with phermones. In order to wean a child from sharpening his claws in prohibited places, vinegar, citrus fruits or perfumes with strong odors are often used.
- Toilet training must be introduced from the first minutes of life in a new home.
- Listen to the advice of the breeder, contact the nursery first of all with all questions.
- Do not scream or hit your pet. The correct punishment is a remark made in a stern tone. It is acceptable to use a spray bottle of water, a light slap on the nose, or a light blow with a rolled-up newspaper.
- The following action by the owner helps a lot. If your baby breaks the rules, you can pick him up and lightly blow on his nose. This is not painful or dangerous, but it is very unpleasant for cats, just like a light slap on the lobe.
Education of personal qualities
Most people who get a cat dream of it being affectionate and tame. But few people know that the character of an animal is also formed at a young age and depends on upbringing.
If the owner wants to raise a kitten to be tame and kind, then it is necessary to try to devote enough time to him, not to leave him alone for a long time, to take the baby in his arms more often, to play and talk to him. Scientists have proven that cats, although they do not understand words, receive certain information from a person’s tone and intonation.
What you should teach your cat
Pampered cats are characterized by begging at the master's table and ignoring tasty food in their own bowl, capriciousness and pickiness in food, the habit of scratching and biting during play, as well as in response to affection; touchiness and refusal to communicate with the owner who scolded the animal.
Respond to a nickname To do this, you need to choose a sonorous, not very long nickname that the cat could hear from afar. The nickname should be constantly repeated when addressing the animal. It is also important to ensure that everyone around you calls the cat the same. When calling a cat by name, you need to speak in such a tone as if something very important is being communicated to her. It will take about 30–40 days for the animal to get used to its name and learn to distinguish it.
Nicknames for cats cat.mau.ru Nicknames for cats cat.mau.ru
Go to the owner's call In order to teach a cat this, it will take time and patience. The essence of the exercise comes down to regular repetition of the same phrase: “Come to me” or “Go, “Cat name”!” etc. It is important to try to repeat the words in the same tone. If an animal does not obey, there is no need to scold it; this will not achieve a positive result. The pet that follows the command should be rewarded with affectionate stroking, fun play, or sometimes you can also use some kind of treat.
Sit calmly in your arms To raise an animal calm and balanced, it is important to teach him to sit in your arms. At the same time, the cat cannot be held by force; it must be sure that nothing threatens it and no one is encroaching on its freedom.
Maintain a regimen It is not difficult to accustom a cat to a strict regimen - you just need to feed it regularly, at the same time.
Do not disturb at night Considering that most cats are often active at night, it is important to teach your pet not to disturb the owner’s sleep. However, to achieve a positive result you will need patience and perseverance. If the cat begins its nightly games, a prohibitive command is given in a stern tone; if this does not work, punishment can be resorted to. After this, the pet should be picked up and placed next to you (it is important that he feels the owner’s hand), this will let him understand what is required of him.
Sharpening claws in a designated area All cats love this activity, so the best option is to purchase and install a scratching post.
You can stop your pet from scratching furniture in various ways: - spray the animal with water at the moment when it is preparing to sharpen its claws in the wrong place (most cats do not like water); - scare an animal that is preparing to sharpen its claws by throwing something on the floor next to it or loudly clapping your hands. - rub the most frequently damaged areas of furniture with orange peel (animals cannot stand its smell).
Staying in the house You should definitely train your pet to stay in the house even when the windows and doors are open. He must leave the apartment or house only with the permission of the owner. If the cat has the right to freely walk from home to the street and back, you should try to make sure that it only uses the folding door. As soon as it is noticed that the animal is violating the established rule, you need to return it to its place, put it on the floor, look intently into its eyes and say: “You can’t!” or “Ugh!”, then take it to the folding door and let the animal out through it.
Walking on a leash To go outside with your cat, try to teach it to walk on a leash. At first, you can simply put a collar on the cat, so that if possible, she spends several hours a day in it. Once the animal gets used to the collar, a leash is attached to it. So the pet should walk two or three times throughout the apartment, after which you can take the end of the leash in your hands and walk after the pet for a few minutes. Soon it will be possible to easily control the animal and force it to go where it needs to go. It is important in the learning process to accompany actions with the commands “Let’s go!” or “Here!” etc. If the cat shows strong resistance when putting a collar on it, it is better to postpone this procedure to a later time.
Stay calm while traveling in the car Cats do not like car rides, but they can be trained to do so. Moreover, you should not do this by force, otherwise the cat will only treat such walks with even greater horror. You need to act carefully. Usually the cat is placed in a special basket, which is then placed in the car. It is better to use a basket that the cat is already accustomed to. After this, the animal must be given time to look around and get used to the new environment. It is advisable to take time and sit next to it, and, if necessary, pet the animal. When the cat calms down a little, you can turn on the engine, after some time turn off the engine and return to the house with the cat. This exercise should be repeated several times before taking your cat on a trip.
Don't Beg at the Table One of the most common habits in poorly behaved cats is begging at the table. Trying to pity the owner and get a tasty piece, cats refuse their usual food. But indulging in begging does not lead to anything good: the animal may begin to climb onto the table and even steal. To avoid such problems, you should immediately determine the cat’s feeding regimen: try to give your pet food 5-10 minutes earlier than sitting down at the table; If you still want to pamper your pet, you can put a tasty morsel in his bowl, but under no circumstances hand-feed the animal.
To go to the toilet correctly From the very first day of a kitten’s life in the house, it is necessary to teach him to relieve his natural needs in a place specially designated for this purpose. It is quite possible to train a cat to use the toilet if you have patience. First of all, you should think about what the kitten's toilet should be like and prepare it in accordance with all the needs of the new pet. For a cat, it is advisable to purchase a special tray with a grid (this will allow her to avoid getting her paws wet when performing natural needs) or one in which cat litter is poured. In the latter case, you should choose the material that your pet will like best. If trouble does occur and the kitten soils itself in the wrong place, you should immediately clean up after it and treat the accident site with “Antigadin” to avoid recurrence of troubles.
How to train a kitten to sleep
When purchasing a kitten, it is recommended to take care of a comfortable sleeping place for it. Experts do not recommend that owners allow their cat to sleep in the same bed with them. Not only is this unhygienic, but also in the understanding of the animal, by sharing a sleeping place with it, the owner seems to equalize positions, and the owner must still be the clear leader.
In addition, sleeping with a kitten is simply dangerous. For example, you can accidentally crush a baby, causing him serious injuries. There are cases where cats scratched people in their sleep. If claws accidentally get into the eye, the most tragic consequences are possible, including complete blindness.
It is necessary to equip the kitten with a comfortable sleeping place, suitable in size, protected from noise and drafts. Often babies do not want to sleep alone and come to bed with their owners. In this case, you should calm the kitten down and then take it to its own sleeping place.
In this matter, you should be gentle, but at the same time firmly adhere to your positions. Once you let the kitten fall asleep in bed with its owner, the process of further accustoming it to a sleeping place will be extremely difficult and can take a long time.
And yet, how to raise a kitten?
This is not an easy question. Start talking to the kitten, the main thing being the tone of your voice. The kitten may not fully understand your words, but your intonation should tell him that he did something wrong.
But this does not mean that you should yell at your baby. If you allow yourself to have an aggressive attitude towards your pet, be prepared to receive the same attitude in return. There is no need to intimidate or undermine the animal’s nervous system.
It is absolutely obvious that you should not beat a kitten, otherwise you will raise an aggressive or frightened animal with inappropriate behavior, which, if possible, will take revenge on you for past insults.
Imagine that the kitten is a child, this will make it easier for you to adapt to the upbringing process and will allow you to avoid an overly harsh attitude towards the animal.
The kitten must be brought up with discipline and have a daily schedule for its life. This way you can teach your pet order from an early age. The kitten must clearly understand what is allowed and what is not. The main thing in this matter is your consistency. If you have designated a specific place where the kitten will eat, do not allow the animal to take its food to other places. If you notice that the kitten has gone with a piece of food to another place, strictly tell him: “No!” and return it back to the place where it should eat. Repeat this as often as necessary until the kitten understands this rule.
There is nothing more harmful to discipline if you do not maintain it yourself. So, for example, at some point you want to feed a kitten in your arms at the table, then don’t be surprised, much less yell at it, if next time you find it on the table eating your dinner. You yourself have violated the boundaries of what is permitted and it will be more difficult to wean a kitten than simply maintaining the rules you have determined!
Toilet training
It is necessary to accustom a kitten to the tray from the moment it arrives in the house. It is recommended to choose a comfortable tray and high-quality filler for the animal. So that your baby can figure out where to go to the toilet, you just need to take him there after eating or when he exhibits restless behavior.
In the event that the kitten nevertheless did his “tricks” in the wrong place, you should refrain from shouting at the baby, much less hitting him. You just need to carefully poke his muzzle into the puddle, explain that you can’t do that and take him to the potty. You can also blot the cat’s urine with a cloth and place it in the tray; the smell will help the baby figure out where exactly his litter box is located.
Often the fault that a cat goes to the toilet in the wrong places lies with the owners themselves. It should be remembered that these animals are very clean. Therefore, it is worth regularly checking the condition of the tray, washing it and changing the filler.
Correcting incorrect cat behavior
If the new pet in the house is an adult animal and its character requires correction, this is a much more difficult task than raising a kitten.
A cat often behaves badly because he has not been given enough attention. Persistent and strict comments in the form of punishment, encouragement with affection and treats for correct actions will help in solving the problem.
If the pet is not litter box trained, the steps are the same as with a kitten. Isolating the animal in a practically empty room with a tray, food and a house helps a lot.
An animal may be overly aggressive because it was beaten, screamed at, or intimidated. Love and affection, a quiet, calm environment in the house will help overcome the fear of such a pet.
As a last resort, you can contact a veterinary clinic for behavior correction.
If a cat behaves well in front of people and misbehaves alone, he is most likely bored. The way out of the situation is to get a second pet.
Feeding mode
Raising and disciplining a kitten also involves maintaining a proper feeding regimen. Kittens, like small children, should be fed according to a certain pattern. It looks like this:
| Kitten age | Feeding frequency |
| 2-3 months | 5 times during the day |
| 5-6 months | 4 times a day |
| 7-11 months | 2 times a day (in the morning and evening hours) |
It is recommended to feed the kitten strictly at certain hours. After feeding, the food bowls are removed. Only an adult cat over a year old can independently determine the time of meals and its quantity. As for water, the kitten should have constant access to it. The water in the drinking bowl should be changed 2-3 times throughout the day.
Feeding a kitten
The kitten's diet changes as it grows, if at 3 months it needs 5 meals a day, then at six months - 4 times, then - two meals a day. Only after 11 months can an adult pet determine when it needs to eat.
Nutrition is very important for a kitten. A balanced and proper diet will strengthen the baby’s health and allow him to develop harmoniously. Don't let your kitten be capricious, forcing you to offer him food to choose from. By doing this you will spoil him.
Of course, food should not only be healthy, but also tasty. The joy of a delicious meal will put your kitten in a good mood.
You can choose the optimal food for your kitten in our section “Food Selection”
After answering a few questions, you will be offered the best food for your kitten.
Professional cat food "Sanabel" is available in all cities of Russia, a developed network of distributors will allow you to find a store on our "Map"
Nail sharpener
Both kittens and adult cats love to sharpen their claws. The owner of the animal should make sure that it does not do this against furniture or wallpaper. To do this, the baby needs to purchase a special scratching post and teach how to use it (read how to accustom a kitten to a scratching post).
This is done simply. You just need to place your baby's paws on the surface of the scratching post so that he can feel how his claws cling to it. Soon the kitten will be happy to use this toy.
But what to do in cases where the baby still prefers the upholstery of a sofa or apartment wall to a scratching post? In such a situation, you should strictly explain to the kitten that this cannot be done and take it to the scratching post.
In addition, you can treat the furniture with orange peel. Cats don't like the smell of citrus fruits, so this simple trick will help stop your kitten from ruining your apartment's decor.
How to raise a kitten to be affectionate and tame?
As soon as a kitten appears in your home, the process of raising it begins immediately. The kitten does not know how to behave in new conditions, so be patient - this will be a difficult transition period both for the kitten and for you, because you will have new worries and things to do.
Do not leave the kitten alone with you, remember, this is an animal, it has its own instincts, it is adapted to life in nature, and not in an apartment! Therefore, the kitten needs to be taught how it should behave in the space of your apartment, what is possible and what is not. Believe me, he won’t figure it out on his own and won’t learn it.
It’s ridiculous when owners of adult cats complain about the terrible antics of their pets, about their vindictiveness and aggressiveness. If an animal behaves this way, it is the direct fault of its owner.
Play with the kitten
Raising a tame, flexible, healthy and fully developed kitten is simply impossible without games. You should definitely find time to communicate and have fun with your baby. For these purposes, special toys, balls and candy wrappers tied to a string are suitable.
The main thing is to make sure that the toy is made of safe materials and is not too small so that the kitten accidentally swallows it.
You should not allow your baby to play with the owner’s hands, hair, clothes, or scratch himself. When the baby turns into an adult cat, it will be extremely difficult to wean him from this habit, and such games can lead to injury, cause damaged clothes, jewelry, etc.
Praise and Punishment
Anyone who has wondered how to raise a cat has wondered how to properly use rewards and how to punish in case of inappropriate behavior of their pet. Incentives can be of several types:
- stroking the cat;
- treat;
- games;
- verbal praise
- weasel.
For an adult cat, punishment and reward are the most effective way to train. The animal must also be punished correctly. Physical violence must be completely excluded. You can show the swing with a newspaper or magazine, but not execute it. You should not do this with your hands or your palms.
The punishment should not be delayed, so the cat will not understand why exactly it was done. Inevitability should also be an important principle. If a cat is stealing, it is necessary to punish for each episode, and not selectively. Only in this way can a disobedient animal be corrected and such behavior prevented in the future.
Is it possible to hit a kitten?
You cannot hit a kitten or an adult cat. Such actions can lead to the opposite effect; the cat will try to take revenge. This is especially noticeable with some breeds. Violence and physical force destroys contact with the animal. A stern voice is the best substitute for brute force.
How to stop a kitten from chewing plants
In most cases, cats begin to chew indoor plants not because of their malicious nature or lack of upbringing, but because of a deficiency of vitamins. This problem can be solved by providing the kitten with a properly balanced diet and fortified supplements appropriate for its age category.
You can also plant special grass for cats on the windowsill, the seeds of which are sold at any pet store. You can stop a kitten from gnawing indoor flowers using a spray bottle or the same loud clap of your hands. It should be remembered that some indoor plants are poisonous and dangerous for the baby, so just in case, they should be removed where the kitten cannot reach them.
Proper care affects your pet's character
By properly caring for an animal, you can positively influence the formation of its character. Gentle handling of the kitten and systematic education of personal qualities will help raise an obedient and smart pet. Living with such a pet will only be a joy.
How to teach cleanliness
The kitten's eyes do not open: the main reasons and what can be done
To teach a kitten to be clean, it is recommended to make the area in which your pet shits uncomfortable. For this purpose, you can cover the floor surface:
- plastic film;
- adhesive material;
- foil;
- cloth soaked in vinegar.
For a while, it is advisable to place saucers with water and food in this place. If the cat still goes to the “crime scene,” you should clap your hands loudly, repeating the command “Ugh!” You can throw the keys on the floor near the kitten and spray the animal with a spray bottle.
For your information! To wean your pet from using the bathtub as a toilet, you should always leave a small amount of water in it.
When training a cat, it is important to follow the recommendations of experts
How to train your pet not to damage furniture
How to raise a kitten so that it pleases with obedience? To prevent your pet from damaging furniture with its claws, you can trim the sharp parts of its claws. The procedure can be carried out either independently or by a veterinarian. It is important to trim the sharp parts of the claws at a certain angle.
Important! To trim claws, the cat owner will need to purchase special scissors.
It is unacceptable to use scissors on dogs, since the shape of their claws is different from those of cats.
After the procedure, it is important to praise your pet so that he does not perceive the process of trimming claws as torture.
Note! To prevent the kitten from damaging the furniture, you can place a scratching post in the room, pre-treated with a small amount of valerian solution.
How to stop a kitten from chewing plants
Both small kittens and adult cats do not like the smell of citrus fruits. If your cat is chewing on indoor plants, you can simply spray the flowers with lemon water from a spray bottle. You can also place lemon slices directly into your plant pots.
In almost any pet store you can purchase a special device that supplies air flow when the animal approaches the flowers. The pet will be scared off by the air flow directed at it, and soon it will avoid the flowers. It is also advisable to grow grass for chewing on the windowsill. Then the cat will direct all its strength to chewing juicy greens, and not flowers.
Note! Plants can be protected with a special mesh with small cells, which can be easily removed while caring for the flowers.
Almost every cat breed is trainable
Proper care
Raising a kitten includes proper care for the baby. In order to provide it to your pet, you should pay attention to the following recommendations from experts:
- From an early age, teach your kitten to hygiene procedures. Brush his fur regularly.
- Give your kitten water treatments. It is best to accustom your baby to water from an early age.
- Once every 1.5-2 weeks, trim the kitten’s claws, clean the eyes and ears. If you do not accustom your baby to such procedures, caring for an adult cat will be extremely problematic.
- When bathing your kitten, use high-quality shampoos designed for its age category and coat type.
Caring for a kitten in this way will teach it discipline and help the owner establish contact with his pet.
A place for a kitten to sleep
Cats sleep most of the time. That is why it is so important to equip a spacious place for the baby, covered with soft material. For this purpose, you can use a cardboard box or shallow basket. You can place the bed in a warm and dry room, which is reliably protected from drafts. It is best to place the basket higher, as pets like to occupy a position on an elevated platform and watch what is happening in the room.
You can also place a bedding made of soft material near the owner’s bed. This will allow your baby to get accustomed to his own place. "Scots", like representatives of other breeds, very quickly learn where their place to sleep is.
How to deal with cat aggression
What should you do if your beloved furry pet bites, scratches, or gets into trouble with other pets? Such behavior may indicate a lack of attention from the owner or the animal’s desire to assert a leading position.
In such cases, the best method of training is to ignore the cat. It is recommended to strictly explain to the animal that this cannot be done and not to communicate or play with it for several hours.
How to train a kitten
Cats are much less trainable than dogs. But if desired, they can also be taught certain commands. Training should begin at an early age, around 2.5-3 months. When training kittens, you should definitely use the reward method. You need to be persistent but patient.
You can’t scold a kitten if it doesn’t follow commands, but it’s important to praise and encourage it for every success, no matter how small.
Lures, encouragement with favorite food, treats, cat vitamins, etc. will help to attract the baby to a new activity and interest in training. It is not recommended to exercise after feeding the kitten. When the stomach is full, the animal's motor activity decreases significantly, as does its interest in rewards in the form of its favorite treats.
It is necessary to start training by performing the simplest commands. First, you should teach the kitten to respond to its name. To do this, you can call the baby by name, offering him food, or while playing, etc. When the baby begins to respond to his nickname, do not forget to reward him with something tasty.
It is important to limit your training time. Small kittens get tired quickly and lose interest, so long-term training is not suitable for them. The optimal training time is about 5 minutes. After this, you should take a break and, if desired, return to training again. What can you teach a kitten? At home, with enough time and patience, your cat can be taught the following commands:
- give paw;
- jump on the spot;
- bring a ball and other items.
Any person, even those without training skills, can teach such simple tricks to a kitten. It may take about 2-3 months to achieve the desired result.
Also see how to properly raise a kitten:
Optimal age to raise a cat
Raising cats begins from early childhood. Kittens receive their first lessons in proper behavior from their mother cat. During the time that the kittens are with their mother, they learn the rules of hygiene and acquire the skill of communicating with others. It’s good if the owners of the family where the kittens were born teach their little pets to use the litter box, because it’s much easier to do this with an adult cat—the mother.
At the age of two to three months, the kitten is sent to a new family. In the first days, all attention is paid to the wonderful creation. When a kitten is still small, he is allowed a lot. But this is the optimal age for education. At this time, the foundations of the animal’s behavior are laid. If you miss time, you shouldn’t be surprised in the future that your pet doesn’t listen to you and has turned from a tame sissy into an aggressive predator. It will be incomprehensible to him why what he did since childhood is forbidden to do now.
How to raise a cat
This is where the problems begin when the owners decide to take up raising an already uncontrollable cat.
But there are situations when an adult cat appears in the family. Is it really possible that if he has behavior problems, he cannot be re-educated? Of course this is not true. There are special methods for raising and re-educating cats at home.
