| ||
| ||
|
Best Pet Articles | |
|
|
|
How to Make Your Cats Life, and YOUR Life, Happier - Training Your Cat
Imagine that you are scolding your cat for scratching at your new furniture, and Kitty is sitting staring at you. Suddenly you realize how silly you look and how futile your scolding is. So how do you train your cat to respect your home? All cats can be trained and should have some training from their owners. You will need to train your cat to use her litter box, sharpen her claws on the scratching post instead of your couch, and to stop negative behavior when you say "no." Cats can also learn to do "tricks," and the mental stimulation of learning is good for them. Cats learn the same way dogs and people learn; they repeat behaviors that have a pleasurable result. The best way to train your cat is to reward her when she does something right. The reward might be a small piece of a special food, or lots of praise from you in a happy, high-pitched voice. Training to change negative behaviors requires you to catch your cat "in the act." For example, if your cat uses your stereo speakers as a scratching post, wait until she is about to put claw to fabric, then firmly say "NO." The moment she freezes and turns towards you, switch to the happy voice and praise her. Move towards her to distract her away from the inappropriate object. If she makes any movement towards you praise her even more. Timing and repetition are the keys to success here. You must catch her as she moves to act inappropriately, and praise her the exact moment she stops. Things to remember if your cat scratches your furniture * Understand your cat's need to scratch. * Forget punishment - it doesn't work. * Provide a suitable place for your cat to scratch such as a scratching post * Make the scratching post attractive to Kitty * Make the place she's been scratching unattractive - physical or scent related deterrents will work * Whenever possible, start cats young. * You may want to trim your cat's claws. Training simple tricks can be incorporated into daily playtime. Always keep some cat treats in a pocket during training time. To teach your cat to "shake hands," begin by saying "shake," then touching your hand to the underside of one of her front paws. Praise her for letting you touch there, and give her a treat. Repeat this over and over again. Eventually, you can lay your hand flat on the floor just in front of her paw. Say "shake" and wait. If she even moves her paw towards you praise her and give her a treat. Little by little, she'll catch on that every time she touches your hand with her paw she can get you to give her a treat. Once she willingly touches your hand, you can start to raise your hand off of the floor a little bit at a time. Keep training fun. Stop the session before she loses interest, and always end on a positive note with a reward. You can use the same one-small-step-at-a-time technique to teach your cat to walk on a leash. This allows you to take your cat outside for fresh air and sensory stimulation without having to worry about her running off. Purchase a cat harness from a pet supply store. Before you even try putting it on your cat, simply leave it lying by her bed for a day or two. When she is used to seeing and smelling it, loosely put it on her just before her normal mealtime. Hand-feed her food to distract her from the harness and to make wearing it a pleasurable experience. Remove it when the food is gone. After a few days, you can let her wear the harness around the house. Let the leash drag behind, but watch to make sure it doesn't become tangled around furniture. When she seems comfortable with the harness and leash, pick up your end and walk with her, letting her lead the way. Eventually she will walk willingly beside you, and you can both venture outdoors. Pet Medication Supplies [http://www.pet-medication-supplies.net] can help you get the best possible supplies for your pet. Advantix, Arthramine, Cosequin, Frontline, Heartgard - find the best deals in pet medication for flea and tick control, arthritis and lyme disease. Upto 50% discount everyday on brand names.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Dog Shock Collars: Teaching Your Dog Basic Obedience and Breaking Bad Habits Dog Shock CollarsDog shock collars are a touchy subject among animal owners. While their goal is to train a dog to follow a set of rules, many people feel they can be cruel to animals. Petting a Dog is Good For Both of You Studies have shown that regularly petting a dog brings a person the following benefits: Lower blood pressure Lower cholesterol Lower risk of heart disease Improvement in chronic illnesses (such as Alzheimer's or AIDS) Improvement in emotional condition -- easing of stress, sadness, and pain.A lot of that is common knowledge. What You Should Never Feed Your Dog Unfortunately, there are a number of household items which we tend to take for granted that are potentially very dangerous to your dog's health. It is especially important to be aware of this because as you know, dogs are essentially scavengers and will often eat just about anything they can sink their fangs into. Does Your Dog Have Fleas? Itch, itch. Scratch, scratch, scratch. The Beauty of Boxer Dogs Boxer dogs are an all around great breed, especially skilled in hunting and police work, and are always alert and vigilant, making for a very instinctive guard dog. Boxer dogs can bring you years of joyful companionship with a life expectantcy of about 9 to 11 years, but they could possibly live as long as 15 years!The Boxer dogs most developed sense is his sense of hearing. "On Trust" & "Paid For": One of the Oldest Dog Tricks that Never Fail to Entertain "On Trust" & "Paid For" for are one of the oldest dog tricks that afford as much entertainment as anything a dog can do since the early 1900s. It is not the easiest trick to be taught but can be elaborated on and presented in several different forms to impress most people. Dog Pile - Please Pick It Up I really do not hope your are eating something, but did you know that you can get a fake dog pile in long or round bits for a joke. My younger son had initiated this research of mine, by asking why I pick up the dog's business, even though he had done it on the grass. Mind Over Matter Understanding where horses come from has been a long road for most equestrians. Using that new understanding can dramatically change how one handles, cares for, and trains or rides their horse. What You Should Know About Your Dogs Sleeping Habits It's important to understand your dog's sleeping habits and how they influence its behavior, particularly when your dog gets disturbed.You see, Dogs will usually sleep for around 13 hours every day. Surprising Health Benefits for Pet Owners Did you know that there are key health benefits that canresult from owning a pet? Having one can enhance yourphysical, mental and social wellbeing.1. Special Gifts for Animal Lovers Animal lovers come in all shapes and sizes. Undoubtedly if you bump into an animal lover you will find them to be friendly, loving, caring, and compassionate human beings. Mommy, Can I Keep That Stray Dog? How many times have you seen this situation where a child comes through the door with a dog in tow? It looks skinny and skittish and is in need of a good meal and a bath. The child is looking with big eyes imploring, pleading, and desperately wanting a yes. Puppy Crate Training -- Fast Track to a Contented Dog Puppy crate training is one of the most effective ways to housebreak your new puppy.Puppy crate training takes a little patience, but it's a good way to set your puppy on the right path. The TOP 7 Mistakes Horse Owners Make Mistake #7 - Assuming You Can Get On Any Horse And Simply RideNot all horses are the same. Some you can get on and easily ride. Putting A Dog To Sleep I was talking to a friend of mine today and I asked him how his kids (dogs) were. He lives on his own and the standing joke is - "does he want to do a swap with his dogs and my kids?"He informed me very sadly that he had to get the older dog put to sleep. Nikki and Benny, My Therapy Visiting Dogs. My two therapy dogs, Nikki and Benny, bring joy to our friends. Here is short report of our visit. The Top Five Reasons to Rescue a Boxer What if you want a Boxer, but cannot stomach the thought of housebreaking, chewed up shoes and boundless puppy energy? Have you ever heard of Boxer rescue? These organizations provide loving care (and sometimes rehabilitation) to Boxers who have been surrendered by their owners, found abandoned or rescued from harmful situations.Too many people get a Boxer for the wrong reasons and thankfully there are rescue organizations to take these dogs into their homes and provide care until a forever family can be found. How to Ensure that Your Cat is Healthy and Lives a Long and Happy Life Incredible advances in veterinary medicine are making it possible for cats to live longer, healthier lives than ever before. The quality of your cat's health is the result of a partnership between you and your veterinarian. Herding and the German Shepherd Dog Once other animals such as cattle, sheep and goats became domesticated, man became aware of the dogs herding ability. Tactics used by hunting wolves, witnessed by humans, such as driving and separating one animal from the flock, were further exploited and bred into these dogs. Horse Manure Management--What are Your Options? You need a strategy for using or disposing of your horse's manure. The proper management of manure is important to the health of your horse and your family.
|
| home | site map | SubArticle |
| © 2008 |
