The Best Stuff For Your Cat

Watch this video for some insightful tips about the importance of training your kitty early on to play gently, especially when it comes to human skin. Learn what supplies and toys you can use in playing with your kitten because it is important not to use your fingers!

By Beth E. Williams

Cats can be elusive creatures, and sometimes the task of getting them to come when called can seem daunting. However, if you approach this in the right way and with the right attitude, it can be much easier than you think! Here are some effective steps that work very well for most cats.

Step 1: Begin by making it a habit to talk to your cat often, and create a strong bond with her through petting, brushing, and spending time together. Take every opportunity to give her your love and attention. Having a good relationship with your cat is very important.

Step 2: Find a special dry treat that she really loves. This should be something that she doesn’t have very often, and it will only be used for this purpose. While you are training her to come when called, make sure you don’t give her this particular treat at any other time. Please choose something small and nutritious. A snack that is good for your cat’s teeth would be ideal.

Step 3: Find a special word that will be used for training her to come. This will become a word that she associates only with this special treat, so think of something that she won’t often hear at other times.

Step 4: The next time you give your cat a snack, use the special word. Put one treat in her empty food bowl while speaking the word out loud.

Step 5: Say the word again after she eats the treat. Then give her another of the same treat, and use the word again in the same way.

Step 6: Step away from your cat now. If she protests that she is “starving” you can say the word again and give her one more piece. Then leave the room.

Step 7: About 4 minutes later, repeat the entire process again. Your cat will begin to learn to associate the special word with her special treat.

Step 8: Continue doing this a few times a day for the next several days. Eventually, your cat will learn to come to you when you say the special word.

Step 9: When your cat starts coming to you every time you say the special word, start giving her the treat only once in a while. The rest of the time, give her lots of attention (petting, scratches, playing with a toy, whatever she likes) for a few minutes. Then let her go. Repeat this process a few minutes later.

Step 10: If you have created a strong bond with your cat, and if you have followed the above procedures correctly, your cat will now associate your special word with the extra attention and loves she gets from you. She should now be coming to you when she hears you say the word.

Please remember, the treat must be a small and nutritious snack, not something large, or a whole bowl of food. She will be eating a fair number of these during training, and we don’t want her to gain extra weight!

Make sure that you use the special word every day, just so that she will come to you for affection and hugs. If you use it only when it is time to take her to the vet or give her a bath, she will learn to associate the word with unpleasant times and it can undermine the effects of your training. When these types of occasions do come up, give your cat the treat and then wait a little bit before following through with your “hidden motive”.

So why does this technique work so well?

What this all boils down to is conditioning your cat to associate your special word with getting attention from you. The word becomes the trigger, to which she responds in order to get something she wants. Once this happens, any time you say the special word your cat comes because she knows she will be rewarded.

As you can see, the bond you form with your cat is the most important aspect of getting her to come when you call. When your cat knows that she will get love and affection from being close to you, then she will WANT to come to you any time she can.

I learned these tips and many others from Mary Matthews’ book Ultimate Cat Secrets. If you would like to enjoy a loving relationship with a perfectly well behaved cat, this is well worth a read!

All the best to you and your feline friends,

Beth

I love cats and I believe that every cat and cat lover deserves a happy and harmonious home together. I am always seeking out information about cats and I enjoy sharing it with other people who enjoy them as much as I do. Please visit my blog for my latest updates!

Article Source: How to Get Your Cat to Come When Called

Photo by kevindooley used under Creative Commons License

By Jeanne Gibson

A meowing cat can drive you up the wall-or at least away from home to seek relief for a few hours. Does your cat meow too much? I’m not referring to a meek little meow now and then, but the “Chinese water torture” kind of meowing that goes on, and on, and on.

Before you do anything about your cat’s excessive meowing, you need to figure out the reason behind this problem behavior, one that can become serious, if no steps are taken to curb it. Here are 5 of the most common reasons cats meow too much:

1. Your cat may be ill and meow to let you know he or she needs help.

If your fairly quiet cat suddenly starts meowing excessively, it is time to check it out for a physical problem. Look the cat over thoroughly, checking for scratches, tender spots, a tendency to favor one or more paws when walking, reluctance to walk at all, listlessness, discharge from eyes, ears, or nose, etc.

Any one of these cat behavior problems may merit a prompt visit to a veterinarian to make sure needed treatment is started as soon as possible. Solving the cat’s health problem usually also solves the problem meowing behavior, too.

2. Most cats meow when they want you to do something for them.

And most cat owners recognize this type of meow. It is usually loud and insistent and can mean, “I want food and water,” “My litter box is full,” “I want to go outside,” or “I want to come inside.” When you fulfill the “command,” whatever it is, the meowing usually ends—at least until they want you to do something else for them.

3. A cat may meow to alert their owners that something is amiss.

Not all cats pay attention to anything beyond the 4 walls of the house they live in, but some act almost like “watchdogs” for their owners. As soon as a neighborhood cat, dog, raccoon, or other intruder (even a two-legged one) comes anywhere near the house, “Watchdog” cats begin to meow.

Some even growl. Unfortunately, they seldom stop until the intruder leaves the premises so you might as well leave that comfy easy chair and venture outside to take care of the problem if you want any peace and quiet for the rest of the evening. Intruder gone-cat behavior problem of excessive meowing solved.

4. Some breeds of cats are noted for meowing more than others.

If you have a Siamese cat (as I did at one time) you are probably in for being treated to more meowing than with most other breeds, but you still need to check for causes that may indicate trouble. Siamese cats are noted for not only the frequency of their meowing, but also for the loudness, so if excessive meowing is a problem for you, try for a breed that is not noted for being so vocal.

5. Cats are basically social and meow when they just want attention.

Most of us become cat owners in the first place because cats are so appealing. They are cuddly creatures who love to be held and petted, and are great company. All these things are true, but there is one problem. Most cats want to cuddle, to be held and petted, and to share their company with you on their schedule, not yours. And, if you happen to be busy when they decide it is time for some of this attention from you, their response is to meow until it is forthcoming.

If this happens too frequently at your house, and you feel your cat is already receiving sufficient attention, try short periods of banishment from your presence. Put the cat in another room or even in the garage for a short time as soon as the meowing begins, and it won’t be long before your cat learns there are certain times he or she needs to be a quieter companion in order to remain in close proximity to you.

Those are five of the most common reasons cats meow too much, and you could probably add a few more from observing your own cat’s behavior. Since there are so many causes for excessive meowing in cats, it seems that no one solution to the problem will apply to all. Each of us needs to determine what is behind the excessive meowing of our own particular cat, and then decide where to go from there.

Jeanne Gibson is a math and English teacher who lives in Springfield, Oregon with her husband and an 8-year-old cat named Snoopy. For more Solutions to Cat Behavior Problems, check out her Squidoo lens.