Kitty Querries and Responses on Cat Training and More
Q: Can you train cats?
A: Yes, cat training is not as hard as many individuals believe it is. Cats may not be as responsive to training as Spot or Champ are but they can be trained. Tasty rewards presented as positive reinforcement is probably the surest means to train a cat.
Q: Why and how do happy cats purr?
A: Adult kitties purr because they are happy and contented and to manipulate humans — Who can ignore a purring cat? Kittens purr in response to their mother cat’s purr to assist in bonding them. It is mostly theorized that the purring is a vibration of the vocal chords as air is pushed though it. It is also believed that purring is a voluntary action.
Q: Why are the reasons certain individuals are allergic to cats?
A: Cat allergies are caused by the proteins in cat dander coming from the cat’s saliva. The dander dries and becomes airborne. People with cat allergies develop an allergic reaction because their immune system is trying to attack the enemy protein and creates histamines.
Q: How do you break unwanted cat behavior such as scratching?
A: The best way to stop unwanted 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 should do this at the time of the bad behavior.
Q: How do you litter train a cat?
A: You really shouldn’t be required to do any training for a cat to use a litter box, but if your previously litter trained cat has started to avoid the litter box you need to determine the cause. 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 started using 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 problems and can be a tough one. Cats like elevated spots and they can find food or food odors on counters and tables. It is best to keep the counters clean and to use something like foil or double sided tape to keep cats off the tables.