In order for you and your cat to live together in a companionable and happy relationship there are some things that you will need to teach your cat to learn. There are some ground rules that should be established.
Remember that your territory is not your pet’s natural territory and that all animals still behave as animals no matter where they live. Certainly, you can train your cat to follow house rules and even do some pretty neat tricks, but it will take a lot of patience and consistency.
What basic training does your cat need?
First, there is toilet training. Where to go to the toilet is one of the most important things to train your cat or kitten. Cats are naturally clean animals so this will be quite an easy task.
There are several cat behaviors that are not acceptable for pets and so they need to be broken out of them. One of the worst cat behaviors is scratching; that is, scratching humans and scratching the furniture. Cats love to scratch. They don't just do it to harm anyone or ruin furniture; they do it because it is their nature to protect themselves and for the need to sharpen their claws.
Spraying is another behavior that is unwelcome in the home. Cats spray to mark their territory, so it is simply a natural thing for them to do.
Also, if you travel a lot and wish to take your cat with you, then travel training is a must.
Other basic training may depend on your own style of living and whether you live in the country or the city. If you live in an apartment, you may need to train your cat to lead so that you can take him outside. If you live in the country, this may not be necessary. If you live close to major traffic, but have a backyard, you may need to train your cat to keep away from the road; otherwise he is likely to get run over.
When training your cat, the goal in mind is to break the bad behavior and condition him to accept new behavior that is acceptable to you.
