Kitty Querries and Responses on Cat Training and Cat Behavior

Q: Can cats be trained?

A: Yes, cat training is not as difficult as most pet owners predict it is. Cats may not be as amenable to training as Rover or Spot are but they are trainable. Food rewards offered as positive reinforcement is certainly the surest route to train your cat.

Q: Why and how do kittens make a purring sound?

A: Adult cats purr because they are happy and contented and to play on the emotions of humans — who can resist a purring kitty? Kittens purr in response to their mother cat’s purr to help bond them. It is mostly believed that the purring is a vibration of the larynx as air is pushed though it. It is also believed that purring is a voluntary action.

Q: What makes quite a few cat owners 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 have an allergic reaction because their immune system is attempting to combat the alien protein and creates histamines.

Q: How do you curtail naughty cat behavior like scratching?

A: The best way to break undesirable 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 must do this at the time of the naughty behavior.

Q: How do you litter train a cat?

A: You really shouldn’t have to do any training for a cat to make use of a litter pan, but if your adult cat has begun to avoid the litter box you need to find out why. The cat may have a urinary tract infection in which case you need to go to the vet. 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 tables?

A: This is the most asked about cat behavior issues and can be a difficult one. Cats like high perches and they often find food or food smells on tables and counters. It is best to keep the surfaces clean and to use something like foil or double sided tape to keep cats off the counters.