Category → Animals
Cat behavior training
Learning cat behaviors before you start training them would be an good idea for anyone that is going to train a cat’s behavior.
A cat can jump and lands on its feet as this are a natural instinct for a cat. When a kitten is first born, the cushion in a kittens paws are not developed with the cushion to land on its feet. It takes about 7 wk to develop the cushion in a cats paw for landing. A cats bone structure is unique to other animals as the bones are flexible , cat has no collar bone, which enables them to be able to twist and bend their bones A cat can jump from short distant with out sustaining any injuries.
With this behavior, you will want to teach the cat to jump hoops, sticks, or off the scratching tree. Letting a cat jump from extreme heights will cause injury to the cat.
Cats have a unique hearing ability; they are able to hear high tones and pitches, like opening a door or a can of food. Cats also have unique smelling abilities. The reason a cat will scratch or urinate on the floor , rub its self up against a door or furniture, is the cat is leaving their scent in that areas so they will be able to come back and know they were there, in other words marking its territory. In addition, if another cat or animal comes along in the area a cat will know this. Cats can also smell with their mouths. There is a gland call ‘Jacobson’s organ’, it is a sac in the cats upper mouth filled with blood, as the cat smells the scent and the slightly opens their mouth and upper lip, this allows the scent to be carried in and to the sac, which it will carry the scent goes to the cat brain. This mostly happen to male cats when a female has urinated.
With these natural instincts and behaviors this can give you some insight to help you train you cat. With behavior training you will want to make sure that you allow your cat the ability in some way to play out it natural instincts and behaviors.
When training a cat for behaviors here are some things that you need to look at and take in consideration when training. Aggression especially in older cats, this can be cause from illness, other cats in the home. This you may want to contact your vet to have the cat check out to see if it is all right at this time to train a cat.
Depression and anxiety could play another part with trying to train your cat. If a cat is separated by it recent owner the cat can become depressed. Stress on a cat can be common effect on a cat. If you think that your cat has depression or high anxiety, this would be a good time to take the cat to the vet. Vets can talk to you about some of the things that may be causing this and a help list to help the cat. There are medications that a vet can prescribe for the cat to help with depression and anxiety.
Never hit a cat for a punishment the cat will learn to fear you, and fearing will be a behavior you will not be able to control or retrain. When they do something that is not right. Ignore the problem or if you catch them right a way you can associate a noise with that behavior on what you do not like or just in a stern voice tell them “NO”.
If a behavior is becoming impossible you may have to resort to the baby proof home, all containers that have food in them have a lid on it. Make sure that the counters are clean and have nothing that a cat would want to play with.
The day that you get your cat or kitten, you will want to start training at this point. This will keep many unwanted behaviors away, and hopefully not let any new behaviors to start.
Healthy cats need healthy relationships with their owner.
Training a Cat for the litter box
Did you know that you can control when a cat has to go to the bathroom and when they don’t have to go? It is called feeding time. One of the first things in training a cat is do not feed the cat anything unless you are going to be home for a time after they have eaten. This is a good example of feeding the cat after you get home from work and preparing dinner for the family. By the time you and your family have sat down and enjoyed your dinner, the cat should be ready to go out or go to the litter box to go potty.
Making sure the litter box is clean at all times so that the cat can have a nice smelling comfortable place to go potty at. There are plenty of different types of litter to get for the litter box. From plain to good smelling when they scratch at it or dig to sand to soft pellets. There is not a particular type that will help with the training of the cat. It is totally up to you and your cat. Some cats do not like smells and so this would be a consideration that you might want to find out if your cat will use the box with these types of litter. They have scoopers out that you can purchase to help clean up the litter box when the cat uses it so that they have a clean environment to go to when they need to. Another thing is that you would want to have a clean environment for this for your family too. Family member can get sick off of cat litter, clean and dirty.
You should wash out the litter box everyday and replace the litter with 1 ½ of new litter. Wash out the litter box with hot soapy water, rinse thoroughly with water. By adding lemon juice or vinegar to the water will help take the smell out of the box. Ammonia is not a good cleaning agent to use as it will increase the smell of the litter box. If you have more than one cat a good thing is to have a couple of litter boxes in different locations so that each one has their own.
The litter box should not be near the place where the cat is sleeping, eating or playing area. If you going to but the litter box in the bathroom make sure that the door is open for the cat to be able to get in when it has to use it.
What are some of the causes that a cat would not use a little box? They use a favorite chair of a family member, quilt, blanket or carpet to go on. One the litter box could be dirty, which will lead a cat to bad behaviors for potty training. Other reasons could be too many people in the house, new pet that you have gotten lately, especially another cat. Children home on vacation for the summer or holidays, or maybe they sense you will be gone on a vacation or a period of time that they will be left at home and neighbors will stop in and check on it and feed them.
Urinary tract problems are another reason. This is why it is important when getting a cat or trying to train your cat to make sure they get to vet when they need to. Infections can cause a cat to have bad behaviors. With this if you are able to find out from a vet that your cat has an infection or is sick you will be able to treat the cat. And they will not learn all the good behaviors that you have taught them.
Rewarding the cat when it has gone potty in the proper place is very important in part of a cat training good behaviors. This is a time that you will want to search out for a good small healthy snack for your cat. Your cat will know that this is good, when you reward them for a job well done.
Home Pet Grooming Tips
Pet grooming can be performed by the owner or from a professional who has gone to school to learn the craft. If you are a do-it-your-self type person there are several safety tips you might want to keep in mind. The animal you are grooming is special to you and you will want to keep the animal safe and calm during the pet grooming experience. Any undue pain or injury caused by unsafe practices can cause emotional stress to your animal and damage to the trust level the pet may have with you. The following tips will ensure a safe and pleasurable pet grooming experience.
Most pets do not like this, but the excess hair that forms in the ears must be clipped. Excess hair can build moisture that will trap bacteria and cause ear infections or be a breeding ground for ear mites. These types of afflictions can cause your pet a great deal of discomfort. Infections cause the animal to scratch and shake their head. Mites can actually cause the animal to do damage to their inner canal as they stick their nails inside trying to scratch. Large eared dogs already have a predisposition for ear problems and the shaking of their ears back in forth can rupture blood vessels. Professional pet groomers have specialized equipment to remove ear hair, but the novice may use nose hair trimmers to get the same effect. The noise of the clippers may scare the pet, so stroke him with the other hand and offer soothing words to calm them.
Another novice mistake is to shave the animal all the way. Pet grooming experts will do this at the request of the owner, but it is ill advised if the animal is an outside pet. The coat protects the animal from the cold and also from the sun. Both elements can cause serious skin damage to your pet which could lead to expensive veterinarian bills. The lack of hair on the body can cause rashes. The hair in some breeds secrete essential oils that protect and lubricate the skin, while others such as Labradors have two coats that serve different functions for the animals safety. Try to shave mats as close as possible until you are able to work them out with a brush. Even shaving mat patches to the skin will leave your pet in danger of the sun and wind.
If you use a clipper, brush the hair backwards against the grain and then move your clippers with the grain. Pet grooming experts may use a variety of length of clipper combs that can be used in variance with the length and thickness of the coat. The novice pet groomer may use home hair clipper systems, but they should experiment first in one unnoticeable area before continuing the entire job. When shaving the underbelly, beware the nipples.
Even on a male pet this can a painful experience if they are cut or cut off. Home pet grooming is an inexpensive way to keep your pet healthy and happy, but it is also a way for your pet to be injured or messed up so bad that only professional pet grooming can fix the owners mistake.
Choosing a Puppy
Choosing the right canine for your household is very important. Will the dog get along with kids? Will the dog get along with other animals in the household? Does the dog have a good disposition? These are some of the questions you might ask when deciding what kind of dog you want.
Are you looking for a purebred or mixed breed or just a plan old mutt? Mixed breeds can be more affordable, whereas purebred can be quite expensive. Don’t dismiss the mutt option either from the local pound. Mutts can be just as lovable, energetic, and loyal as the other breeds.
Size matters. Think about how big or small the dog is that you want. Do you have room for the pup to run and play or will it be cooped up because you don’t go outside a lot. If so, do you have a room where the pup can run free?
Personality for a puppy develops around seven weeks of age. Spend a little time picking and choosing your dog, and you both will reap the rewards. Make sure you can hold the puppy and cuddle him. Drop a book during a quiet moment and see if the pup runs and hides. Get on your hands and knees and play with the puppy to see if he responds in kind or is aggressive toward you.
There are several places to start your search. Asking friends or your vet are good places to start. Also, you can contact your local shelter or ASPCA for their selection of animals.
