A new cat can be a great addition to your family, as it adjusts to its new home and settles in. But cats have a personality of their own and are often very mischievous, as they snoop into everything, climb onto tables, counter tops and knock over photos. If this is your experience, then do not worry. It will not last forever. You can actually train your cat to behave better. Here's how.
Use a squirt bottle
Most cats do not like water. So if you see them misbehaving, squirt a little water at them. This will usually get the message across and stop them from doing whatever they were in the process of doing. Having a squirt bottle handy is a good idea in the early stages of training a cat. After a while, if the cat regularly gets squirted because of misbehaving, just the sight of the bottle in your hand will be enough to deter them! If you can help to make the connection between bad behaviour and a squirt bottle, they will then start acting better. But be careful to only use it to tell your cat off, not when you are playing. The cat needs to make the correct connection and know that it is being squirted as a punishment.
Time out
For a cat that refuses to behave and settle down, try time out. It works in the same way it does with children, except you will be placing the cat inside its cat kennel for a few minutes, rather than when children are placed in their bedroom. While the cat is inside it, walk away and do not interact with the cat. They will soon start to see that if they misbehave they will be spending some time on their own. Hopefully, this will train them to behave better.
Use treats to reward good behavior
Remember to reward good behavior that your cat displays too. When you see them doing well, give them a cat treat or let them play with their toys. If you let your cat know that good behavior equals treats and playtime, they should soon start to see the connection and act more appropriately.
Give the cat attention
When you see your cat behaving themselves, give them lots of praise, stroke them and spend time playing with them. If your cat only gets attention from you when they are misbehaving, then they will not see this as a good thing. So be generous in your praise and you will notice your cat's positive response before long. A content, purring cat is great to see!
You will need to be very patient with your cat until they learn to behave properly. It will not happen overnight, particularly if you own a kitten, but will take some time before you see marked changes in your cat's behavior.
