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Cat Training
If you can understand your cat's ancient behavior and language, it will makeyour life together richer and more pleasurable. In addition, it will make the processof training a happy experience. A cat uses facial expressions and its tail as well as its voice for communica-Therefore, be observant and watch for these indicators: Recognizing these signs will give you an advantage. Touch is your cat's way of demonstrating and receiving love. Give your kittensa lot of cuddling and stroking, and let others do the same. Cats prefer to be strokedwith, not against, the hair coat, by the way start at the neck and stroke to thetail. Speak in a soft voice while cuddling your kitten, because loud voices willfrighten it. Kittens love to be rubbed on the cheeks and under the chin; in apprecia-tion, they will lift their tails and rub their bodies (especially their cheeks orchins) against you. This is a good time to start talking to your pet, to teach it itsname. When calling your cat, speak in a high falsetto. This will help your pet learnits name faster. Maintain the falsetto during training, feeding, and playing, and thattone will then be associated with "good," as will its name. Never call your cat byname and then scold it. A mother cat scolds kittens by growling and shaking the scruffs of their necks.A stern, deep-voiced "No!" from you, along with a similar shake, should be prettyeffective. Squirting the cat with water works fairly well, too, but you must do itwhile the "crime" is in progress, not later. Cat House Training Cats in the wild bury their waste in their territory. Tame cats learn to use a litter box by watching their mother use it. If your kitten misses, put the stool in the litter box. That should tell your kitten that this is the proper place and should correct the situation. A few hygienic practices on your part will also help: 1.Use absorbent clay litters. 2.Remove feces daily with a slotted spoon that is used only for this purpose. 3.Use litter-pan liners (newspaper will do) or disposable pans. 4.Replace the litter every third day, washing the pan with hot water, soap.and chlorine bleach; dry the pan thoroughly before refilling. Do not use phenol, cresol, or resorcinol disinfectants. S. Do not change the type of litter you use once your cat is used to it. Cat Eating Plants Training Wild cats eat both meat and vegetation, so the instinct to nibble on leaves is there. Eating your houseplants, however, can be dangerous to the cat as well as nerve wracking to you. Fortunately, grass is a safe substitute. An indoor cat can be let out on a leash to eat its fill as long as there is no weed killer around. Otherwise, plant some grass seed or wild bird seed in a low pot. And don't forget catnip! Cat Hunting Training Naturally, the hunting urge is very strong in even the youngest kitten. The instinct and its appropriate behaviors (stalking, crouching, chasing, pouncing, and eating) are reinforced in infancy by the kitten's mother. Both visual and auditory stimuli will excite your cat. A ball of noisy, crinkly, and shiny tinfoil makes an excellent toy for your kitten. If you attach a piece of string, you can flip the ball into the air, making a flying prey. Then watch your pet's graceful attempts to catch if Remember to put toys like this safely out of reach when playtime is over: cat scan swallow string and thread, causing serious intestinal obstructions. Some other ideas for toys are empty boxes and paper bags, empty thread spools, and commercial catnip toys. Make sure that the toys do not shred and that they are too large to swallow. |
Cat Care
Cat Care
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In all the time humans have spent on making a civilized world, the cat hasbeen able to bridge the civilized, uncivilized, and "other" worlds with grace andbeauty. The cat, some feel, lives among energy fields that we are just beginning toinvestigate. For instance, a cat's time sense, such as lying by the door in anticipa-tion of its owner's arrival, its psi-trailing (the ability to find its way home forhundreds of miles), and its empathic responses, such as lying near you when youare depressed, are incredible phenomena.