Cats ARE NOT Dogs.

So. First things first. This sounds obvious, but many people are surprised.

In general cats learn differently and do not desire to please their human, but only themselves (this is a generalization based on the vast majority of cats). For example, cats do not understand consequences the same way that dogs do, they need slow changes in their environments as they can get stressed easily and they generally reacclimate slowly unless very well socialized.

Part 1 - Cats do what they want, they do not aim to please you.

If you want an animal that is loyal to a fault and wants to protect and serve you, you are looking for a very rare feline. However, if you want an animal that you can build a very special relationship with through time, trust building and commitment then you are in the right place.

Part 2 - Teaching a cat to do something.

Initially it is helpful to figure out what positive reinforcement you will be using to train your cat. Do they love food, a certain treat, chin scratches, play time, etc. Once you find their motivating factor you can use that to teach them the basics. The most important (as well as basic) one I have found is teaching them to come to their name. It is very likely that a cat will not actually know their name, but that ‘this word equals good thing’ so when they hear ‘this word’ they come to it and get a reward. For example my cats love food dearly. They would be absolute fat kids if I let them and didn’t feed meal times, which means that mealtimes are an excellent time for teaching. I started with a wet food lunch and treats for my teaching times. Every time I gave a cat wet food I would say what I wanted to be their name to be as I set the dish down. I would do the same every time they got a treat as well, and after a couple of weeks of this they would start to come to me calling their name, and I would diligently have treats ready when they got to me. It is exceptionally important to be consistent when teaching a cat something, as with all animals. However the difference here is your cat is not going to be eager to please like a dog. They do something because they get enjoyment out of it, or think they will get something they want. It is very helpful and safer to teach your cat to come in case you ever need to find them quickly, so if nothing else I recommend teaching this helpful trick.

In addition, animals tend to listen mostly to the first syllable of their name, so making the first syllable distinct is helpful in the long run.

Hope this gets you started!

Part 3 - Teaching your cat NOT to do something.

A lot of people think that spraying their cat with a water bottle if they do something wrong is the appropriate action. This is unfortunate since a cat understands that you are doing this action to them and it creates mistrust between them and you. They do not understand that the action is bad, but that you did something not nice to them. YOU sprayed THEM so YOU made them UNCOMFORTABLE, which means YOU are bad.

A good way to think of this is the tinfoil, double sided tape or the Pet Safe SSSCat Spray methods of cat deterrent. The tin foil covered crinkle-y table is loud and scary, the counter that sprays you is mean and the tape covered couch that sticks to your hands uncomfortably is just terrible to you! These are appropriate ways to deter your feline friend from scratching or getting on objects that you would like them to stay off of. Another one is if you have a door darting cat then you can stand on the outside of the door out of view and make a loud noise as they make for the door, teaching them that the door makes scary noises when you go towards it, so they should not.

Cat owners, you want the object that you would like the cat to stay away from to be the “mean” or ‘uncomfortable’ thing, not you; and this is a very important distinction that the cat will make. Not only can this practice of making the object scary ensure your relationship stays intact, but it will also help in training away habits you would like to get rid of more quickly.

Part 4 - Introducing cats to other creatures.

You cannot just introduce cats by throwing them in front of each other like you can with some dogs, they need a lot of positive reinforcement (back to knowing what your cat likes) and trust building exercises to like the new creature unless they are extremely well adjusted animals or sometimes kittens. Based on the level of socialization a cat has gotten, or just its personality, they are lone predators and when you throw another creature into their path it is a stressful potential threat that they do not yet know.

Please see Introducing a cat to others.

And remember kids; cats are cats, not dogs.