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Cats are very intelligent creatures, and this is one of the reasons why training a cat may seem like a daunting task. Owners of a full of energy furry ball know well how stubborn they can get in their misbehavior, and, while punishment looks very appealing when you see your drapes all torn or a new wet spot on the just cleaned carpet, don't be surprised when that backfires on you.

You just need to adopt another approach to cat training. Felines are easier to train when you have a positive attitude and you reward them for being good pets. Here are a few ideas on how to determine your cat to learn some good behavior:

1. Using the litter box. Be clever about it: first, establish a feeding schedule for the cat, by calling them on fixed hours to give them food. That will teach you about their relieving habits, as well. As soon as you get a hang of this personal cat schedule, make sure that you are around when the moment arises. Then, lock yourself and the cat in the room where the litter box is, so, when the cat feels the need to relieve their bowels, the only choice will be evident.

2. Scratching the furniture. One thing that cats love in life is sharpening their claws, and, unfortunately, on your furniture. The smart thing to do is to let them associate the furniture with something they don't like. Cats are not very fond of powerful smells, so try placing strategically some sources of strong smell, like citrus or menthol. Also, they do not like getting their fingers and claws sticky, so draping your furniture for a while, in their preferred place, with some sticky tape, will do it.

3. Funny tricks. Cats are tons of fun, and they can be even funnier, if you succeed in teaching them a few tricks. Repetition and a lot of praising, along with treats, can work wonders. A cat can be taught to stand on their back legs, or shake paws with you, or even wave. When you want the cat to reach the standing in two legs position, just hold a treat over their head, and do not give them the treat until they act in the desired way. In order to make the cat shake the paw with you, hold one hand in front of them and repeat the command "shake"; do not give them the treat until they do not rise their paw, too, and touch your hand.

4. When little correction is needed. Sometimes, you just need to show your cat that they did wrong. Instead of grabbing your sleeper and hitting them with it, try scruffing. This is what mother cat does when her kids misbehave, so your cat will know how to respond to that. What you need to do is to emit a hissing sound (a thing that mother cat also does) and then grab firmly, but not too fast, the cat, by the skin behind the neck. Do not lift them in the air, as this can hurt them. Just press them onto the floor until you feel that the cat becomes relax. Praise the cat for good behavior. Success! Keep in mind one aspect: appeal to scruffing only when your cat becomes too violent against other cats or humans.

Learn more about this author, Laura Magureanu.
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