Teaching Your Cat to Mind Their Manners

Welcome to Tuesday’s Cats.com Newsletter.

Tired of your cat jumping on the counter or barging in on you in the bathroom? In today’s mailer we’ll talk about teaching your cat to follow basic house rules.

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My Cats Don’t Know the Word “No”.

Before I became a pet owner myself, I had lofty ideas about discipline. My dog would sleep in his own bed, not mine. My cats would stay off the kitchen counters. 
 
Now, I look back on those ideas and just laugh. 
 
Most days, I wake up to find my dog, Archie, sharing my pillow. Biscuit spends the evening lounging in the middle of the dining room table. And I haven’t bothered to close the bathroom door in years, otherwise Munchkin will just start crying on the other side, sticking her little paws under the door until I let her in.
 
I’m not advocating for a total lack of discipline as a pet owner. I just think, in some cases, it may be helpful to temper your expectations of how much control you’ll actually be able to exert over your cat. 
 
Let’s talk about laying out ground rules for your cat and how to enforce them.

Start with a Practical Plan.

Cats are independent creatures. They’re trainable with the right motivation, but most of them aren’t going to respond to commands as consistently as a well-trained dog. It’s just not in their nature to follow the rules just because they exist.
 
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t set boundaries, of course. But it’s important to understand and respect your cat’s natural instincts when establishing and enforcing them.
 
For example, it’s perfectly understandable if you don’t want your cat scratching up the furniture. But it’s not appropriate to set a hard and fast rule against scratching entirely. It’s an instinctual behavior for your cat and plays an important role in their mental and physical health. 
 
What you CAN do is establish acceptable parameters for scratching. Offer an appropriate outlet for the behavior instead of trying to outlaw it. 
 
If you’re adopting a cat for the first time or welcoming a new addition to your feline family, make a list of ground rules ahead of time. Then assess each rule on the list to determine whether enforcing the rule might have a negative impact on your cat (like preventing them from exhibiting a natural behavior). 
 
If so, adjust your expectations or decide on an appropriate redirection for the behavior that will accommodate your cat’s needs as well as your preferences.

It’s Never Too Late for Training.

When it comes to household rules and manners, it’s usually easier to start with a clean slate. But if you already have a cat and you’re struggling with discipline, it’s not hopeless. With time and training, you CAN teach an old cat new tricks.

• Jumping on the counters. Try using a physical deterrent like aluminum foil or double-sided tape on the edge of the counters to make your cat think twice about hopping up there.

• Begging for food. Establish a consistent feeding schedule and don’t give in to begging in between. (Hint: You may also want to double-check your cat’s daily portion to make sure they’re getting enough calories and aren’t begging because they’re hungry.)
  
  
• Scratching the furniture. Place a scratching post or scratch pad as close to the area as possible and start rewarding your cat for using it (you can move it later). 

• Biting or scratching during play. When your cat gets too rough, stop the play session and withdraw your attention. Resume after a short pause and repeat as needed until your cat learns they only get to play when they play nice.
  
  
• Making noise at night. Offer additional opportunities for enrichment and exercise such as interactive toys to keep your cat busy overnight.

Whatever behavior is bothering you, the situation could probably benefit from a change in perspective. Take a step back from your own frustration and try to figure out what need the behavior is meeting for your cat and whether you can meet that need in another way.
 
Having trouble with a specific behavioral issue or just looking for advice? 
Post a question in the Cats.com Community Forum to get input from fellow cat owners and experts alike.

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A Sneak Peek At Friday's Newsletter.

Cats can be stubborn, there’s no doubt about it—especially when it comes to diet. In Friday’s mailer, we’ll talk about why some cats refuse to eat wet food and what you can do about it.