One thing that many people don’t realize about cats is that they are just about as easy to train as dogs. Cats do like to please you although quite often it may seem like they are pretty much out for themselves. But, at the end of the day, they know where the food comes from. So, if you want a cat that is a little more behaved than all the other ones you know, or if you want a cat that acts a little more like a dog, you can start by working with them now and having the right cat supplies for training.
Here’s a look at some of the supplies you are going to need
Treats
First and foremost you are going to need treats. Cats respond beautifully to treats as that’s all about them and that goes back to the scenario that most people agree on – cats like to get things for them! Dogs are much the same way too. All animals tend to respond well to treats just like people tend to respond well to treats that they like.
You’re going to want to get cat treats that can be broken into small pieces as part of your cat’s supplies when you are training as you are likely going to go through a lot of them and you don’t want to overfeed your cat.
Leash and Collar
Did you know you could walk a cat on a leash with a collar just like you can a dog? Well, you can if you start training them early. You are going to need to put a collar or harness on your cat when they are young as part of your cat’s supplies. Let them get used to it. Let them wear it regularly.
Now, at the same time, keep in mind the kinds of activities that cats take on. They like to climb things and get into and out of confined spaces. So, you are going to want to make sure that if you have a leash on your cat that it’s a breakaway leash so if they get stuck somewhere, they don’t choke. A harness is a little safer as the cat will just hang in the air by the harness, but should not choke or have any dire problems if they get caught.
If your cat is a regular outdoor cat, you may want to skip on these two options as them getting stuck can make them prey for an animal that would hurt them. Instead, just work with your cat with the harness or collar on when you are nearby and take it off the rest of the time.
Toys
Some of the other cat’s supplies you are going to want to get when it comes to cat training are toys. Not all cats want treats all the time. Some of them prefer to play or like a feather or mouse or some particular toy. Perhaps they even like catnip. No matter what your cat’s preference is for rewards, make sure you have some options around including their favorite toys. Once they have done what you want them to do, you can use that toy to reward them and to have a little bit of playtime.
In addition to choosing the cat’s supplies that are best for training, you also need to make sure that you pack a fair amount of patience when you are training a cat. Remember cats can be trained but they are not necessarily as easily trainable as a dog. So, even if you have the perfect cat supplies, sometimes your cat is not going to respond to what you want him or her to do. Instead of getting angry at your cat, take a deep breath, and step away when you are disagreeing about how things are going to go. Perhaps it’s best to wait until another day to try again.
