Monday, February 12, 2007

Teaching Tricks to Your Cat

Cats are very lovable animals. They make excellent pets. In fact, three out of ten households in the United States are known to have at least one cat as a pet. And because they love their cats so much, it was reported that the owners are willing to spend $104 on the average just for some expenses incurred with the veterinarian.


The question is: Are cats worth the trouble?


Some non-cat lovers probe the extravagance that cat lovers spend for their pets. They believe that expenses are not worth it if cats cannot learn tricks.


Indeed, cats may seem to project that impression of independence and sophistication, apparently having a mind of their own.

They think that unlike dogs, cats seem so conceited that it they may not take commands easily. These assumptions were even made worse by people who said that they had attempted to train cats and everything was just a mess.


What these people do not know is that cats can be trained just like dogs. The only problem is that people tend to execute the process the wrong way. In turn, cats get confused, having the tricks all mixed up.


The truth is, it whether or not people want to train a cat, a dog, or any kind of animal. What matters most is that people should know what they want their pets to learn so that their pets will not be baffled.


The Right Recipe


In order to train cats, it is extremely important to learn patience and to give more time to the process. This is because cats, like dogs, are not humans who have the full intellect to grasp things easily and comprehensively.


Many experts contend that cats can respond well with “positive reinforcements.” However, most pet trainers assert that cats will respond more if there are foods used as rewards. The key is to have the treats ready when the cat is able to perform the required command.


Also, it would be better if cat owners would let their cats learn the tricks one at a time. And just like any training method, it is important for the trainer to be constant with his training methods so that the cat will not be confused.


In addition, it is best to let the cats learn the tricks at their own pace. Trainers or cat owners should never be pushy and want results in an instant. Patience is the number one attribute of a good trainer.


So, when teaching tricks to your cat, it is best that you have these three important characteristics: patience, time, and treats! No more, no less.

Have Fun

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