Training your cat

Toilet training

Even if you have a cat that spends lots of time outdoors it’s a good idea to have a litter tray inside. Cats, with their proud, fastidious nature, are generally very easy to toilet train.

After a meal or a sleep, or when you see your cat showing signs of needing to go to the toilet (sniffing or digging in a corner), pick them up and place them in the litter tray. Take their paw and gently scratch at the cat litter with it. If your cat uses the tray correctly you should give it lots of praise. You should only have to repeat this a couple of times for your cat to catch on and do on their own.

Toilet training tips:

• Place the litter tray in a quiet, private area
• Experiment with different types of litter until you find the one your cat seems most comfortable with
• Make sure you scoop out the tray at least once a day and empty it completely every 2-3 days
• Never punish a cat for a toilet accident as this will only make them fear you and less likely to do the right thing

Basic training

Cats have a reputation for being highly independent, aloof creatures, who run the show at home. In reality cats can be very responsive to their owner’s actions and this makes it possible to train cats to obey certain commands.

The basic rules for training are:

• Patience: Cats are individuals, so don’t expect a set response when training them
• Rewards: When your cat responds correctly to your command, reward them with food so they know they’ve done something right
• One at a time: Only teach one command at a time and wait until your cat is completely comfortable with the command before moving onto another one

Scratching posts

Cats like to sharpen their claws by digging them into things, so if it’s not a scratching post it could be your couch or favourite jumper! Placing a couple of scratching posts in your living area could help save your favourite furniture.