Cats are animals. Humans are animals as well but supposedly of a higher order. In
order to live together in a companionable and happy relationship there are some things
that your cat needs to learn. Owning an animal of any sort should be more pleasure
than pain, but there will be considerable pain if the animal is in control of the
household.
So what is the basic training your cat needs, to establish a happy relationship in the
family?
First, there is toilet training. There would be nothing worse than to come home from a
hard day at the office to find an unmentionable lump on your best bedspread. So
where to go to the toilet is one of the most important things to train your cat or kitten.
Cats are naturally clean animals so it is quite easy to train to use a litter tray. Simply
place him on it after his meal.
Other basic training may depend on where you live. If you live in an apartment, you
may need to train your cat to lead so that you can take him outside. If you live in the
country, this may not be necessary. If you live close to major traffic, but have a
backyard, you may need to train your cat to keep away from the road, otherwise he is
likely to get run over.
Another important item that will need attention is to stop your cat from scratching the
furniture. Cats love to scratch and it is their nature to sharpen their claws. They don't
just do it to ruin furniture, but this is what will happen if they are not trained. Remove
your cat from the furniture immediately he starts to scratch and place his paws against
his scratching pole.
If you travel a lot and wish to take your cat with you, travel training is a must. It's not
wise to allow your cat freedom in the car, as it may happen to climb onto you while
you are driving and this can cause an accident. Also, if you happen to have an accident
