I use the word "training" in this article for lack of a better word.  Everyone that has lived with a cat for any length of time knows that they really are not quick to respond to training.  It has been my experience, however, that if a cat is healthy, well maintained, loved, and respected, it will do almost anything his master wishes.  So this article is really about how to get your cat to do what you wish, when you wish, within reason.

I acquired my first cat in my early 50s, not by choice, but because my wife decided to get him, behind my back.  I was completely a dog person at that time, with two dogs living in the house.  It does not take long, however, for a kitten to get your attention, and later your affection.  The first few years of Carmelo's life were mostly normal.  He was an inside cat that slept with us at night and played with the dogs in the day.  But after I retired we had much more contact and became very close.  We became so close that my wife continuously accused be of being obsessed with him. And I was.

Over the next few years, with little or no "training" Carmelo evolved into what I would consider to be the perfect cat.  I guess the first thing I noticed was that he had acquired a very good vocabulary and was responding to my words and phrases.  It seemed to amaze my friends that he would come, and go, on command.  At bed time, or when I would take a nap, all I had to do was say was "let's go to bed," or "lets go take a nap", and he was up and moving to the bedroom.  Carmelo was not an outside cat, but I would let him sit in a chair out on the deck during the summer.  Once at a deck party my wife was having, a guest noticed Carmelo at the door looking out.  She asked if the cat could come out.  Lynne opened the door and said, "Carmelo, go sit in a chair out in the Gazebo."  The guest was stunned to see that he responded exactly as directed.

Carmelo was a great cat.  He died of cancer at 13 years of age, and we were completely destroyed.  But this is not a story about Carmelo.  I am just using him as an example of what a cat will do if the correct bond exist between man and cat.  Today we have seven cats in our Rat Pack.  I sometimes call them our Magnificent Seven.  While none of them performs at the level of Carmelo, they are all responsive to us, and do just about anything that we can communicate to them.  I truly believe that any one of them would perform at Carmelo's level, given the individual attention that we gave Carmelo.  This is not to say that they are not perfect cats, because they are.  We just have not asked as much of them.

I believe there are some general rules one should follow with any cat.  They are not etched in stone, but have proven to work in general with my cats.  I can assure you that if you follow these rules, as a guide, you will establish a bond that makes for a great relationship with any cat.

 

Rule #1:  Your cat's health is of the upmost importance.  Establish a relationship with a Veterinarian, and make regular visits for shots and physical examinations.  Apply a flea and tick protection during the warm months, even if you cat does not go outside.  A flea collar does not usually do the trick.  Be suspicious of ear scratching.  It often indicated the presents of ear mites.  If a fever last more than a few days, or is excessively high, don't wait.  See the Veterinarian.  If you have other animals in the house, or your cat goes outside, make frequent checks for animal bites.  Animal bites frequently cause serious infections.   Any bite that is accompanied by swelling or fever should be treated immediately by your Veterinarian.

People frequently ask me about declawing cats.  The simple answer is, I am against it.  Of my seven rescued cats, two are declawed.  The clawed cats quickly learned what they should not do.  During the summer months I wear shorts.  For a while I had scratched on my legs that originated when I had a cat in my lap, and someone yelled:" let's eat."  It was a learning experience for the cats, but they became aware that they were hurting me, and the problem lessened.  But there will always be a few scratches.  Declawing is not a fun thing for cat, and sometimes it is a life long painful thing.  Think long and hard before making this irreversible decision.

Lastly, spay and neuter your cats.  Aside from the obvious, it eliminates so many other problems.  If you have more than one cat it will eliminate the sexual bickering.  Male cats will no longer mark their territory. And in many cases, male and female cats will get along together.  All of my cats are spayed or neutered.  I have two females and five males.  One female gets along fine with the boys.  The other gets along with all the boys but the alpha male.  Surprisingly, the alpha male in my Rat Pack is one of the declawed cats.

Rule #2:   Bond with your cat or cats.  Most cats see their master as their mother and their provider.  If developing a deep and meaningful relationship with your cat is your goal, and it should be, it takes a little work.   First of all, I touch my cats at every opportunity.  Touch is as important to them as it is to humans.  As a rule, I never pass within five feet of a cat without stroking it at least once.  Some cats don't immediately like to be touched, but they come around in time.  When your cat rolls over and exposes his belly to be rubbed, you have usually won the battle of touch.

Grooming is another way of bonding.  Cats groom each other all the time as a way of bonding.  It will work equally well for you.  Some cats are slow to take to brushing.  Patience is required.  Just petting your cat is a good start.

Cats are social animals and will love to be with you.  I sometimes watch TV in the evenings with as many as three cats in my lap.  I try never to push a cat away.  When it is absolutely necessary, I do it with as much love as possible.   I try to take the attitude that when a cat wants to be with me, I should be honored.

Cats are as playful as any animal I know of.  Play with your cats.  This is permanent bonding.  Do it often.  They will come to expect it, and you will come to love it.

Rule #3:   Generate trust.  Cats have an amazing ability to know who to trust, and who not to trust.  Always be consistent and loving.  Trust will come.  When they are afraid, be there for them. When they need help, be there for them.  When they hurt, attend to their pain and sympathize with then.  In time your cat will come to trust you like most humans have never trusted anyone.

Once while going to feed a group of feral cats, I accidently ran over the rear end of a female cat who ran under the wheel of my car.  My first view of her was when I saw her dragging herself away from the car with her front legs.  I jumping out of the car and opened the drives side car door.  Expecting to be bitten and scratched severely, I went to her, picked her up gently, and put her in the front seat of the car.  To my great relief, she let me do all this without as much as a sound, a bite or a scratch.  All the way to the veterinarian she laid quietly in the front seat with her paw on my leg.  This was a feral cat that had never ridden in a car.  Now that was trust.

This female spent weeks recovering at my home.  After a complete recovery, she was eventually placed with a family near here.

Rule #4:  Feed your cat well.  You don't have to feed the very best foods you can buy, but beware of the really cheap store bought brands. A good quality dry food, supplemented by a good wet food is usually enough.  This is a great subject to research on the internet if you wish to explore it further.  If you are one of those who wants to feed the very best foods, the cost is not overwhelming.  High grade foods are not usually found in regular stores.  Some pet stores stock them, but not all.  Most people end up having to order the premium food, usually over the internet.

We feed out Magnificent Seven from what I consider the best premium food available.  I have a standing order for 20 lbs. of dry food and three cases of small cans of wet food, which is delivered each month by UPS.  The total cost is a little over $100 a month for seven cats.  We put down dry food 24 hrs. a day and feed about one half once of wet to each cat twice a day, mornings and evenings.  If you go from a poor grade food to better grade food, you usually notice the difference immediately.

Treats are another thing that can become a problem.  Just about everyone eventually ends up giving their cats treats.  If you are giving your cats treats more than three or four times a day they can affect your cat's health.  Some of the very poor treats that are available, if given frequently may actually be dangerous.  Again this is a good subject to research on the internet if you plan to give your cat a lot of treats.  There are some treats that are actually very healthy.

Rule #5: Disciplining a cat has its ups and downs.  Cats have a one track mind.  If what you are disciplining them for is not currently on their mind at the time of the discipline, it is completely lost on them.  I do not discipline my cats except in the most extreme circumstances, and then only when the infraction is happening.  Never hit a cat, or administer harsh punishment.  The do not forget, and you will lose ground overall.  I use a water spray bottle when I must.  Sometimes just a scolding will work.  Cats want to please, and they actually try to behave.

Never discipline a cat for being a cat.  Cats have instincts that are stronger than any punishment you can administer.   Cats will catch small animals and chase flying bugs, no matter what you do.  And there will always be an alpha male that needs to assert his position.  This is just the way it is with cats, and you are not going to change it.  Again, don't punishment them for being cats.

A smart woman, when refering to her children, once said, "never say no when you can say yes."  I use this philosophy with my cats.  That doesn't mean that I let them sit at the table at dinner time, or climb on the kitchen counter.  What it does mean is that I don't get on them for every little thing that may annoy me.  It is there house too.  Don't feel like you h ave to win every battle, just the war.

 

It is my hope that these five rules will help you be a better master to your cat or cats.  As I said in the beginning, I am obsessed with cats.  They bring me such great pleasure that there could be no other way.

If you are considering bringing a cat into your home, consider adopting a kitten, or rescuing an older cat from a home where they can no longer take care of it.  They can be a blessing to any home.  I have but one disclaimer on adoptions.  Please do not adopt a kitten for your young child.  These adoptions seldom work out for the child or the cat.

The ancient Egyptians considered their cats to be divine creatures.  I can easily see why.  My mohter, before she passe away, told me that cats are gifts from God.  I try to treat them accordingly. Good luck in your pursuit of the perfect cat.

 

Winston Rogers

October, 2009

Update:

I failed to mention that talking to your cat, or cats, is a very effective way of bonding. You will think they don't understand anything, but in time you will begin to think they understand quite a bit. All of my cats have a vocabulary of at least 10 words, and some much more. I start every sentence with their name. When all of the cats are in the same room I can just speak each name, one after the other, and as I say a name that cat will start vibrating his tail.

On a another subject, cats have a very short memory. Some say that their short term memory is only about 72 hours. So anything that you are attempting to get across to them needs to be reinforced at least every two or three days, to get it into their long term memory. How long their long term memory last is anyone's guess. I know from experience that kittens forget very fast. Adult cats have recognized me 6 months from my last contact with them. Visits to the vet are also remembered, long term, probably because the visits were traumatic.