A kitten in the house is wonderful. It is believed that these animals cleanse the aura and take away part of our life's difficulties. It’s not entirely clear how they do it, but there are many confirming facts when cats helped to cure an incurable patient, while dying themselves. But the topic of the article is completely different - mercantile. How to protect furniture and repairs from these "rescuers", more precisely,
how to accustom a cat to a scratching post?This question is not entirely relevant for those who took the kitten from the nursery. Most often, breeders make every effort to train, and the kitten goes to a new home with a well-learned lesson. But for those who took pity on a stray animal and brought it from the street, this problem can become a headache. The reason is commonplace. A street animal is not burdened with "frames", it goes to the toilet where it wants, and it also sharpens nails, not only in permitted places. So they are used to it, for it is repeated from generation to generation. You can not say about purebred, so to speak "trained" cats living only in apartments. Here, the mother transfers the acquired knowledge to her kittens.
How to train a cat to a scratching post? Best of all, mom cat can handle this. Therefore, do not pick up the kitten earlier than two months after birth. It is better to give more mother time to raise. Believe me, they do it very competently. When choosing an animal, pay attention to the home of the owners containing the mother cat. If urine smells in their house , furniture and corners are torn off - refuse. The kitten will do the same.
But back to the situation when the kitten got into your house by accident. Here are some suggestions on how to train your cat in a claw post. Having brought the animal, temporarily (several days) restrict its movement to a small space in which there will be a tray and claw-point. For example, a corridor. Watch him closely in order to prevent the possibility of sharpening your claws in the wrong place. After the kitten woke up and began to stretch, take it to the scratching post and “remind” what and where to do it.
How to train a cat to a scratching post with minimal "victims"? At least one “interesting” place should be equipped in your house, ideally, in each room, you need a corner for sharpening your claws. In pet stores you can buy a whole house for a cat (with a claw tip) or a small column, special beds, made of thick cardboard and soaked with mint, the smell of which cats simply
adore. As a result, the animal will go to sharpen the claws there by itself. They are not very expensive, but will last a long time.
How to train a cat to a scratching post, if he has already chosen for this event not at all what is supposed to be? You will have to take up his education seriously. Having caught the bully during dirty manipulations, you need to take him by the withers and gently (!) Slap in the face, while hissing strongly. Remember: you can only punish an animal if you find it red-handed. Five minutes later, this makes no sense. The kitten just won’t understand why he was hurt. Punishment must be inevitable! So would his mother cat.
Distribute clean water spray guns to all households. As soon as someone catches a pet behind stripping corners, it must be sprayed. At the same time, it is not worth expressing a negative in relation to the animal. The "teacher" should be alone! Over time, the kitten will develop a reflex: as soon as he approaches this place - they spray him with water and hiss (the work of the spray gun). Most often, training takes no more than a week.