Sunday, March 23, 2008

I don't know about you, but I love both cats and dogs. I hate it when people ask "Are you a cat person or a dog person? There is no reason the two "enemies?" can't get along. Agreed, you have to supervise most of the time, at first, but give it time. My dogs love my cats now. Even the little fiesty Jack Russell plays very well with my felines. I believe the cats tolerate her, as best that a cat can, and they even let down their guard when they are around her.

Here are some tips to help tabby and fido to get along:

1. Don't ever sic your dog on anything. They will take it as an invitation to mull the cat too.

2. Let tabby defend herself and believe me, your dog will have a new found respect for her. ( We once had a golden retriever that was scared to death of our little alley cat because he backed the dog into a corner hissing and clawing like there was no tomorrow. Poor dog never got over it!)

3. Give lots of love to both evenly. Remember cats get jealous, too.

4. If your dog gets aggressive, scold him. Let him know that aggression is unacceptable.

5. Both animals need toys. They can't be the same toy rather an appropriate dog toy and cat toy. I have found cat trees and condos are perfect for your cat. She can climb high and look down on the dog to prove her superiority. (Believe me, cats DO think they are superior!)

6. Let each have their own place to sleep. Whether it is a cat bed or dog bed or in bed with you!

7. Never feed them in the same room! Feeding together may work for some but it can cause problems down the road.

8. Have fun and play with both. They will get the idea that they can coexist.

If you try these tips and use common sense, there is no reason you can't enjoy the company of both your cat and dog. I wouldn't trade my menagerie for anything. I now have 2 dogs and 4 cats living under one roof and so far, everyone is getting along. I have no reason to think that they won't continue.

The auther is Janet Patterson owner of many animals over the years and haven for many stays. She now has 4 cats in the house and 14 in the barn. All neutered and vaccinated. Check out her website http://www.catsfurnitureloft.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janet_Patterson
You might have heard that it's impossible to train a cat. While it can certainly be difficult, and is a lot different from training a dog, it can be done. You just have to learn to be one step ahead of your cat. Here are 10 cat training tips that can make house training your cat in 10 minutes a possibility.

cat training in 10 minutes might sound hard to believe, but you can pick up all the basics you need right away. Then, you just keep reinforcing the right behaviors and following the basic rules of cat training.

1. Never punish your cat. By the time you discover what your cat has done, chances are that he or she has forgotten all about it. Punishments can be confusing, and might even be associated with something else.

2. Reinforcing good behavior, instead of punishing bad behavior, is one of the most important of the 10 cat training tips. If you see your cat doing something good, give him or her a reward right away. This can be a treat, or some other pleasant thing, like a pat on the head, or a little bit of catnip.

3. Most cats prefer to be on a schedule. That's why you might get woken up at six am for feeding time, even on the weekends. Feed your cat at the same time every day, and try not to make too many changes in the environment. If you have to do something different, keep an eye on your cat to make sure that he or she isn't too stressed out. Stress from environment and schedule changes can cause "bad" behavior.

4. Even a good cat can't always say no to temptation, whether it's in the form of playing with your best suit or knocking things over. Treat cat proofing the house like baby proofing the house, but remember that this baby can climb up on shelves and tables if there's something interesting up there.

5. Bored kitties are ones that want to get into and knock over things. Make sure there are lots of toys and other things to keep your cat entertained, especially if you're away.

6. Always be consistent. If you change your behavior, your cat training isn't going to stick. The cat won't absorb the lesson if you keep changing it.

7. Make sure you spend time with your cat. If you're constantly away, you won't get to know your cat, and bonding won't happen. When you know your pet well, you'll easily be able to read the body language that says a bad behavior is on the way.

8. Make sure your cat gets good care. While this doesn't seem like a cat training tip, it really is. If your cat isn't getting the right food, health care, and other environmental things he or she needs, this can result in less effective training.

9. Make bad behavior unappealing. This isn't the same as punishment. If you arrange your home so that scratching the couch is more difficult than using a scratching post, or other bad behavior is difficult, your cat is less likely to do it.

10. Love your cat. Sounds silly, doesn't it? However, a cat you don't really love is one you'll have a hard time connecting with enough to train. If you and the cat aren't really getting along, it might be time to change something.

While training your cat can be a daunting process, these 10 cat training tips should help point you in the right direction. You can find more detailed help on subjects such as house training your cat at the website listed below. I hope these tips helped you het on your way to a happy and healthy pet.

Thomas Kellerman has been a cat owner for more than 20 years, for more information on Cat Training in 10 Minutes. please visit: http://www.ourcatsecrets.com/10-must-have-cat-training-tips.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Kellerman
Why is you cat not using the litter box? Why is she scratching the couch, again? Why is he always jumping on the counters?

Most people do not think cats have behavioral problems. However as most cat owners know kittens need to be taught not to jump up on the counter, eat from the sink, use the litter box and more. Many owners run into problems both with kittens and older cats behavior.

Probably the most common problem is the litter box. While most kittens automatically use it, it seems later in your cat's life they decide the whole house is a toilet. There are any number of reasons why a cat, of any age could stop using the litter box.

A major reason, believe it or not, is people simply forget to clean the litter box. If your cat starts going outside the box the first thing you need to try is cleaning the box, twice a day for a few weeks.

If the cat still does not go in the litter box, you need to see a vet. Your cat could have a bladder infection, that could be life threatening if nothing is done soon. This is especially a risk to kittens. If you do not take immediate action your cat will keep going outside the box, and even when cured of a bladder infection, they will still go outside the box due to habit and associating the litter box with pain.

If your cat is not sick, and your box is clean there still are other things to do. Many older cats do not want to walk down stairs to go to the bathroom, therefor, especially if your cat has arthritis put a litter box on every floor of the home. Try this step with multiple cats, of any age, because occasionally cats can get territorial over their litter box not allowing another cat to use it.

The next biggest problem with cat behavior problem is cats scratching the couch. The first thing you need to do is buy more scratching posts. Many cats do not use their scratching post because they do not like the carpet on it, or its location. Get a variety of scratching posts and move them around the house, and block areas of the couch and other areas your cat likes to scratch with the post.

For playful kittens try attaching one of their favorite toys on top of the scratching post, as the kitten trys to grab the toy they will realize the purpose of the scratching post.

If all else fails you can try sticky tape on the areas they like to scratch, although tape constantly on your couch can become annoying to everybody else in the house.

Jumping up on tables and counters is another common behavioral problem with cats. The main mistake people make here, is yelling at the cat. Although it gets them off the counter, you have just reinforced the idea that they only have to follow the rules when you are around. A better option is to discreetly use a squirt bottle and try to not have the cat see you. This way you are not connected as the person who enforces the rules, the counter, or area they jump on is.

A way to prevent problems early on, as far as personality, friendliness and how well your cat listens is to socialize with it, especially with kittens. Kittens need attention, and in order to grow up to be friendly cats they must be around humans as much as possible. Never get a kitten unless you can devote time with it all day, almost every day, until it is at least 9 months old. If you can not spend all of this time off work or school, get an adult cat, who was well socialized as a kitten.

There are endless possible behavior problems for any animal, and even covering all of them for cats could make a dictionary sized book. Check out my reference for more information on other problems.

To learn much, much more on cat behavior and behavior problems go to http://catbehaviorinfo.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sara_Taylor
To encourage cats there must be treats and rewards. When your cat hears rustling of a food bag or a can opener sounds does you cat come running? This would be a clear illustration of such behavior. Cats hear those sounds and often related them to food rewards.

Make sure to first take your pet to the veterinarian, to ensure there are no undetected health issues that be be aggrabated or intesified by the training activities.

For the highest effectiveness be sure to give immediate appraisal such as treats, a full tasty meal, or even a toy as a reward just to ensure your cat has been properly encouraged to maintain good behavior.

At a later time after your cat relates the saying "good" with a treat and the positive act you may later use just the saying and a nice scratch behind the ears for positive reenforcement.

Using positive emphasis and reinforcement, the pet will be willing to learn good behaviors and basic instructions or commands.

Training tip and guidlines:

1. It is better to start before the pet has a chance to form or develop any unwanted behavior. So for a more responsive and open experience try to start when they are kittens.

2. A gentle hug, caress or whisper will leave a longer impression than yelling and bitter words. So try to give positive reinforcement at all times.

3. Training must be limited. Frequently but brief. Cats work better in four to six sessions of 5 minutes intervals of training rather than two one hour sessions. Because cats possess a short attention span and lose interest very quickly.

4. To limit the cat's distractions such as climbing a tree or playing with the neighboring pets keep training indoors.

Discipline should be instilled for a well behaved cat, but tough punishment must be avoided. Cats usually do not respond to hitting or yelling. That generally leaves them afraid of you doing the action rather than the bad behavior. During training the pet with defer from negative acts. Keep your approach a positive one. In response to your negative actions the pet will stop loving you and will not achieve the desired result of having a happy loving relationship with your wonderful pet cat!

This article was written by Liz Barton. Learn how to solve your cat behavior problems - you'll find more information on cat problems by visiting http://www.secretsofcats.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Barton