How to make my cat listen to me?

When we ask about cat education , we think that it can be a very difficult task but, like dogs, cats can also be educated, being able to have a good behavior and thus a harmonious coexistence.What we must keep in mind is that They do not behave in the same way.Cats are social animals but more independent, they are not interested in pleasing us, so it is essential to understand what they think, need, motivates and why their actions.

In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will give you some recommendations on how to make your cat pay attention to you , but before getting into the subject, it is also important to emphasize that not all cats are equal, that they also have different temperaments and personalities (some are active and bustling, others are r preserved and shy, there are very independent and others very affectionate) and they may have experienced unpleasant experiences or traumas, so each case will need their time and dedication.

Why does my cat ignore me?

Taking into account the different behavior they present and the different personalities of cats, the most common causes for which they ignore us and that we must keep in mind can be the following:

• Environmental factors that may affect their behavior as the introduction of new animals or people at home, which causes them to feel threatened or more insecure.
• Changes in the routine to which they are accustomed, which may be related to the previous cause or for other reasons, such as a change in meal times.
• Instinct typical of the species such as marking with some or urine, which leads the animal to feel the need to plow furniture or objects.The marking can also be due to stress, produced by one of the above causes.Addition, his hunting instinct can explain certain behaviors, so cover this need through the game adequate is more than recommended.
• Physical problems such as pain, arthritis, trauma, urinary infections or different pathologies that can lead to aggressive attitudes or some abnormal behavior such as performing your needs outside the sandbox.
• Age .When they are very small it is normal that we observe that the cat does not pay attention, since it is still in the learning process.Likewise, when they are very old too It is common for them to be more reluctant to obey.In the latter case we advise you to go to the veterinarian to check if it is a physical problem or behavior associated with age.

Especially the first two points generate in the cat a state of stress that can be more or less serious and that affects its general behavior, causing behavioral problems such as those mentioned and, of course, causing the cat to ignore.For this reason it is so important identify the cause d the problem and treat it .

What should I do to make my cat pay attention?-Basic techniques

One of the techniques that we must consider when knowing how to make a cat pay attention is the positive reinforcement , which consists of rewarding the animal , whether with a caress, candy or favorite food, when we see that it does something right, encouraging it to repeat the same action.From our point of view it is one of the guidelines that will help us most, achieving a fast learning and effective.It is necessary to be constant and to be attentive to the behavior to be able to reward it at the exact moment and thus achieve a desired behavior.

Indicating what is wrong without punishing and offering alternatives

In contrast to the previous point when we find it doing something that we do not yearn for, such as climbing on the table, we must mark it with a “no” in a firm tone.It is important to do it at the right time so that they understand it and that they can associate it with the behavior they are having at that precise moment. The punished you physical or in those who instill fear do not work , since they do not understand it and on the contrary we can achieve an unwanted effect such as loss of trust towards us, anxiety, stress or aggression.

In those cases where unwanted behavior is towards us or an object, such as plowing or biting, it is important to replace the resource inappropriate for one that is correct , like a scraper or a toy.In the following sections we will see specific situations and how to make your cat listen to you.

My cat does not obey me and plows the furniture

A normal behavior in cats is to sharpen their ones or mark their territory with them, the problem is when they do it in unsuitable places such as furniture or armchairs.strong> accustom them to do it in a scraper or trunk.If this happens to your cat and there is no way to get your cat to listen to you to use the scraper, start playing with it, associating it as something positive , placing it in front of the object that you used previously and, when using the scraper, reward the animal.

Once you accept the scraper we can already place it in a place that we consider more convenient or suitable.furniture, we must separate it immediately (not abruptly) and take it where we have become accustomed.In this sense, having several scrapers and different improves environmental enrichment and, therefore, achieves better results.they love scrapers s with different heights, as well as looking outside through a window, so placing a scraper that meets these characteristics in your favorite window can be very positive.

My cat ignores me, bites me and spits me

Many times cats try to bite or plow, this may be due to aggressive behavior but most of the time they do it as part of a game due to their predatory behavior or a bad education on our part.Many are the tutors who when they adopt a kitten play with him using his hands and feet, without realizing that the animal will interpret this as correct and, therefore, in the future he will continue scratching and biting, causing more pain for being bigger.For this reason, we must never teach a cat that chasing and "playing" with our hands or feet is correct.

When the animal plows or bites us, we must mark it with a "no" and suspend the game session immediately , as this will make you understand that what you are doing is not correct.We will also have to avoid all the stimuli that can trigger such behavior.infallible technique to get a cat to do case and understand that you should not plow or bite us is replace our body with an appropriate resource , such as a toy, so, after saying "no", we will give you a toy and reward you so that interpret that if you can bite that object.

My cat ignores me when I call him

To get your cat to listen to you when you call him follow these simple tips :

The first step to start this learning is choose a name that is simple and short .It is important to avoid confusion in our pets not to use diminutives or change the tone used.The second step is to choose a treat or food that you like very much to use as a reward.Start placing yourself at short distances and call it until you get their attention (at the beginning it might be helpful to use a toy).Each time he approaches you give him the prize you have chosen to associate it with something positive.Repeat this several times a day in short sessions and, as advice, do it before the meal so that it is more predisposed.As you answer your call, increases the distance and then advances to other environments of the house Once this is achieved, it is advisable to gradually reduce the prize chosen.

In addition, it is important that you associate the call to something positive, so do not use your name in negative situations.On the other hand, it is much easier to get a cat to pay attention when you call him starting his education to an age early, although if you have an adult cat you can also teach it.Lastly, be patient and be aware .

Know your needs and know how to educate

It is important to know your needs, such as always keep your sandbox clean (the cat is very meticulous with its hygiene), know that cats are more active during the night (spend the most of the day sleeping) with which we can play with them before going to sleep, provide toys for them to entertain, always leave food and water available to prevent them from waking us up at night with their meows.That is, if your cat does not know how to ration food, to avoid being overweight you must set a meal schedule that you will have to respect.

You have to understand that cats act differently from us , that have their own instincts and that we must cover them in some way, not only to know how to make a cat pay attention, but to make the animal live happy and balanced.Understanding its behavior will facilitate its learning.

Constancy, key to getting a cat to listen

Finally, it should be remembered that we have to be constant in order to achieve a change.Some will be more predisposed and others will use their stubbornness, so it is essential to have a lot of patience and an assertive attitude , as any change in our mood will notice.We can also always turn to the advice of professionals with knowledge in animal behavior, such as feline ethologists , and trusted veterinarians in very serious or complicated cases.

We hope that these guidelines to know how to make your cat listen to you are helpful and never forget that in every education you can not lack respect, trust and love .

If you want to read more articles similar to How to make my cat listen to me? , we recommend that you go to our Behavioral problems section.