Basic education

Positive Reinforcement in Cats

 
Josie F. Turner
By Josie F. Turner, Journalist specialized in Animal Welfare. February 1, 2017
Positive Reinforcement in Cats
Cats

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If you're starting to litter train your cat or you want to practice commands and tricks with them, it is very important that you understand one thing: you will not achieve anything through bad words or telling your cat off - let alone abuse.

Cats are very special animals; as you know, cats do not base their happiness on pleasing their owners, as some dogs do. On the contrary, cats expect to be treated like kings and will not lift a paw if they don't get anything in exchange.

Whether you are teaching your cat to use the toilet, not to scratch the furniture or perhaps not to bite you, using positive reinforcement in cats is an excellent way to achieve results in training. Keep reading this AnimalWised article!

You may also be interested in: Positive Reinforcement in Dogs

Contents

  1. What is positive reinforcement?
  2. Using positive reinforcement in cats
  3. Benefits of positive reinforcement in cats

What is positive reinforcement?

Positive reinforcement is simply rewarding the behaviors that you like in your pet. You can use food, affection or pleasant words in order to do so. Anything goes if your cat likes it and makes them feel comfortable and pleased.

If you are trying to modify your cat's behavior, such as scratching furniture, rewarding them with treats or petting them when they use the scratching post is an excellent way of saying "This is good, I like it!". You should know that animals trained using positive reinforcement learn faster and better.

Positive Reinforcement in Cats - What is positive reinforcement?

Using positive reinforcement in cats

Remember that in order to get the cat to listen to you, you can't just offer any kind of food. You should discard their regular cat food and opt for other tastier products for cats, such as small pieces of frankfurter sausages or cooked ham, among other treats.

If you've never used positive reinforcement with your cat before, you must be very consistent so that your cat understands how the method works and gets used to pleasing you and obeying your instructions. However, once your cat understands how this system works, they will not stop chasing you around the house for delicious and tasty treats.

Positive Reinforcement in Cats - Using positive reinforcement in cats

Benefits of positive reinforcement in cats

While punishment can be the cause of fear, stress and even aggressive behavior in your cat, positive reinforcement is very much accepted and does not cause any backlash.

Also, you will benefit from a better relationship between the two of you. Positive reinforcement in cats stimulates their mind; you will be able to change your pet's behavior and get along easily and peacefully.

Positive Reinforcement in Cats - Benefits of positive reinforcement in cats

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Positive Reinforcement in Cats