Q: Do cats respond to training?
A: Yes, training a cat is not as difficult as many individuals assume it is. Kitties probably are not as amenable to training as Fido or Rover are but they are trainable. Food rewards offered as positive reinforcement is certainly the most certain route to train your cat.
Q: Why and how do cats make a purring sound?
A: Grown cats purr because they are happy and contented and to manipulate humans — Who can ignore a purring kitty? Kittens purr in response to their mother cat’s purr to help bond them. It is widely assumed that the purring is a vibration of the voicebox as air is pushed though it. It is also believed that purring is a voluntary action.
Q: Why are the reasons some people are allergic to cats?
A: Cat allergies are caused by the proteins in cat dander originating from the cat’s saliva. The dander dries and becomes airborne. People with cat allergies have an allergic reaction because their immune system is attempting to combat the foreign protein and creates histamines.
Q: How do you halt naughty cat behavior like clawing?
A: The best way to stop undesirable cat behavior is the same way the mother cat controls an errant kitten. This is by scuffing the cat. You firmly but gently grasp the cat by the scruff of the neck and hold it down until it calms down. You must do this at the time of the bad behavior.
Q: How do you litter train a cat?
A: You really shouldn’t need to do any training for a cat to use a litter pan, but if your previously litter trained cat has started to avoid the litter box you need to figure out why. The cat may have a urinary tract infection in which case you need to visit the veterinarian. If it is just too dirty you need to keep it cleaner. If you have started using litter you may have to change back or sprinkle a little catnip in the litter to attract the cat to the new litter.
Q: How do you keep cats off the kitchen counter?
A: This is one of the most asked about cat behavior issues and can be a tough one. Cats like high places and they may find food or food aromas on tables and counters. It is best to keep the counters clean and to use something like foil or double sided tape to keep cats off the tables.


