# How to train your kitten



## furryfriendhut (Apr 17, 2011)

Your little kitty is now used to her home and you. So, now she is doing things she should not be doing. How do you train her? I use a squirt bottle (with water) and tell her no. In a firm voice but not one to scare her. I also do not squirt her, but get it close enough that she knows there is water in there. This is working very well for me.


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## chellemich (Apr 5, 2011)

You're lucky. My two don't take a blind bit of notice of me. My latest battle is keeping them off the kitchen worktops. They're winning so far!


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

Please NEVER EVER use water to squirt your cat in the face or otherwise, when a kitten comes to your home he/she will be very scared leaving mum/dad, and its up to you to teach her that you are her new parents and will keep her safe, not scare the life out of her by chucking water in her face if she is 'naughty'

remember your cat has NO idea what you want and its up to you to teach them but not by using water!


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## Guest (May 11, 2011)

Maybe an alternative should be advised?? 

Rather than a reprimand :tongue_smilie:


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

holly2009 said:


> Maybe an alternative should be advised??
> 
> Rather than a reprimand :tongue_smilie:


If advice was being asked for then ,yes,perhaps an alternative could be suggested.I read the OP to be a statement of what they do to "train" their kitten.I agree with TB. you should not spray a kitten with water as a method of showing them what it is they are doing that you do not want them to do.


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## Guest (May 11, 2011)

I agree also but the op says "how you train her?" I took it as a question for alternative ideas!


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

holly2009 said:


> I agree also but the op says "how you train her?" I took it as a question for alternative ideas!


I think this is an example of one of those "internet conversations",when you cant read the body language it is hard to tell what is actually being said .We appear to be reading this differently.I see it as "how do you train her?" "you use a water bottle." A statement rather than a question ,possibly.Either way it is wrong to squirt a kitten with water.


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## gloworm*mushroom (Mar 4, 2011)

Water bottles, how lovely! Teach your kitten to fear you


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## flev (Mar 6, 2011)

Out of interest, how would people recommend helping train your cat/kitten? 

I'm trying very hard to persuade my cat not to attack my feet (playfully but painfully with claws and teeth!) at any random time of the day - currently by saying "No" firmly and then walking away for a few minutes, before coming back and engaging in some active play with toys. Is this a reasonable course of action, or are there better ways I could be doing this?


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## Gratch (Aug 22, 2010)

furryfriendhut said:


> Your little kitty is now used to her home and you. So, now she is doing things she should not be doing. How do you train her? I use a squirt bottle (with water) and tell her no. In a firm voice but not one to scare her. *I also do not squirt her*, but get it close enough that she knows there is water in there. This is working very well for me.


Don't think she actually sprays her, just basically the noise puts her off? Like shaking a jar of pennies or something.


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

flev said:


> Out of interest, how would people recommend helping train your cat/kitten?
> 
> I'm trying very hard to persuade my cat not to attack my feet (playfully but painfully with claws and teeth!) at any random time of the day - currently by saying "No" firmly and then walking away for a few minutes, before coming back and engaging in some active play with toys. Is this a reasonable course of action, or are there better ways I could be doing this?


You sound as if you are doing just fine with that


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## gloworm*mushroom (Mar 4, 2011)

Sounds like she uses both to me, otherwise why would 'knowing there was water' in a bottle do anything? My cats don't fear water...


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## Shrap (Nov 22, 2010)

gloworm*mushroom said:


> Sounds like she uses both to me, otherwise why would 'knowing there was water' in a bottle do anything? My cats don't fear water...


Mine don't either, Indy sticks his head under the running tap all the time.

I don't know how I trained Indy lol!
He sits when I ask him to, not vocal, I put my hand up and he looks at it and sits lol  He snatched a lot when we hand fed when he was a kitten, so I stopped letting him have it until he gave up and sat down, then he got over enthusiastic praise and the food. Now he doesn't snatch, he knows he has to sit nice.

He also knows that "Hot!" means something different to "No!" lol. He knows hot means something dangerous, and no means something he can completely ignore if he chooses. We wouldn't start using Hot instead of no because he's very smart and would then start to ignore Hot, which could put him in danger 

This would be a much longer reply if you had asked how my kitten trained me


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## catzz (Apr 8, 2010)

Yep - mine know what "hot" means too. They also know their names, various compliments, "Dinner", "biscuits" and "bedtime." Shame they appear to have no idea what "No" means 
oh and the strange letters at the top are courtesy of my small furry computer tech - I have computer literate cats!


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## gobubbles (Oct 14, 2010)

Hissing works with my cat 80% of the times. The best training tip though is to praise and reward the positive behaviour that you'd like to reinforce.


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## Annie2610 (Nov 14, 2010)

I have taught lily and ted to sit on command 

Totally by accident but hey im still going to take credit.

They have learnt if they want a treat / my sunday roast / anything vaguely edible to sit and wait and they will get something ... actually typing it out it make it sound like they have trained me :tongue_smilie: 

Apart from that they will do whatever they want, i would never use water use a loud no / bang should distract them enough never distract them with a toy else they may associate being naughty with being played with.


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## Lumboo (Mar 31, 2011)

Hissing or a clap is a good way to stop them, providing they don't know the sound has come from you and think it is a result of what they were doing. 

As well as this I then use the distraction to remove whatever they were playing with (wires usually!) and they happily go on to play with other, more appropriate things.

Hey, and they have started to come when called. This makes me really happy, even though they respond to either name at the moment. Little steps....:001_rolleyes:


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