A lot of people have problems when trying to train a kitten. Kittens are really smart little animals and a hard task even for experienced pet owners. To train a kitten successfully, you must first understand the nature of the animal as well as how they work. Kittens are playful by nature, but you have to remember that they have just gained their own lives and will need time to adjust to their new surroundings.
The very first thing that you should provide your kitten is a litter box. Providing the cat with a litter box is essential since kittens love to play around with litter boxes. Provide clean water for your cat at all times too. Kittens will often begin to whine when they do not have something they need, so be sure to provide them with a clean litter box at all times.
Once you have adopted a kitten and they are now starting to show signs of curiosity, the time to train them is now. One way to train a kitten is through rewards and praise. When you reward your cat with a special treat, such as a favorite toy, they will try to repeat the behavior that got them the treat in the past. When they get it, they learn what the correct behavior is and will continue doing it. Rewarding your cats with treats will help them stay on task, so be sure to always have plenty of toys around.
Another way to train a kitten is through catnip toys. Place catnip toys around the house, but be sure that your kittens can not get to them. This will keep them from clawing up the toys and scratching them to pieces.
Cats are by nature curious, so using positive reinforcement to train a kitten can be quite successful. One great method is to place a treat or toy near the entrance to your home when you come home from work. When you arrive, immediately take the treat from it’s hiding spot and place it near the front door. You will see that the kitten will quickly find the treat and follow your example, soon following you to the front door and getting rewarded with a treat for following your example.
For another simple way to reward your kittens, toss a treat into the air and say a certain word like “good boy” each time the cat catches the treat. Be sure that you use the same word each time, this way the kitten will recognize the word and associate it with getting a treat. Be careful not to say the word too many times, as repetition is the key to successful training. Start slowly and your kitten will soon catch on and want to act in a similar way every time you say the word.