Can Cats Be Trained?

How Cat Trainers are Saving Feline Lives

Most people believe that a cat’s behavior and personality are just the result of a lottery, and you either win or lose. When a cat’s behavior becomes too aggressive or destructive, an owner, at best, might learn to deal with it. At worst, she might abandon her cat at the nearest animal shelter.

When dogs exhibit aggressive or destructive behavior, it seems to be a no-brainer for the pet owner to seek out a certified dog trainer to help curb those tendencies. Why is it that many don’t think to do the same thing for our feline friends?

In actuality, cats are just as trainable as dogs. Training cats can make a huge difference in their lives and the lives of their owners. As more people accept the idea of training cats and seek to address their own pets’ behavior problems, the demand for cat trainers will rise.

 

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Training Cats is Different From Training Dogs

When you think of training an animal, you likely think of how dogs respond to training and apply that to other animals. However, the way dogs and cats think, interact and respond to people and other creatures are inherently different. Thus, the approach to training them differs as well.

Cats and dogs view their owners in very different ways. Dogs see their owners as surrogate parents, which makes them eager to please and respond to many types of training techniques. Cats, on the other hand, view their owners as equals. This is why, when training cats, you need to take a different approach than you would with dogs to prevent and change unwanted behaviors.

Training a cat involves an extensive understanding of the feline mind. While the average cat lover might feel she understands cat behavior, it’s often more complicated than she realizes. While you might be able to see some common innate behaviors among all cats, there are still variances between individuals—even in the same breed—when it comes to temperament, energy levels and social needs.

Learning to Train Cats

The process of becoming a certified cat trainer includes studying cats’ biology and behavior and developing a better understanding of their unique needs and how they communicate.

There are many reasons a cat might be misbehaving. As a professional cat trainer, you need to know what to look for. The cause of a behavior problem might be something as simple as excess energy. Or it could be the cat’s environment, such as a new pet or person in the house.

Cats are sensitive to many things. Learning to read cat body language and figuring out the cause for the cat’s behavior are the first steps in the cat training or behavior modification process.

Understanding why behaviors occur is imperative to success, and getting a certification in cat training will provide you with this knowledge. In addition, becoming certified provides you with credentials that can give you a boost over possible competition.

Saving Feline Lives

Behavior problems can get serious enough that people abandon their pets at shelters. This is especially true for cats that are mistakenly believed to be untrainable. Seventy percent of cats in shelters are euthanized, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Unfortunately, some of these cats are perfectly healthy and could have otherwise been adopted.

By volunteering at local shelters, cat trainers can help felines become more adoptable by working with them and helping them come out of their shells. Using their knowledge of cats’ varying personalities and temperaments, certified cat trainers can also help ensure felines are adopted into homes that match their individual needs.

By investing in your animal career and pursuing a cat training certification, you can make a real difference in the life of every cat you encounter. The more people learn the value of training their cats, the more cats will remain with their families. Become a certified cat trainer today.