Statistics on the number of pets in Russian families indicate that people are more likely to own cats. Moreover, fashion is becoming more popular, and even significantly exceeds the number of dog owners. This is not strange, because a cat is a little easier to care for. In order for a pet to become a true friend and not avoid a person, you need to accustom the cat to your hands. Options for classes can be different, although training is sometimes difficult. Basically, small predators are capricious, and some simply do not want to be held by their owner. We can try to correct this point.
Behavior of domestic cats
Interestingly, a kitten under the age of 6 months generally tends to follow its mother. A two-month-old pet must be under the supervision of a nurse. She teaches him hygiene, and also instills skills in interacting with the outside world. As soon as the animal grows up, it is time for its socialization into the human family.
In fact, domestication begins much earlier. The kitten will be inclined to affection if it completely trusts the person. This factor includes care, feeding, as well as calm communication and a good environment. You cannot scold a cat or raise your voice at him. If education is difficult, it is necessary to look for other methods. And for this, you need to know the reasons why the animal does not want to sit in your arms.
Cats are like children - they need a nanny too! order a respite
Reasons for cats' withdrawal
Next, we will determine the factors influencing the behavior of your pet. We will also consider ways to correct behavior.
Among the most common reasons why cats do not go into the owner's arms are:
- Fear of the new owner. An animal at any age can show non-contact. On your part, we recommend that you try to slowly accustom your pet to people. If you adopted a cat from a cattery or were given it to you, it is possible that he was untamed from the very beginning;
- This behavior can be associated with bad memories of the pet. It happens that the previous owners threw the cat off their hands or did not treat it very well. But this is just one option;
- Uncomfortable position. The owner must understand how to pick up a kitten so that it does not feel scared or uncomfortable. Some cats don't always like the feeling of heights. This statement mainly applies to children. Such fear, by the way, can take hold in childhood and affect the pet’s subsequent reactions;
- To teach a kitten to sit in your arms, you need to find the most comfortable position for it. To do this, you can support your pet under the chest and hind legs. But sometimes, in order to pick up a cat, you need to set aside time and teach it to make contact on its own;
- The character of a cat that is accustomed to freedom, or since childhood, has not shown a desire to sit in a person’s arms.
If you want to teach your cat to be handled, try not to act against her will. When there are children in the house, explain to them that you must first make friends with your little pet and give her the opportunity to get used to the person. A young child may frighten the kitten, so their interactions need to be monitored.
How long will it take?
The timing of domestication largely depends on the age of the animal, as well as how long it has lived outdoors and whether it has ever lived among people. The kitten will be able to make contact in one day. But an adult cat that has lived outside for a long time may need a week or several months to get used to this. In addition, adults often experience fear of people or the habit of hiding from the slightest noise, even after being at home for a long time. Sometimes, despite all the efforts of the owners, it is not possible to get rid of these features.
What do experts recommend?
You need to gradually accustom your cat to human contact. It is very important that your pet feels comfortable and safe. To prevent the kitten from being scared of you, it is important to speak to it in a monotonous and soothing tone. Take a closer look at the following tips if you are faced with the need to accustom your cat to affection:
- Start with normal touching. Approach your cat several times a day and scratch it. At first she may get scared or run away. Usually, untrained animals simply show dissatisfaction. Short strokes with the spoken phrase “good boy” and other pleasant words can smooth out such a situation;
- Use a treat. Every pet has food that it is very partial to. At first, you can sit on a chair, taking a treat with you. Call your pet over to give him some food. Wait until he jumps into your arms. This method is good when the cat is already accustomed to your stroking;
- When a kitten has a favorite toy, you can try to interest him in such entertainment. You can use a soft ball, bows, and items purchased from a pet store. It is important that the item used does not damage the animal’s teeth and oral cavity;
- Teach your pet to eat from your hands. Right away you can simply give small pieces of food, and then feed and pet the animal at the same time.
The most popular methods for teaching a cat to be handled are listed above. Of course, it is necessary to take into account the individuality and uniqueness of each pet. Representatives of the cat family love to be taken care of. To reach this level of relationship with your pet, sometimes you need to try and be patient. But it also happens that a cat shows a friendly attitude towards some people, but is wary of others. In this case, we recommend that you resort to the same methods and give the kitten the opportunity to gradually get used to your loved ones. It is much more difficult to train an adult animal, since it has already formed certain patterns of behavior. In order to change your pet's habits, you need to develop a special approach to it.
Taming methods
Time and hunger are the most faithful helpers on the path to taming a wild cat. First, isolate the cat by placing it in a cage or carrier. The cage should be placed in a separate room or covered with a cloth, creating the illusion of loneliness for the animal and depriving it of all entertainment, even the opportunity to observe its surroundings. There should be no food or toys in the cage, just a water bowl and litter tray.
After spending several hours in the cage, you must approach him and give him a piece of tasty food in his hand. This could be some soft food or a small piece of chicken. If the kitten hisses, tries to catch or retreat, immediately remove your hand and walk away. Please try again in a few hours. If the result is the same, leave your pet for a few more hours. Sooner or later, hunger will force the cat to come up and take the treat from your hand. In this case, half the work can be considered completed.
Now the most important thing is patience and regularity. You should approach your kitten more and more often with small pieces of food, each time giving him food from his hands. If he refuses, you should take this treat with you. This way, your pet will quickly get used to eating without restrictions.
At the same time, you should start training your pet. Open the cage door and place your hand on it (without touching it). Ignore his hissing, but if he tries to attack you, lightly hit him. When the kitten stops objecting and calmly accepts the owner's hand in close proximity to him, encourage him with a treat.
Frightening look
Once your baby eats from your hand, it's time to take the next step. While holding the food in your hand, try petting the kitten before giving it food. To his objection, the owner’s reaction is the same - leave and take the treat. After several approaches, the animal will understand that stroking is pleasant and safe, and will accept it with pleasure.
Taming a kitten from the street
If you brought a pet from the street, you are faced with not the easiest task. The fact is that the baby may already be frightened by something and therefore his behavior seems wild. Taking a kitten into your apartment can be a very good idea. But it will take some time before he becomes tame and flexible. Depending on what the animal has seen, its domestication may span a different period of time. Sometimes it takes about two months for initial adaptation. During this time, the animal must be accustomed to the tray and feeding. If big problems arise, you can use special products that attract the kitten with a smell. You can determine a place for the kitten where he will rest. But most of all, owners love animals for their purring. Therefore, you need to try to get your pet to communicate with a person.
From the very first days of its appearance, the relationship between owner and pet begins to build. At this moment, it is important to show warmth and care to the baby. If the animal is very shy and hides from you, then place the food bowl where it will be comfortable. Then gradually move her towards the bedding or basket. Only after this can you teach the kitten to sit in your arms. But to achieve results, you need to continue to communicate with your pet step by step. You can take advantage of the advice from the experts we talked about earlier.
No matter what age your cat is, he needs to be given time to get comfortable. It is better to start hygiene procedures immediately, but carefully. This can also be stressful, so give the animal time to settle in later.
How to train a wild kitten to the litter box without much effort
Almost all cat owners are afraid that their pet will start going to the toilet past the litter box. Or even worse - into shoes or things. Due to the peculiarities of feline physiology, all that remains after “use” is to throw it away, since the clothes are saturated with a specific smell that cannot be destroyed in any way. Choosing a tray for a cat is not so easy, since pet stores offer a wide range of products. To begin with, it is better to choose a regular rectangular tray with a lattice insert.
This is especially important for a wild kitten: closed trays or containers with a high side can scare him away
Are you solving the problem of how to toilet train a feral kitten? Patience and more patience will help with this. At first, your pet may leave puddles and piles everywhere. Under no circumstances should you poke him with your face or hit him for this. Severely reprimand the baby and take him to the tray. Having planted it in the right place, explain what needs to be done in it. A little trick: blot the urine on the floor with a newspaper and put it in the tray. The kitten will come to the smell of its discharge and do its business where necessary.
View gallery
Why shouldn't you use physical punishment? This will only cause fear in the kitten; he will become aggressive towards the owner and begin to mark shoes and things out of revenge. Therefore, before taming a wild kitten to go to the litter box, learn the carrot and stick method. As soon as your pet makes a puddle, sternly reprimand him and take him to the litter box. It has been scientifically proven that animals clearly distinguish between intonations. Therefore, a dissatisfied voice will affect them, and they will understand it as “you can’t do that.” When the kitten goes into the tray, pet it and gently praise it, treat it with meat or a piece of tasty food.
