Five Clever Kitten Petting Tips and Tricks for Newbies

We have all seen and heard stories of cats bossing their human parents around like they’re slaves. We all believe that cats are emotion-less creatures who love to bully their parents like their boss at work. All they do is laze around on the forbidden furniture, tear curtains, and your expensive sofa set and climb counters. 

But that’s not true! Cats have their personalities, and even then, they are all keen to learn new tricks! When you bring a new cat home, the poor creature is anxious about being at a new place. Help it to adjusts to the new environment. Slowly expose your kitten to each corner of its new home. 

To make the challenge of adjustment more manageable, start by rewarding your kitten when it does something palpable, such as coming out to play or sitting. The challenges are many, but your kitten will gradually learn to conquer them and get used to a new home with time. Patience is the key to every success. Be gentle with your kitten, and never get harsh while treating it. You must be careful with the handling; otherwise, the kitten will develop anxiety and have a tough time complying.

The first challenging task includes teaching your kitten how to use the litter box; it’s the basic and the toughest one. If your pet conquers this task, then you are in for an exciting ride! No more scooping up cat dumplings all around the house or washing your sheets numerous times a day. You will finally be able to heave a sigh of relief when your cat starts using the litter box. 

This article will tell you five unique tips to help your kitten adjust and make you better at cat-parenting. 

HIGH-FIVE BUDDY

Now your hand will never face the awkward situation of remaining in the air due to an ignored high-five. Why is that? Because you’ll teach your cat to do so! Start by praising him, practicing each day, and inducing incentives to make him repeat the action. Bring a treat slightly above your cat’s head and let him reach for it when he does bring your palm and say “high-five”! try to do this as often as you can, and soon your cat will recognize the phrase and do it effortlessly. 

USE A STIMULUS

Psychologists have conducted experiments on various animals by using different sorts of a stimulus. With the help of trial and error, the animals learn what to do to get their reward. Using this technique makes it easier for the cat to learn as it starts associating the sound to treats. It makes learning stress-free and faster and less frustrating for you and the kitty. The widely and most popular used stimulus is the clicker method. A device that makes clicking sounds and cats are highly attracted to such sounds. They come running as soon as they hear it. Helping them associate with the clicker sounds will result in a faster learning pace. 

CRATE FOR FOOD

Gradually give your cat meals in a crate, keep the door open the first few times, shutting it at intervals. Get your kitty used to being in a bounded area, as this will benefit you during any travel plans. Sooner or later, your kitty will start enjoying taking his meals in a crate. But always remember to be calm and steady whenever introducing him to new confined places. 

TOYS A-MUST

Playing is an excellent way to handle the excess energy kittens tend to have. They are jumpy kitty souls who love to play around. However, teach them to play with toys and not your hands, furniture, or any other restricted object. Engage them with a feather string, catnip, balls, or paper balls (they LOVE paper balls) instead of playing games with your fingers. The cat will learn to not use its claws or teeth on you but toys instead, making you scratch-free. 

LEASH LEARNING 

Introduce your cat to the leash. No, not dog leash. Cat leash! It is for cats, like a harness in simple words, where the leash gets attached on the back. Taking your cats on walks outside is an excellent way to expose them to the world outside. Introduce them gently to the leash and practice wearing it inside the house before venturing out. When your cat learns to like the leash and becomes comfortable, you can conveniently go out for a breath of fresh air. Getting your kitten to get used to the leash is a smart tip; you won’t ever need to leave your cat alone. Both of you can even go out for an evening walk! 

CONCLUSION 

Kitties are flexible creatures, both in structure and the willingness to learn. They adopt new tricks quickly and are quite intelligent. Since they are independent innately, you won’t have to push them much to do something. However, they are anxious at the same time when introduced to unfamiliar surroundings. Like human babies, cats need assistance and lots of love to become comfortable. We hope these tips and tricks help you bond with your new baby! Enjoy your new life as a cat-parent!