Q: Can cats be trained?

A: Yes, cat training is not as difficult as the majority of cat owners consider it is. Cats most likely are not as attentive to training as Fido or FiFi are but they are trainable. Tasty treats offered as positive reinforcement is certainly the primary procedure to train your cat.

Q: Why and how do kittens make a purring sound?

A: Grown cats purr because they are happy and contented and to play on the emotions of humans — who can resist a purring cat? Kittens purr in answer to their mother cat’s purr to help bond them. It is widely theorized that the purring is a vibration of the vocal chords as air is pushed though it. It is also believed that purring is a voluntary action.

Q: What makes some cat owners are allergic to cats?

A: Cat allergies are caused by the proteins in cat dander coming from the cat’s saliva. The dander dries and becomes airborne. People with cat allergies develop an allergic reaction because their immune system is attempting to combat the enemy protein and creates histamines.

Q: How do you stop naughty cat behavior such as clawing?

A: The best way to stop undesirable cat behavior is the same way the mother cat controls an errant kitten. This is by scuffing the cat. You firmly but gently grasp the cat by the scruff of the neck and hold it down until it calms down. You must do this at the time of the naughty behavior.

Q: How do you litter train a cat?

A: You really shouldn’t be required to do any training for a cat to make use of a litter box, but if your previously litter trained cat has begun to avoid the litter box you need to find out why. The cat may have a urinary tract infection in which case you need to visit the vet. If it is just too dirty you need to keep it cleaner. If you have switched to litter you may have to change back or sprinkle a little catnip in the litter to attract the cat to the new litter.

Q: How do you keep cats off tables?

A: This is one of the most asked about cat behavior problems and can be a tough one. Cats like elevated perches and they may find food or food smells on counters and tables. It is best to keep the counters clean and to use something like foil or double sided tape to keep cats off the tables.