Q: Do cats respond to training?

A: Yes, cat training is not as difficult as some individuals take for granted it is. Kitties are not as amenable to training as Spot or Fido are but they can be trained. Tasty rewards offered as positive reinforcement is definitely the primary route to train your cat.

Q: Why and how do kittens purr?

A: Grown kitties purr because they are happy and contented and to manipulate humans — who can resist a purring cat? Kittens purr in response to their mother cat’s purr to assist in bonding them. It is usually believed that the purring is a vibration of the larynx as air is pushed though it. It is also believed that purring is a voluntary action.

Q: Why are the reasons quite a few folks 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 trying to combat the foreign protein and creates histamines.

Q: How do you stop undesirable cat behavior like scratching?

A: The best way to halt unwanted 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 need to do this at the time of the bad behavior.

Q: How do you litter train a cat?

A: You really shouldn’t need to do any training for a cat to make use of a litter pan, but if your adult cat has begun to avoid the litter box you need to figure out why. The cat may have a urinary tract infection in which case you need to visit the veterinarian. If it is just too dirty you need to keep it cleaner. If you have changed 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 the kitchen counter?

A: This is the most asked about cat behavior issues and can be a challenging one. Cats like high spots and they can find food or food smells on tables and counters. It is best to keep the surfaces clean and to use something like foil or double sided tape to keep cats off the counters.