Having a kitten at home is very exciting! Actually, the hard work may just be starting, because the training also begins. Since cats are very independent, the difficulty of training is relatively high, so be patient and loving to make your cat a well-behaved member of the family!

　　What Owners Must Know

　　1. Kittens are easier to train than adult cats. Don’t miss the growth stage of your kitten, or else it becomes “no training when young, a cunning adult cat.”

　　2. Do the right training at the right time. Don’t dwell on past mistakes; cats have poor memories. Reward immediately when it does right, and stop or punish immediately if it does wrong. Training will be effective this way.

　　3. The three-heart policy: patience, love, and determination. Every cat has a different personality. For cats with high self-esteem, don’t scold lightly. For lazy cats,

　　owners must remind constantly. “Teaching according to ability” works for cats too.

　　Calling Its Name

　　When you call for a long time and the cat is totally unaware, owners may feel frustrated. Many think cats are harder than dogs to teach to “understand their own name,” but not really. Basically, cats are just as intelligent as dogs, and learning to “recognize their name” comes from the owner’s skill and patience in training.

　　Lure Method

　　Before feeding, when taking out the food bowl, keep calling its name; when showing its favorite treats (small dried fish, cheese, etc.), call its name immediately. Connecting the name with delicious food helps the cat remember quickly.

　　Timing Method

　　When the cat is excited or happy, call its name more often. For example, during play, stroking, chin scratches, gentle brushing, calling its name in these pleasant moments helps reinforce its memory.

　　Consistent Tone Method

　　Once the cat is familiar with its name, it can detect the owner’s emotions from the tone of voice. So don’t “trap” the cat during the learning phase, like pretending to call it over only to punish it. After a few times, the cat won’t understand the owner’s intention and may think hearing its name means punishment, then immediately run away!

　　Remedy Method

　　If mistakes have been made, consider giving the cat a new name and start over. Some adult cats can adapt to a new name, but the chance is low. Some cats understand their name but choose whether to respond or not, which can’t be changed!