How to teach my cat not to get on the sofa
The training is basic to live properly with our pet, but in the case of cats this process can become very laborious because, unlike dogs, cats have a much more independent and less docile character, which can Make giving some basic rules a challenge.
Knowing how to scold our cat and put limits on him from puppy is essential to avoid future headaches. If the problem is that the cat loves to get on the couch and you do not want to continue doing so it is time to pay attention, because in this article of .com we explain how to teach your cat not to get on the couch with some training techniques basic
What you should know about the behavior of cats
Cats have a very particular character, being much more wild and difficult to tame than dogs. That's why in many cases we get the animal to obey one of our orders, for example not to destroy the toilet paper or not get on the table, but when we are not home they end up doing it. But why do they act in this way?
It is important to be clear that the cat is an animal used to hunting and feeding alone, without the need for a herd, therefore it is not integrated in its nature, except in the case of mothers and their offspring, the fact of receiving or fulfill orders of others to perform a certain task. This makes disciplining a task much more difficult than we think, however it is not impossible provided that we offer the animal an option that can replace the space in which he likes to be, in this case our sofa.
Following some steps of basic training and maintaining perseverance you will be able to get your cat to stop climbing on the sofa successfully.
Give it away only when you catch it in the act
The first thing you should be clear about how to teach your cat not to get on the couch is that you should always scold him when you find him with his legs in the mass, that is, on the sofa, never after that. The felines, like the dogs, do not have the capacity to associate that reprimand that we are giving them is because of something they did 10 minutes ago or 2 hours ago.
For the association of an object to occur with the act of not doing so, we must act only when we see the animal in that place where we do not want it to be. So if you have not caught on time but you know that he has been placidly lying on the couch, wait, at any time you will see and you can act.
Always use the same word and the same tone of voice
Finally you have found the animal on the couch, but it is not enough to start screaming like crazy and scare him so he understands that he should not lie down in this area. For that you must use the basic techniques of training, so we recommend you:
- Choose a discipline command such as NO, Outside, Low, etc. Ideally, it should be a simple and short command that you can use for other disciplinary situations, so we recommend you choose NO.
- It is very important to always use the same tone of voice when you say the word of discipline you have chosen, this will allow the animal to know that that word and that intonation mean that it has done something wrong.
- Approach the animal and take its head gently but firmly, tell it the command you have chosen, for example NO, and then slightly lower its head to the ground. Then take the cat and take it to the place where you want it to lie down instead of the couch.
Give a comfortable alternative to your sofa
You will not expect an animal as intelligent as the cat to easily access to change that soft and rich sofa for a hard, cold and withered carpet or the floor. You should offer a much more attractive alternative to convince him that there is a better place to be.
The recommendation is that you place on the floor and in a space near the sofa some comfortable surface where you can spend time, it can be a bed or a good cushion of a material similar to your sofa. With this you will show the feline that, although the sofa is great, there is a comfortable place only for him. And if you do not want to spend money on our article how to make a cat bed we give you some economical and easy options to make.
Do not confuse the animal
If you are trying to teach the cat not to get on the couch, do not let it rise when you are there or do not load it and place it on your legs while using this area. That is a confusing message and the cat will not understand that you are only allowed to lie there when you feel like it, so learn to discipline it correctly by staying firm.
Before any attempt, say no
During the learning process, once your cat is already clear that he should not get on the couch, he may challenge you slowly trying to do it while you are there enjoying this area. For example, it is possible for the animal to stretch its leg and slowly place it on the couch while looking at you, waiting in some way for your reaction.
At this time you must react as we have recommended before: use the discipline command firmly and wait for the animal to retire, if it does not remove it and take it to where you want it to be.
Be VERY constant
Training a cat is not an easy task, so it is necessary to be constant to the maximum, to repeat the instructions every time you see your cat doing what he should not and that you stand firm so as not to confuse the animal.
With dedication and perseverance you will achieve positive results.
