Recent Articles
Cat Training Stories
Welcome to Cat Training Stories. This site is dedicated to all cat owners and to the art and science of cat training. The myth that cats cannot be trained has pervaded our culture for many years. People are now beginning to see that cats can be trained, and many unwanted behaviors can be eliminated by training your cat.
You will find articles that address bad cat behaviors such as peeing on the carpet or other places outside the litter box, scratching furniture, biting, and excessive meowing. These cat behaviors can be eliminated when you learn how to train your cat using positive methods.
Cats are very intelligent and often become the trainers, as they pressure owners to provide what they want. Your cat might gently paw your hand to stroke him, wake you up at 5:00 a.m. on Sunday when he decides it’s feeding time, or start climbing the curtains when he wants to go outside.
Cats give us enormous emotional rewards, and they sometimes become our care givers. Researchers have found that cat owners are less likely to experience a heart attack, and they have lowered blood pressure while stroking their cats.
Since we love our cats and enjoy enormous benefits from their companionship, we want to experience the positive aspects of the cat/human relationship and solve problems with negative cat behaviors. You will find articles on this site to give tips and advice on how to solve problems with negative cat behaviors.
If you enjoy cat videos, you will love the collection of the very best cat videos we have curated for you to enjoy and share.
For those of you who want to learn how to teach your cat tricks, there are some tips and advice on the best techniques to train a cat to do tricks.
If you have questions or need some information not found here, feel free to contact us. You’ll find contact information on the Contact page at the top of this page. Thanks for visiting Cat Training Stories, and please visit us often!
Death of a Spider
These cats are nice to have around if you hate spiders. Ever seen a cat play its prey to death? Watch for the ending, although it’s kinda gross.
My cats play with their prey til it’s dead, then they bat it around and act disappointed that the game is over. If you like this video, click “Like.” :)
The Cat and the Helicopter
In this video, an exotic short hair cat spars with a small remote-controlled helicopter. His actions are classic behavior for a cat playing with its prey. Some people have expressed concerned that the cat might get hurt by the flying helicopter, but others point out that cats are professionals when it comes to interacting with their prey.
The video creator says this is her cat’s favorite toy, although the cat has evidently gone through several of them.
If you like this video, please click LIKE to share it with a friend. 
The toy helicopter is an Air Hogs Havoc Heli available on Amazon.
Cat Training: Tips to Control Cat Fights
If you have an indoor/outdoor cat, you have probably experienced cat fights on your property, or your own cat coming home beat up. Once a cat knows the thrill and luxury of going outside, it’s very difficult to keep them indoors. Many consider the quality of life an outdoor cat experiences far outweighs the risks of getting hurt or worse. Still, we want to do everything we can to keep outdoor cats healthy and happy. Cat fights are probably the number one problem with having cats that go outdoors. Here are some tips for curbing the number of altercations experienced outdoors.
We’re cute and cuddly and all things nice, but if you didn’t already know: we get into fights. Here’s how you could attempt to break it up if one ever arises.
- Territory trouble: We don’t like confrontation, so we don’t usually go around looking for trouble. We have our own form of communication to let other cats know of our intentions in order to avoid conflict.
- But when tension does arise, it is usually due to territory; especially when the neighborhood cats are involved. It could become a widespread issue entailing a large number of animals, and their humans are usually hauled along into the problem.
- So you find yourself such a situation, it might not suffice to use deterrent measures when strays are coming in through the cat flap. What do you do? Squirts of water will keep the intruder away: soon they’ll learn some nasty human will rain on their parade.
Read the entire story at TheDailyMew.com
If you read the entire story at The Daily Mew, you read about the suggestion to talk with other cat owners in the neighborhood. The key is to open the subject in a friendly and non-accusatory manner. Working together with other cat owners can go a long way towards keeping all the neighborhood cats safe and happy.
Cats and Some Unlikely Companions
Everybody needs a friend. This video features cats with some unlikely companions. There are some adorable pictures here of cats and their friends. Get a load of the cat being kissed by a snake!
If you like this video, click LIKE to share with a friend.
Cats and Their Little White Lies
Cats always look and act innocent even when they’re been naughty. They just have look about them like they have no idea how such a thing happened. This cute and entertaining video is produced from the cat’s point of view, including their little white lies.
If you like this video, click Like to share it with a friend
Outside Cats – How to Keep Them Safe
Kiki enjoying being outdoors
For those of us with outside cats, it is sometimes hard to know how to keep them safe. As we all know, the cat who lives outdoors is at high risk for getting injured or even killed by cars, aggressive dogs and other cats, and lots of other dangers. Do you have a strong-willed cat who insists on going outside? Even as I write this article, there is a persistent meowing in the background. My cat, Kiki, is the strong-willed outside cat in our family. He sits at the back door meowing loudly and desperately. If that doesn’t get our attention, he comes to us and walks across us, knocks thems down, and resorts to other strange behavior to get attention. I usually relent and let him outside, unless it is after dark.
To keep our outside cats safe, sometimes we have to put our foot down and lay down the law. Sometimes we have to just say “NO!” to these strong-willed outside cats. Of course, the best way to keep the cat safe is to keep him/her indoors.
Here is a thread from Pet Forums on this topic with good tips for keeping an outside cat safe:
I feel that the best way to train an independent cat to spend more time indoors is to do it gradually. Sit in the garden with them as much as you can, as it encourages them to stick around the garden. Then when you go in, try to bring them with you, offering food if necessary, and lock them indoors when you go out. Call them in for the night shortly after it gets dark (they may whine to go out during dusk to hunt) but get them in after dark. When they are indoors, make sure you give them enough attention, toys and cosy places to enjoy their indoor life, too. If you just lock them in whenever they want out, they can see it as a battle of wills. But sitting outside with them trains them to see the garden as their main territory, instead of the road!!
Read the entire thread at Pet Forums
If you have more ideas for how to keep an outside cat safe, please share them.
Introducing A New Cat to the Family
If you already have a cat in the family, introducing a new cat can be stressful to everyone. Cats can be unpredictable when it comes to how they will react to a new member of the family. If you introduce them slowly and allow them to get used to each other before being thrown into the same habitat, the relationship has a better chance of being a positive one.
This article at Purina.com gives a good plan for introducing the new cat to the current cat in the home.
“When it’s time to introduce another cat into your home, there are no shortcuts. Some cats are more territorial than others. Some welcome the companionship. And unfortunately, it’s impossible to predict how each cat will react until you bring them together.
“One clear-cut benefit of working with a shelter or rescue is that they can provide some insight into the cat’s history – specifically if she has cohabitated with other animals. If a cat has already lived with other pets, the transition might be more peaceful. That’s not to say it will go without a hitch – it’s an adjustment period no matter what.
“A negative experience can set the tone for the rest of their time together, so it’s imperative to move things along slowly, but with purpose.
“Here’s how to get started:
Separate Quarters
“For starters, it’s important to keep the cats in separate locations within the home. It may also be helpful if both are spayed or neutered, as this may reduce aggression or dominant behavior between the animals. But be certain each location is stocked with the necessities: toys, litter box, food, water and a scratching post and sleeping area with a blanket.
“CJ Bentley is a Behaviorist at the Michigan Human Society. Here are a few of her favorite ways to ease into the introductions:
- Let your cat sniff and lie on the new cat’s blanket, and vice versa. This is a simple way to get them accustomed to one another’s scents.
- Confine your cat while the new cat roams your home, then switch. This allows the new cat to explore her surroundings on her own terms while your cat gets used to the scent of another animal in his space.
- Make feeding time social time. Put their food bowls on either side of a closed door so the cats can smell each other while they eat. “This helps the kitties associate something good, dinner time!, with the smell of each other,” says Bentley.
“Each method allows the cats to become familiar with each other’s scent and get accustomed to their presence.”
Read the entire article at Purina.com
The author goes on to write that after the cats get used to one another’s scent, there should be a formal and controlled introduction. Start with very short durations of time together, and if it goes well, lenthen the time they are together.
Introducing a new cat into the family can take some time but it will be well worth it in the end, and if you follow these steps they will have a good chance of enjoying a positive relationship with each other.
Why Does the Internet Love Cats So Much?
Why does the Internet love cats so much? They seem to have taken over the Internet, including YouTube, as millions of viewers flock to watch cat videos.
Amy-Mae Elliott puts it this way in her article, The Million Dollar Question: Why Does the Web Love Cats?
“If you haven’t noticed, cats are big on the Internet. Even though the occasional panda, turtle or slow loris gets a slice of the viral action, cats are, and always have been, the prevalent species to be found online.
“So why is it that the collective web is a “cat person,” so to speak? Why are there so many kitty pics and videos cluttering up the Interwebs? And what is it about feline-themed content that makes it so weirdly shareable?
“In the quest for answers to these important questions, we’ve talked to cat-themed content creators, viral experts and other commentators from within the industry to try and solve one of the most pressing quandaries of our time.”
Elliott lists seven reasons why cats are so popular on the Internet, and they are listed, in part, as follows:
Because They’re Cute?
“Does the popularity of cats really come down to their inherent fluffy cuteness? . . .
“. . . as Elspeth Rountree, the co-founder of Know Your Meme, points out, . . .
“‘They’re the perfect distraction from our hectic lives. You don’t need any explanation or prior knowledge to understand the slapstick humor that animals provide. Cat videos and images are a quick hit of pure, unfettered ‘cute.’ They’re also entertainment in easily digestible doses.’”
Because They’re the Perfect Canvas for Human Projection?
“. . . . Cats get themselves into all kinds of amusing predicaments, and when there’s a human on hand to capture the moment, whether in a photo or on video, that’s raw material just begging to be shared. And because lots of people have cats, that’s lots of content. . .”
Because Cats Are Jerks?
“Cats ignore us, vomit on our carpets, drag in horrible things, demand food, want affection on their terms and stay out all night. Is sharing undignified cat content online our way of getting our revenge on the species . . . .
Because It’s All a Cat Conspiracy?
“. . . . There’s certainly some comedy to be drawn from the fact that we have an amazing, potentially world-changing resource available to us in the form of the Internet, and so much time is spent on it giggling at ninja cat clips. Is this rational? Or are we all unknowing victims of some kind of conspiracy, yet to be revealed. . . .”
Read the Entire Article on Mashable.com
Whether it’s simply because they’re cute or the fact that we enjoy the projection of human qualities onto them, cats will no doubt continue to be a big part of our Internet experience, and we’ll continue to be distracted and entertained by them.
Cats Trained for Fashion Modeling
There is a market for cats in fashion modeling these days, and cats who have been bred and trained for this career are enjoying a high demand for their services. Other types of animals are used in fashion modeling, and cats are the hardest to train; still the demand for cat fashion models has doubled recently, according to Amy Odell with BuzzFeed.
Forget retouching. Forget naked women. Getting people to look at fashion photography these days is as simple as adding a cat. Over the past few years felines have become some of the most popular and celebrated fashion models, appearing regularly in magazines like Elle and Vogue, and in ads for brands like Lanvin and Dolce & Gabbana.
“I think they’re really seen and respected as a creature of beauty and elegance, and sometimes sensuality, because of their beautiful, stealthy bodies,” says Cathryn Long, an agent from All Creatures Great and Small, which represents animals for acting and modeling work. “They’re really so much more highly regarded and appreciated than they ever used to be.” Her talent roster includes all kinds of animals — sloths, pigeons, dogs, horses, snakes, you name it — but she says that over the past few years, her bookings of cats for fashion work have doubled. “Really there’s nothing that is not touched by cats anymore. Before it might have just been [ads for] cat food or cat litter. Now it’s not.” If cats aren’t appearing in fashion magazines, they’re probably adding warmth to a scene of a family in a Verizon commercial, for instance.
Sarah Cristobal, editor of the edgy fashion magazine V, says cats are “back on the brain” among her fellow editors. “Definitely, people in the office have been like, ‘I should get a cat,’” she says. “[Cats'] personalities do match the fashion set — they’re beautiful and graceful but also kind of finicky.” Also, they’re the most viewed animal on the internet and — in an age when many fashion companies are trying to get their fashion films and ad images to go viral — the wit, humor, and chicness of cats just makes sense.
Read the Entire Article on BuzzFeed.com
The author goes on to say that one particular cat trainer takes her cats to PetsMart for training because of all the activity there. When they get to where they are comfortable at PetsMart, then they are likely ready to be in a studio without experiencing stress.
