Leo, KC

Q: Can you  train cats?

A: Yes, training a cat is not as tough as some folks take for granted it is. Cats are not as attentive to training as Champ or Rover are but they are trainable. Treats given as positive reinforcement is certainly the most certain procedure to train a cat.

Q: Why and how do happy cats 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 response to their mother cat’s purr to help bond them. It is usually 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 certain folks are allergic to cats?

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

Q: How do you curtail unwanted cat behavior like scratching?

A: The best way to change 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 unwanted 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 previously litter trained cat has begun to avoid the litter pan you need to find out why. The cat may have a urinary tract infection in which case you need to go to the vet. If it is just too dirty you need to keep it cleaner. If you have started using 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 issues and can be a difficult one. Cats like high platforms and they may find food or food smells on counters and tables. It is best to keep the surfaces clean and to use something like foil or double sided tape to keep cats off the counters.

propnew.com

Scat Mat is a touch sensitive training pad which say “No”, when you can’t.

It quickly teaches pets to avoid prohibited areas with harmless, low-power electronic pulses similar to static electricity. Place the flexible vinyl Scat Mat in a room entrance, on your sofa, counter top or the hood of your car. The touch sensitive pad will silently protect prohibited areas from trespassers.

When touched, the battery sends small pulses to the mat for 3 seconds. These surprising little ‘zaps’ quickly repel most animals who usually stay away after one or two exposures – even after the mat is removed.

Place it under untouchable objects, across doorways, on furniture, around Christmas trees or trash cans, on top of car hoods — anywhere that you want to discourage your pets or someone else’s pets from touching.

Scat Mat Features:

* Scat mats are powered by battery, so they can be used anywhere. (Most use one 9 volt alkaline battery – not included)

* The best mats have adjustable power settings: appropriate deterrence sensations for varying sized pets. You can train kittens at Low; cats at Medium; adult dogs and long haired cats on High.

* The training Indicator light blinks to tell you how many times the scat mat has been contacted since it was last turned on. No blinks means your pet is avoiding it consistently. With just a short training, the pet will be discouraged from getting near the forbidden object out of habit.

* Up to 6 extension mats can be connected to the powered scat mat to economically increase the number and/or size of the areas you wish to cover.

* Each mat (not extension mat) has an outlet to accept an optional adapter (sold separately) to convert to A/C current.

* You can put whole rooms off limits, keep your pets in a confined area, or keep your pets off of one piece (or several pieces) of furniture.

For larger pets who might jump across the original scat mat, see the new Pawz Away scat mat. It will make you, and your pet, a believer!