Cat domestication began in the Near East around 9000 years ago, when wild cats first made contact with humans and began living near them. Through centuries of selective breeding, cats became adapted to life in close proximity to humans. Today’s domestic cats have been shaped by their interactions with people – from their tameness and affinity for human affection

A well-trained cat is a happy cat—and a happier you. While cats are notoriously independent creatures, that doesn’t mean they can’t be trained. With a little patience and creativity, you can teach your cat basic commands, manners, and tricks. Check out our tips below to get started.

1. Create a routine. Cats thrive on routine, so it’s important to establish set mealtimes, playtimes, and sleep times from day one. This will help your cat understand when it’s time to eat, play, and rest.
2. Use positive reinforcement. When your cat does something you want it to do, be sure to give it plenty of praise—cats love verbal affection as well as treats. And avoid scolding or punishment; it won’t work and will only stress out your cat (and yourself).
3. Keep sessions short. Cats have short attention spans, so make sure to keep training sessions short and sweet—around five minutes is usually perfect. That way, your cat won’t get bored or frustrated, and you’ll be more likely to see results.
4. Be patient. Like we said before, cats aren’t exactly known for being obedient creatures. So it’s important to be patient when training your cat; success may not happen overnight but eventually, with consistency and positive reinforcement, your cat will catch on.
5. Start with the basics. When first starting out, it’s best to stick to basic commands such as sit, stay, come here, etc.—once your cat has mastered those commands, you can move on to more complex tricks.
6. Make it fun! Add an element of fun to the training process by using toys or treats as rewards—if your cat is enjoying itself, it will be more likely to cooperate (and actually learn something in the process).
7.  Be consistent. In order for training to be effective, you need to keep at it—try to have at least one short session every day (or every other day). According to the information found in this cat blog, this will help reinforce the behaviors you’re trying to teach while also bonding you and your feline friend closer together.
8. Get everyone on board. If everyone in the household is involved in training sessions, that will help create consistency and prevent any confusion on your cat’s part—plus everyone will get to spend some quality time together!

Conclusion

Training a cat may seem like a daunting task but with a little patience (and a whole lot of treats), even the most independent of cats can learn basic commands shortcuts . So why not give it a try? We guarantee you and your feline friend will be glad you did—after all, a well-trained cat is a happy cat!