How to Train Your Kitten

Training your kitten requires a lot of time, supervision, and effort, but it is possible. You will need to determine what areas of the house are off limits to your kitten. You can't keep your kitten off of all the furniture or tables, because it is too much to expect from a kitten. Pick the areas where your kitten will be allowed to roam. It is not a good idea to let your kitten to roam everywhere at first. There is too much to take in and you will not have control of all the areas at the same time.

My kitten, like all kittens, is full of energy, mischief, and curiosity. I closed off the forbidden rooms: the guest room, den, and bathrooms. I did this because my kitten liked to jump on the counters and get in the tub in the bathroom and shred the shower curtain. The guest room has carpet and some of my family is allergic to cats, so I closed that off as well. You should figure out where your kitten will be safe and where you are comfortable letting it free.

I have large green plants in the kitchen nook and two artificial trees. On the second day of my kitten's arrival, I found her at the top of the artificial tree, having scratched the bark to get up there. She also jumped up and shredded leaves on some of the larger plants in floor planters. I have created a small forest in my den, with the artificial trees and several plants. Some plants are poisonous to cats, so be sure to put them out of reach.

This is also true of potpourri in bowls. My kitten had already tried to chew on the cable and printer wires in the den, so I closed that room off to her. If you choose to leave some floor planters out, place crushed newspapers around the plant and spray them with cat repellent. You will have to spray several times to keep the scent fresh.

My kitten is a house cat from the Humane Society and has claws. The people at the shelter begged me not to declaw her, as it hurts the kitten and alters it from its natural form. Teach your kitten to scratch on a scratching post by bringing it to the post and showing it how to scratch. Every time the kitten scratches on the post, give it a small treat to reward the behavior. This is extremely important, as you don't want the kitten clawing the furniture.