WELCOMING A CAT IS A RESPONSIBILITY. ITS OWNER MUST MAKE SURE TO DEVOTE TIME TO IT, TO GIVE IT ALL THE CARE IT NEEDS. HIS SOCIALIZATION IS NECESSARY FOR HIM TO BEHAVE WELL WITH OTHER PETS BUT ALSO WITH HUMANS. IT IS BETTER THAT EDUCATION BEGINS AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, WHEN THE ANIMAL IS STILL A KITTEN. BUT BEWARE, SO THAT HE IS HAPPY AND DOES NOT HAVE BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS LATER ON, IT REQUIRES TACT, PATIENCE, CONSISTENCY AND A LOT OF LOVE. HERE ARE THE 10 PREJUDICIAL MISTAKES THAT MUST NOT BE MADE WHEN RAISING A KITTEN.

1 - LET HIM DO HIS CLAWS ANYWHERE

A FEW DAYS ARE ENOUGH FOR AN UNEDUCATED CAT TO CAUSE A LOT OF DAMAGE IN A HOUSE AND IT IS EVEN WORSE IN A KITTEN. CURTAINS, CHAIR LEGS, SOFAS, CARPETS... EVERYTHING GOES THERE. WE OFFER HIM A SCRATCHING POST OR A CAT TREE SO THAT HE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE HIS CLAWS WITHOUT CAUSING DAMAGE.

2 - BEING INDIFFERENT TO YOUR CAT OR KITTEN

THERE'S NO POINT IN HAVING A CAT IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE HIM ALONE IN HIS CORNER AND NEVER SHARE MOMENTS WITH HIM. CERTAINLY QUITE INDEPENDENT, THE CAT NEEDS TO INTERACT WITH ITS MASTER. HE LIKES TO BE TALKED TO, STROKED AND BRUSHED BY HIS OWNER. CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, THIS LITTLE FELINE IS FAR FROM BEING SATISFIED WITH BEING GIVEN FOOD AND WATER. IT IS FULL OF SENSITIVITY AND IF ITS OWNER IS COMPLETELY INDIFFERENT TO HIS SMALL COMPANION, THIS ONE IS LIKELY TO BE UNHAPPY.

3 - NEVER PLAY WITH YOUR CAT

PLAY IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF CAT EDUCATION. HE LEARNS TO SHARE MOMENTS WITH HIS MASTER AND IT IS THROUGH THIS WAY THAT A RELATIONSHIP OF COMPLICITY BETWEEN MAN AND ANIMAL CAN BE ESTABLISHED. IN ADDITION, PLAY ALLOWS HIM TO EXERCISE, TO EVACUATE STRESS, TO DEVELOP HIS MOTOR SKILLS AND TO STIMULATE HIS COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS. IT HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THEIR REACTIVITY AND SHARPENS THEIR INTELLIGENCE. WE CAN OFFER HIM DIFFERENT CAT TOYS SUCH AS GAMES OF SKILL, REFLECTION AND OTHERS.

4 - FEED HIM ONCE A DAY

THIS IS A SERIOUS MISTAKE BECAUSE THE CAT MUST ON THE CONTRARY BE ABLE TO EAT LITTLE AT A TIME BUT OFTEN. THEREFORE, WE LEAVE HIM/HER WITH ENOUGH FOOD TO SATISFY HIS/HER NUTRITIONAL NEEDS WITHOUT FORGETTING THE BOWL OF FRESH WATER. THIS WILL PREVENT HIM FROM BEGGING FOR FOOD FROM THE NEIGHBORS. IN ANY CASE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THE CAT SHOULD NOT BE FED LIKE A DOG.

5 - DEPRIVE HIM OF THE OUTDOORS

EVEN IF IT IS MORE COMPLICATED TO LET YOUR CAT OUT WHEN YOU LIVE IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT OR CLOSE TO THE HIGHWAY, ACCESS TO THE OUTSIDE IS CRUCIAL FOR ITS DEVELOPMENT. IT IS A FABULOUS PLAYGROUND BUT ALSO A PLACE RICH IN OLFACTORY DISCOVERIES. IT IS ALSO OUTSIDE THAT THE SMALL FELINE CAN LET ITS HUNTING INSTINCT EXPRESS ITSELF AND MARK ITS TERRITORY. YOU CAN VERY WELL TAKE YOUR CAT OUT ON A LEASH AFTER GETTING IT USED TO THE HARNESS, WHICH IS MORE PRACTICAL AND COMFORTABLE THAN THE COLLAR, SO THAT IT CAN FAMILIARIZE ITSELF WITH ITS ENVIRONMENT. BUT BE CAREFUL, IT MUST BE TAKEN OUT SEVERAL TIMES A DAY.

6 - SHOUTING AT YOUR CAT OR HITTING HIM TO PUNISH HIM

YELLING AT YOUR CAT WHEN IT HAS MADE A MISTAKE IS THE BEST WAY TO TURN IT INTO AN ANXIOUS, DISTRUSTFUL OR EVEN AGGRESSIVE ANIMAL. AS FOR HITTING IT, WE DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT. VIOLENCE HAS NO PLACE ANYWHERE ELSE, AND BY THE WAY, ANIMAL ABUSE IS FORBIDDEN BY LAW. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT IS POSSIBLE TO REPRIMAND OR SCOLD YOUR CAT BY SIMPLY RAISING YOUR VOICE, BUT WITHOUT YELLING, AND AS LONG AS IT IS DONE ON THE SPOT.

 

DISPUTING IT AFTER THE FACT IS ABSOLUTELY USELESS BECAUSE THE ANIMAL WILL NOT UNDERSTAND WHY ITS BREEDER IS ANGRY. IF IT IS NOT CAUGHT IN THE ACT, THEN IT SHOULD BE IGNORED BECAUSE IT KNOWS HOW TO PERCEIVE DISCONTENT IN ITS MASTER. FIRMNESS, DEXTERITY AND SUBTLETY ARE THEREFORE REQUIRED TO PUNISH A KITTY. BUT IF ONE WANTS TO AVOID THAT IT DOES NOT COMMIT BIG MISTAKES, IT IS BETTER TO ENCOURAGE IT BY CONGRATULATING IT WHEN IT BEHAVES WELL.

7 - LETTING HIM STEAL FOOD

AS SOON AS A CAT ARRIVES IN THE FAMILY HOME, WHETHER IT IS AN ADULT ANIMAL OR A KITTEN, IT MUST BE FORBIDDEN TO CLIMB ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER, ON THE TABLES (LIVING ROOM, DINING ROOM) AND ON THE DESK, WHICH MUST REMAIN THE TERRITORY OF THE FAMILY MEMBERS BUT CERTAINLY NOT BE PART OF THE ANIMAL'S TERRITORY. IN ORDER NOT TO TEMPT THE DEVIL, IT IS IMPERATIVE NOT TO LEAVE ANY FOOD ON THE TABLE, WHICH IMPLIES TO CLEAR THE TABLE AS SOON AS A MEAL IS OVER AND TO MAKE A CLEAN PLACE IN THE KITCHEN.

 

SO THAT IT DOES NOT STEAL FOOD, IT IS FROM THE BEGINNING THAT WE MUST ACT. THE CAT MUST BE SUFFICIENTLY NOURISHED BECAUSE IF HE IS HUNGRY, HE WILL ALWAYS TRY TO STEAL FOOD. BUT THE OWNER MUST NEVER SHARE HIS MEAL WITH HIM BY TAKING IT ON HIS LAP FOR EXAMPLE. THIS WOULD ONLY ENCOURAGE UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR.

8 - ALLOWING HIM TO SLEEP IN THE BED

THE CAT SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE MASTER BEDROOM OR THE CHILDREN'S BEDROOMS. IT HAS BEEN PROVEN THAT SLEEPING WITH AN ANIMAL FAVOURS ALL KINDS OF CONTAMINATIONS. TO EACH HIS OWN TERRITORY, AND TO ACHIEVE THIS, ONE SHOULD NOT STALL AT ANY TIME. THE SIMPLEST WAY TO DO THIS IS TO KEEP THE DOORS OF THE FORBIDDEN ROOMS CLOSED. IT IS NECESSARY TO ACCUSTOM HIM FROM A YOUNG AGE TO SLEEP IN A PLACE RESERVED FOR HIM, SUCH AS THE BACK KITCHEN, THE ENTRANCE... IT CAN BE NOTED HOWEVER THAT CATS HATE THE SMELL OF EUCALYPTUS.