How to teach a kitten to a name? Cats are considered poorly trained pets, but this is not the case. There is nothing difficult in teaching a kitten to respond to a nickname. The training takes place in 5 simple stages.
1. Choose the appropriate nickname
Choose a sonorous and simple nickname to make it easier for your pet to get used to. Do not use complex names, even if the kitten is a descendant of a great family of cats.
Shorten the full name to a short nickname: ideally, to one or two syllables. A good solution is to use hissing and whistling letters in the name of the kitten.
Do not change the nickname when you have already started training the kitten. So the baby will not understand what his real name is.
2. Prepare all family members
Let the whole family participate in teaching the kitten to the name: this way the kitten will get used to it faster. Agree on the same pronunciation of the nickname and treats.
Call the kitten with the same phrases, call him by name in similar situations. This will not allow the pet to get confused.
3. Start training
Cats are not eager to please people, like dogs. The best motivation for mustachioed pets is a reward. Choose a treat for the kitten that he likes the most.
Wait for the moment when the cat is a little hungry. Pick up a delicious treat, gently call your pet and reward him if he came up. Call the cat with gestures and the classic “kitty-kitty”, while he is still not used to the nickname.
Call the kitten by name when you feed or pet it. Describe the actions that the cat does out loud: “nickname is playing”, “nickname has come to eat”. This way the training will go faster.
4. Let the kitten get used to the nickname
In any case, do not call the name of the kitten when you scold him. The nickname should be associated with pleasant emotions in the baby: this is the only way the kitten will want to come to the call.
Pronounce the nickname during games to form another positive image in the cat’s head. Talk to the kitten as often as possible.
Always give a treat when the kitten comes to the call. So the baby will not feel cheated.
Kittens get used to their nickname in a week or two repetitions. Adult cats need a little more time.
5. Complicate the task
A week after the start of training, it’s time to increase the level of difficulty. Call the kitten from a remote place: first from the other end of the room, then from another room.
If the cat lives in a private house, try calling a pet from the street. Do not do this if the kitten has never left the house before.
When the cat unmistakably resorts to a nickname, stop saying “kitty-kitty” and using gestures. Over time, remove the treats. After about a month, the kitten will execute the command without additional incentives.
What not to do during training?
Do not beat or scold the kitten if it does not obey: this will completely confuse him and frighten him. Try not to even pronounce the nickname in an irritated voice. If you want to discuss the dirty tricks of the baby with your loved ones, do not call him by name. Do not exclude treats until the cat begins to run up to the call without error. This will confuse the pet. Call the cat the same way and do not change the nickname. So the kitten will quickly understand what you need from him.
If the kitten does not react?
Sometimes pets do not want to come to the call. This may be due to the stubbornness or poor learning ability of the pet: in this case, it will simply take more time.
If the kitten does not react in any way to its nickname and other ways to call it, contact the veterinarian. It is possible that the baby suffers from deafness. White cats are more likely to suffer from hearing problems.
Why teach a kitten to respond to a nickname?
A trained cat is an obedient and controlled pet. Fluffy will come running to the call to eat and play.
You will stop losing your pet in the corners of the apartment or in the yard: it is enough to call the cat, and he will immediately come running. How will the cat be happy, who obediently resorts to the call to purr on your lap!