The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Pets & Working Animals => Cats => Topic started by: Orinoco on January 09, 2013, 08:53:20 am

Title: cat training advice
Post by: Orinoco on January 09, 2013, 08:53:20 am

Hi

We bought 2, 5 month old kittens from the RSPCA, the have been spayed and are very happy in the house, we are now introducing them to the outside and wondered what we need to do. Any cat training tips/advice.

We have been making a noise when we put food down (one comes running the other is not as food driven, more 'i'll come when i'm ready'), we are letting them out the back which opens up to fields more than roads for longer periods just before feed time so they will come back.

We got them to deal with mice but they are now our babies and want to keep them safe, we have had dogs for a while but this is our first experience with cats.

We need a little help with cat training and to understand cats.

Thanks

K

Title: Re: cat training advice
Post by: Dans on January 09, 2013, 09:28:35 am

I'd keep on as you are. Let them get a bit further away each time before you call them back, they learn their way home.

I also highly rec a feather toy on a string. Ours love it and we still use it to call them in if we need them even though they are over a year old now. I swear they have special hearing for it!

Ours is this one:

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_toys/cat_dangler/feathers/137344 (http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_toys/cat_dangler/feathers/137344)

Dans

Title: Re: cat training advice
Post by: luckylady on January 09, 2013, 11:18:04 am

We have five cats, two old ladies and 3 four year olds rescued as a litter.  The 'babies' had not been let out before 6 months old as we were in rented accommodation before buying the farm.  Each time we fed them leading up to the move we rang a bell so they associated hearing the bell with feeding time.  We carried this on for a few weeks once we had moved before letting them out.  Ringing the bell never fails to bring them all in for the night (even the oldies who are not food driven) as they can hear it better than our shouting voice.  If we need them in during the day for any reason the bell works then too.
They are all excellent mousers as we feed on a night so they go out hunting for breakfast/lunch.  The three 'kittens' (as we still call them) all sleep with my daughter in her room so it just proves that they can still be your babies and do their job on the smallholding.  We just make sure we stick to a regular worming program.
What have you called your kittens?
 
 

Title: Re: cat training advice
Post by: Orinoco on January 09, 2013, 02:08:15 pm

Hi

Thanks for the advice, their names are Sasha (the spider catcher in training) and Minnie (the mouse catcher in training), its amazing the difference in characters, one is very affectionate and the othe is very serious but likes a fuss on her terms.

We will start with the bell as it can be heard at distance and we do have a toy on a string but not played with it for a while, so will start again, any other tips grateful.

Our other issues are around walking on the table which I suspect will move to the work surfaces soon, we just say no and shoo them off at the moment and they go but the next time we look they are back (except when eating they seem to respect this period).

Soo glad we got them, fills the house with humour.

Thanks

K