Tiny Paws: How to Train your Kitten

Whilst kittens are generally more independent than puppies- it’s important to install the right behaviours and form good habits as soon as they come home with you. Kittens need elements of training so they can learn to share their home with humans and other pets.

Kittens an learn in a couple of ways, they will initially look to their mother and imitate her actions during their early days. Then, as they move away from mum they will learn from new experiences and positive reinforcement from the environment around them.

Our kitten experts have put together a short guide on training your kitten so you can help them with the basics and ensure they settle into their new home.

The easiest way to train your kitten is to bring in training elements to playtime. Learning though toys and allowing them to hone their skills not only keeps them mentally and physically stimulated nut will help them expend their energy in a positive way.

Remember, when training/playing with your kitten, always come down to their level so they don't feel anxious having a much taller human standing over them.

What do I need to train my kitten to do?

There are a few skills which will really help your kitten settle in and familiarise themselves with both you and their new home including:

• Recognising their name
• Litter training
• Scratch post training
• Socialisation

You can find our full guides to litter training your kitten and socialising your kitten in our cat hub.

How can I get my kitten to recognise their name?

Make it easy for both you and your kitten! Choose a short, simple name for your kitten so they can recognise it more easily.

You should positively reinforce their name with different activities like:

• Calling their name for dinnertime
• Repeat their name during playtime
• Say your kitten’s name and if they respond quickly- treat them!

Never use your kitten’s name if punishing them, if they develop a negative association with their name, they are less likely to respond.

Scratch post training for kittens

Investing in a good quality scratching post for your kitten will save both you and your furniture when they get their natural urge to scratch!

Firstly, spray your furniture with a strong citrus scent, cats rely on their sense of smell and are averse to strong citrus smells, so they will avoid these areas. Double up on scent training by spritzing their scratch post with catnip or something similar to really attract you kitten to it!

We would suggest incorporating their scratch post into playtime too. This teaches them to use their claws constructively. When they use their scratch post effectively- it’s important to praise your kitten to reinforce the positive association.

Location is important too- your kitten will soon let you know if they don’t like where their scratch post sits. We would advice to put the post somewhere where your kitten spends a lot of time, if not most of their time. This will also help them remember it’s location when those scratching urges hit!

Looking for more kitten training advice? You can speak to our experts both in-store or online via our Pets Chat service.

You can also view our full range of scratch posts online to keep your kitten occupied.