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Bringing a new kitten or grown cat to your home is usually followed by series of jobs around that same cat. You place a food bowl on the floor. Walking the cat to show it where the litter is placed. Etc. Very soon you will realize that cat does not know your house rules and that you have to teach it yourself. Having a kitten or adult cat does not make great difference in how quick will they learn the rules.
Before trying to teach your cat anything you must understand how they learn. Cats do not understand your language and they cannot learn how to read. You can't just take a piece of paper with “litter” on it and stick it on the wall over the litter. Actually you can do it but there is no use of it. The cat will probably think it is something to play with and the cat will scratch it down from the wall. Cats learn by trial and error, observation and imitation. Cats' learning abilities are aided by their good memory. To actually understand that, try playing with soft ball with your cat and after a while intentionally roll the ball under a couch or some other hard to reach place but cat must be able to reach it somehow. The cat will try different ways, changing paws, position, and other elements, the way a human would. Watch carefully how the cat does it. After a while cat will find a place where it can put head under the couch and has better reach and it will take the ball out. If you roll a ball under a couch for the second time, the cat will probably immediately go to the spot where it reached the ball first time. A cat that has figured out where the cat food is kept may find that the food is inside a large bag. It might try to get in the bag or open it by means of removing the clip. Cats can also, sometimes, be observed working with each other or even a dog to get cat food, e.g. a cat knocking down cat food from a cupboard, the dog chewing open the tin or packet, and then both of them sharing the food.
Those facts are very useful and they can show how to teach your cat a house rules. Most of the cats are trained very quickly without any assistance from you for the basic house rules, for example the use of litter. But the difficulty arises when you want that cat do not do something like jumping onto the kitchen counter.
Smacking your cat, or yelling at it or placing her head in the litter after urinating somewhere else will not have any useful effect. They are not dogs and they do not respond to firm commands the same way. If you shout “NO” for doing something bad, cat will not learn as a dog, that doing that thing is not correct, but rather that IT IS BETTER TO DO IT WHEN YOU ARE NOT AROUND. Cats have different logic than people or dogs have, and you cannot change it, but you can use it against them.
If you want to stop your cat doing something, make it uncomfortable. But the solution must not be even worse (placing a head in the litter box) but it must appear more comfortable. Next several advices are here to provide some practical solutions for some unacceptable behavior of your cat. Some thing could have the same solution as some other, even if they do not seem to be connected to each other, because making the cat uncomfortable is sometimes very easy to do. NEVER STRIKE or HIT YOUR CAT or punish it in similar way.
Walking on the kitchen counter
Many people do not want their cat walk on the counter or the table, but others do not mind. We presume with this advice that you are in the first group, if not, just ignore it. Buy yourself a water gun. Yes, he one for the kids to play, and have it with you all the time. Whenever a cat jump onto the counter or the table, shot the cat with it. Do not start shooting uncontrollably at the cat. One or two squirts are usually enough. If the cat falls to the floor, remove the gun from the sight. Cat will probably not associate the water with your presence, especially if you are not that close, but it is very uncomfortable for them. And according to trial and error they get the meaning: “Walking the counter will make you wet. That is not good.” Maybe some cats would need several repetitions of the procedure, but they will learn eventually. This procedure probably will not work with Turkish Van, as they like water.
Climbing up your trousers
Cats are playful creatures and they tend to be bored sometimes, especially in the times you have some important work to be done at home. Because they are such creatures they must be allowed some leeway, but not too much. Some people do not mind cat jumping onto your leg and stick their claw into it, others do mind. Unintentionally cat can destroy your new clothes, so that is not acceptable. There are several ways to make that behavior unattractive. Make sure you have a bowl of water beside you, big enough for you to place your hand in it. When the cat jump onto your leg, wet your hand and pat the cat's head with it. The cat's claws are in your trousers so it cannot scratch you. If the cat attempts it, it will fall of, and they do not like being clumsy, and wet. Other way is to stick lots of small pieces of sticky tape onto your trousers. When the cat starts to climb them, several pieces will stick to its paws and that is not comfortable. Do this several times and the cat would probably never try to climb your leg again.
Opening doors and windows
Cats which are accustomed to being let outside, or are stuck outside, may find it useful to teach themselves to open windows and doors. A cat might find the turn crank window in its owner's kitchen easier to open to exit the house, but to get in, they might have to use the screen door in the backyard. Also, they may learn to open cupboard doors to get to the cat food. If you want to encourage such behavior so that cat can go outside or to the room with the litter by itself, it is easy. Just remember the plying with the ball and how the cat reached for it. Make sure the cat is able to jump high enough to reach the door handle. Place some treat on the door handle while the doors are closed. The cat will jump and by pulling the handle the doors will open. After several tries, put a treat behind a door so that cat sees you do it and close the door. There is great chance that the cat remembered how to open the door to get to the treat. Same things can be done with windows or cupboards. Just place treat behind them in the way cat can see it. The cat will learn very quickly how to open it.
Scratching and destroying furniture
Cats sharpen their claws frequently. They are predators and this is instinctive behavior. There is no way of stopping them. Cats usually seek out something firm but destroyable like sofa, couch or carpet. You cannot blame them for doing that as they do not have concept of value. And you cannot strike them after they destroy something. But you can discourage them if you have replacement for your furniture. Buying a scratching post, sisal or a coconut fibre mat will help enormously. Just take your cat to it and hold their front paws with your hands and make scratching movements with their paws on the scratching post. Cats usually understand that in seconds. But sometimes that is not enough. Some cats continue to scratch your furniture even after buying scratching post. Having a two-sided sticking tape is great. Just stick it on the cat's favorite scratching place and wait. They hate when something sticks to them. Same thing can be done with some loose woolen fabric placed over same place, as cats do not to snag their claws. In short, scratching post must be more fun than furniture. Hanging some toys on scratching post can be helpful.
