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Your Pet!
Environment
Himalayan Persian Companion Cat, Max, sleeps in bed with Jessica.
Notice how safe these kittens feel in their environment. Kittens sleep with their feet and tail stretched out in the open. Establishing this type of environment at an early age fortifies the bonds between the kitten and its new companion owner. The key to creating good habits in your environment is partly understanding your cat's behavior. By designating areas that make sense to your cat to hang out, like a cat tree in the kitchen, certainly makes it easy on both you and your cat to learn that behavior for your environment.
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Your Himalayan Persian Kitten or Cat will follow you from room to room to be with you. Give your kitten an acceptable place to lounge in each area where you spend time. If you are watching TV, place your cat next to you or nearby to be close to you. When you dine and prepare food in the kitchen, your kitten will want to 'help'. If you don't want your cat on the kitchen table or counters, then you must plan ahead. Clearing out a shelf that is about as high as the kitchen table (or higher) or a simple cat tree will let your cat sit and be part of you and your family during mealtime. At the computer, set up a place, even a simple box or pet bed, where your kitty can watch you type away.
Cats scratch to greet you and communicate with you. Putting a scratching post in a far corner of a room where no one hangs out won't make sense to your cat. Have you noticed that when you come home through the door that your cat comes up to greet you with its tail up in the air and starts to scratch on something? Your cat is welcoming you home and talking to you! If your entrance is an awkward place for a scratching post, put down one of the inexpensive cardboard scratchers and see your kitty greet you properly. Creating an environment so that you and your cat can communicate better strengthens your relationship with your four footed companion!
Positive reinforcement is key for your kitty to learn to use these places so when entering such an area, place your cat right on the spot where they can observe and praise them. If your cat jumps onto a counter, give him a firm "NO" and place him in a back on the area and give him praise by talking to him and petting him. If he jumps on the counter again, then you may have to put him in a carrier crate for a 5 minute time-out. When letting your cat out of the crate after a time-out, praise him and put him back on the designated area with lavish praise and petting.
