How to tame a cat to be held and caressed

Many are sure that cats naturally love to sit on their hands and do not need to be taught to do so. After all, they are so soft, fluffy, kind and gentle that sometimes it seems that they cannot live a minute without human affection. But this is not at all true - cats love freedom and come to a person only when they themselves want it. Some of them flatly refuse affection, and owners wonder how to accustom a cat to being handled?

Why does a cat not like to be held?

Some cats are afraid of heights.
Perhaps the cat does not like the smell coming from the owner or from his hands. Cats have a very sensitive sense of smell and many of the aromas we are familiar with (perfume, household chemicals, orange and others) are unpleasant for them.
You may be holding your cat incorrectly, causing him pain or discomfort, so he tries to escape.
Cats born and raised on the street, without the company of people, do not understand why they need to sit in their arms. Having been deprived of affection in childhood, it is difficult for them to adapt to it in adulthood.
If the kitten lived on the street or with bad owners, it could have been abused and now it is wary of all people.
There are breeds of cats that enjoy being alone. They don’t like unnecessary attention and the most they are willing to do is sit next to their owner, and you can’t lure them into your arms with any gingerbread.

Features of some breeds

It is known that cats of some breeds are more difficult to make contact with humans, preferring solitude and freedom. These types of cats who do not like to be cuddled and cuddled include:

British Shorthair. Doesn't like to be held, but is patient. It will tolerate your caresses until you decide to let the animal go.
American Shorthair. Very willful and independent. If she sits on her arms, it will only be when she wants to.
Scottish fold and straight eared. Aristocratic, calm and independent. Not very affectionate, it can bite particularly clingy children.
Burmese. Gentle and calm cats. They can allow themselves to be stroked, but will not tolerate rough treatment or squeezing.
Siberian. Friendly and playful, but not very affectionate. Not affectionate, but not aggressive either. With self-esteem...
Norwegian forest. He will never sit on his hands. Maximum - next to you. You can stroke it, but under no circumstances squeeze it.
Russian blue. Calm, playful, cheerful. Doesn't like guests, hides. Prefers to simply “be present” next to a person than affection and tenderness.
Maine Coon. Very attached to the owner, like dogs, but not intrusive. He considers sitting on his hands beneath his dignity.

They may enjoy playing with you and being around you, but won't suffer too much when you're away for long periods of time, as long as there's enough food in the bowl. These cats are willful, know their worth, and will not allow themselves to be treated like a toy. To gain their trust, you will have to work hard.

How to hand train a kitten

Typically, kittens begin to socialize and communicate with people a couple of weeks after birth. From now on, you need to gradually pick him up so that he gets used to it. If the baby was born on the street or in a family that did not raise him, he may be afraid of people, and it will be a little more difficult to accustom him to being held.

Little kittens are very active, it is difficult for them to sit in one place even for a couple of minutes. It’s much more interesting to explore the apartment, play or just run. The easiest way to accustom a kitten to handling hands is through play. Let him play with your hands - pick him up and immediately release him. This way he will understand that there is nothing scary in human touch.

When the kitten eats and lies down to rest, sit down next to him, scratch behind the ear and stroke him, speaking in a gentle voice. At first, don’t pick him up, just sit next to him so that he gets used to you.

You need to pick up the kitten carefully, without squeezing the tummy. It is best to hold it under the front paws with one hand and hold the hind paws with the other. This way he will feel supported. To prevent the kitten from being scared, do not lift it high - sit on the floor or on the sofa and place it on your lap. If he wants to get out, do not hold him by force.

Some training methods

If you are not one of those lucky people whose cats love to sit or even sleep in your arms, and you really want your pet to be “tame,” then you need to know that there are different ways to help tame this wild miracle:

All cats love to eat tasty food, and it is better for a well-fed, dozing kitten to allow itself to be taken on your lap.
An affectionate monotonous conversation with a pet encourages mutual communication. He, listening to the owner’s gentle speeches, will begin to squint and squint. In this state of mind, the pet will jump into the owner's arms.
Animal psychology claims that a cat should get used to being handled gradually, in several stages. First you just need to pet her behind the ear, all cats adore this. Once the pet is near your palms, you do not need to grab it and hold it by force.
You can act with the help of treats. At first, you can feed the kitten by hand, then put the yummy food on your lap. He will certainly jump after her. At the stage when your pet, having jumped up for a tasty treat, is in no hurry to jump back, but calmly eats it, you can try stroking it with your other hand. You shouldn’t hold him back by jumping on your lap over and over again; he will get used to it; giving him a treat will help instill in his master’s hands how to receive pleasure.
If your cat is afraid of heights and weightlessness, then look at how correctly you are holding it and whether it is experiencing a feeling of pain. When lifting a kitten, you cannot hold it by the withers or by the body near the ribs. You need to hold the armpits of the front paws with one hand, and place the other under the hind paws. This way he won't feel like he's floating in the air.
If the kitten is terribly afraid of heights, then first you can pick him up while sitting on your knees.
Often the rapprochement between the owner and the cat occurs during play. At first, you can play with a bow or wrapper on the floor, gradually bringing the toy closer to your lap. As soon as the pet is in your arms, you need to let go of the toy and leave it under the full control of the animal. While he is enjoying the caught prey, he himself, without realizing it, is in his arms and at an unconscious level there is a period of adaptation.
Some owners carry very small kittens in the pockets of terry dressing gowns; they sit there like kangaroos and get used to the owner’s smell. In the meantime, he will perceive the robe as his property, and the owner's smell will always be associated with the sweet period of childhood.
As a last resort, pet stores have cat sprays with a high content of pheromones, which attract pets like a magnet. If you spray your palms with this miraculous method, the cat itself will reach out to you. You should not use this product often, because, against the background of pheromones, it will become addictive and then another problem will arise: how to wean your pet off cat spray. Catnip can be substituted for cat spray.

You need to understand that a kitten gets used to its owner’s hands faster than an adult cat; in the latter case, more patience will be required.

Knowing the free-thinking and independent nature of a cat, you can get along with your pet without much difficulty. If you still cannot achieve the desired result, then you need to leave it alone. After all, cats are quite characteristic animals, and character, as we know, changes throughout life.

How to train an adult cat to be handled

An adult cat, older than 10-12 months, is much more difficult to accustom to handling, but it is still possible. It just takes a little more time, but the general recommendations will be the same as for a kitten:

Accustom her to your hands gradually: first stroke her and then sit her on your lap;
Don't hold it by force;
Do not cause her pain or discomfort;
Don't raise it too high.

If you can’t get your cat used to being handled, you can use these tricks:

Try hand-feeding something delicious to your cat, and then placing the treat on your lap for her to jump on.
You can spray your hands with special sprays containing pheromones, catnip or valerian. But remember that this can cause addiction, from which the cat will subsequently have to be weaned.

Features of training pedigree cats

Purebred cats are taken from friends, pet stores, nurseries and shelters. They teach rules of behavior consistently and patiently.

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First, the cat is given a nickname, short and sonorous. They repeat it often and kindly. When he responds and approaches, he is rewarded with a treat. They constantly talk to the ward. Cats understand not words, but intonation. They react sensitively to the mood of the owner and understand the mood by tone.

At the same time, they are taught to behave correctly. One command is a ban, then, when the cat understands and begins to comply, another useful habit. The kitten is given an understanding of what it should not do: bite its owner, scratch furniture. Forbidden "Ugh!" and “You can’t!”, accompanied by the clapping of palms, the pupils understand quickly.

Important! The animal is rewarded for following commands, and punished for misdeeds. But immediately, and not in a few hours, the cat will not understand and will harbor a grudge

Beatings are unacceptable.

Pets are taught not to climb on the table. They are taught to eat in one place and from the same utensils, to go to the toilet using a tray or toilet. Poking a kitten's nose into its puddle is inhumane and pointless. It is better to patiently lead him to the right place, stay with him, and encourage him after the right actions.

Toys for pets are important in the process of getting used to a new place

Main reasons

Cats are independent and freedom-loving by nature. But some of them love affection and happily spend time with their owner, others tolerate being petted, but run away at the first opportunity, and still others cannot stand any encroachment on their person and are ready to scratch and bite at any touch.

This can be explained by character traits, because, like people, each animal has its own. A cat can be unsociable and unsociable simply due to its temperament, and nothing can be done about it. But often dislike for affection has its own reasons.

Wild cat: who is to blame?

There can be many reasons why a cat does not want to be held. First of all, of course, is the independent character of the animal itself. “Savagery” of character can be natural, or it can be provoked by upbringing. If the kitten grew up on its own, deprived of attention, joint games and intimate “conversations” with the owner, then trust will not arise between them. And then, of course, he will prefer his own favorite vacation spots to the hands of the owner.

Painful procedures that a person is forced to perform for a long time in case of illness of a cat can also greatly undermine trust in close communication with the owner. This issue should be taken seriously. “Well, just think, an injection - I injected myself and went!” - these optimistic lines calm only children, but not cats. Perhaps turning to a professional will be the best solution in this situation.

I don’t know whether it’s worthwhile in a magazine addressed to passionate cat lovers to talk about the inadmissibility of cruel and, I would add, harsh treatment of them. Shouting and punishment, including from the notorious newspaper (I have long wanted to look into the eyes of the person who invented this method and “launched” it in literally all books on training and raising animals) is a direct path to losing the animal’s trust forever.

The main thing in taming a cat is patience and love. There is not a single pet in the world that would be immune to affection if it is associated with pleasant sensations, comfort and safety. It is precisely the persistence of this association that should be sought.

Is it possible to tame an adult cat to a new owner?

A cat tolerates a change of owner more easily than a dog. The exception is socially oriented breeds, for example, Oriental Siamese. They will gradually become affectionate with their new owners, but the first one is the only one for life.

The best way to train, even for a sexually mature individual, is not food, but play. First, an adult cat must get used to the territory. It is better to leave your pet to explore its new home on its own, and after a while offer some food from your hands. Just like a treat. At the same time, do not forget to talk measuredly, but not to stroke.

As soon as the cat gets used to it a little, you can:

lightly scratch a chair or furniture - so that the cat reacts to the sound near the owner;
roll a ball or ball of wool near you, inviting you to play;
“drive” a candy wrapper.

The cat quickly joins the game. After a while, you should again give a piece of food from your hand and praise it.