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Cat Tree - Getting Your Kitty to Use It

Well you finally got that cool kitty you have been wanting. Before hand you bought all the little things your kitten will need; toys, cat bed, expensive food and a bunch of litter boxes. The little baby is more than you could ask for. Then you begin to notice how much he loves your sofa. And you also see all the kitty hair all over it. Now thats just not right, what can you do about it?

You quickly realize you forgot to get a cat tree. If you are not familiar with this necessity, it is a piece of cat furniture that comes in many shapes. Often it is from 3 feet to 6 feet. Several perches for your cat to sit on are common, and it is often covered with a fur material. Sisal is a rope like material that the cat can scratch on and is usually on the legs. It is very important to have some kind of cat furniture for you kitten. This way he will have a place of his own where he can frolick and nap.

When you go out to find a cat tree you want tofocus on value and quality. When the kitty gets chubby as they often do, should the cat tree begins to weaken, he may go back to your sofa to sleep on once again. Should you choose a vertical cat tree, don't get one with a small narrow base, because you don’t want to worry about it falling over. If you want, you can secured to the wall for stability. This is good for multiple cat families as well.

Once you've got the right cat tree for you and your kitty, you will now be a full time teacher. At least for a little while. Teach him that this is the only furniture he is allowed to sleep on. There are a couple of ways to accomplish this.

The first step in teaching him to use the tree is to show him what it is for and make it fun. Take him to it and play with him there, feed him treats or give him catnip. You could also try putting a shirt that you have recently worn on the tree, this will let him get the feeling of being close to you while he is resting or sleeping on the cat tree. Tell him he is a good boy when you see him playing or on the tree, use lots of praise.

When you see your kitty starting to use other furniture again, other than the tree, tell him 'no' in a firm voice and redirect him to his tree. Please do not use physical punishment, it really has no place in training. Using catnip and toys to entice the kitten to the tree is a very good way to reinforce that this is where you want him to be.

Keep doing this until the kitten learns the rules. It will be work, but will be worth it. The results of a kitten that uses a cat tree are many, including fur-free furniture and a loving relationship with your pet.

David Lee, the owner of http://www.acecatfurniture.com, and is an expert on cats and their needs. See their site for all your cats needs such as cat litter furniture and pet carriers.