Probably because of their reputation as sleepy, solitary creatures, cats have often been a top choice for pet owners who want low-maintenance companions. Unfortunately, when these same well-intentioned owners find their cats exploring the kitchen countertops, clawing the couch and chewing on the houseplants, the owners sometimes come to the conclusion perhaps they've made a mistake.

The mistake they've made is in thinking cats can't be raised to be paragons of good manners. No one questions the assumption that dogs can be trained, yet often people don't extend that assumption to cats. Cats, like dogs and children, need guidelines, boundaries and firm but loving discipline. Take the time to set those boundaries, and your cat will learn what she is and isn't allowed to do.

"How do I make my cat understand the rules?" you ask. "We don't speak the same language. How will she know what I want?"

As far as we know, cats don't understand spoken human language, but there are many other kinds of language. You are your cat's teacher. With patience and repetition, she will come to understand your form of communication, whether it's body language, tone of voice or a system of rewards. She can even learn what specific words mean, as long as you keep it simple. "No!" is a word she can easily learn, whereas "Don't climb on that shelf, you might knock over the vase!" is far too complex.

Your cat will learn best through repetition. If every time she starts clawing the couch, you say "No!" and take her to her scratching post, she'll begin to understand what you want. When she uses the post, praise her and give her a treat - she'll learn it even faster. She probably won't understand whyyou won't let her claw the couch - after all, it's convenient, it's part of her territory and it feels good - but she will understand it's off limits. And that is really all she needs to understand.

When you're beginning to teach lessons in etiquette, there are some very important "Don'ts" to keep in mind:

• Never hit your cat or pull her tail to make your point. A very light tap on the nose with a fingertip is okay, but inflicting pain will only cause one of two things: either she'll become so fearful of you that she won't come near you, or she'll lash out aggressively to return the pain.
• Don't punish her for something she did earlier. Cats don't retain that kind of information, and they can't associate the present "No!" with the adventure on the kitchen countertops an hour ago, or even 15 minutes ago. You will only confuse and possibly frighten her, and since she won't know why she's being punished, she'll be likely to repeat the offense.
• Be consistent. You may be vigilant in keeping her off the countertops when you're home, but if you're gone all day at work, she's going to jump. What's more, she's not going to understand why it was OK for her to jump on the counters all day, but from dinnertime on, it's not. If you need to be gone, it's best to figure out some method of keeping her away from the attractive counters, either by shutting her in another room or by covering the counters with a slippery plastic cover or crackly aluminum foil, for example.

Knowing what not to do is half the battle, but you must also take concrete steps to start your cat off in the right behavioral direction.

• Determine as soon as possible, preferably before your new cat even arrives in your home, the limits you want to establish. The sooner you begin setting those limits, the faster your success will come. If your cat has been sleeping on top of the refrigerator for weeks or months and snacking on your favorite plant in between naps, she'll be more resistant to giving up these changes than if she's never allowed to do them in the first place.



• Stopping your cat in her tracks is a great way to help her make the connection. Even better is not letting her start in the first place. If she's playfully batting at one of your plants or an electrical cord, and you know that's the first step before chewing begins, nip the behavior in the bud. Say "No!" at this point, loudly enough to startle and distract her. When she sits back, leaving the electrical cord alone for the moment, praise and reward her. Even if not playing with the cord was your idea, let her take credit for it.



• If you've startled her to the point that she runs away and hides, don't chase her and drag her back. This will only frighten and confuse her. When she returns on her own, if too much time hasn't passed, show her what you want her to do: she isn't allowed to jump on the countertops, but how about this lovely, tall climbing pole with landings? When she climbs and jumps in the proper place, again lavish her with praise.



• Whenever possible, use substitution: the climbing pole instead of the top of the refrigerator, a scratching post instead of the sofa, a knotted sock to chew on instead of the electrical cord. Some of these behaviors instinctual, so instead of trying to get rid of them all together, find ways to accommodate them that works for both of you.



• If loud voices and substitutions aren't working, try aversion techniques paired with "No," and then do the substitution. Keep a bottle of water to spray at her while saying "No," so she'll associate clawing the couch with the unpleasant sensation of splashing water as well as a verbal correction.



• While you should never hit your cat with the intention of hurting her, mother cats have been observed tapping the noses of kittens who are misbehaving. The nose of a cat is a sensitive area, and a very light tap on her nose with your fingertip will get her attention in a hurry. However, the emphasis is on very light.



• Keep at it. If you try to make your point a few times and give up in frustration, it will be much harder to start over. Your cat will feel both confused and stubborn - can you blame her? However, if you did give up and are now starting over, dig your heels in. It might be harder this time, but it's not impossible.



• Above all, don't forget to see the positive side of things. It's so easy to be focused on the "no" part of training your cat that you might forget to show how pleased you are when she makes the right choices. Anytime she does what you want her to - passes up the couch for the scratching post, walks through the kitchen without jumping on the counters - reward her with your attention and a treat. You'll make much better progress if she knows there's a benefit to her in doing what you want.