My friend Sharon was recently complaining that she had to buy new living room curtains because her two young cats had virtually shredded her old ones. “I bought these ones second-hand because I’m sure they’ll also be wrecked before long,” she told me. “I just don’t know how to stop the kittens from climbing them.” Like Sharon, a lot of people find themselves making allowances for their cats’ behavior issues because they don’t believe that felines can be taught to do otherwise. It’s a sentiment shared by many, but it’s also misleading, as we discovered when we spoke to Bash Dibra, an animal behaviorist and trainer who has worked with many celebrity animals and has authored several best-selling books on training both dogs and cats.

A.B.: Can cats really be trained?

B.D.: That’s the first thing most people say to me: “I didn’t know you could train cats,” or “Cats can be trained?” Yes, every animal can be trained. You just have to understand how to communicate on their terms. In my book Cat Speak, I encourage people to understand that you have to think like a cat. You have to wear a different hat for different situations.

A.B.: How does training a cat differ from training a dog?

B.D.: I try to get my clients to understand that with a dog you tell them to do things; with a cat you ask them to do things. So training and behavior modification for cats is almost suggestive. It’s all operant conditioning, but you almost have to suggest it and make them feel like they’re being asked rather than told to do something, while in reality you’re modifying and shaping their behavior to make them do things.

A.B.: What are some of the most common issues people have with their cats?

B.D.: One of the biggest things is scratching the furniture. People see it as destructive but it’s actually a natural behavior for cats. It keeps their nails clean and short and it’s also a form of behavioral marking. You have to understand that’s why they’re doing it and then redirect the behavior to something that fulfils that need. You need a good scratching post, but not with carpet or something that looks like furniture because the cat won’t know whether to use his or yours. Use atwine like sisal. Some people like to use cardboard and then wonder why the cat starts ripping up all the cardboard boxes in the house. He’s confused. I get the cat to use the scratching post by making it fun, encouraging him to play with it, and after awhile he learns to enjoy using it.

A.B.: What other kinds of problems do you see?

B.D.: Another big one is litter problems, when cats urinate all over the place. You need to understand the elements behind the behavior. It might be because of the litter, so we need to figure out which is the better litter for the cat. Or maybe it’s a health issue, so you want to go to the vet and make sure he gets the medical care he needs.

Bash Dibra is an animal behaviorist with many years of training experience. He is also the author of five books on responsible pet ownership, training, and the proper treatment of animals in the entertainment industry. His titles include Dog Speak, Cat Speak and the recently released Star Pet: How to Make Your Pet a Star. Bash has trained the dogs and cats of many celebrities, including Matthew Broderick, Mariah Carey, Joan Rivers, Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger, and has appeared on The Tonight Show, Good Morning America and numerous other TV shows. Visit www.pawsacrossamerica.com or www.bashdibra.com.