The following ideas should work for multi-cat households as well as training tools for single cat households. Cats' learn best when you are consistent! You can test which tools work best with your cats' personality traits. A spray bottle of water may work with one cat, but not with another. You may not even have to spray the cat after one or two squirts, just shake the water bottle. If you use a tool as a reward, say a little cat treat, then always use that tool as a reward. If you use a tool as a "no-no" tool, then always use that tool for "no-no". Cats'learn quickly and remember "cause and effect".

Here's an example of "cause and effect": Your cat wakes early in the morning, she follows you into the kitchen and mews to be fed. You may not even get that first cup of coffee before the cats' mews become insistent, it knows you will feed it. The cats' behavior is the "cause" and the "effect" is how you react. Cat's are extremely good at this, and can be demanding and manipulative if you allow them to be. Humans are creatures of habit and it does not take long for a cat to learn our routines. By the way, should your cat continue to be demanding after you have fed it and it refuses to eat what you've served. Don't give in, this is a popular ploy for cats. They learn very quickly that you will open a new can of cat food, a different flavor perhaps, too willing to please your feline. Granted, this is not a pre-planned, thinking, plot against you by your cat. After all, you can't help being human. "smile"

When you have more than one cat, and one becomes aggressive or bold toward the other. Try putting a small bell on the more aggressive cat. The reason you want the bell on the more aggressive cat is that it probably moves around the house more. This allows the shy, or less aggressive, or younger cat to know when the other bolder cat is on the prowl and can avoid a confrontation.

When a cat is exhibiting behavior you do not approve of, try clapping your hands once or twice very sharply and shout "No." This may work fine for a more sensitive cat, that does not like loud sounds. A cat accustomed to a lot of people around the home, noise or commotion may not respond at all.

Cats can be trained with clickers. There are two sides to this kind of training though. You must decide if you are going to use it as a reward, telling the cat it has done what was expected and reward the cat with a treat. Or you can use the clicker as a training tool to get your cat to stop doing a behavior you do not approve of. You can not use the clicker for both behaviors, it will confuse your cat.

Cats can be trained to do a variety of tricks, but it takes positive reinforcement and patience. They can sit, lay, jump through hoops, and just about any cute little trick or antic you want them to learn on command.

What we view as misbehavior may be normal behavior for a cat and just redirecting their attention may be all it takes to stop the cat from the behavior we don't want. Try giving your cat a little one-on-one attention. Be playful and drag the belt of your bathrobe along the floor and let your cat chase it. Use a small "Nerf" ball and roll it across the floor. Bring out some cat toys and encourage your cat to play.

For cat owners that are not able to physically run about the home playing with their feline, there is a small tool called a pointer. It's a little hand-held gadget, about three inches long, used for pointing to charts in presentations and seminars. It takes little watch batteries and has a small "on" button that you push and a red beam comes out the end. Release the button and the beam goes off. The red beam will make a small dot appear on the floor and by moving it around, the cat can hardly resist chasing this dot all over the place. Even up the walls and across the furniture. Check with your local office or computer supply store for pointers. Never shine the beam directly into the cats' eyes, it will damage the retina!

I have a pointer myself, mine is gold (cats' love shiny things!), I keep it on the coffee table with the television remote control. My cat will sit looking at me, mew-mew a few times, and paw at it until I pick it up and play "red dot" with her. A human could have too much fun in a multi-cat household with one of these gadgets!

For a behavior you don't want, you can also use a short blast of air from a can of compressed air aimed toward the ceiling. Never aim the spray directly on your cat, the air from these cans is extremely cold and you could hurt your cat. What you want to use is the SOUND of the air being released, got it?! Available at your local computer store.

You can use a whistle, although remember that a cat's sense of hearing if far more sensitive than ours. Just running your bath water sounds like Niagara Falls to a cat. But a whistle may work great in a noisy household, where your cat may ignore other attempts you make to get it to stop a behavior you don't want.

Also there is the old empty soda can, filled with a few coins and it makes a terrible rattle sound.