Positive reinforcement, such as praise, treats, cuddling, or rewards, works to teach a child about expected behavior. It is just as effective in changing behaviors in the feline world.
The key to both is consistency.

When training a cat to exhibit a particular behavior, it should be rewarded every single time it responds in an appropriate manner. Rewarding the cat immediately takes some effort. In the beginning, it also requires a sacrifice of time in order to catch the cat when it is acting appropriately. The reward shows the cat that this is the behavior which will receive a good response. This is a slow process and takes some determination.

Owners should not try to force a behavior by moving the animal or manipulating its body in any way. This will only cause the cat to become more fearful of the behavior and of the owner. Neither should an owner ever resort to physical punishment in order to deter a behavior. The Humane Society recommends that cats should never be slapped or hit. This may get the desired results, but it can traumatize the animal.

Once a cat has begun to respond with the appropriate actions to the positive reinforcement, the owner may begin to space out the offered rewards or treats. Instead of receiving a reward for every single instance of good behavior, the cat might receive this treat every other time. As the new behavior becomes more ingrained, the treats can be cut back accordingly until the behavior has finally become a new habit.

Positive reinforcement takes more patience than some other methods of changing behavior, but the rewards are worth time and effort involved. The time spent will result in a happy, well-mannered cat who feels safe in a human environment.