Training Your Cat

Summary

The website content discusses the feasibility of training cats, emphasizing the importance of understanding individual cat personalities and motivations to effectively train them.

Abstract

The article titled "Training Your Cat" explains that cats can indeed be trained, similar to dogs, although success varies based on factors like environment and upbringing. It highlights the necessity of identifying what motivates each cat, using the author's own cats, Zak and Zoe, as examples. Zak is motivated by treats and play, which has allowed the author to train him to sit on command using Temptations treats. In contrast, Zoe is less treat-motivated and prefers the outdoors, so the author uses her desire to hunt as a training incentive. The article also humorously notes that sometimes the owner ends up being trained by the cat, as demonstrated by Zoe's manipulation of a noise-making raccoon toy to communicate her desire to go outside. The author encourages cat owners to spend time with their pets to understand their preferences and suggests experimenting with different toys and treats to find what works best for their cats.

Opinions

The author believes that while not all cats are the same, they can be trained by finding the right motivation.
The author expresses that using treats can be an effective training method for some cats, as seen with their cat Zak.
The author conveys a sense of admiration for their cat Zoe's cleverness in training the author to respond to her desires.
The author suggests that the key to successful cat training is patience and understanding of the cat's individual personality and preferences.
The author encourages interactive learning with cats, suggesting that owners can discover effective training methods through trial and error with various toys and treats.

You Can Train a Cat?

The short answer is yes…at least, most of the time. There are even courses offered in feline training from the Animal Behavior College. There are some animals — dogs included — that don’t “take” to training very well, but depending on their environment, how they were raised, and other factors, they can learn and adapt to new stimuli.

Find What Motivates Them

I have two cats at the moment — Zak and Zoe — and they have very different personalities. Anyone with pets knows that not all members of a particular species are the same. Zak, for instance, is four years old, and is still very playful and rambunctious. Zoe, on the other hand, is just one year older, but hasn’t been “playful” for the last couple of years. She will still go after the occasional feathered toy on a string (or the string itself), but overall, she is done with toys. She is a more serious hunter, going after live prey. Zak loves to play and run after toys and anything that moves, so I use this in part of his training.

Zak loves treats and eats just about any kind/brand that I buy. This makes it easier to train him. In this video, you can see that I have trained him to sit on command by using Temptations treats.

Conversely, Zoe is much more particular about the kinds of treats she likes, and is not as motivated by them as Zak. Both are indoor cats, generally, but Zoe likes to go outside to hunt, so I use that as her motivation. You can read a humorous story about her here.

Many Times, YOU are the One Being Trained

In the story I referenced above, I was originally trying to train Zoe to let me know whenever she wanted to go downstairs to the basement by using a noise-making raccoon. She learned very quickly, however, that she could use the same method to get me to open the door to go outside instead. Since the basement door and the door leading to the back porch are adjacent to one another, she used the raccoon to get my attention and then looked up toward the back door and meowed, letting me know that she wanted to go out. I rewarded her with what she wanted because 1) it wasn’t unreasonable and 2) I thought it was quite a clever thing for her to figure out.

Get To Know Your Cat

If you spend enough time with your feline friend, you’ll know what motivates them, what they enjoy playing with, and what they prefer to eat. With mine, a toy with feathers is very appealing, but it does not last more than a single day before the feathers are ripped out, and not all treats have the same appeal. You may have to experiment with different types of toys or treats, but the cats will let you know when you get it right.

I hope you have found these suggestions helpful. I have other tips to share with fellow cat owners, so if you enjoyed this article, please “clap” and leave a comment for me. I would love to hear any questions you have for me. Follow me to read more of my future posts and thanks for reading!

brandonellrich.com

Training Your Cat

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Find What Motivates Them

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Training my cat

This video shows my cat Zoe using a twittering raccoon to let me know she wants to go outside. You can find more of my…

Get To Know Your Cat