When you think of training an animal, what type of animal comes to mind? If you are like most people, you probably think about dog obedience training or perhaps even training horses but have you ever thought about the possibility of training a cat? Impossible, you might say, but don’t be too quick to disregard the possibility. As a matter of fact, cat training might be easier than what you think.
Of course, most of us recognize that it is possible to litter train a cat and we can certainly teach a cat to come running when we put food in the dish. There are actually many different things that you can do to train a cat, however, provided you have a little bit of patience and use the proper methods.
One of the main reasons why people think it is not possible to train cats is because they do tend to have a rather independent nature. At first, domestic cats were often bred for the specific purpose of killing vermin, so they were not bred necessarily for sitting on our lap and being a companion. Of course, I’m speaking in generalities but for the most part, it is true.
When you really stop to think about the benefits learning how to train a cat, however, it truly opens up the possibilities in front of you. Cats enjoy stimulation, both mental and physical, and training them helps them to gain such stimulation in abundance. It also helps to form a bond between you and your cats, making it possible for you to grow even closer to them (as if that were possible LOL).
It is also just as easy to learn how to train your cat as it is to learn how to train a kitten. Many adult cats will respond quite well to the training process. Kitten training may be easier because they have not learned any bad habits, but don’t give up hope, just because the cat is older.
One word of caution about training your cat is that you don’t want too much of a good thing. You might love training your furry friend and they may be responding well but if you take it too far, your cat is just going to get bored and could even begin to regress. Work with your cat for a few minutes at a time, perhaps two or three times a day. Anymore and you might find that your cat is not progressing.
Training Your Cats with Rewards
Just as it is possible to train dogs by using positive reinforcement, it’s also possible to train cats with the same method of behavioral modification. With cats, however, it’s not just as simple as grabbing some type of a cheap treat that you pick up at the pet store. As you likely already know, cats can be rather finicky so they require some specialized treats.
For some cats, it may be little pieces of tuna that are presented as an offering when they do something good. For others, it could be some freshly diced chicken breast or perhaps even some baby food that tastes like meat. Of course, if your cat just so happens to love commercial cat treats, there’s nothing wrong with using them.
One word of caution, which is similar with any type of training, a little bit is a good thing but a lot might be counterproductive. This is especially true if you are rewarding your cat with too much of a good thing. Some cats love food just as much as any other animal, and you may find that they are having a problem with their weight, just because you are rewarding their good efforts a little bit too much. Ease back on the portion if you feel that this is a problem.
Clicker Training for Cats – Another option that you may want to consider is using a clicker for positive reinforcement. There are clickers that are specific for cat training but you can just as easily choose one that is sold for training dogs. It is really just the sound that you are after, not the size or shape of the clicker itself.
Cats can be conditioned to expect a reward when they do something good. When you are constantly feeding a cat treats, however, you may want to use a clicker as a form of positive reinforcement. Clickers are relatively easy to use, and they are highly effective for any animal training.
Every time you give the cat a treat for doing something good, press the button on the clicker so that it makes a noise. It needs to be done at the exact same moment that the cat receives the treat. In this way, your cat will very quickly recognize that the clicking sound mean something very positive. As you continue to repeat it, your cat will eventually consider the clicking noise to be a positive reinforcement in and of itself.
Once the association is made, you can dial back on the treats to a certain extent. You may still want to consider giving your cat a treat every now and again, just to reinforce the effectiveness of the clicking sound. In addition, it just feels good to give your cat a treat when they do something good.
No Room for Negative – If there is one thing that you must know about training cats; it’s the fact that they need positive reinforcement and rewards. They do not respond well to any type of punishment for doing things wrong. In fact, punishing a cat will not have the desired effect and rather, will likely have them running in the opposite direction. It also creates stress for the cat, leading to additional problems during the training process and otherwise.
Teaching Your Cat Some Fun Commands
It is possible to teach your cat some basic commands, including sit, shake and the recall command. You can also teach them some rather interesting tricks, such as how to use the toilet. Here are a few that you would want to consider in the training process.
Teach Your Cat to Sit – One of the fun skills for a cat to learn at first is to sit on command. This is done using treats but eventually, you can just use a clicker if that type of training appeals to you.
Begin by holding a treat closely in front of the cat’s face. Be sure that they actually see the treat, because they don’t tend to see things well up close. Once you have their attention, begin slowly circling the treat so that they follow it with their eyes. Eventually, take the treat above their head and slightly behind them so that their head goes back and their rear goes down.
The moment that their butt hits the floor, give them the treat and use the verbal command, “sit”. Some cats will catch on to this command very quickly and before you know it, you will be amazing your friends and family with your newly trained cat.
Teach Your Cat to Come on Command – This is another neat trick that may actually save your cat’s life if you need them to come to you for an emergency. It will take some time to learn, but it is possible.
Begin by doing something that your cat enjoys, such as opening a can of cat food. When you first begin opening the can, make a noise that you plan on using as the recall command. Many people use a clicking noise with their tongue. Over the course of time, your cats will associate that special noise with something very pleasurable. They will head straight toward you when they hear the noise.
Eventually, your cat will come running to you from a long distance on command. This can be very useful if you need the cat for some reason or another or if they run out the door and you need them to come back quickly.
Teach a Cat to Shake – It is best if your cat understands the clicker before you try this trick.
Get down on the same level as your cat and gently tap their paw while using the “shake” command. When your cat moves its paw, click the clicker to let him know he did something right. Eventually, the cat will offer you his paw when you use the “shake” command, even if you didn’t tap his paw first.
Teach Your Cat to Use the Toilet – We will have an expanded section on teaching your cat to use the litter box, but this one didn’t seem to fit in that category. Perhaps you have heard about teaching cats to use the toilet and you may have wondered if it was true. It absolutely is, although it is going to take some persistence on your part to get it to work.
Prior to the time that you teach a cat to use the toilet, you will need to have them properly litter trained. Once they are going to the bathroom in the litter box regularly, you can then take things to the next level.
Begin by putting the litter box next to the toilet so that they get accustomed to going to that area when they have to relieve themselves. Next, continue to bring the litter box closer to the toilet by raising it up on books. You can use phone books (if anyone out there still has phone books), although any book will do.
When you eventually get the litter box to the height of the toilet, move the litter box over on top of the toilet. Once they are accustomed to using the litter box in that area, you can buy a special litter box that fits into the toilet. Continue to use less and less litter until eventually, you can remove the specialty litter box altogether. At that point, they will actually be using the toilet to do their business.
It is important to take your time during this process. Don’t rush through it and you will find that it is actually easier than you had ever imagined.
Litter Training a Cat – The Good, Bad and Ugly
Most people who have never had a cat before don’t give much thought to their potty habits. For them, it is a simple matter that the cat will excuse himself from the room and go into a private area to relieve himself in a box full of kitty litter. Those of us who do have cats, however, realize that it is not so simple.
Although it is convenient to have a cat use a litter box, it is a learned process that does not happen overnight. There are some things that you can do to make the process smoother, however, and with some persistence on your part, you might be surprised with how quickly it happens.
Fortunately, you do have Mother Nature on your side when it comes to training a kitten to use a litter box. After all, cats will want to naturally relieve themselves in a soil or sand environment. In fact, you can typically begin the process of litter training when the kitten is less than one month old.
The placement of the litter box is more important than most people think. You want it to be convenient for the cat so that they will go to it when nature calls. At the same time, you want it to be out-of-the-way so that if nature calls while you are sitting down for a meal, the cat isn’t relieving itself within a few feet of the dinner table.
Begin by taking the kitten to the litter box on a frequent basis. Get her accustomed to the litter box gradually, putting her paws inside of it so she can see that it is not a bad thing. Allow her to scratch at the litter a little bit and don’t worry if she jumps out of it without taking care of business. Continue to take her back to the litter box periodically throughout the day. This is especially true when cats tend to go to the bathroom, which is in the morning, after playing and after a meal or nap.
In most cases, your cat will begin using the litter box without any real difficulty. It is important to keep in mind that cats don’t respond well to any type of punishment or negative reinforcement. You can always reward the cat for a job well done but never punish the cat if they don’t take to the litter box according to your timetable.
There may be some times when your cat has been using the litter box for a very long time and suddenly, they stop using it. This could be a sign of a health problem, such as intestinal parasites or perhaps a urinary tract infection. If it becomes a problem, don’t just assume that your cat is acting out and exhibiting bad behavior. They may need some medical help so a trip to the veterinarian is in order if it becomes an ongoing problem.
Teaching Your Cat to Go outside
People may also choose to teach their cat to use the great outdoors rather than using a litter box inside. This is something that cats have been doing for millennia, so it really should be nothing new for your feline friend.
First of all, your cat should be litter trained if you want to teach them to go outside to relieve themselves. Begin by moving the litter box closer and closer to the door that you want them to use. Eventually, it should be right beside the door and they should get thoroughly accustomed to using it in that position.
At that point, begin introducing some outdoor elements to the litter box, such as twigs and leaves. This will get your cat used to the feeling of having those items under their feet when they are relieving themselves in the litter box.
Now it is time for the big move, you need to take the litter box outside. Don’t move it very far from the door, just outside of the door should suffice. Your cat will now begin asking to use the litter box by going to the door. It may be hit and miss at first but eventually, your cat will become accustomed to it.
After your cat is thoroughly accustomed to using the litter box outside, you can remove the litter box altogether and you will now have a properly trained feline. Just make sure that you don’t leave them outside in the elements. Going outside to relieve themselves is one thing but don’t put your cat in danger.
As you can see, there are many different ways to train your cat. It doesn’t matter if you are considering learning how to train your cat to use the toilet or if you want to train them how to come on command, it is possible. It may take some persistence on your part and you should always remain positive when working with your cat. With that persistence and a little bit of TLC, you can teach your cat to do amazing things.