When it comes to training an animal, many people will automatically think about training the family dog. Although it certainly can be enjoyable to train a dog to sit or perhaps even to do a fun trick or two, they are not the only furry creature in the home capable of training. In fact, it is even possible to train a cat and with some persistence on your part, they can learn to do some amazing things.
Training a cat is quite different from training other animals in the home. For example, you might be able to spend hours of time training a dog every day and they will love the attention. Cats, on the other hand, tend to get a little bored when you train them for too long. In fact, a few minutes training a cat may be their upper limit and if you go to far, you are not going to train them well.
There are also other things to consider when training a cat, and one of those is the need to motive them. Any type of motivation is going to be beneficial for the cat but some people stop short of giving them treats during the training process. Is it possible and even advantageous to give your cats treats when training? They answer is a resounding YES.
There is an old saying that you are able to catch more flies with honey, and many of us have experienced the truthfulness of that statement in our lives. When we are kind to others, we often find that things go much more smoothly as a result. The same is also true when you are trying to modify the behavior of a cat.
When you start training your cat, you will want to have a few pieces of something yummy to give as a reward. Some people find it is convenient to buy them at the store but you could just give them some small pieces of chicken or tuna. In either case, it is pleasant for the cat and before long, they will start to associate what they are doing with something good.
Along with rewarding good behavior, it is also necessary to keep far away from rewarding any type of bad behavior. Yes, we love our cats and we want what is best for them. At the same time, giving them a reward when they do something wrong will be counterproductive.
If you want to take things to the next level, use a clicker when you reward your cat with a treat. When you are consistent at doing so, they will eventually make the connection. At that point, you can ease off of the physical treats and just use the clicker as a treat of its own.