Have you ever wondered if it's possible to train a cat?
You may not be able to train your cat to fetch your slippers, bring in the newspaper or fetch a stick, but cats can be trained to do tricks that are both fun and useful.
Training cats is fun and a great way to bond with them, and because of that we want to share our favorite tricks that you can train the family cat to do.
As with training dogs, we only believe in positive reinforcement training for cats as well. What this means is that you reward your cat for the behavior you're seeking and you ignore the behaviors you don't want to see.
Depending on the kind of trick you're training, you want to offer your cat high quality rewards. If he always receives a piece of kibble when he does something that you like, you want to give him something different now that you're specifically training him or her to do a new trick.
3 Easy Things You Can Train Your Cat To Do
There are many things you can train a cat to do. The following are three of our favorites!
Teach A Cat To Come On Command
Teaching your cat to respond to your vocal cues and to come on command could be a trick that is a literal life saver. Say for example there was a fire in your house or if your cat bolts out the door knowing that he will come on command will bring him rushing back to your arms.
One of the best ways to start training this “trick” Getting a unique noise or calling his name before you open his can of cat food. The reason for this is that your cat will equate hearing his name or hearing that unique noise with a positive event -- getting his dinner.
This trick is teaching your cat to associate his name with a high-quality reward. Once your cat consistently comes to his name or to the noise before you feed him then you will want to train the trick at a time when it's not dinner time. To do this you will call his name or make the sound then reward him as soon as he comes to you.
Pet owners find using a clicker is a unique enough sound that your cat will equate that with a treat and with coming when he's called.
Train Your Cat To Not Scratch Your Furniture
Sure this may not be a trick but teaching your cat to use a scratching post will certainly save your furniture and that is a treat for you.
First, you need to understand that your cat is not scratching your couch or your carpets or the door out of spite; scratching is an instinctual behavior in cats. Cats just have to scratch, and it's up to the cat parent to teach him where scratching is appropriate.
How can you teach your cat to use the scratching post?
- Place a scratching post next to the areas in your house where he is scratching inappropriately
- When he starts to scratch the furniture gently move his paws to the scratching post
- If he begins scratching the scratching post, praise him and give him a reward
- We need to experiment with different types and heights of scratching posts until you find one that your cat loves. Some cats love sisal rope, others sandpaper, others love carpeted cat trees and still others love to scratch on logs. Some cats like to scratch vertically others like to scratch horizontally, watch your cat and understand her body language done by cat trees and scratching post that fit her unique needs
- You may want to try and sprinkle a little catnip and to the scratching post as an incentive to get your cats to scratch the post and not your furniture
While you're in the training phase of getting your cat to scratch on a scratching post and not your furniture or doors we suggest investing in our home scratch protection products which can guard your home and belongings against eager claws and, in the case of Cat Scratch Tape, train and deter your cat from scratch furniture.
Teach Your Cat To Shake Hands Or High 5
This is a fun and simple trick. Grab one of your cats favorite treats, kneel down so that you're at your cats level then tap his paw and say the word “shake” or “high five.” If you're using a clicker to train this trick click the clicker as soon as your cat moves his paw.
Repeat the trick until your cat lifts his paw when you say the word “shake.” This may not be a useful trick in the long run but it certainly is fun and will wow your guests.
In Conclusion
The most important part about training your cat is to have fun. Schedule training session in short bursts of time, have fun and reward your cat every time they perform the way you'd like them to!
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