Cats can be trained and this is not news to you, but many owners are tormented by the question “How?” How to make this “striped face” perform tricks and understand commands? First, forget the word “force”; training a cat, like training a dog, is a team effort that brings pleasure to the animal and its owner. Are you wondering how to teach your cat commands? Have you noticed the talent for performing in your “fluffy little thing”? 10 minutes of theory and you are ready to practice.
Basics of education
The optimal age to start training, as we have already said, is six months. Since it is at this time that it is easier for the pet to master commands. The basics of education, along with the breed, play a fundamental role in training. Strict adherence to behavioral norms and sincere relationships between owner and pet are also a priority. It is advisable to begin preparations by accustoming the kitten to the rules established in the home.
The most important rules for starting successful training:
- It is necessary to buy the pet its own toys, otherwise for active entertainment the kitten will play with the things of the owner and his family.
- For sleep and rest, a young cat needs to have its own place. She should not play or doze on the master's beds and sofas.
- Just like a child, you should never yell at kittens or, especially, hit them. A stern and slightly raised voice will be enough for them to understand that they are being punished. Animals are good at distinguishing human intonation and remembering what they are not allowed to do.
- From the first months, the kitten must know the location of its plate. You cannot throw food from the table, otherwise he will jump on it and steal food.
- The cat must know that the litter tray is in the same place and needs to go only there. The first time he needs to be placed in the tray and not allowed to leave for 2-3 minutes.
- The psychology of communication is very important. You need to establish a trusting relationship with your domestic cat so that training does not cause problems in the future. It is worth paying more attention to the kittens, playing with them, stroking them and trying to reward them for following orders and good behavior.
Trainer's determination
With kindness and love you can create miracles - you can teach even the most resistant to training at home.
But above all, your personal goal is what you want to teach your pet. Remember! Cats will never do anything they don't like - it's their innate character trait!
During the game, I observe the behavior of the furry student, notice what he likes to do, offer new tasks, new movements, and adapt to him. For each performance I praise, pet and offer a treat. I practice patiently every day before each feeding for 5–10 minutes, no more. The main thing is that the purr does not get tired and does not get tired of performing the same trick.
Important! Conduct classes in a positive and friendly manner. Never scold, hurt, or deceive.
Remember! Food, praise, and affection play an important role in a cat’s life.
When and where to start training a cat, procedure
You need to start, of course, with preparation. First, observe your pet. If he carries a toy in his teeth, then you should try to teach him the “fetch” command; he loves to jump - introduce a jump through a hoop or onto the owner’s shoulders. When a pet touches its owner with its paws, in order to attract attention, you can enter the command “give me your paw.”
It’s worth paying attention to the cat’s habits. When he gets tired, how long he can play, what food he likes. All these elements of training will allow you to achieve better training results without much effort.
It must be taken into account that when an animal does not like something, it will be almost impossible to force it to do it. It is important to present training as a game and as part of communication with the owner.
Learning ability
Kittens will be most receptive to training between the ages of two and seven months. They have not yet had time to gain any experience from communicating with humans or other animals, and therefore each such case will be perceived very painfully by them. It is believed that an adult animal can get used to a dog or a stranger, but this will take much more time. Therefore, training in childhood will be most effective.
Up to two years of age, cats are able to absorb new information and learn techniques. If you show your cat how to go to the toilet, he will soon begin to do it on his own. Also at this age, cats have the ability to solve logical problems. The most obvious example is lifting in several jumps onto a high surface. After all, for this you need to have imagination and clear mathematical calculations.
The older the cat, the less information he is able to absorb. In some cases, he finds it difficult to remember even existing data. Older pets often forget where the tray and food bowl are. Trying to train at this age can be stressful for the animal. It will not learn anything new, but it may become sad from its own helplessness.
Operating rules and errors
Any training is based on the development of conditioned reflexes to unconditioned stimuli, for example, a voice or food. You can start training only in a good mood, and both the cat and the owner must be active. It is better to start when the animal is cheerful, cheerful and slightly hungry, and wants to play.
There is no need to create special conditions; all training takes place in a familiar environment, at home. The training itself comes down to a simple condition: the cat did some action and was rewarded for it.
Types of incentives:
- stroking, scratching, affectionate words;
- favorite treat;
- both.
You cannot force a cat to do something, it will end in failure, the animal will simply run away and then stop obeying. You cannot exhaust your cat with endless repetition of the same order. He will quickly get tired, and then any lesson will be disgusting. The lesson should take no more than 5 minutes, and even better, repeat what you have completed 3-4 times.
The best results are achieved after several small training sessions per day with a long rest.
What commands should you start training with?
Cat training begins with simple, easy and memorable commands. If the owner has the free time, desire and patience necessary to train the animal, then you can begin to practice.
To me
A simple command, thanks to which the cat understands that he is being called for a treat. You need to pick up the pet, bring it to the plate and say a voice command, calling its name.
Stand
You need to bend over and say the instructions loudly. Then praise the pet, stroke it and repeat everything described above again.
Necessary equipment
There is no specific list of effective things for training cats. The best decision regarding equipment would be to use things that are familiar to the animal, with which it has long been familiar, actively plays and performs various actions.
If such equipment is available, the pet owner will only have to transform activities with these objects into the range of coherent actions he needs in order to implement commands and consolidate them in the animal’s memory.
Important! Cats do not have the same sweet tooth as dogs. Therefore, during the learning process, it is better to use boiled and properly chopped chicken or fish.
Tricks
If the decision to train a cat has been made, you need to be patient. It is necessary to take into account the waywardness of pets.
Bounce
How to teach:
- Place the animal on a chair.
- Place another one nearby and place a piece of food on it.
- When the cat makes a jump, you need to pronounce a short and concise decree, for example “Up”.
- After landing, don’t forget to praise the stuntman.
When the cat learns to react quickly, you can try giving food from your hands, repeating the commands step by step. The transition to the next tricks is possible only when the animal learns to instantly carry out the order. Frequent rehearsals are needed to consolidate the material.
Sit
The “sit” command is useful for restraining a cat, for example, during medical examinations. With regular encouragement of sitting still, the pet will learn to wait for food without getting in the way. How to teach:
- Show the animal a piece of treat and entice him to come to you.
- After the cat has approached, raise your hand slightly above his head.
- Repeat the trick on a regular basis, remembering to say the command. It will be short and catchy - “sit down.”
We must remember that cats should not feel pressure. They are too proud to follow human orders, so the command must be pronounced calmly and confidently without raising the tone.
Bring it
Entertainment team. You can demand to move objects in your teeth by initially throwing this same toy. Cats love foil, so you can start training with a shiny piece rolled into a ball.
How to train:
- You can play with your cat with a small and light toy.
- Throw her nearby.
- When the animal takes the toy in its teeth, say the command.
- Don't forget to praise the cat and reward it with a treat.
- When she wants to eat, she will bring the toy to her feet.
Yuri Kuklachev with his cat
Lie
This command is an indispensable skill when visiting the veterinarian. The cat needs to be seated, shown a tasty morsel and slowly lowered down. Of course, the animal’s head will fall behind it, then you need to move the food to the side. Ideally, the pet should lie down on its own. As soon as the cat lies down, you can praise him and treat him with food.
Give me your paw
Squeeze the piece of food into your fist and let your cat sniff your hand. Wait until the pet tries all attempts to get food with its paws. With your free hand, hold the paw placed on your fist and loudly pronounce the command action, then immediately throw the food. With good practice in the future, after the command “give me your paw”, the pet will raise the limb upward.
Serve, gopher or bunny
You need to let the cat sniff the food and slowly raise your hand from the nose upward. The animal will reach for the treat and stand on its hind legs, at this moment you need to say a command and give the treat. You can’t give it away until you get the desired pose.
Crawl
Stroke the lying animal on the back and remove the gift from the muzzle forward. If you do not allow the cat to get up, he will begin to pull himself up on his claws towards the treat. You need to praise him, reward him with something tasty, and don’t forget the voice command “Crawl.”
Somersault
You need to attract the attention of a lying cat and put a gift behind his shoulder blades, he will begin to turn his head and lean back. Push him a little on the neck or side and provoke him to roll over, removing the treat from his shoulder blades. As soon as the animal rolls over to the other side, the exercise is considered completed.
Voice
To train a cat to vocalize according to command instructions, you need to combine catching and training. It’s easier to wait until the pet starts meowing and asking for food. You need to tease him with a gift. Having heard “Meow”, you need to give the command “Voice”, praise him, give him a tasty treat, and you can play with him.
Mr. Cat recommends: TOP 5 easiest cat breeds to train
Unfortunately, some pets do not pay attention to any commands, much less tricks. But there are also breeds of animals that in a few months can become participants in circus performances. Here is their list:
Abyssinian
The differences are in heightened curiosity, sociability and fearlessness. Due to their muscular body and long fingers, they perform difficult tricks with ease.
American Shorthair
Pets of this breed quickly master many commands and become accustomed to the tray.
Bengal
Active, fast, playful cats, not afraid of water. Amenable to training, they do not refuse goodies.
Siamese
One of the most loyal breeds, these cats are constantly on the heels of their owner. When having fun, he can make a mess and likes to watch TV. They are easy to teach commands and perform all tricks perfectly.
Savannah
A hybrid that resembles a tabby cat. He has a playful character, often gets rowdy, climbs into cabinets, throws off various utensils, and can grab his leg. It is interesting to train them; they perform all commands with varying difficulties.
The above list of cat breeds that can be trained is quite arbitrary. Even ordinary kittens can become the best trick performers. Therefore, there is no need to focus on a specific expensive breed; it is better to train and educate your pets yourself.
