How to Train a Cat Tricks

Yes, even cats can be taught tricks. Some cats are easier than others. Here are some techniques that will help you train yours.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Lots of patience
• A sense of humor

1. First you need to know what your cat absolutely loves. One of mine, Nori, is madly in love with shrimp tails. He hasn't gotten as well trained as the other who loves ordinary -- far more affordable -- cat treats.

2. 
   A clicker

   Clicker training works very well on cats. The concept is to get one of these little plastic clickers, click it and treat the cat simultaneously until the cat associates the click with the treat. It is a lot faster to click the clicker than to feed the cat so when the cat (dog or other trainee -- no, I haven't tried this on children ;-) )-- actually does the behavior, you can 'mark' it and the cat knows the treat is coming. If you just use treats, by the time you give the cat a treat, he or she may be doing a totally different behavior and you are essentially rewarding the new behavior, not the one he/she was doing a second ago.

3. 
   Nori arrives

   Get the cat's attention. The sound of the freezer door where shrimp is kept usually is enough for my shrimp-lover. Do what works for yours. I always call mine. They so look forward to training (and rewarding) sessions that they always come when called. This means if ever I NEED to call them, they will also come.

4. 
   Nori moving around in a part

   Once you have the cat's attention, wait (and this may take awesome patience) until he/she makes at least the beginning of the move you want. For example, to make my cat, Nori, "spin" I would move my hand around his head while he is sitting. When he gets up and starts to turn I click and treat. Before long he starts to get up and move around automatically hoping for a click and the following shrimp tail. Once he has part of the turn learned, I make him turn more each time before clicking until he makes a full circle.

5. 
   Nori completes the

   Once he starts to make a full circle I start labeling it by saying "spin!". Before too long he associates the command with the trick -- and that wonderful shrimp tail.

6. There are many techniques for training. Even clicker training is handled a little differently by various trainers. This is how I've been training my cats -- and others -- and it's worked well for me.

Resources

• Cat claw care
• Cat toy
• Control cat shedding
• Have a happy cat

[justabarkaway]

on 4/18/2009 great article! Thanks

[kim82600]

on 10/9/2008 Wonderful, I've been looking for an article like this! I've got 3 cats so hopefully I can teach at least one of them! Give Nori a pet for me! :-)

[kaseysviewblog]

on 8/11/2008 Very interesting, I've tried to teach my cat to fetch but she just runs off with the ball or toy :)