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Blog - cat training

Can I Train My Cat? Tips On How to Train Your Cat

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According to International Cat Care, 95% of cat owners want more advice on training their cats, with at least half saying they struggled to get their cat into a cat carrier.

It may surprise some, but it’s possible to teach cats new tricks.

Training your cat can be helpful in various practical ways, such as making them more friendly and accepting of human interaction (which can help when grooming them or taking them to the vet). Cat training also gives you quality time together, which will deepen your bond while providing mental and physical stimulation for your cat.

To that end, if you and your cat share a bond that could benefit from training, read on for advice on how to do it right.

Are All Cats Trainable?

All cats possess the necessary intelligence to learn new behaviors, routines, and tricks. However, how quickly and how well respective cats can learn depends mainly on their temperament, level of interest, and capacity for change.

Although some traits may be generalized across all cat breeds, there are also many variances. That is to say that some cat breeds are more trainable than others because of inherent traits that are generally associated with the breed.

Can Anyone Train a Cat?

No special skills are required to train a cat. Every cat owner or caregiver- with the right mindset, patience, and yummy treats, can teach their smart cat to perform all sorts of things, such as answering their name, sitting, or lying down on command, among many more tricks.

How to Successfully Train a Cat

While the type of breed and attitude can be helpful when training your cat on specific skills like walking on a leash, fetching, using the toilet, or not scratching your items, there are many more aspects that will influence the success you get, like the following.

1. Have a Clear Reward System

Successful cat training requires a transparent positive reward system each time your cat gets closer and closer to the end behavior you want them to perform. Doing so helps your furry friend associate the reward (the treat) with your desired behavior.

Food and other incentives are typically quite effective in reinforcing the desired behavior or skill. For instance, clicker training has proven to be highly effective in cats. Select a treat your cat enjoys as positive reinforcement to encourage a repeat performance of the desired behavior.

You want your cat to be enthusiastic about learning and to enjoy the process. If you can make the cat enjoy the experience of doing what you want them to, you'll increase the likelihood that they'll do it. Incorporating positive reinforcement into training a cat or kitten provides a stress-free experience for everyone.

Pro Tip: To successfully train a cat, there must be some practical benefit for a cat to learn something.

2. Consistency and Repetition

An enormous time commitment, consistency, and steady practice are vital to instilling desired behaviors, routines, and tricks. Set up a training schedule with numerous sessions of around an hour a couple of times a week if you're serious about training your cat. To keep things interesting, establish and regularly revisit quantifiable benchmarks.

Pro Tip: Don't try to force your cat to do anything if they're not feeling it. Wait until they are willing to collaborate and cooperate.

3. Practice Patience

Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to training a cat. After all, cats have their minds and are not known for their willingness to please or respond to their humans like dogs.

Identify a desired behavior or skill, then divide it into manageable chunks that can be introduced one at a time and practiced at your cat's speed. Training sessions should be done in a quiet room with no distractions and last no longer than three minutes, occasionally giving your cat a break.

Importantly, take a breather whenever you feel frustrated, and return to it fresh. Both you and your cat should enjoy the training process, so stick to positive reinforcement and give your cat the option to stop at any time.

Pro Tip: Don't put too much pressure on your cat during training or have too high of expectations too soon.

4. Be Cat Kind

Never show anger or frustration; worse, punish your cat if they don't make mistakes while training. Punishment will only discourage your feline friend from cooperating and possibly rebellion. Instead, praise and reward your cat whenever they achieve any success.

5. Strengthen Your Relationship

The relationship between you and your cat dramatically impacts how well and fast you train your cat to learn a new skill or behavior or drop an unwanted behavior. Additionally, it will stimulate your cat mentally desired skills and behaviors.

Take each training session as an opportunity for bonding and playtime; it will be fun for both of you.

Final Thoughts

Both cats and humans are naturally inclined to explore and learn new things. Training your cat can provide all sorts of benefits for both you and your feline. It's an excellent way to strengthen your bond and relationship while reducing your stress and anxiety.




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