My wife and I are having an argument! She thinks we can train our cat using a clicker. I say she’s wrong. Cat’s can’t be trained! What do you say? Thanks – B.G.
Well, B.G., We’re going to have to side with your wife on this one. With or without a clicker, we’ve trained all sorts of animals here at the Houston SPCA: dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, parrots, rats, lemurs, fish, and even grizzly bears! If we can train a rabbit to play the piano, surely cats can be trained to sit or come when called! In fact, we routinely teach cats basic obedience at our Kitten Kindergarten classes on Saturday afternoons. Houston SPCA kitten and cat adopters can come to their first Kitten Kindergarten class for free! Check out our website, www.houstonspca.org, for details. Chron.com also did a story on Kitten Kindergarten. Click here to check it out!
Whether it’s a cat running to the kitchen when they hear a can of cat food being opened, coming out to play with hear they favorite toy when they hear it being rattled, or even jumping through hoops at the circus (yep, I’m referring to lions and tigers here.), cats are trained to do behaviors all the time.
The problem is that many cat owners have low expectations when it comes to their intelligence and trainability. Cats are trainable, just as dogs are, but before you train your cat, sit down and think about what you can use as a reward. Remember, you do not determine the reward, your cat does. Most of the time at our Kitten Kindergarten classes, we use brief play sessions (only about 3 seconds) as a reward for good behavior. If you think that your cat’s going to work for some praise and a pat on the head, though, think again!
Okay, since you’re so skeptical, I’ll give you an exercise you can try with your cat. Find a highly valued reward item, like some tuna, chicken, or a new, exciting cat wand toy. Sit down and wait patiently, silently, for your cat to sit. As soon as her rear hits the floor, click and reward her immediately. Get her up again and wait patiently for her to sit again before clicking and rewarding her again. The first few trials will take a long time in between, but you will gradually notice that your cat will sit faster and faster when she realizes that this is how she gets the food or activity she wants. At this point, you can start saying the cue “Sit” once, and wait for her to sit before clicking and rewarding. Repeat this last exercise until your cat associates the word with the behavior. Most cats figure this out in just one session. Good luck and have fun!