Part of the reason I love cats is because they march to the beat of their own drum.
They sleep when they want, play when they want, and sometimes they greet me when I come home, but other times, they let me find them.
However, sometimes you just want them to listen to you. I know it's possible to train cats -- I've seen some well-behaved felines on TV -- but it turns out, there are ways to do it at home.
According to the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, clicker training is the way to train cats. Unlike traditional training, which relies on commands and compliance, this is more of a game. Cats are encouraged to exercise their intelligence and figure out different ways to earn rewards.
A clicker is a small plastic box with a flexible steel plate inside. When pressed, it makes a double click sound. According to the OSPCA, this distinct sound tells your cat they just did something you like, or made the right choice, and promises a reward. So, when you don't click and give a treat, your cat learns they made the wrong choice and they should try something else.
Since the click is always paired with a treat, you motivate your cat to figure out what they just did right, to repeat it, and to come up with new ways to earn rewards. By rewarding the right choices and ignoring the wrong ones, you help your cat start doing the behaviours you like more often.
Here are some steps from the OSPCA to get started:
Step 1: Charge your clicker. To make the clicker valuable to your cat, you must associate it with food or something else the cat loves. Simply click and immediately give your cat a treat. After a number of repetitions you'll see your cat look at you expectantly after each click, waiting for a treat. Start by clicking with the clicker in your pocket so it's not too loud. Once your cat reacts positively to the clicker, you can take it out of your pocket.
Step 2: Click behaviours you like. Start to click and treat when your cat does something you like. Correct timing is essential. For example, if it's a finished behaviour, such as lying down, click the moment your cat laid down. If it's an ongoing behaviour, such as following you, click and treat periodically throughout the activity.
Step 3: Add a verbal cue for certain behaviours, such as 'come.' Start to click for the behaviour only when it follows the verbal cue, and ignore the behaviour when it's performed spontaneously.
Visit ontariospca.ca/what-we-do/humane-education/companion-animals/fact-sheets and find 'Clicker training your cat' for more information, tips and examples.
Clickers are available at most pet stores.
I have got to try this. I'll let you know how it goes.