Teaching your new cat some old tricks!
They’re not just for dogs—tricks can be taught to cats too! But why would you want to train your cat? Research has shown that cats sleep for up to 18 hours a day and with almost 60% of cats being obese or overweight, training your cat is a great way to encourage activity, engagement and responsiveness—all of which will benefit your cat’s overall mental and physical wellbeing. In addition, the time you spend with your cat will strengthen your bond.
Whether you’re training your cat to give you a high five or to happily enter their carrier, training is essentially teaching them to associate a reward with a desired behavior. Below are some tips that will help you train your cat:
- Keep your training sessions short so that your cat stays interested. Start out with just five-minute sessions.
- Schedule frequent training sessions throughout the day, but choose the times that are best for your cat, like right after they wake up from a nap.
- Teach one trick at a time. If you introduce too many different tricks, your cat will become overwhelmed. Once they’ve mastered a trick, you can introduce a new one.
- Repetition is key! Once they’ve mastered a skill, repeat it outside of training sessions to reinforce your cat’s behavior and ensure they won’t forget their new skill.
- Use positive reinforcement such as affection and treats. You’ll have the most success using highly valued treats.
- Choose a time when you won’t be distracted.
- Use consistent cues or hand signals, and make sure everyone in your home uses the same signals.
- Be patient with your cat while they’re learning new skills!