Inherently, any pet you bring home knows when to ask for food, go for a poo, or clean themselves, along with other animalistic behaviors. Most of us see pets like dogs and parrots going under training and showing promising results, but this is true for all your pets. You can, and you should train them, especially cats. You can't ignore the fact that they, too, can be trained and well-behaved if done systematically. They aren't just cute and stay aloof most of the time. So, let's go over some essential tips you should try if you want a well-behaved feline in your house.
Like with any pet, encouraging wanted and desirable behavior, whether through sharing love, petting them, or giving them treats, works for cats too. The same goes for discouraging bad behavior. Cats generally aren't as collaborative with us as dogs are, but they still understand commands and treats. Every animal understands how treats like catnip for cats work because they taste amazing.
Some essentials for their training:
· A Target Stick or a Clicker – Help them stay focused and interested.
· Treats – How can there be training without a treat? You can have multiple treats for different training tasks, but always the ones your cat loves.
· Follow a Trainer – Visit YouTube, Instagram, or other social media websites and follow the trainer or content creator you like, as they will have tons of amazing tricks to share with you.
· Training Items – Stacking cups, yoga blocks, mats, etc., can help you train for scenarios like "stay" or "high five," etc.
You can teach your cat many tips and tricks, and then there are essentials they need to learn. Do you want to teach your cat to high-five you no matter how cool and cute it will look before teaching it to tell you for food or go for a poo?
Always start with essentials and then go for the fun ones.
Some of the most common and generalized methods to train your sweet feline friend are as follows:
· Clicker Training – This training enforces sound cues in your cat’s brain and often associates it with a treat. You can use a clicker for cats, a pen, or simply sound made with your tongue.
· Hand Signals – Something a clicker, but this time, you enforce the behavior with gestures or signals like holding a fist to do one thing like sit or open palm for a high five.
· Voice Cues – Same as the above, but these aren't just voice cues; you can combine them with one of the above, like making a fist and saying "sit" along with it.
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Cats cannot focus on you for long unless you are a canary. So, to help them stay focused, try 2-3 times each time reinforced with treats, and that's it. Keep it consistent, like when you wake up, when they eat, or when they poo, etc.
Now, when they do start noticing and getting interested in the training sessions, of course, they increase the time little by little due to the treats.
Your hand made into a knuckle state should become an indicator for commands. The easiest method is starting with petting, then dabbing your hand with some paste they like and letting them lick it. Every time, say “gentle” and bring your hand near so they associate the licking with the command but only move away if they try to bite it.
Now, this is a neat trick and can be used in multiple practical instances. This trick is mainly used with dogs to help them navigate different things. The command “Here or Come here” is the same as “Target” or “Look.” It is used to get your pet's attention or point them to something.
Use your finger holding a treat, and as soon as they eat it, say the magic word. Keep repeating until you can point or say for attention or get them to the litter.
You can use the calling technique to bring them to the box, but the easier one is to place them on the box and make a scratch gesture. The gesture is similar to what cats do when they are done. As soon as they are done, please pick them up from the box and keep repeating it daily till they learn it.
You can mix this with “Stop” or “Stay,” as you don’t want them to ruin your furniture or spray their pheromones on them. The easiest, though, is to get them a nice scratching post to encourage them to use it. To discourage them, paste some double-sided tape where they are most likely to scratch.
This trick or behavior is crucial as there might be times when you need to take your cat out or go for a trip. The first time, they will explore the box because it is new and exciting, but this will not always be the case.
Start with placing treats or a meal in the box. Add a cue when she starts sitting in there. So when you really need to take them out, they will be calm and easy to take with you as now they are trained.
Pets are a great addition to your family, mainly because they are cute and don't want as much attention as dogs. But as they don’t want as much attention, they also don’t bother with you most of the time. So, to have the best of fun with your furry friends, train them as early as possible to teach them how to be well-behaved using some of the tips mentioned here.
