Train Me? I don't think so...

Cat Training anyone? Yes, those most inscrutable of animals are trainable and for those interested in positive reinforcement and clicker training they will present you with a few challenges that aren't present in a lot of other animals, thereby improving your overall training knowledge and practical skills. 

Cats in some ways are just like dogs and other animals that we have domesticated.  They're small predators that have teamed up with humans for their own survival and benefit and we have derived some benefit from having them around. 

However, as we are all very aware, cats are very, very different from dogs.  For a start, cats teamed up with humans very much on their own terms and along the way it was not unusual for cats to have been either deified as gods or reviled as devil-ish.  Very rarely have they been thought of in the same light as other domesticated animals - capable of being trained and doing a days work.  Unlike our other domesticated animals, they're solitary by nature rather than pack animals that understand a hierarchy and just to confuse things further, the manner in which we keep cats means that they are permanently retained in a state of kittenhood (or at least adolescence), reliant on us as substitute mothers.

But cats can be trained.  Not just toilet trained or introduced to the bare basics of polite behaviour with humans but actually trained in a number of behaviours that make them more enjoyable to be around, more entertaining and to give them a more stimulating life. 

As you can imagine, cats rarely respond to punishments or negative reinforcements well.  They do not have the sort of hierarchical nor physical attachments to humans that really respond to these sorts of training methods and will generally move on and find themselves a new home if their current owners don't suit them.  Positive reinforcement and therefore clicker training does work well with cats, provided you recognise a few minor eccentricities when working with cats.

1. Generally speaking cats prefer a non-startling noise for their clicker.  Classic plastic tabbed clickers are often quite loud in an indoor environment so you will either need to get a quieter version, such as the i-click or some of the fancy variable clickers or simply muffle the sound by clicking from within a pocket or similar.
2. Cats will impose their own personality onto training.  Many will look upon you with complete indifference during the first few sessions.  You may feel like they simply aren't getting it - don't be fooled, it's a cat thing.  They get it, they just don't want you to know they get it!
3. Get the right treats!  Very important.  Don't assume that cat biscuits will cut the mustard.  Get to know your cat's favourites and be prepared to pander to their whims on any particular day.  Try sweetcorn kernels, cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, yoghurt as well as the usuals.  Warm is usually preferred by cats.
4. Keep treats very small!! Cats vomit very easily - its a built-in mechanism to help them deal with furballs and various 'problem' foods that they normally eat.  If you over feed you'll get some great displays of this in action.  If you are using cat biscuits - find ones that you can break into small pieces (vitabites are too large unless you have very short sessions).  I usually use treats about 1/4 the size of the average cat biscuit.
5. Start training before dinner time - sit is the easiest behavior to start (use luring).  But also recognise that your cat may be distracted if its too ravenous.
6. Have thick skin!! We worry about horses nipping but in my personal experience, its cats that have the worst manners.  They can be VERY insistent about simply being given the treat and have no guilt about chomping a finger in order to get tiny treats - in the nicest possible way, of course!  If you work standing up (with them on the ground) you have the best chance of retaining all your fingers but this is one gotcha with cat training.  You could put food down for them, but this doesn't work well if you are using a liquid food like yoghurt and part of the reward for many cats seems to be having you personally feed them (peel me another grape, human)
7. Keep sessions very short.  You have to, to avoid satiation (filling up) anyway but also cats get bored easily - they like the treats and the interaction but won't hesitate to remind you that they are felines and suddenly look upon you with that 'you are so beneath me' look and refuse to acknowledge that they have ever performed anything before.
8. Plenty of praise! Cats love to know that you have finally realised they are the most wonderful creature on the planet.  But if your cat isn't overfriendly be careful about too much contact - it's meant to be a reward, that means they have to like it (not just you like to pat them).
9. Try to make a little routine.  Cats don't generalise well, so train in the same place each time - at least until they begin to enjoy the training sessions and actively participate (after a couple of sessions they can't help themselves and the whole 'indifferent' cat facade tends to drop away).

 Cats can learn many behaviours, including targeting, sitting on cue, coming when called and tricks such as shaking hands, high-five or sitting up (begging)

© Horse Play Limited 2006

 

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