Cats can be trained and this is not news to you, but many owners are tormented by the question “How?” How to make this “striped face” perform tricks and understand commands? First, forget the word “force”; training a cat, like training a dog, is a team effort that brings pleasure to the animal and its owner. Are you wondering how to teach your cat commands? Have you noticed the talent for performing in your “fluffy little thing”? 10 minutes of theory and you are ready to practice.
Basics of education
The optimal age to start training, as we have already said, is six months. Since it is at this time that it is easier for the pet to master commands. The basics of education, along with the breed, play a fundamental role in training. Strict adherence to behavioral norms and sincere relationships between owner and pet are also a priority. It is advisable to begin preparations by accustoming the kitten to the rules established in the home.
The most important rules for starting successful training:
- It is necessary to buy the pet its own toys, otherwise for active entertainment the kitten will play with the things of the owner and his family.
- For sleep and rest, a young cat needs to have its own place. She should not play or doze on the master's beds and sofas.
- Just like a child, you should never yell at kittens or, especially, hit them. A stern and slightly raised voice will be enough for them to understand that they are being punished. Animals are good at distinguishing human intonation and remembering what they are not allowed to do.
- From the first months, the kitten must know the location of its plate. You cannot throw food from the table, otherwise he will jump on it and steal food.
- The cat must know that the litter tray is in the same place and needs to go only there. The first time he needs to be placed in the tray and not allowed to leave for 2-3 minutes.
- The psychology of communication is very important. You need to establish a trusting relationship with your domestic cat so that training does not cause problems in the future. It is worth paying more attention to the kittens, playing with them, stroking them and trying to reward them for following orders and good behavior.
When and where to start training a cat, procedure
You need to start, of course, with preparation. First, observe your pet. If he carries a toy in his teeth, then you should try to teach him the “fetch” command; he loves to jump - introduce a jump through a hoop or onto the owner’s shoulders. When a pet touches its owner with its paws, in order to attract attention, you can enter the command “give me your paw.”
It’s worth paying attention to the cat’s habits. When he gets tired, how long he can play, what food he likes. All these elements of training will allow you to achieve better training results without much effort.
It must be taken into account that when an animal does not like something, it will be almost impossible to force it to do it. It is important to present training as a game and as part of communication with the owner.
Progress of training
The main commands that pets are taught are “come”, “fetch”, “sit” and “jump”. But it is more logical to divide commands into simple and complex.
Simple tricks
Simple commands do not require complex combinations. It is best to start learning with them.
"Sit"
To run this command, follow the instructions:
- Show your pet a treat.
- Say loudly and clearly, “Sit.”
Based on the structure of the body, the cat will have to sit down, because it will raise its head to reach the tasty morsel. After completion, we praise and give a treat. This command must be taught as the animal moves. Move a few steps away from the cat, and as soon as he starts to approach, lift the treat up.
“Sit” is the simplest command that cats learn with pleasure if you hold a delicious piece of meat above their head.
"Lie"
The "down" command is also based on the animal's anatomy. After you have taught your cat the previous command, you can begin to “lie down.” We say: “Sit,” then carefully lower the piece of treat down. We make sure that the pet goes down after him. We move the meat slightly to the side and watch how the pet lies down. We give away a treat. If the cat does not lie down, we try to help him with his hand: lightly press on the back of the body or place his front paws on the floor.
"Stand"
The “stay” command is reminiscent of a cat’s position when it begs for food. We show our favorite a delicious piece, bend our arms at right angles, as if blocking her path. When she approaches, we raise the treat higher and say the command out loud. Once the cat learns to do the trick, you don't need to put your hands on it.
"Serve"
This command is also called "ask". Its essence is that the cat begs for a treat on its hind legs. We bring the treat to the animal’s nose, and when the pet begins to reach for food, we lift the piece higher and higher. At the same time, we say out loud: “Ask” or “Serve.” If you want and have patience, you can even teach your cat to walk on its hind legs.
The “ask” command is as easy as the “stay” command, they are very similar to each other
"Give me your paw"
Even the laziest cat can give a paw. This does not require active physical activity. Place a tasty morsel into your fist. We bring our hand to the animal’s nose and let it smell. Let him try to get the tasty treat in different ways. We are waiting for her to try to reach the food with her paw. When the cat touches your hand, say: “Give me your paw.” Then immediately give the treat. You can try the second training option: we say the command and take the cat’s paw ourselves. After constant repetition, she will begin to stretch her paw on her own.
Video: a cat is taught the “Give paw” command
Difficult tricks
You can start complex tricks only after mastering all functional (simple) commands.
"Jumping"
The cat can jump over a barrier, a hoop, or through your hands. First of all, make sure that the animal responds to its name. If all is well, we buy a hoop (30-40 cm). An embroidery hoop will also work. Let's proceed to the first stage. Place the hoop at a distance of 5 cm from the floor. We call the cat and help it go through the hoop, push it ourselves and say: “Up.” When the pet comes out, give the food. In the second stage, the cat must perform the jump on its own. Gradually increase the height.
"Bring it"
Not every cat learns the “fetch” or “fetch” command. We take our favorite toy, throw it and say the command. If the animal runs after a toy and takes it in its teeth, be sure to praise the cat, take the object and give it a treat. After repeated repetitions, the cat will understand what’s going on and will give the toy back himself.
There is a high probability that the cat will simply ignore the “fetch” command, but do not give up quickly, try repeating the exercise the next day
"Voice"
The ability to teach a cat to meow on command is also small. The best time for this is before feeding. Wait until your pet starts begging for food and meowing loudly. At this moment we say: “Voice.” After the cat meows again, give a treat.
"Kiss"
Very nice and pleasant team. We spread something tasty (pate) on our cheek. Let your pet smell it. We're leaving. Then we say the command and turn our cheek again.
Operating rules and errors
Any training is based on the development of conditioned reflexes to unconditioned stimuli, for example, a voice or food. You can start training only in a good mood, and both the cat and the owner must be active. It is better to start when the animal is cheerful, cheerful and slightly hungry, and wants to play.
There is no need to create special conditions; all training takes place in a familiar environment, at home. The training itself comes down to a simple condition: the cat did some action and was rewarded for it.
Types of incentives:
- stroking, scratching, affectionate words;
- favorite treat;
- both.
You cannot force a cat to do something, it will end in failure, the animal will simply run away and then stop obeying. You cannot exhaust your cat with endless repetition of the same order. He will quickly get tired, and then any lesson will be disgusting. The lesson should take no more than 5 minutes, and even better, repeat what you have completed 3-4 times.
The best results are achieved after several small training sessions per day with a long rest.
What commands should you start training with?
Cat training begins with simple, easy and memorable commands. If the owner has the free time, desire and patience necessary to train the animal, then you can begin to practice.
To me
A simple command, thanks to which the cat understands that he is being called for a treat. You need to pick up the pet, bring it to the plate and say a voice command, calling its name.
Stand
You need to bend over and say the instructions loudly. Then praise the pet, stroke it and repeat everything described above again.
Tricks
If the decision to train a cat has been made, you need to be patient. It is necessary to take into account the waywardness of pets.
Bounce
How to teach:
- Place the animal on a chair.
- Place another one nearby and place a piece of food on it.
- When the cat makes a jump, you need to pronounce a short and concise decree, for example “Up”.
- After landing, don’t forget to praise the stuntman.
When the cat learns to react quickly, you can try giving food from your hands, repeating the commands step by step. The transition to the next tricks is possible only when the animal learns to instantly carry out the order. Frequent rehearsals are needed to consolidate the material.
Sit
The “sit” command is useful for restraining a cat, for example, during medical examinations. With regular encouragement of sitting still, the pet will learn to wait for food without getting in the way. How to teach:
- Show the animal a piece of treat and entice him to come to you.
- After the cat has approached, raise your hand slightly above his head.
- Repeat the trick on a regular basis, remembering to say the command. It will be short and catchy - “sit down.”
We must remember that cats should not feel pressure. They are too proud to follow human orders, so the command must be pronounced calmly and confidently without raising the tone.
Bring it
Entertainment team. You can demand to move objects in your teeth by initially throwing this same toy. Cats love foil, so you can start training with a shiny piece rolled into a ball.
How to train:
- You can play with your cat with a small and light toy.
- Throw her nearby.
- When the animal takes the toy in its teeth, say the command.
- Don't forget to praise the cat and reward it with a treat.
- When she wants to eat, she will bring the toy to her feet.
Yuri Kuklachev with his cat
Lie
This command is an indispensable skill when visiting the veterinarian. The cat needs to be seated, shown a tasty morsel and slowly lowered down. Of course, the animal’s head will fall behind it, then you need to move the food to the side. Ideally, the pet should lie down on its own. As soon as the cat lies down, you can praise him and treat him with food.
Give me your paw
Squeeze the piece of food into your fist and let your cat sniff your hand. Wait until the pet tries all attempts to get food with its paws. With your free hand, hold the paw placed on your fist and loudly pronounce the command action, then immediately throw the food. With good practice in the future, after the command “give me your paw”, the pet will raise the limb upward.
Serve, gopher or bunny
You need to let the cat sniff the food and slowly raise your hand from the nose upward. The animal will reach for the treat and stand on its hind legs, at this moment you need to say a command and give the treat. You can’t give it away until you get the desired pose.
Crawl
Stroke the lying animal on the back and remove the gift from the muzzle forward. If you do not allow the cat to get up, he will begin to pull himself up on his claws towards the treat. You need to praise him, reward him with something tasty, and don’t forget the voice command “Crawl.”
Somersault
You need to attract the attention of a lying cat and put a gift behind his shoulder blades, he will begin to turn his head and lean back. Push him a little on the neck or side and provoke him to roll over, removing the treat from his shoulder blades. As soon as the animal rolls over to the other side, the exercise is considered completed.
Voice
To train a cat to vocalize according to command instructions, you need to combine catching and training. It’s easier to wait until the pet starts meowing and asking for food. You need to tease him with a gift. Having heard “Meow”, you need to give the command “Voice”, praise him, give him a tasty treat, and you can play with him.
How to teach a kitten or an adult cat some commands?
You can start training at home when your pet reaches 2-3 months of age, although some experts advise starting training at 8 months, arguing that very young kittens are not able to understand what is required of them. Young animals are more curious and receptive, their brain works more actively, so it is easier to train them than adults over 1.5 years old, especially older ones. Training is carried out in stages, starting with simple commands and gradually moving to more complex ones.
"Sit", "stand", "lie down"
The simplest commands are “sit”, “stand” and “lie down”. To seat your pet, you need to place the treat behind his head and lightly press on the back of his body. You can force the cat to lie down by holding the treat low and gently pressing on the back. In order for the cat to assume a standing position, the treat is brought to a level just below the nose and the pet is lifted by the stomach. After a successfully completed action, the command is repeated, the student is praised and given a tasty morsel.
"To me", "place"
Teaching your pet the “come to me” command is the easiest way. They call him by name, adding the words “to me.” The cat that approaches is rewarded with a treat. Teaching an animal to go to its bedding or house on command is somewhat more difficult. He is lured to the right place with a treat or toy, after which the command is pronounced (“place!”) and he is given a treat.
To make the bed more attractive to the cat, place his favorite toys nearby or sprinkle it with catnip. The pet should like the location of the resting place. You need to watch him and find out where he rests most often. It should not be placed in a draft or in a passage.
“Jump” (over an obstacle or into a hoop)
Cats that love to jump from place to place will not be difficult to teach to jump on command. To do this, you will need stable objects - a sofa, an armchair, a chair, a table. The pet is placed on one of them, and the treat is placed on the other. When the cat jumps after him, they say the word “up” and praise him. The treat is then placed on the first object. After the cat has jumped back, they pretend that the treat is again placed in the place it just left. The animal receives the reward for the completed jump from the hands.
Then the task is made more difficult by placing an obstacle or placing a hoop. These items should be familiar to the cat. If they are new, you should leave them in the room for a couple of days so that the animal can sniff them thoroughly and get used to them.
"Give" ("bring")
To teach a cat the “give” command, you need to take its favorite toy (ball, mouse), which it often carries in its teeth. It is thrown a short distance (0.5–1 m), saying the word “bring.” After it is in the mouth, the animal is lured towards itself with a treat. You can tie a rope to the mouse and pull it, showing the cat the right direction. If a cat drops a toy after seeing a treat, you should not give it a treat.
“Ask” (complicated version – “dance”)
The essence of the command is for the cat to stand on its hind legs at the owner's request. To do this, the cat is given a treat from the palm of his hand, each time raising it higher and higher - so that he has to tear his forelimbs off the floor and try to get the treat. After the exercise has begun to work out well, you can teach your pet to walk and spin on its hind legs, as if dancing. This is achieved by moving a high-lying treat.
Mr. Cat recommends: TOP 5 easiest cat breeds to train
Unfortunately, some pets do not pay attention to any commands, much less tricks. But there are also breeds of animals that in a few months can become participants in circus performances. Here is their list:
Abyssinian
The differences are in heightened curiosity, sociability and fearlessness. Due to their muscular body and long fingers, they perform difficult tricks with ease.
American Shorthair
Pets of this breed quickly master many commands and become accustomed to the tray.
Bengal
Active, fast, playful cats, not afraid of water. Amenable to training, they do not refuse goodies.
Siamese
One of the most loyal breeds, these cats are constantly on the heels of their owner. When having fun, he can make a mess and likes to watch TV. They are easy to teach commands and perform all tricks perfectly.
Savannah
A hybrid that resembles a tabby cat. He has a playful character, often gets rowdy, climbs into cabinets, throws off various utensils, and can grab his leg. It is interesting to train them; they perform all commands with varying difficulties.
The above list of cat breeds that can be trained is quite arbitrary. Even ordinary kittens can become the best trick performers. Therefore, there is no need to focus on a specific expensive breed; it is better to train and educate your pets yourself.
Is it worth teaching?
It all depends on the owner: if he wants to show off his pet’s capabilities, let him become a trainer.
In principle, any cat living next to a person performs the necessary actions without any training, having learned to accurately determine the owner’s mood.
For example, some fluffies allow themselves to climb onto their owner's lap only after a special signal - an inviting clap on the legs - and it is unlikely that anyone taught them this purposefully.
The training process also has its not always obvious advantages:
- the opportunity to establish cat-human relationships;
- get to know each other better;
- develop the pet’s possible talents;
- adding variety to a cat's monotonous life;
- the same physical activity that is vital for some predators.
