Pet Adoption – CatsTraining a Cat like a Dogby Barbara Florio Graham (www.simonteakettle.com/lovecats.htm) Everyone assumes that cats can't be trained. But research at Cornell University's Feline Health Center reveals contrary evidence. "Although cats have a very small brain, their brain-to-body-weight ratio is better than that of any other domestic animal," according to Katherine A. Houpt, a veterinarian and Ph.D. A dog owner who brings a kitten into the household must understand that dogs and cats learn differently. Dogs are pack animals who want to please "the leader." Cats, on the other hand, learn by observation and curiosity. Their reward is not pleasing you, but pleasing themselves. It's important to train a cat. In case of an emergency, every household pet should react to two safety commands: "Come," and "Stay." Then, to protect both furniture and human health, it's important to teach "Get down." No one wants cat hair on their kitchen counters, or an allergic guest sharing the living room couch with Fluffy. In my experience, training a cat requires five R's:
Respect Respond Use your cat's name only when you're praising him or her. Begin by associating positive behaviour you want to reinforce with the word "good" and the cat's name. Do this dozens of times a day, repeating "Good Fluffy," every time she uses the litter box, as she washes her face or paws, when she sits quietly on your lap, approaches the scratching post you've provided, or plays with her toys instead of your things. Reward If you confine your new kitten to one room containing the cat's food, water and litterbox, she will welcome human companionship, so it will be easy to teach "come" by saying that word every time she runs to greet you as you open the door. She'll soon associate the word "come" with play, petting and food. From the beginning, I suggest holding your kitten on your shoulder. Cats like this position, since they can see over your back, and it leaves one hand free to open a door if you're carrying the cat from one place to another. Reinforce Teaching No But don't try to ban the cat from most rooms in the house unless you're prepared to keep doors closed. It's wiser to select one living room chair the cat is allowed to sit on, and make sure there are places where she can look out a window. Since stretching and scratching are natural actions, it's not fair to discourage this without providing an alternative. Every time Simon approached a chair with outstretched paws, I said "No," clapped my hands, picked him up and brought him to the scratching post, where I then said "Good Simon." This takes patience, but praise, petting and a food reward for using the scratching post reinforces the idea that this is the place to sharpen claws. Leash Training The leash was a pretend snake he chased while I held the other end. After he accepted it as a plaything, I snapped it on his harness for a few minutes at a time and continued to play. I gradually increased the time the leash was attached, and soon I was able to pick up the handle and follow him as he trotted around the room. Now he walks on a leash without protest. Repeat Before you can get your cat to give one paw and then the other, you have to teach her to "sit." Then, by gentle lifting one paw and quickly releasing it, say "paw" as you reward her with a tidbit. If you've been observing your kitten's behaviour for several weeks before you try this, you'll realize that she tends to use one paw more than the other when investigating a new toy. That's her dominant paw, and the one to start with. Performing Give one piece at a time, each time the kitten responds appropriately. Repeat the desired patterns every day, and ignore failure. Save "no" for forbidden actions, and never use it in positive training. Move very slowly from one behaviour to the next. Once Fluffy has learned to sit on command and give you her paw, you can take it, pet her instead of giving a treat, and gently pick up the other paw, asking for "the other one." Don't use the word "paw" again, because you want the cat to associate that command with the dominant paw. Adding to the repertoire Although Siamese are supposedly more intelligent than other breeds, I've seen tabbies who fetch crumbled foil balls. All the cats I've trained have been domestic shorthairs. Simon performs an interesting behaviour that began with the "stay" command. After he learned to sit on command, I faced him with one finger ready to gently touch his nose while I placed the treat in front of him. Giving his nose a the slightest tap, I repeated "stay," not in a loud or scolding voice, but firmly, adding "good boy" as he remained in place. At first, he stayed for barely a second before I picked up the treat to give him, but I gradually increased the time. I never allowed him to pick up the treat himself. Next I added "touch it with your paw." I'd been reinforcing this command with Simon for many months, every time he tapped one of his toys or batted a ball. The command transferred easily to the treat, and after several more months of reinforcing this behaviour, I added another level, asking him to touch the treat with "the other one." Don't be discouraged if your cat doesn't seem to want to do these particular things. What does he or she do naturally? A cat that adores crawling into paper bags may be easily trained to crawl through a cardboard tunnel. One who is always rolling over on the rug can learn to respond to "roll over." Training sessions can provide an opportunity to interact with your cat in a way that's fun for both of you. I see proof of that every evening when Simon climbs on his stool, waiting for me to reach for the treat jar. © 2002, Barbara Florio Graham; all rights reserved.
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