Learn How To Teach A Cat Tricks

Many people train their dogs how to roll over and perform other tricks. While you may know that cats are smart, did you know that most cats can be taught to perform tricks? Since dogs are interested in pleasing their masters and cats are not, the training methods that work with canines may not work with cats.

For your first trick, find a behavior that your cat already does. As an example, felines like to bat at objects, so you could teach your cat to bat at your hand as if giving a high five. Getting the cat to do something that he or she has never done before would be next to impossible.

Cats often react to the use of rewards in training. Give tiny bits of the cat's favorite food or treats as the reward. You may have to try several different types of food or treats to find one that will motivate your pet. Once you find a reward that works, you may want to limit the treat to your training sessions. Cats do not react favorably to training tactics such as giving praise or extra playtime.

When you first start training, give a treat each time your cat performs the behavior that you are trying to teach. Once the cat has mastered the trick, provide the reward intermittently so that your cat will learn not to expect a treat every time.

Cats can easily pick up on your frustration or anger and refuse to train with you in the future. End your session if it ceases to become fun.

Using deterrents can work with some felines, although this would not be a good tactic for teaching tricks. If your pet is scratching the wall or doing another behavior that you do not want, try spraying some water at him or her. Physical punishment should never be used on a cat as they will more than likely try to avoid being near you in the future.

Cat training can be a hard process since they have their own ideas about what they will and will not do. You can learn how to teach a cat tricks or to not do certain behaviors such as hanging out on your kitchen counter. Although cat training can be difficult since they are not very interested in learning what you want them to, with patience and the right training techniques, you can learn how to teach a cat tricks or to behave in ways that are acceptable to you.