It may be somewhat easier to train a dog than a cat, but it's not impossible. Dogs like to please their owners, and they'll do just about anything so you'll praise them.
A cat, on the other hand, could care less about pleasing you. It's necessary to use rewards to get a cat to do what you want.
What Is Clicker Training?
In her article, "Training Cats And Dogs", Sarah Whitehead says that training a cat is a slow, time-consuming process that has to move at the cat's own pace. Punishment has no place in cat training either. The idea is to reward the behavior that you want, while ignoring the behavior you don't.
It can be nearly impossible to reward a cat quickly enough for doing what you want him to do. If you miss the moment, he won't understand why you're giving him a treat. For this reason, clicker training works very well for behavior modification in cats. At first the clicking sound won't mean anything to the cat, but he'll quickly learn that when he hears the clicker, a reward will follow. Once he understands this, you can use the clicker to reward him immediately when he does what you want.
How Does Clicker Training Work?
In just a few minutes a day, you can change your cat's behavior. Pick a quiet location with no distractions and have a supply of treats (small bits of cooked chicken work well) that your cat can't reach. Hold the clicker in your hand.
At first, every time you use the clicker, give your cat a reward. This is to teach him to associate the click with a treat. You'll know you've succeeded when he reacts to hearing the clicker with anticipating a reward. This probably won't take very long.
The next step is to use the clicker and give him a treat only when he's done something you wanted him to do, like sitting. Or if you want to shape his behavior, reward him for starting to do it. For example, if you call him, and he walks a step or two towards you, click and reward him. The next time, wait until he gets closer before the click and reward. Soon he'll be running up to you when he hears his name.
Give him a verbal cue, like telling him to sit. When he complies, click and reward him. Don't reward him if he sits without you telling him to. Just ignore him. It's easy to control your cat's behavior by rewarding him when he does something you want him to do and ignoring him if he doesn't.
Things To Remember
Sarah Whitehead suggests:
- Start with a clear goal in mind.
- Break the task down into very small stages.
- Find a reward that your cat really likes, not just his regular food.
- If you are using food as your cat's reward, break it into small pieces.
- Decide on a clear marker signal, like a clicker, before you start.
- Never punish a cat during training. Reward him for good behavior, but ignore the bad.
Clicker training is fun, easy, and produces fast results that your cat won't forget. The best part is that you and your cat will form a lasting bond.
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