You’ve likely heard that training your cat is futile. The truth is, it can be done but you will need a great deal of patience and consistence.
- Reward but never punish. Determine what edible delight your cat loves best and use it to reward your cat even if he doesn’t quite get the preferred action right every time. Remember, practice makes perfect and a good attempt is worth rewarding. No reward is the negative reinforcement that your cat will learn through the passage of time. Punishment, however, should never be doled out as this can cause behavioral problems in your pet and could possibly lead to illness.
- Practice makes perfect and repetition is key. Spend a few minutes training your cat each day, rewarding the correct action and praising your pet for a job well done. Your cat is learning which action it performs that produces a tasty reward and will begin to act according to your expectations.
- Keep it short. Cats, as you know, are not necessarily social animals and will grow bored with training exercises that go on too long. A few minutes daily in training are all that is required. The idea is to be consistent with training, doing it regularly without skipping more than a day in between exercises.
Consider using a clicker or an object that makes a clicking noise to reinforce correct behavior during training. Your cat will learn to associate the clicking sound with approved behavior soon to be followed by a tasty treat.