How to Teach a Cat to "High Five"
Accept that cats can be trained., Don’t try to train a cat like a dog., Work with the cat you have., Find the proper reward., Get into clicker training.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Accept that cats can be trained.
Cats are known for being independent, self-absorbed, and generally indifferent to the other creatures around them.
This may not strike you as the type of animal that can be — or wants to be — trained, but it is possible and usually fun.
You'll want to use reward-based training, which teaches the cat to associate the desired behavior with getting a treat or other reward.
It might be helpful to figure out what your cat's favorite treat is so you will know the best way to motivate them.
You might lay out a few different treats and see which one your cat chooses first.
Cats want to feel involved in the training process, perhaps even in charge of it.
For instance, it is usually best to let the cat decide whether to continue or halt the training session. -
Step 2: Don’t try to train a cat like a dog.
Domesticated dogs have been bred over the centuries to work in concert with humans by obeying commands; cats, to help by acting independently, traditionally to kill pests.Not surprisingly, then, the process of training each must be different.
Your cat will be motivated to cooperate with you when this earns them a reward.
Do not use punishment to try and train your cat (or dog, for that matter).
Cats prefer short training sessions that they usually choose to conclude.
Conducting a training session by offering treats as a reward to a hungry cat (such as just before mealtime), for perhaps five-to-ten minutes (if the cat permits), can often work. , Yes, young dogs learn new tricks more easily than old ones, and so do cats (as do people, for that matter!).
So starting your training with a young cat is the ideal way to go, but that does not mean that you shouldn’t bother with your mature feline.
With any cat, but especially an older one, it is best to work with, rather than against, its natural tendencies.That is, a cat that naturally paws at objects is a better candidate for teaching the “high five,” while an unrepentant biter may not be. , Dogs might work for a “good boy” and pat on the head, or some nondescript dog treat.
Cats, however, usually demand the good stuff as a reward for paying attention to you, not kitty kibbles.
To make your training sessions effective and last for more than a few seconds, you need to find a “high value treat” to keep your cat motivated.Cubed chicken can make a special and easy-to-distribute reward, as can small mounds of tuna on a dish.
If your cat prefers less solid treats, such as perhaps meat-flavored baby food, a wide-mouth syringe can prove useful. , Clickers are small animal training aids that, when depressed and released, make a sound akin to clicking the removed metal cap of a juice bottle or opening/closing a ballpoint pen. (In fact, either of these items can be used as a training clicker in a pinch, although the real deal is widely available and inexpensive.) The clicker is the “anchor” that provides the consistent frame of reference for identifying the activity worthy of reward.You should practice your clicking technique before training your cat with it.
You need to be able to click with one hand and offer the reward with the other, or do both with the same hand (called in this article “click + treat”), simultaneously.
Cats do not usually respond well to confusion or mistakes.
Find a quiet spot for clicker training with your cat, free of external noise and distractions.
Don’t add verbal encouragement or praise, either — let the clicker do the talking.A good initial clicker training technique is the “nose touch.” Hold a target, such as a ping-pong ball attached to the end of a chopstick, above the cat’s head. “Click + treat” each time the cat touches the target (ball) with its nose.See also How to Clicker Train a Cat and How to Teach Your Cat to Give a Handshake for more advice and ideas. -
Step 3: Work with the cat you have.
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Step 4: Find the proper reward.
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Step 5: Get into clicker training.
Detailed Guide
Cats are known for being independent, self-absorbed, and generally indifferent to the other creatures around them.
This may not strike you as the type of animal that can be — or wants to be — trained, but it is possible and usually fun.
You'll want to use reward-based training, which teaches the cat to associate the desired behavior with getting a treat or other reward.
It might be helpful to figure out what your cat's favorite treat is so you will know the best way to motivate them.
You might lay out a few different treats and see which one your cat chooses first.
Cats want to feel involved in the training process, perhaps even in charge of it.
For instance, it is usually best to let the cat decide whether to continue or halt the training session.
Domesticated dogs have been bred over the centuries to work in concert with humans by obeying commands; cats, to help by acting independently, traditionally to kill pests.Not surprisingly, then, the process of training each must be different.
Your cat will be motivated to cooperate with you when this earns them a reward.
Do not use punishment to try and train your cat (or dog, for that matter).
Cats prefer short training sessions that they usually choose to conclude.
Conducting a training session by offering treats as a reward to a hungry cat (such as just before mealtime), for perhaps five-to-ten minutes (if the cat permits), can often work. , Yes, young dogs learn new tricks more easily than old ones, and so do cats (as do people, for that matter!).
So starting your training with a young cat is the ideal way to go, but that does not mean that you shouldn’t bother with your mature feline.
With any cat, but especially an older one, it is best to work with, rather than against, its natural tendencies.That is, a cat that naturally paws at objects is a better candidate for teaching the “high five,” while an unrepentant biter may not be. , Dogs might work for a “good boy” and pat on the head, or some nondescript dog treat.
Cats, however, usually demand the good stuff as a reward for paying attention to you, not kitty kibbles.
To make your training sessions effective and last for more than a few seconds, you need to find a “high value treat” to keep your cat motivated.Cubed chicken can make a special and easy-to-distribute reward, as can small mounds of tuna on a dish.
If your cat prefers less solid treats, such as perhaps meat-flavored baby food, a wide-mouth syringe can prove useful. , Clickers are small animal training aids that, when depressed and released, make a sound akin to clicking the removed metal cap of a juice bottle or opening/closing a ballpoint pen. (In fact, either of these items can be used as a training clicker in a pinch, although the real deal is widely available and inexpensive.) The clicker is the “anchor” that provides the consistent frame of reference for identifying the activity worthy of reward.You should practice your clicking technique before training your cat with it.
You need to be able to click with one hand and offer the reward with the other, or do both with the same hand (called in this article “click + treat”), simultaneously.
Cats do not usually respond well to confusion or mistakes.
Find a quiet spot for clicker training with your cat, free of external noise and distractions.
Don’t add verbal encouragement or praise, either — let the clicker do the talking.A good initial clicker training technique is the “nose touch.” Hold a target, such as a ping-pong ball attached to the end of a chopstick, above the cat’s head. “Click + treat” each time the cat touches the target (ball) with its nose.See also How to Clicker Train a Cat and How to Teach Your Cat to Give a Handshake for more advice and ideas.
About the Author
Denise Chapman
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in crafts and beyond.
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