Learn How to Teach a Cat Tricks
By: Annie Clark
While you may have never seen a cat do tricks like roll over or sit, they can be taught to perform or not do certain behaviors. Dogs are eager to please their masters, but unfortunately, felines could care less. The main two methods for how to teach a cat tricks involve either positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement.
First you will need to decide what trick to begin with. Select a behavior that your cat already does frequently. Since felines tend to swat at moving objects, you might be able to parlay that action into giving you a high five.
Rewards such as bits of food or cat treats often will motivate felines. Experiment with different treats until you find one that your cat enjoys. Then, only give this food or treat to your cat during training sessions. Rewards such as extra playtime or praise will not motivate felines.
At first, give your animal a treat every time the desired behavior is performed. Later, you should only give the treat intermittently so that a treat is not expected every time.
Patience is essential when working with felines. Any frustration or negativity on your part will only alienate your pet from the training process.
Negative reinforcement may be effective with some cats. The best method is squirting your animal with water when you see an undesirable behavior such as jumping on the counter. Yelling will only scare him or her, and no training will result. Felines also react negatively to harsh punishment, so physical force should never be used on your pet.
Even though cat training is not as simple as dog training since cats are much more independent, you can learn how to teach your cat tricks or other behaviors that you want.
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