Why don't people teach housecats tricks (like birds & dogs) / What tricks have been taught to a cat you know?

Question

I mean fun tricks - Examples: roll over, fetch, speak, etc.
Not obedience commands - Examples: down, sit, no digging/scratching.

Digging a little deeper...
If you've successfully taught your cat a fun trick, how did you teach the trick. How difficult was this for your cat to learn?

Answer 1

Hi Jordan...most people who adopt/buy a housecat usually are not aware that cat's can learn many new behaviours or what most people say unpolitically correctly, "tricks". Perhaps mostly it's due to the fact that cats were portrayed mostly as a cuddly friend and doesn't require any special abilities beyond this like a dog.

However, cats are very capable of learning more command behaviours than most dogs if the proper techniques are applied. No animal is more intelligent than one another since learning behaviours taught are based on their pre-existing natural abilities. You can't teach a cat to swing from branch to branch like a primate for example.

As a professional animal trainer for over 20 years I specialize in training both domestic and exotic cats. Both my housecats not only understand obedience commands (come, sit, down, etc) but are also toilet trained, can flush the toilet, go to wherever I point, follow a target anywhere, jump through hoops, roll over, fetch, take apart a 3-D layered puzzle, wave, give a high-five, raise a paw to ask a question, do agility (like dog agility), walk on a leash in public and so much more. They understand both visual and verbal cues/signals as well and learn most new behaviours quite quickly within a matter of days and for the more complex behaviours such as balancing and walking on a ball in a month. Our exotic cats are primarily trained for two reasons: (1) for mental stimulation as well as exercise due to living in captivity and (2) for husbandry behaviours to make medical care easier to manage when it's time to draw blood or examine body parts. For example we can teach them to open their mouth on command so we can brush their teeth, back up against the cage to draw blood from their tail, etc.

Training is conducted using operant conditioning through positive reinforcement. We never coerce/mold an animal to learn rather reward desired behaviour with food, praise (most cats only work for food) or toys and always ignore undesired behaviour so that extinguishes itself over time. This is the key technique to train any animal including goldifsh. Yes! You read that correctly... even small fish can be trained to learn new behaviours! Here's some videos of goldfish playing football, soccer and going through a hoop: http://www.fish-school.com/gallery.htm

Answer 2

lol well if it were any other breed hon I would not be able to tell you but I have found that you can teach a siamese cat how to fetch and sit and lay down and to come on cue. These if you consider dog tricks can all be taught. I have siamese cats and all 3 of which know these. They are by far one of the most smartest breeds I know of. I like siamese because they act so much like a dog. They are very people oriented and love to be adored. They will do just about anything for affection if given enough practice to see that the reward is attention and lovin...

Answer 3

I once taught one of my cats, it was a useless trick but neat all the same. I'd give her a cue and she'd immediately place a paw on an exact place on my torso. She learned that when she heard that sound, she was to make this action, and in return she would have a fuss made of her! Goes to show that cats CAN be taught if they're of a mind to learn.

Answer 4

Cats are pretty hard to teach sense they are so independent. However I have heard that it is really easy to teach your cat to use the toilet. I actually have a book on the subject just have yet to read it and teach my cats.

I have had cats that would do tricks such as fetch or beg... niether are anything I taught them. They were just things they enjoyed doing. Thats a big thing about training a cat. The cat has to LOVE to do it... if not... good luck getting the cat to even look your way.

Answer 5

When I was a kid, I tought my cat two uncommon tricks:

1) If she wanted to get into a room, and I (the master) was also outside the room, she'd stand up on her hind legs and reach for the doorknob, to make us aware that she wanted in this room.

2) If she wanted to get into a room, and anyone was inside the room (as opposed to outside), she'd stick most of her front leg under the door and just leave it there. It wasn't until someone came up and tapped her paw, she'd retract it and wait patiently for us to open the door.

She did it every single time, but now I realise she was just looking for a way to make us humans wait on her even more.

Answer 6

I taught Sophie to beg. When she was a kitten, she tended to sit up on her hind legs like a bunny. Not unusual behavior, but it made me think of begging, so I decided to make it a learned behavior.

Now when I give her a treat, I hold it over her head and say "beg." She sits up for it. I don't make her assume the position, but as long as she lifts off, I call it good.

I can't remember now how I taught her to do this! I suppose I probably held the treat over her head and said beg.

There was a period, after watching those infamous talking cat videos, that I wanted to teach them how to say Mama. I started saying it over and over when I fed them, but I got bored and stopped.

Answer 7

I teach my cats tricks because it is cute and sometimes saves my skin, I have 3 purebred cats and all of them know tricks.

My oldest cat is a flame point Siamese named Mew. His cutest trick is called "Let's box" I ask him if he wants to box when we play and he stands on his hind legs and swats you with his paws. The people we got him from had his claws removed, so it doesn't hurt. His teeth however do hurt, so when we play and I ask him to "be friends" he licks my hand and quits biting me. Mew will also say no if you ask him if he wants a bath or wants to go see the vet. His meow sounds just like a whiney child who doesn't want to go to bed. "NOOOOOOOOO"
It's cute. Mew was pretty easy to train, he's a really smart cat.

My middle kid is Gemini. She's a Wedgehead Seal Point Siamese. Gemini walks on a harness. She also does a trick I call "race track or let's go racing" she runs in a circle as fast as she can til she falls down or I say winner. This trick started with a cat toy on a string and she eventually started doing it on her own. Her last trick is called "Flipout or since we love Nascar, Carl Edwards." Gem climbs to the back of the couch and does a back flip off of it. This one was also started with a toy on a string. She's currently learning to jump rope, but having some difficulty with it.

My youngest baby is a 3 month old Bengal named Takarra. She's just learning and only has 1 trick. She's turned out to be quite the begger, so I taught her to say "Please and Thank You." If she wants a bite we tell her to say please and she tilts her head to the side and meows softly. When she's done eating it, she'll meow again and rub on your leg. As she gets older, she'll be harness trained and also I'm hoping to teach her to wave hello and good bye.

Answer 8

Most cat owner, like myself have experienced the unsettling sensation of having the cat teach us how to do tricks. Like feed me now, go back to the market I don't like the food you just put out, I know it's 2:00 a.m. but I want to be pet now....

Answer 9

My husband had taught one of our male cats to jump up on him, then my son and I could get the cat to do it too. It was sooooo cool, other people wanted to try it, but he didn't do it for anyone else. We used the command "up or uppie" and patted our chest, and he would jump up to the chest - no claws. He would do this because he wanted to go outside - he was an indoor cat, so was not allowed out unless he was held by us. The one time that was hilarious was when we had visitors, and when they were leaving, my sister in law was in the entryway, putting on shoes and when she stood up, I guess she made a gesture with her hands, and he jumped up on her - freaked her right out!

Answer 10

My boy kitty plays fetch. I didn't teach him to do it, he came up with it on his own. He started very young playing with bottle caps, which I would throw when I was in bed and he would bring them back for me to throw again. I got him some of thos foam balls for kitties and he just loves them! He'll bring the ball to me to throw and he'll get so excited when I throw it for him. It's very cute. I'm trying to teach my kitten to do it, but I don't think she gets the idea. Maybe some day :D