is it possible to train cats to do things like dogs do?

Question

Just this morning I woke up with a cat beside my bed. Got in through the window I think. We decided to keep her. She is sweet and comes when I call her and always follows me wherever I go. I was just wondering if I could teach her tricks like dogs do? She seems pretty smart. I saw her lying on the sofa and I called her because we don't want her lying there and she got off. If it is possible to train cats how do you do it? thanks

I think it's a stray cat because it's so thin and dirty. I don't think any owner would let his/her cat be like that.

Answer 1

Hi there...certainly! Most people are not aware that cats are very capable of learning more command behaviours than most dogs if the proper techniques are applied.

As an animal trainer 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, fetch, 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 basketball in a month.

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

Here's a website which shows you how to train cats some of the behaviours I've mentioned:
http://www.catsplay.com/dailycat.php3?cat=mind&scat=mind_training

Answer 2

You're doing a good thing by keeping the cat if she's a stray. If she's owned, however, it's a good thing to find her real owner and return her -- keep an eye out for "missing cat" notices around where you live, and you can also put up a "cat found" notice.

It is possible to teach cats tricks, yes, but not all cats enjoy it. You usually need more patience than with a dog, and cats don't really respond in the same way to praise/treats or discipline.

I don't have any real suggestions for specific techniques to teach her tricks, but maybe it would work if you try to make it into a game, because then she might find it fun.

Good luck! =)

Answer 3

Hi, I understand that you are looking for some advice or resources to help fully train your dog or fix behavior problems. If a professional dog trainer is not an option at this time, or if you want to trt training your dog on your own (a great way to bond), I'd suggest you https://bitly.im/aL23a

A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.

Answer 4

That's nice of you to take in a stray cat.If she was thin and dirty when you found her,she is probably a stray but,in case she got lost,put an ad in the paper and give it a few days.If nobody calls,she's yours.As far as training a cat to do tricks,it's possible but you have to have lots and lots of patience with them

Answer 5

I've seen the process of training a cat on a television special. Training may take longer than a dog, but the approach appeared to be the same. Little treats and lots of positive reinforcement. To stop them from doing something against your wishes, a squirt gun is your best defense.

Answer 6

Yes, Cats are very smart. In fact they are smarter then a dog. But unlike a dog cats are very independent, and stubborn. It will take a long time and a lot of love and patients.With older cats it will be Very very hard to change there ways. But love and time can change and train almost anything. Good Luck.

Answer 7

It is possible, takes a lot more time and patience to train a cat than a dog. You have to convince them that they want to do it.... usually with food! A good way to start is to keep some treats on hand, when you see her do a natural behavior you want to encourage, sitting on command for example, say "sit!' immediately when she sits on her own and give her a treat. She will begin to associate the command with the action and the reward. Repeated enough times, she will sit when she is told to because of the association. Takes a LOT of patience though, but it's fun to try .

Answer 8

Yup, it is possible. I've trained my cat to sit and shake paws. I found a good website, I think it was Hartz- you should google it. It had a couple of other tricks to try that I haven't attempted yet. I followed what it said to do on the website and my cat was totally up for it. Good luck.

Answer 9

We never had to train our cat. All on his own, to our surprise, he loves to play fetch. He will bring his little toys to us, meow and run to the front door...turning to look to see if we are throwing it to him yet. He is also getting really good at catching the toys when they are thrown. Ok, he is almost 10 months old and likes dog toys better than the cat ones. This morning he leapt at least 5 feet in the air, did a back flip and caught his toy. We never had to train him...we adopted him when he was a couple months old.

Answer 10

Cats can learn many things. If they want to or you are offering the right kind of food as a reward. Remember that there will be times when she just doesn't want to do it. It doesn't mean she's dumb or hates you. It means she doesn't feel like doing that trick at that time.
Cats are cats.