I love my baby kitten so much but sometimes I think he may not be the smartest cat in the world!!?

Question

Our baby is 41/2mths old now. We've had him for a month now. For so long I've been debating wether or not I can handle having a cat with 3 very lazy teenage children and an even lazier husband. But I don't know if I'm lucky or what the kitten has brought so much joy to our life. He's for sure the nicest, cutest most lovable kitty in the whole world. He lets us do what ever we want with him, hold him, kiss him,hug him, bush him etc.. and dosen't say a thing and just waits patiently till we're done as not to offend us. He'll sleep in my lap or lets me rock him to sleep.All of us are so crazy about him, we even cancelled our small family vacation(too cold anyway) so we don't leave him alone.
On to my question: We've been trying to train him to do a few tricks like to bring the ball back to our hand or come when he is called. We're even trying to give him treats but he doesn't seem to be able to connect the two together. Any advice on how we should accomplish this

Answer 1

Cats are clever animals, and will usually adopt behaviour that benefits them in some way, so finding a favourite food treat is key to training them. Once you find a food treat that your cat adores, there are various techniques you can use to teach your cat different verbal commands. The web article below explains how to do this.

http://www.catsplay.com/dailycat.php3?cat=mind&scat=mind_training

Some people have success clicker training their cats, and the web site below teaches you how to do that.

http://www.clickertraining.com/cattraining

It's important to remember, that cats are not pack animals and therefore don't have an inborn desire to please others in the way that dogs do. They can also become bored very quickly, so when you can see he is getting distracted, stop the training and try again another time. Having said that, with love and patience you can train them to respond to different commands and learning is always easier when it's an enjoyable experience as part of a game.

Our current female cat loves to play fetch, and I've had a few others that did too. However, it was always they who initiated this game as kittens by bringing an item to me so that I could throw it. Some cats are simply not interested in playing fetch, and I'm beginning to wonder if there is a link between cats who bring home prey as "gifts" for their owners and a willingness to play fetch as an indoor version of hunting.

Glad to hear your kitten is bringing you so much pleasure. Hope you have many happy years ahead of you together.

Answer 2

First off I have a kitten that is about the same age as yours and he is not too bright either. He sure is cute but when you want him to do a trick he just won't budge! However a cat is much more complex than a dog so I wouldn't count on it to do dog tricks like fetch. Cats usually don't retain tricks very well so I don't think you'll get much accomplished. I would just be happy that he will let you do anything with him and put aside teaching tricks!! He's still very young and probably likes to play arond a little still. Wait until he gets older and into that lazy stage before you try to teach him tricks. He will be able to remember them then!! Hope I helped!!

Answer 3

Cats don't normally do tricks like dogs do. This is not exciting to them. Why in the world does an animal need to do tricks? Let him be your lovable lap cat who brings you so much joy. My cats have never done tricks and I don't expect them too.

Answer 4

Performing tricks isn't a sign of intelligence, I think your cat just might be smart enough to have figured out he can do whatever he wants. ;) Some cats can be trained though, my old cat would perform back flips and my aunt trained one of her cats to shake hands. It just needs to be something the cat wants to do. My cat always did back flips when playing but with a few treats, well, a lot of treats and perseverance she learned to do them on command. My Aunts cat loves biscuits and quickly picked up that sticking his paw out earns a treat. I think the trick is picking up on the cats natural behaviors and using them to your advantage. He might not fetch a ball but maybe he would jump across a gap, meow or sit.

Answer 5

I am attaching a GREAT article on cat and dog intelligence to this post. Most people think that cats don't do tricks because they don't want to, but the answer may be that they don't understand what you want them to do. The amount of "language" they learn from us (verbal, body language, tone, etc.) is very limited. When my cat stares at me as if I were speaking Greek, to her I AM speaking Greek. The difference is that dogs can learn a little of our "Greek", and thus learn to respond to our commands. The best way to communicate with your cat is to learn "kitty language" (eye-blinks, ignoring, scruffing, treats, etc.), and with few exceptions, it will be difficult to communicate complex tricks in kitty language.

Not that there aren't exceptions and very "socially" intelligent cats.

Just because cats aren't great communicators doesn't mean they aren't intelligent in other ways. My kitty is a master at figuring out how to get on or in anything that peaks her curiosity. I've had dogs who couldn't find their way out of a paper bag.

"It's not that cats are too regal to perform tricks or obey commands ... It's that they don't understand how to do them. They just aren't able to learn language and read social cues as well as dogs."

Answer 6

These things can be achieved with persistence and kindness. The only thing I am thinking is why the heck would you want to change this kitty? He is so special and he is smart. He is not doing your bidding. When was the last time he washed a plate for you, or opened the door for you. Let the poor wee soul be himself and continue to enjoy him.

Big hugs to the dear little fur-ball.

Lisa

Answer 7

Cats don't really do tricks. They do everything on their own terms. One of my cats does play fetch, but only when he wants to.. I can't get him to do it if he's not in the mood. I never trained him - it's just something he's always done. either they have that "retriever' instinct or they don't.
When you feed him, call "here kitty kitty kitty" in a high pitched voice.. do this EVERY time you feed him. Eventually he will learn to come to that, but will expect food, so make sure you have a treat on hand.
One of my cats comes to his name, but I have to say it in the "kitty voice" (think baby talk) and I always pat him or do something nice when he does. I think he learned to do it b/c the "kitty voice" is always associated with something positive. Try saying his name when you pat him.
Unfortunately, there is no training a cat!! Think about it - you yourself say your family is lazy.. if you can't train them, how do you expect a cat to learn? :)

Answer 8

That's the beauty of cats. They don't care what YOU want. It's all about them. They aren't like dogs. They usually aren't as loyal, and don't aim to please you all the time. Let him do what he wants and he'll be happy. Also, cats are finicky and don't always like treats. I love that cats are divas. Also, you could totally leave your cat alone while you vacation. You just have to make sure they have someone to give them water and food while you're gone. They are usually okay by themselves.

Answer 9

As a long time owner of eight cats I can tell you that your cat is by no means stupid. Many cats just aren't that interested in doing tricks. They may pick up stupid habits but teaching them tricks is almost impossible.

Answer 10

As much as I love my cat she has never come when called and I can't even get her to sit with me....be thankful for a cat that loves people and don't worry about teaching him tricks.