Clicker Training with Cats

I know there may be some skeptics out there who say cats can’t be trained. I am here to tell you otherwise. Cats can be trained and they actually thrive at it. Not only is it fun for both human and feline, but it’s a great way to develop and strengthen the bond between a person and their cat(s). Plus, it’s wonderful enrichment for the cat, both mentally and physically.

Why a Clicker: It accelerates the learning process and makes training more clear cut for your cat.

Reinforcement: a primary reinforcement is food. Keep treat sizes very small, half or quarter of a pea size. Make sure they are high value, tiny pieces of tuna or cut up chicken works well. Baby food (meat purees) works well too, just let your cat have a brief lick. Secondary reinforcements can be petting and playing.

Charging the Clicker: This is making a positive association between the clicker and the reinforcement. To do this, Click the clicker and then follow it up with a treat within one second of the click. Repeat this exercise for at least 15-20 repetitions. Now your cat will be classically conditioned that when he hears the clicker, good things will come his way.

Remember to reinforce your cat EVERY time you click him, even if it’s by accident because we don’t ever want the clicker to loose its value.

Now you can use the clicker to mark behaviors you want.

You will be using lures, shaping, and capturing behaviors you want your cat to repeat or offer more of. In most cases you will have to break the end goal behavior down into several steps, these are called approximations.

Let’s say we want our cat to learn to sit.

  • We can first lure the behavior by showing the cat a small treat and then raising it above their head and then slightly towards their back so that they will naturally want to sit back on their haunches.
  • As soon as their rump touches the floor, Click and give them the treat.
  • Do this three times in row, clicking and rewarding for each successful Sit.
  • Then try the hand motion without the food lure.
  • If your cat is successful, click and then immediately grab a treat and feed.
  • We want to move away from food lures quickly because otherwise it becomes a bribe and your cat will only perform the behavior when food is present.
  • After your cat is predictably sitting in position with your hand signal, now you can add the verbal cue, Sit.
  • Here is the sequence of events: Fluffy Sit-pause-hand signal-cat sits (Click)-Reward!
  • Another way to teach the Sit, is to capture it. Wait for your cat to naturally sit, then Click and reward. Once you can predict when your cat will sit again, you can give the verbal cue right before they offer the behavior.

If you’d like to teach your cat to walk on leash, the first step is getting the cat acclimated to wearing a harness. This can be done through approximations. It’s best if the cat will naturally harness themselves.

  • The initial step is get your cat to Target onto the harness by himself. Have the harness, clicker and treats ready.
  • Sit near your cat.
  • Hold the harness up, if your cat looks at the harness or better yet touches it with his nose, Click and reward.
  • Take the harness out of view from the cat immediately after clicking.
  • Then present the harness again and wait for your cat to target onto it. Repeat several more times.
  • Through approximations you can get your cat to put his nose in the head hole, then his entire head. In those steps, be sure to click when the cat’s nose or head is through the opening and treat in that position. You can also lure your cat into sticking his head through the opening on his own. Only allow him access to the treat if he sticks his head through the opening, as soon as he does, Click and reward.
  • Eventually you’ll be able to clip the harness into place.
  • Next attach a leash and let your cat drag the line.
  • At the first movement, click and reward. Try tossing a treat for the cat to walk to, when he does, click right before he gets to the treat and eats it.
  • Then the next step is to encourage the cat to follow you. You can use a food lure at first or a toy to drag.
  • Click when he’s following and then reward.

You’re now on your way to having a cat that walks on leash. These steps may take several days to weeks to accomplish. It depends on your time, dedication and patience.

There are endless things you can teach your cat: roll over, lie down, jump over obstacles, high five or shake, come when called etc…Remember to break behaviors down into easy to teach steps. Don’t rush your cat and keep sessions short, 1-5 minute sessions, no more.

To add value to your cat’s reinforcements, keep your cat on a regulated diet and keep some high-value toys in reserve for special training sessions. Look, a water fountain that is great for your cat. I’m sure you’ll agree this is a wonderful gift for your cat.

Happy Clicking!!!

 

 

New Year’s Resolutions

When January 1st rolls around, everyone seems to have new resolutions on their mind. Whether it’s to lose weight, quit smoking or watch less tv, people are pretty diligent about it for the first few days… and then quickly go back to their old habits. My message for people this New Year is to turn resolutions into good habits and stick to them. In addition to making resolutions for yourself (which I hope you stick to), make resolutions for your pets.

Training our dogs is an ongoing process. We don’t bring a dog home, train it for two weeks and then call it quits. Every interaction we have with our dogs is essentially a training session, which means we are training our dogs throughout the dog’s lifetime. As a New Year’s resolution for my pets, I want to spend an average of fifteen minutes a day working on fun and/or meaningful behaviors with them. The fifteen minutes can be spread out, in fact, it’s probably more fun and effective if the sessions aren’t always blocked into one formal training session time. Instead, training is woven into our day and by keeping it random and spontaneous, the animals never know when they will be reinforced! It’s this same concept that makes gambling on slot machines so addictive for humans!

Let’s not forget about our other furry and feathered friends. Parrots, cats, rabbits, etc. can all be trained using positive reinforcement training methods and most excel with the use of marker signals such as a clicker. So be creative and have fun. Get out there and train with your pets. Not only will it give your pet some mental stimulation and exercise, it will help reinforce the bond the you have with your pets and have them respect and be more attentive to you!

Happy Training!!!

Keep Your Pets Safe this Holiday

With the Holidays upon us, it’s important to not forget about our furry and feathered friends. During the Holidays it can be easy to overlook potential hazards for our pets.For instance, Poinsettias, Holly and Mistletoe are toxic plants if eaten by cats and dogs. Chocolate, artificial sweeteners, grapes and onions are also poisonous for furry companions.

Many people include their pets in their festivities and plans. In doing so, it’s important to understand basic animal body language so you’re better able to read your pet’s mood. Many animals prefer a quiet spot, away from commotion and people they may not know. Give your pets a safe haven that they can retreat to. Provide them with enrichment toys to keep them entertained and stimulated. If they need a distraction, you can give them compounded pet medication if needed. Consult experts from a veterinary clinic before giving them one.

Try to keep to your pet’s normal schedule as much as possible during the Holidays. If your dog is used to being walked daily, continue taking him on his scheduled walk. If your cat normally enjoys some cuddle time in the morning, be sure to allow for those extra few moments with her.

For bird owners, be careful to not use air fresheners, scented candles or potpourri, many of which are dangerously toxic for birds. When heated, many non-stick cooking pots and pans emit toxics into the air that are dangerous for your bird as well. Be sure that your bird is in a separate area of the house when cooking and that your kitchen has been well ventilated before bringing the bird back into the area.

Keep an eye on Holiday decorations. Cats, dogs, bunnies and birds often find shiny decorations to be interesting and fun. Bunnies love to chew through cords, cats enjoy tinsel, dogs and birds like plucking ornaments off the tree and then chewing them into tiny bits that they may or may not ingest.

Lastly, it’s best to not feed your pets many leftovers, if any. Most Holiday dishes are rich in ingredients and contain a lot of sweeteners, sodium and fats, all of which are not healthy for your pets. If you have some lean meat leftover, you could use a small amount of it to stuff a favorite enrichment toy or use cut up bits as training treats. No big meals for Fido or Fluffy though, they could get sick and put a damper on the Holiday fun!

Keep your pets safe this Holiday season and everyone will be  happy!

Happy Holidays.

Giving Thanks

With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I wanted to do a post in honor of the day. I am fortunate to be surrounded by loving companions, both human and non-human. My dogs, cats and parrot provide me with constant companionship, love and laughs. In return, I make sure they are well taken of by providing them with love, food, playtime, comfy beds and awesome collars 🙂

This Thanksgiving don’t forget to be thankful for your animal companions as well. Keep them safe too. If you are having guests over for the Holidays, be sure to provide your animals with a safe, comfortable place to sleep and rest, away from the hustle and bustle of festive activities. Some pets enjoy being right in the middle of it, while others choose to stay clear. Respect the ones who choose to stay clear, don’t force them participate in anything they don’t want to.

If you want to give your pets a Thanksgiving feast of their own, be careful not to overdo it, for a swift change in diet could upset their digestive track. For dogs, you could stuff a Kong with some morsels of Turkey, mashed potatoes and steamed veggies (prep some Kongs with your leftovers and freeze them for future use).  For cats, they would best enjoy small morsels of turkey as well. Cats may pick around other foods offered unless it’s all blended together. Again, moderation is key when offer these rich foods to pets! Avoid using foods that contain a lot of salt or preservatives (such as, pre-prepared Ham). Also, avoid sweets. We all know chocolate isn’t good for pets, but what some people don’t know is that Xylitol, a sweetener and baking ingredient found in many candies, pastries and gum is very toxic for animals too!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Enjoy the day with whomever you’re spending it with and do not forget to tell and show your pets how much you appreciate them!