# Training - What have you taught your cats to do?



## Citrineblue (Sep 28, 2012)

I was just wondering whether people had spent time training their kittens/cats to do tasks or actions etc.

When my now 11 month old cat was still a kitten he would run to us when there was a rustle of a bag of treats. So I then trained him to paw, up, jump, lie down and roll over. He is very much a cat of patterns, he hears the harness and lead and sits by the door. With the youngest, now 4 months, I have tried a little - he does paw and up, infrequently down and positively looks and my eldest with confusion when he rolls over :smilewinkgrin:


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## labydird (Aug 1, 2012)

Mine hear the jangling of keys and run for the hills! (they are scared of the outdoors!) Haven't had them long enough to teach tricks, but it sounds fun!


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## Citrineblue (Sep 28, 2012)

labydird said:


> Mine hear the jangling of keys and run for the hills! (they are scared of the outdoors!) Haven't had them long enough to teach tricks, but it sounds fun!


It is great when they succeed, I just didn't want Harvey being bored as a house cat.

Harvey would do anything for a 'Dreamies" but now he's into 'Thrive'. How old are your little ones? I find it now almost impossible to train the new one as they are shadows of each other.

This is a Youtube video of Harvey at 22 weeks.

Harvey at 22 weeks, training - YouTube


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## nightkitten (Jun 15, 2012)

What a lovely video! :001_tt1:

Karm does sit and lap but that's it. She looses interest far to quickly. Giddit only sits at a distance and watches.


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## Citrineblue (Sep 28, 2012)

nightkitten said:


> What a lovely video! :001_tt1:
> 
> Karm does sit and lap but that's it. She looses interest far to quickly. Giddit only sits at a distance and watches.


Thank you so much,

I think success in training is strongly down to the temperament of the cat, Harvey is a serious boy whilst Reuben is a complete scamp who can't keep still. I'm hoping he will learn from copying.

The video was fun to do as I had to balance the camera on a handle in the kitchen! as Harvey didn't like being watched when training, what a Diva!


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## Aurelie (Apr 10, 2012)

What a great video! Harvey is lovely - he looks like a teddy . Nancy will occasionally play fetch now. I have bought a book called Clicker Training for Clever Cats and a clicker, I have been practising 'charging' my clicker but so far not much success. I am determined to persist though .


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## Britishshorthairbabies (Sep 12, 2012)

Only learnt my genie to give kisses!


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## Citrineblue (Sep 28, 2012)

Aurelie said:


> What a great video! Harvey is lovely - he looks like a teddy . Nancy will occasionally play fetch now. I have bought a book called Clicker Training for Clever Cats and a clicker, I have been practising 'charging' my clicker but so far not much success. I am determined to persist though .


I bought a clicker, which I do think is a good idea, but I found doing the hand signs, clicking, and giving the treat very quickly to keep the association with the action was a nightmare. He would end up pawing me to get the treat quicker.

He can jump on command now onto a hard surface ie stool or table but not yet into my arms. I just feel when walking on harness, for safety from dogs, he could jump up out of harms way.


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## labydird (Aug 1, 2012)

The video is so cute! I love it when he rolls over!  He is really clever, and really responds to you well!!

Mine are not kittens, 2 and a half years old! And neither like treats of any kind so pretty tricky to get them to do anything they don't want to do!!


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

When Meeko my Raggie was a kitten,he had behaviour issues,to give him something to focus on I tried "clicker training".We managed a recall,sit and High 5.He kind of lost focus after that but does still respond when I get the clicker out.One day we will try to progress further with the "clicker training" as it is great fun and he does love his treats 


Hold the treat in the same hand as you give the signal with so that you can respond quickly.


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## missP (Jan 11, 2012)

i have a 10 yr old and he will lie down if i point and say 'down'.

if i say 'up' while pointing to the fish tank/sofa he'll jump up.

other than that he has me well trained


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## TatiLie (Nov 2, 2010)

Ari is brilliant and she learns very fast. She comes when called by name, understands commands like 'go down' (when she climbs somewhere not allowed), 'dangerous' (when she's playing with cables, hiding somewhere tight or high. She immediately comes back to a safe place), 'no-no' (for anything she shouldn't be doing). She also knows where her 'da bird' is hidden so if she hears the storage room door opening she comes running. I also taught her that 'da bird' time is when I whistle. She goes to the storage room and waits by the door. She also recognise the green tins of Cosma and when it's Friday night because we make pizza (and she gets tuna) 

Rocco in the other hand is a little devil. He learns just what is fun for him. He know the word 'ball' and position to play fetch when I say. Sometimes he brings the ball to me (that's how he trained me to play fetch when he wants). He knows the sound of the food closet opening and follow Ari when it's 'da bird' time. But he doesn't listen when he's being naughty :

Ah, we talk to them in Italian. Maybe the syllabes and the open high pitch sounds from Italian language are easier for them to understand.


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## Citrineblue (Sep 28, 2012)

Ari sounds fab, keen to learn. Maybe it's second cats who can't be bothered! Or we haven't got the time!

We love the DaBird toys, various items are dotted around the house, feathers/rods/mice although the butterfly didn't last it was loved. Best toys ever apart from tunnels.


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## TatiLie (Nov 2, 2010)

Citrineblue said:


> Ari sounds fab, keen to learn. Maybe it's second cats who can't be bothered! Or we haven't got the time!
> 
> We love the DaBird toys, various items are dotted around the house, feathers/rods/mice although the butterfly didn't last it was loved. Best toys ever apart from tunnels.


We spend waaaaay to much time trying to teach Rocco but he can't be bothered. He's just too easy going. Ari was always very shy and scared and I believe she observes our full body language so she can pick up things that Rocco can't. For example, if we even think about picking Ari up, she runs! We don't even need to get our hands close to her! It's just the facial expression we make when we think ''Oh, give mommy/daddy a hug" that makes her eyes wide open, a little chirps escapes her mouth and she's bolting off the room!


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## Sussexplumber (Oct 5, 2011)

I`ve taught my cat to ignore me when I call her. She will also moonwalk whenever I sing the Nepalese national anthem!


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## porps (Jun 23, 2011)

brilliant vid 
Rumble and frankie will both do "up" for a treat but i cant take the credit for teaching them it, they do it of their own accord.
Rumble did show signs of being trainable when he was a kitten but as soon as more cats came to live with us that all stopped.

They've trained me pretty well though.


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## lupie (Sep 1, 2012)

I've just tried teaching 'sit' to Poppy, she's a 2year old rescue cat and she seems to be cottoning on  she'll only do it for Dreamies though!


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## Colette (Jan 2, 2010)

I've clicker trained my boys - they know their names / come when called, sit, up, off and touch-it (targetting). Its fun showing off to guests lol, but the only thing I do regularly is make them sit for their dinner!

My current project is systematic desensitisation to the hoover! I was inspired after reading The Cautious Canine; and its going pretty darn well.

Before I started Bob was so freaked by it that if I even touched the hoover accidentally he would leg it and hide under the bed.

I'm now at the stage where I can get the hoover out of its usual resting place, plug it in, drag it round and pretend to hoover the flat - with both cats deliberately following me round to get their treats. They will jump over the hoover, touch it; even take the treats I put on top of it with no problem.

Next step is turning the thing on!! (Initially in a different room of course)


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