Teach Your Cat (almost) Anything!

The current climate of pandemic lock-down offers a wonderful opportunity to use the time for learning and enrichment - both for ourselves and our cats.

It is a common misconception that cats cannot be trained, but nothing can be further from the truth. We associate animal training with teaching our pets how to do things on command, or how to perform tricks, but cat training goes deeper. Yes, there are cats that learn to sit on command and give a high five. That is part of the Cat Pawsitive Program which helps shelter cats find their forever home by making them more attractive to adopters through training and enrichment. In addition, cats can be trained to love their carrier, appreciate touch, or live peacefully with other pets. These are skills that are beyond “fun tricks”, and allow cats to feel more confident and stress-free for important tasks such as going to the vet or getting their nails trimmed.

The Trainable Cat

Training a cat requires patience and time. The pace will depend on the cat, their previous experiences, and their character. Taking the time to work with your cat on important skills will not only reduce the cat’s stress, but also build the bond between you and your cat as you spend time together enjoying enriching activities.

A great resource for training is the book The Trainable Cat by John Bradshaw and Sarah Ellis. The book explains the way cats see the world and the way they learn. It starts with key skills that help facilitate learning and moves on life skills such as carrier readiness, touch, and other enrichment activities.