Teaching your cat to respond to a call can be very helpful, including for its safety. In fact, your cat should come to you when you call him while he is around or when you need to get him out of the house in an emergency. Training him for a recall requires a little patience and perseverance. Choose the correct reward and train it every day; in time he will arrive without hesitation every time you call him.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Organizing the Training
Step 1. Find a reward
You need to offer some sort of reward if you want it to come to you when you call him. Unlike the dog, the cat does not behave solely to please its owner. If he is unsure of being rewarded, he may not commit to a certain activity.
- Food is one of the most recommended rewards. The vast majority of cats will get busy over a delicacy or a particular food they love. Choose something different than the usual foods. Buy a special treat or offer him a small delicacy of meat or tuna. It may take a few tries before you find something your kitty likes.
- Although most cats' primary pleasure is food, some have less than standard behavior. If yours is uninterested in food in general, replace the food with a particular toy, a fake mouse or even a cuddle he loves.
Step 2. Decide on the recall
Establish a unique reminder to signal the cat that it needs to come to you. You should choose something other than one of the common phrases you use with him. His name, for example, is a bad choice as a reminder, because you probably pronounce it in situations where there is no need for it to come, which can cause confusion. Think of a unique phrase or sound that you can use to call it back and make it come to you.
- Noises can be fine. You might say something like "Ki-ki-ki!" using a high pitched tone. You may make a sharp noise such as a popping sound, or a screeching sound. Even a whistle might work.
- You could also try something you don't say often. Try something like "Come here!" or "Treats!" or "Tuna!".
Step 3. Establish a direct relationship between sound and reward
After choosing both the sound and the reward, start establishing a direct relationship between the two. If you want the cat to come to you in response to a particular sound, you need to make sure you associate it with positive things. Perform the call then offer him his favorite food, delicacy, toys, or petting as a reward. If you use food as a reward, you can call back just before dinner.
Part 2 of 3: Establishing the Habit
Step 1. Call the cat, then offer him a reward
Once the reward and reinforcement have been established, you can start training. To get started, start calling him back. Offer him the reward as soon as he responds.
- Stand a few feet away from him. Run the recall. It can also be helpful to show him the reward as you call him. For example, you can make dry, continuous sounds with a bag of goodies or have her toy dangle in front of you.
- As soon as he comes to you, reward him. Give him a treat or a toy, stroke him, brush him, or make a commitment to get him the reward you set.
- Don't be surprised if at first it doesn't come right away. He may need time to learn that he needs to get close to you when he hears your call. Be patient. Keep repeating the call until the cat realizes it needs to come.
Step 2. Walk away
Once the recall has worked closely, start increasing the distance. Step back a few more meters when you call him. For example, try calling it from other rooms. You can also try to do this in moments when he is distracted. Remember, you want the cat to respond to the call in a variety of situations and to come to you. A different distance and situation can help ground the behavior.
Step 3. Try to train him before meals
Once the cat is starting to understand the command, you can start training. If you use food as a reward, he may be more motivated if he is hungry. Try planning your training sessions about 15 minutes before meals.
Step 4. Reward him immediately
Don't wait too long to reward him. Otherwise he will not be able to connect the reward with the act of coming to you. As soon as he approaches, offer him the reward. Animals live in the moment. If you want your cat to understand the meaning of the call, you need to reward him right away.
Step 5. Exercise in short sessions
Try to train him once a day. Cats tend to be independent animals and manage to devote sporadic and short attention spans, so use short sessions to train him. Try 5-minute sessions, once or twice a day.
Step 6. Train the cat in different parts of the house
Once he has begun to reliably respond to the call in the kitchen or wherever you started training him, try other parts of the house. Eventually he will learn to simply follow the sound of the call.
Step 7. Slowly accustom him to not getting a reward
Once he starts to come constantly when you call him, alternate treats with petting, a scratch behind the ears, or any other kind of attention. Excess of sweets or food as a reward can create weight problems. Also, you want the cat to come to you in any situation, when you call him, and you can't always have food in hand.
- Once your cat reliably responds to the lure, reward him three times out of four, then cut the rewards in half and then down to a third and keep reducing them until you give him the reward only occasionally.
- Keep serving yourself rewards other than food. Eventually he will understand that he has to come when you call him even if the treats aren't there.
Part 3 of 3: Avoiding the Pitfalls
Step 1. Start when the animal is young, if possible
Cats tend to learn more quickly when they are young, so the best time to start training is when they start weaning. However, many are adopted even after weaning and are able to learn even at this age. The learning process could be longer in this case.
Step 2. Don't punish him
Do not punish the cat if it does not respect the training, if it only comes to you sometimes or does not come at all. Cats don't respond well to punishment, fail to relate it to bad behavior, and simply think they are being mistreated for no reason. If you punish your kitty, he can become stressed or unhappy, which can also mean he is less likely to arrive when you call him.
Step 3. Don't refuse the reward if it responds slowly
At first, the response to the recall may not be immediate. You shouldn't refuse to give him the prize if he doesn't obey the command right away. It can be simply confusing and need some time to process the relationship between lure and reward. It is best to reward him consistently by reinforcing positive association with leadership. Reward him even if he takes it easy.
Step 4. Avoid using the recall in negative situations
Also, don't use the command to make it come for anything that may represent a bad situation. Bad associations can make him unsure what to do when you call him.
