You usually hear about clicker training for dogs, but did you know that you can train a cat this way too? It won't be easy, but it won't be impossible either. Read this article to find out how to proceed.
Steps
Step 1. Identify a reward for your cat
There could be several, although a common reward could be a treat of some kind (e.g. tuna), especially when the cat is hungry (i.e., does not find food available for 20-30 minutes). For some cats, however, an object or toy they are fond of may work as well! The reward must be something that can be offered to the animal quickly. While the cat may really like being taken out of the house, it's not a very comfortable reward to use in this type of training. The rest of the article will assume the use of a delicacy.
Step 2. Associate the “click” with the reward
Find your cat at a comfortable time, possibly in a quiet, distraction-free place (such as other animals and people). Make the noise and give the cat the reward at the same time. It is important that the two events happen at the same time, so that the cat understands that a click means a reward. Eventually, you will be able to throw the reward a bit far from the cat (remember to make the noise while you are throwing the food). Repeat the operation for a maximum of 5 minutes.
- Do not reproduce the click at other times: when the cat eats, when it looks at you, when it moves away … ONLY when you are giving it food.
- Don't talk to the cat and don't use verbal cues. Sound must be the strongest signal.
- If the cat completely loses interest, the reward is not effective enough. Find a better one!
- To produce the click, it is best to use a clicker, which is a device designed specifically for training. If you don't have one, however, you can make a distinct clicking noise with your mouth.
Method 1 of 3: Introduce a Goal
Step 1. Find a distinct and elongated object:
a pen, a spoon, a highlighter. Make sure it is easily recognizable and that it is something that can only be used for training. Your cat will learn to follow this object as a goal, so it would certainly not be the best for the cat to learn to jump on the dining table to grab its reference spoon.
Step 2. Hide the goal
It is best that the cat only sees it when you can reward it appropriately.
Step 3. Strengthen the relationship between click and reward a few times, if some time has passed since previous training
Step 4. Show the target to the animal and observe it carefully
As soon as the cat does "anything" towards the target (look at it, jump towards it, approach it), immediately (better simultaneously) produce a click. Then offer him the reward.
- The click will make the cat understand that, at that precise moment, he behaved well. In this case, the correct action should be moving towards the goal.
- For this reason, a click is used to report the reward and is not given directly. If you were to throw a treat at the cat while staring at the goal, it would immediately get distracted to focus on it. The sound, on the other hand, signals to the cat that "a delicacy is coming" and leaves more time for the animal to understand what it has done to get it.
- This type of noise is much easier for an animal to identify than a verbal indication, such as "good kitty". Your timing may not be perfect and the cat may interpret your tone differently each time. A click, on the other hand, is quick and does not change.
Step 5. Repeat the process several times, progressively rewarding the cat for moving towards the goal
Pay attention to the animal: you could watch it turn back and forth between you and the lens, trying to figure out what you want. That's a good sign!
- If the cat is only observing the target, bring the object closer to its face. Most cats will come over to smell it. As soon as it does, produce a click. Then offer the cat his reward.
- Encourage the cat to get closer to the goal. Once the cat has learned to observe the target every time you take it out, try to make it take a step towards it. When it starts getting closer, produce a click and reward it.
- It is a progressive training process. Instead of expecting the cat to complete the entire action immediately, the animal is also rewarded for a partial movement in the right direction. As the training progresses, he will be rewarded for getting closer and closer, until he has completed the desired action.
Step 6. Repeat the exercise a few times a day, in sections of 5 minutes maximum
If you notice that the cat loses interest and starts licking itself after 10-15 clicks, the training ends. Eventually you should be able to make him cross the room to reach the goal. You could even teach him to jump over furniture and objects!
Method 2 of 3: Catch the Cat (and Produce the Click) at the Right Time
Step 1. Have the clicker handy, as well as a bunch of goodies
Step 2. Observe the cat
When he does something you like, try to immediately produce a click, then throw him a reward. Several actions can be rewarded:
- when doing nails on the scratching post;
- when rolling;
- when he hits the ball and rolls it;
- when he jumps to the side;
- when it chases its own tail.
Step 3. If you are consistent, the cat will begin to perform these actions, so you can hear the click and get the reward
Method 3 of 3: Introduce the Verbal Commands
While the click is handy for letting your cat know what it is doing right, it is possible to use verbal cues once it has mastered a few moves to let it know which one you want it to do.
Step 1. Match a verbal command to each of the moves your cat has learned
You can use "jump!" when the cat has to jump on something, or "come!" to bring him closer to you. The verbal command must be clear and distinct. It should be a word you won't use with other pets or in everyday conversations (“hi!” Would be a bad command).
Step 2. Choose a move to associate with a command
Let's say you have taught the cat to successfully jump on a stool, using a target. Have the cat repeat the move for a few times, just like you normally would. Each time, however, he exclaims "jump!" while the cat performs the action.
Step 3. Do not offer the cat the reward without verbal command
If the cat jumps on its own, don't reward it. Do not produce the click and do not offer them anything. When he's back on the ground, try jumping him again with the verbal command. If he obeys you, reward him.
If he does not make the move spontaneously, try to help him by jumping without a verbal command, but do not reward him. Perform this operation by repeating the sequence "jump + verbal command + reward"
Step 4. Mix the various possibilities
Repeat this type of training until the cat realizes that it will only get the reward by jumping to the verbal command.
- Repeat the training for sections lasting no more than 5 minutes.
- If the cat does not understand, or seems confused, return to the previous training. Finish the section positively and try again later.
Step 5. Repeat the process with other moves
The cat will learn to recognize the different verbal commands associated with the various moves. At this point you should no longer need to produce the clicks or offer him food.
Advice
- It is always advisable to repeat many short training sections, rather than doing a few long ones.
- Be patient. Don't move on to new tricks right away if your cat doesn't seem ready.
- If you don't have a dedicated clicker, learn how to make a sound like this with your tongue.
Warnings
- Don't use the reward as a goal. You would teach the cat to perform a move only if food is involved. You should aim to teach the cat to perform an unrewarded move (although you should still reward him from time to time).
- Do not punish the cat for any reason, especially during training. You would completely ruin the progress made. You are trying to make the cat understand that you will give him something good if he does what you want: if you were to introduce punishments, making him fear the situation, he could become confused and afraid of you.
- Remember that the click is not enough as a reward: you will also have to offer the animal something to eat. Otherwise it would be like receiving a bad check!
- Never click if the cat does something you don't want it to do.
