Train Your Cat To Sit Perfectly | Cat Training By Expert

Train Your Cat: Discover How to Teach your Cat to Sit

When an Austrian cat named Alexis did 26 tricks in a minute in June 2020, she broke the record for the most tricks a cat has ever done in that amount of time. It may seem unfeasible to teach your cat even a single trick, but specialists in animal behaviour assure you that this is not the case. It’s not only feasible to teach your cat new tricks, but it’s also beneficial for them.

There are many advantages to training your best pet, from strengthening the cat-human link to easing difficult jobs. So where do you even begin? These are the top beginner training tips for your cats.

LEARNING TO SIT

For Sarah Ellis, co-author of The Trainable Cat and head of cat mental wellbeing and behavior at the welfare organization International Cat Care, one trick emerges as the perfect starter.

The word “sit” is the best way to prepare your cat for a rewarding training experience. A modest gesture and a treat will suffice. As you stand facing your cat, make sure it faces you as well. Hold a reward a few inches above your cat’s head so it can see it. Your cat will instinctively drop its ass to the ground as you slowly bring the treat back towards its tail, allowing its eyes to follow it. As soon as your cat sits, praise them and pass the treat to them. Because of this almost automatic procedure, “sit” is a great place to begin.

Maura Tyrrell teaches an animal learning course at Canisius University in New York. The course involves students to train foster kittens. Tyrrell coordinates practical learning in animal behaviour, ecology, and conservation. Teaching the kitten to associate the sound of a clicker with a treat is the first task, known as clicker training.

Thus, Tyrrell explains, “they recognise that sound and think, ‘Oh, a treat is coming, I must have done something good.'” This relationship is useful for all subsequent tricks that are taught.

STRENGTHENING BONDS

Anyone who thinks cats aren’t trainable has bought into a widespread misconception. According to Tyrrell, “I don’t think a lot of people know that they can” train their cat. “They may not realise how much fun it is, either.”

For cats, training has many advantages as well, including important cerebral stimulation. According to Tyrrell, “they’re attempting to determine how they can obtain that reinforcer.” “Therefore, it does demand a great deal of mental capacity from them.” Ellis emphasises that mental stimulation is just as essential to a cat’s health as any other requirement.

According to Ellis and Tyrrell, picking up tips can also help with cooperative care. Giving their animals their medication or taking them to the vet can be difficult for cat owners. Reducing or eliminating stress can be achieved by teaching your cat to enter the carrier on command—yes, it is possible. Cats that were trained to lie in specific postures and finish blood samples, for instance, displayed far fewer signs of stress than cats that were trained to do either or both, according to a 2013 study published in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science.

A good place to start is by forming positive connections with the carrier. According to Tyrrell, “we basically train them to love being in their carrier.” One method of training is to conceal special rewards in the dreaded carrier.

Additionally, the process of learning will strengthen your bond with your cat. According to Tyrrell, “it can strengthen the bond.”

TEACHING OLD CATS NEW TRICKS

The good news is that cats of any age can also pick up new skills. At the age of 17, Tyrrell is still teaching her new skills, having started training her cat when she was just 14. All of these claims are supported by a 2023 study by renowned cat behaviour specialists Mikel Delgado and Monique Udell that was published in The Veterinary Journal.

It’s not necessary for training to be arduous. Ellis takes a “small and often” strategy. She claims that some of this may be done “literally while you’re watching TV or while you’re on the phone.”

Nor is this limited to the most intelligent cats. Cats are intelligent animals that can pick up new skills. Ellis asserts, “Every cat can be trained.”