When you hear the words “cat training,” your first thought might be… “Are you serious?! Cats can be trained?!”
They sure can! Cats are incredibly intelligent and can be fast learners. Once you find the right reward (typically tasty treats), cats become quite eager to please and perform the desired behaviors.
Now you might be thinking, “Okay, that’s all well and good, but why would I want to train my cat?”
There are actually several reasons why cat training is beneficial:
Provides mental and physical stimulation, which all cats need
Staves off boredom, which in turn prevents destructive behavior, weight gain, depression, and other health issues
Increases movement, making it an excellent form of exercise
Helps strengthen the human-cat bond
Improves relationships between cats in a multi-cat household
Helps eliminate undesirable or problem behaviors such as unwanted scratching, biting, counter surfing, door dashing, etc.
Increases confidence and can bring a shy cat out of their shell
It’s fun!
With positive reinforcement training, your cat’s quality of life (and yours too!) can be improved immensely.
Training for Mental & Physical Wellness
Contrary to popular belief, cats are NOT low maintenance pets. Like dogs, they require both mental and physical stimulation for optimal health and happiness.
Veterinarian Dr. Lynn Bahr says in her book Indoor Cat that keeping “cats active, engaged, and entertained is extremely important for maintaining their overall wellbeing…Lack of physical activity and stimulation takes a mental toll on cats, often resulting in anxiety and depression. And it has physical effects as well, which can manifest as serious health ailments.”
While there are many ways to keep your cat active, clicker training is one of the best because it covers both mental and physical wellness. Training requires your cat to use their thinking and problem-solving skills, keeping their minds sharp and active. It also keeps your cat up and moving, making it a great form of physical exercise.
It’s important to provide your cat with a variety of enrichment activities, but training should absolutely be one of them.
Training for Bond Building
If you’re looking for a way to build your cat’s trust and strengthen the bond you share, training can help!
As you work with your cat, you’ll gain a greater understanding of their personality and body language, as well as how their mind works. Through training, you’ll get to know your cat better than ever before.
Simply put, participating in a shared activity helps to build a stronger bond. And don’t we all want a stronger bond with our kitties?
Training for Peace
If you’ve ever lived in a multi-cat home before, you are probably well aware that there can sometimes be tension between your cats and maybe the occasional scuffle. You might have even experienced more serious fighting and had to keep your cats separated to maintain the peace.
The reasons for intercat aggression are wide-ranging, and it usually requires a multi-pronged approach to fix, but did you know training can help?
Training, paired with environmental adjustments, can lead to peaceful coexistence and even friendship between two previously warring cats.
Training for Desirable Behavior
When people bring home a dog, they usually understand that it will require some degree of training. Especially if the dog has some undesirable behaviors that need to be corrected.
Why should the expectation for cats be any different?
Many cats engage in problem behaviors such as scratching the furniture, jumping on the kitchen counters, biting hands and feet, or making a run for the door every time it opens. These cats aren’t “bad” – they just need some training to learn alternative “good” behaviors instead.
Behavioral issues are one of the top reasons why cats are returned to shelters. With some training and environmental adjustments, this problem could be eliminated!
Training for Confidence
Some cats may be shy, skittish, or not quite sure of themselves, and some cats might not even want to be touched.
Training can give your cat the confidence they need to come out of hiding and strut their stuff with confidence!
