Cats are difficult to train. This does not mean that it is completely impossible to train them. Be patient and you will teach your pet different tricks. Just remember that cats are wayward, so coercion will get you nowhere.
Instructions
Step 1
Start training your cat from a very young age. It is almost useless to train an adult cat that has lived with you for five years and did not even know about the existence of any tricks. Better to start at 7-8 months. At this age, the kitten is already smart enough to understand what exactly is required of him. However, you can try to train even a three-month-old kitten.
Step 2
Observe your pet for a while before starting training. Pay attention to his habits and inclinations, food habits, favorite games and toys. These observations will help you understand exactly which tricks your cat will learn more easily and faster. Decide where to start training. For example, start by jumping over obstacles if your kitten likes to jump on furniture all the time, or teach her how to fetch objects if she carries her toys in her mouth all the time.
Step 3
Encourage your cat. There is a reward for every correct action. Patting or scratching behind the ear is usually not enough, so stock up on some tasty cat treats. Constant rewards will help strengthen the quality of the skill being trained and reinforce trick training.
Step 4
Only train your cat when it is hungry. It makes no sense to train on a full stomach, since the cat will no longer be attracted by the reward in the form of a treat. Never punish your pet for an incorrectly executed command.
Step 5
Do not force your cat to do something that she absolutely does not want to do. If your pet flatly refuses to do the trick, do not continue training. Otherwise, the cat may develop a persistent aversion to training in general. Better to just try teaching the animal a different trick. Also remember that the cat must have a good attitude towards you. Mistrust and dislike will lead to the cat refusing to fulfill any of your demands and requests.
Step 6
Train in stages. Always praise your cat for following a command. The praise will surely please her, and she will perform the already learned trick over and over again to win incentive prizes again. The best food reward is meat. Don't forget to cut it into small pieces. After all, the smaller the piece, the longer you can train the cat. Dry food will not always work, as your pet will be busy chewing food for a long time and may forget about training.
Step 7
Start with the simplest commands and then move on to the more complex ones. The "Come to Me" command is very simple. It is enough for a kitten to come up to you, and he will receive the coveted reward. This command will remind the cat of calls for feeding. A few more options for simple tricks: "Sit", "Give a paw", "Bring", "Stop". Say the command aloud and use gestures to support the words. If you are teaching your cat the Sit command, lightly press down on the back of the body with your hand. When commanding "Stand," extend your hand forward so that it serves as an obstacle for the cat. The command "Gimme a paw" assumes that the animal will stretch its paw on its own, but first you will have to take the pet's paw in the palm of your hand.
Step 8
If you see that the animal is tired, stop further training. A tired pet will not willingly perform tricks.
