Dear Miss Behavin’: My dog is well trained. He knows sit, stay, come, you name it! When I call my cat’s name he just ignores me (in typical cat fashion). Can I train my cat similar commands as my dog? Is it possible?
Contrary to popular belief cats are definitely trainable! You can teach them the same useful commands as a dog, as well as tricks. All you need is some tasty treats and patience. You can start easy with training your cat to come when you call their name. Start when your cat is hungry and grab some of his favorite treats. You can say “Kitty, come here!” and give your cat the treat when he comes over to you. If he doesn’t come, try again later when your cat is hungrier. Repeat this exercise and back up further and further each time. Eventually, your cat will come running and you won’t need to give him a treat every time. If your cat always comes reward him less often. If he loses interest, reward him more often. If you kitty has it down pat, then you and someone else can call him from opposite ends of the house. Not only will this continue to reinforce the training, but also help him get exercise and get his wiggles out so he doesn’t zoom around the house at midnight. You can also use treats to help litterbox train or train them to go to their scratch post which can save your furniture! The possibilities are almost endless and helps strengthen the bond between you and your kitty.