For example, I like to train mine to accept me providing scritches (petting) with my feet and for them to be equally comfortable with using foot as hand
Fetch: grab the toy if they play with it and it ends up close by, use verbal reinforcement
Names: the cats recognize everyone’s name in the hous thanks to reinforcement learning
Locations: the cats know where I’m going and can beat me there because I tell them where I’m going, sounds like reinforcement learning again?
Activities: set phrases like “let’s go”, “come on”, “let’s get some food”, “jump up”, etc, all by reinforcement training.
Paw-touching: slowly touch more and more often, for longer, until nail clipping is a breeze. Hmm… Might be reinforcement training again.
To end bad behaviors, hiss, it’s a built-in “no” for cats.
Oh and I forgot, a big one, I engage the cats if they show interest in my task.
When cooking they can smell safe things, if I’m working on tech i have a very large screw and bolt for them to play with/try out instead of my small ones.
Cats are social and want to be included, if you give them the option to do “parallel play” I think it will improve what people see as problem behaviors that are really just begging to be included.
I taught mine this cool trick where I’m holding him and he hears a slightly loud noise and then claws the ever loving shit out of me and leaves me deeply gouged and bleeding in several places. It’s a great trick.
My cat has this fun one where when I try to pet her she gives me the most bewildered look and leaves the room as quickly as possible.
Helps to keep treats on file and give them opportunities to earn them by being close to you and interacting more.
I have a more skittish delicate one who sits on my lap/chest even though she use to be wayyy more flighty
The cat I had when I was a kid would occasionally use the toilet. Just for peeing.
When he was done he’d paw the handle. He wasn’t strong enough to actually flush it, but he tried.
This definitely happend 😹
It did, but if you choose to live in a universe where cats don’t try to emulate humans, I’m not going to stop you.
I miss that cat. We used to chill out and Doritos together.
Its all good man, I saw the cheap shot and I literally couldn’t contain myself. Its more of a reflection of my im/compulsivity than commentsry on ur truth-telling dealio
Yeah… every story on the internet is 100% true, take it from me.
Source: am internet
Good @thorbot!
I mean there are hundreds of videos of cats using toilets, so maybe his parents had taught the cat to do it?
Thelonious Monk, famous jazz pianist, actually wrote a book on this. We tried to get our cat to do it but alas, too dumb (sorry Herbert).
U can’t be serious?!
EditNotAnEdit: u sure you aren’t thinking of Charles Mingus or is that his stage name or something? I had to look it up but ironically i may still be overlooking this vital issue
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I. Want. Your. Cat. To teach mine how to be movie-level adorable.
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Wow, thank you for this awesome write-up! You didn’t need to go so out of your way to teach a stranger, but I appreciate the heck out of it.
I never would have thought this could work with cats, or any kind of behavioral conditioning for that matter. It’s the exact thing I would expect from a dog-training regimen. Regardless, I’ll give it a shot. I think I’ll see great results from the one who used to be right behind my heels wherever I would go at home. She still adores all attention, but she’s a little more independent now 😊
Thanks again for the tips! You’ll have a share of the credit for any future snoot boops.
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I used to date a girl who was a psychology major. She was studying behavioral psychology so ever since those days, I’ve respected and appreciated the people who dedicate their careers to understanding the brain.
I’ve figured out the water example on my own after getting a water bottle for work. It started out more as a “I don’t want people to judge me for being a soda fiend, so I should ‘fall in line’” kind of deal, but now I really don’t crave soda at work. Unfortunately at home it’s like a switch gets flipped to “drink sugar now”, but I’m working on it. At least I’m getting lots of water at work. I’m gonna look into the links you provided and see if it helps. Thank you!
We didn’t so much teach this trick, as he learned it on his own, but we got an automatic feeder for him to help us with his diet. It feeds him 6x per day, and since we’re no longer the ones giving him food, he has stopped begging us for food at all hours.
In any case, a few months ago, we noticed him in the dining room, staring at the grandfather clock. Then the clock chimed, and he ran over to the feeder and stared at it until a few seconds later, when it dispensed the food. He doesn’t do this, except around feeding time.
So, it’s just pavlovian: he’s learned to associate the clock chime with the feeder, and has a general idea when feeding time is based on how hungry he is. Still, it’s a neat party trick to tell guests we have a cat who can read a clock and tell time.
My cat can almost definitely tell time within about 2 minuts. At least for a specific time of day. He gets canned food the same time every day, and will remind me I’ve yet to feed him at most 2 minuts after (unless he’s asleep). The only clocks I have in the house are digital, and none makes a sound. It takes him a few days to adjust moving to and form daylight savings time, and the change is gradual. He does this after changing apartments, so it’s not some noise form the outside. I have no explanation other than he can tell time.
Its thought that dogs can tell the passage of time through scent. I’d be surprised if cats didn’t do something similar
My kids taught one of our cats to high five, it’s cute. Also if you never let them outside off a leash, they do learn to calmly step into the harness.
I leash/harness train mine. It’s nice to be able to mostly walk them around outside like dogs. Also I train them to ride on my shoulders for transportation. That way when they get too lazy to walk back to the house or I need to carry them around for any other reason I can just plop them on my shoulders and they will ride there, keeping my hands free. My neighbors probably think I’m crazy.
u/VegaLyrae’s suggestions are all excellent.
I like your style.
Mine just jumps on my shoulders anytime I bend over anyway, but then she likes to slowly slide down when she wants to get off, and claws are not really fun when that happens
Consent is one of the harder things to teach cats.
I taught my cat how to speak. Now he doesn’t shut up.
I also “taught” him to tolerate being cradled on his back like a baby.
How did you do the second? My eldest hates being carried. My youngest doesn’t like it either but he’s still young enough to be trained to like it, I think.
Be sure you’re supporting his back bunny-feet when you try. They feel safer knowing they can spring away, and are therefore less likely to struggle. Because cats. Also if they get away, they’ll land better so they don’t get scared for next time. If nothing else they’ll be training you to be a fun springboard, so be sure to carry them to something good like their favorite level of the cat tree.
I started cradling him when he was just old enough to be adopted. Every time we crossed paths, I would say “Scoop!”, scoop him up with a hand under his chest, roll him over backwards with my other hand on his butt, and lay him down on my arm like that. Then I’d scratch his tummy and give him kisses, then let him go after a little bit.
Two of my cats had upper respiratory infections as kittens, and I would spend a few minutes with them cradled in my arm while I scraped gunk out of their eyes and noses so they could see and breathe better, and giving them their medication.
By the time they were over their colds, they would just lay there quietly, patiently. They seem to like being held that way now.
My eldest cat often has a little discharge in the corner of his eyes. I’m having some limited success doing the same thing, just gently grooming his face with one hand, while scruffing him on his side or back with the other. He prefers wrestling to cuddling, though. He tolerates me touching his face only if I have my hand on the back of his neck. As soon as I let go, it’s wrestling time again.
I too made the mistake of giving my cat forbidden knowledge. She won’t shut up.
I taught my cats to high five. That’s a bit fun.
My cat recognizes the tea kettle whistle as time to get off my lap. “Up” and “Down” mean the same thing (you need to get down so I can get up).
She’s not the brightest, but a warning that she needs to move means I get clawed less.
And she can join you for a teaparty, whoa, way cool trick yo
she doesn’t drink tea (yet), but she does know head butting my hand when I’m holding a cup is a bad idea!
Ignore me.
Wake me up.Knock my shit over.
Fit in the box.My cat has mastered all these tricks.
I feel like people are crazy pussy-cat-whipped. I would never allow my cats to do the typical cat complaints, and I’m super good to them.
Mine knows: touch, spin, high 5, up (stands on his back legs), lie down
I used treats to teach my cat to come to me when I ring a bell.
She already knew the sound of a treat dropping on the hard floor so I would ring the bell and then drop the treat. Eventually I switched to just ringing the bell and she would come running.
Very Cat-vlovian,
My cat goes out to get coffee and breakfast on the weekends. I think that’s a little bit cooler than all of you guys’ tricks
My cat has learned the opposite; when I put my foot out she grabs it and tries to fuck me up with rabbit kicks lol she doesn’t use claws though so it’s okay.
I’m pretty sure that’s the default kitty behaviour
Well she is a standard issue, sounds about right then
