| CAN DOMESTIC CATS BE TRAINED? | | | | this level. Co-existing with a well behaved cat |
| Cats are always being compared to dogs. Cats | | | | entails the cat knowing which behaviors you |
| are often perceived to be independent wild | | | | disapprove of and which behaviors are o.k. This |
| creatures while dogs have a reputation of being | | | | should be conveyed through tone of voice. A little |
| eager to please and trainable. It is true that all | | | | reinforcement either positive or negative just |
| animals can be trained to do circus tricks with | | | | helps things along. Another example might be that |
| enough positive and negative reinforcements. | | | | every time your cat does something you like, you |
| Whether or not this is ethical is another story. | | | | scratch him in a way that you know is |
| Training an animal to do certain things at home | | | | appreciated or you feed him immediately. |
| can be done much the same way that a circus | | | | MAKING A CAT DO SOMETHING IT DOES NOT |
| animal is taught. However training an animal not to | | | | WANT TO DO |
| scratch furniture is much less extreme than | | | | Unlike dogs, cats are not pack animals. They hunt |
| training it to jump through hoops of fire so the | | | | independently and as a result act more |
| conditioning required is less extreme. | | | | independent. They do not have the social |
| HOW TO TRAIN A CAT | | | | hierarchy that dogs have therefore do not care |
| Training anyone to do anything whether human or | | | | about being submissive and pleasing the alpha dog. |
| animal consists largely of modifying behavior. The | | | | In the cat world there is no alpha "top dog." |
| idea is that either you want a behavior to take | | | | The natural way for cats is that they all take |
| place or you want a behavior to stop. If you | | | | care of themselves. Because of this a cat will not |
| want a certain behavior to recur whenever that | | | | want to rely on his owner for security. If an |
| behavior does occur, the subject should be | | | | aggressive dog approaches, he will not trust that |
| immediately rewarded. There needs to be an | | | | a human being can protect him and will not look |
| association with doing a particular thing and feeling | | | | to his master for protection. The claws will come |
| good. | | | | out, he might growl, he'll make himself look bigger |
| If a behavior is wished to be stopped there must | | | | than he is but he will not run behind his master. |
| be a negative reinforcement. It is not necessary | | | | This characteristic shows how the cat thinks that |
| that the negative reinforcement consist of pain | | | | he knows best. |
| but it should be unpleasant. It can be something | | | | In the dog world the alpha dog gets that position |
| irritating, annoying or even shocking. For example | | | | because it is the smartest. The other dogs look |
| if you want to train your cat not to scratch | | | | for the message about what they should do from |
| furniture, you could keep a spray water bottle | | | | him. A cat does not come from this system and |
| near the couch. | | | | therefore will never look to someone else to be |
| You close off the room to the cat when you are | | | | told what to do. A cat will always make up its |
| not there. When you are there with the water | | | | own mind. |
| bottle by your side you let the cat into that room. | | | | So if you have succeeded to train a cat to do |
| Every time that the cat begins to scratch the | | | | certain things, you can be sure that it has been |
| furniture you spray water in his face. He or she | | | | the cat's decision that this is worthwhile doing. The |
| will eventually associate scratching that couch with | | | | cat must obviously think that the reward is worth |
| being sprayed in the face. | | | | it and he has decided to do it. This is why the |
| Generally speaking a household pet can learn what | | | | term dog training is heard so much more than cat |
| it is that they are not allowed to do. In terms of | | | | training. |
| cats it may be easiest to keep their training at | | | | |