Ways to Train your Cat Smarter

It is true that dogs are very intelligible and can be trained easily from a young age. They are called man’s best friend for a reason. But what about cats?  Can cats be trained in the same manner as dogs? The answer is yes, and no. With cats, it will require major patience when training them because often time’s cats might seem distant and uninterested in your efforts to train them as cats are regarded as very independent animals.

Cats are very Smart yet Delicate Animals

If you consistently reward them with treats for responding to training well, they will eventually learn to associate treats with good behavior. However, you must be careful not to lose your patience and raise your voice at them as this will unnecessarily stress them out. 

Training your cat will also depend on your cat’s breed and temperament. Many cats are highly communicative and affectionate.  Just like dogs, some cat breeds are regarded as smarter than other cat breeds, such as Bengal cats, Abyssinian cats, Siamese cats, Burmese cats, domestic shorthairs, Cornish Rex, etc. 

Following are some simple ways to train your cat smarter

Start Small

You can start training your kitten as soon as they learn how to walk. Potty training is an absolute must if you want to keep your house clean while having a cat. In the beginning, it is crucial to keep an eye on your kitten and guide them to the litter box manually. They will eventually start going on their own too.

If you are training your older cat, you might want to start with the basics such as “sit” and “stand.” Hold a treat over your cats head as a tease and they will obey your commands much more easily. 

Treats will make training easier

When you begin to train your cat, it will be much easier for them to remember the tricks and commands if you reward them with a treat afterward. This will teach them to associate treats with good behavior and obedience. 

Specific tricks

You can teach your cat to give a high five, shake its paw, lie down and roll over as well as advanced tricks as jumping through loops and fetch. This will require some patience and lots of treats. 

• High five and Shake- Wait till your cat is sitting still. Hold your cat’s paw in one hand and a treat in the other. Shake its hand slowly and then give it the treat. Do this every day till, eventually, they do it without the treat. 

• Loops- Place a bigger treat, such as a bowl of biscuits on the other side of the loop, and tease your cat about getting to it. The cat will figure out how to pass through the hoop and get its treats. 

• Fetch- You can find many cat toys online, such as squishy balls or clickers with laser lights that will help in keeping your cats on its toes. Cats love to chase after things such as balls and eventually learn to fetch it as well. 

Be consistent

Training your cat daily and over a period f time will yield better results in the long run. Make sure you also expose your cat to outdoors with leashed walks or drives.