DIY Network

Cat Training 101 From "Pet Care" episode PCW-103

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Figure A Figure B Figure C Figure D Figure E

Debbie Silverman, a professional cat trainer, shares some of the tricks of the trade (with the help of Dime the cat). She explains that she trains cats by conditioned response, or the technique of rewarding them with food whenever they perform the correct action.

In order to begin, you need to make a simple tool consisting of a means of giving the cat his reward and a clicker (figure A) to help condition him aurally (the clicker imitates the sound of the cat-food can being opened and acts as a "bridge" in the training process).

Cat training tool

Materials:

Spoon
Paint stirrer
Clicker
Canned cat food

Attach the spoon and the clicker to the paint stirrer with tape. To train your pet, you will place cat food on the spoon and use it as a reward.

Always conduct your training sessions on a table. This places the cat in a confined space -- and it's much easier on your back!

Sit

1. Place the spoon-end of the tool slightly above his head. His natural impulse will be to sit as he looks up at it (you can assist by placing a hand on his rear and pressing down gently). He may raise one or both paws (figure B).

2. Wait until he puts all four feet back down on the table.

3. As soon as he is in the correct "sit" position, click the clicker and immediately let him have a bite of the food (figure C).

Down

1. With the cat at the edge of the table, lower the spoon until it's below his eye level (figure D).

2. When the cat lowers himself into the "down" position (figure E), click and reward him. (You can guide him into the proper position with your hand, as you did for "sit." Always be gentle; never push or force him.)

Remember: The bridge is the sound your cat will associate with his food reward.

Guest:Debbie Silverman
Professional cat trainer
Information private

Web site resources for Cat Training 101

Cat Training at cattales.org
Clicker Training at clickertrain.com

Books:

Felinestein: Pampering the Genius in Your CatBy Suzanne Delzio and Sophia Varcados
ISBN: 0062736302
HarperCollins (1999)
Available at bookstores nationwide and online.

Fifty Ways to Train Your Cat
By Sally Franklin
ISBN: 0876059396
Howell Books (1996)
Available at bookstores nationwide and online.

Cat Be Good: A Commonsense Approach to Training Your Cat
By Annie Bruce
ISBN: 096740620X
Good Cats Wear Black (1999)
Available at bookstores nationwide and online.