Recommendations and suggestions on the who, what, when, where, and how of training.
When it comes to modifying your cat’s behavior, consistency is necessary. Cat behavior is driven by both active reinforcement and habit (AKA, a history of reinforcement. To make lasting change, your approach needs to be predictable and consistent. Setting Realistic Expectations One of the most common mistakes people make is expecting instant results, and for … Read more
“But, my cat isn’t food motivated!” I frequently encourage cat owners to use food rewards when modifying unwanted behavior. And, almost as frequently, I hear this argument. Food is a powerful tool for changing behavior. Pairing something a cat doesn’t like with a tasty treat can change their feelings. Rewarding a behavior with a lick … Read more
Do you have a spray bottle on the counter, ready to stop counter-surfing? Or maybe on the coffee table to prevent furniture scratching? It’s a common tool in many cat homes. I’ll admit, I once kept a squirt bottle close at hand to try to stop a pet behavior problem. But, today, I want to … Read more
Have you taught your cat to touch their nose to a stick yet? Are you wondering why in the world you would do that? Called “target training,” you may have never considering training this simple skill. But professional trainers of all types of animals know that learning to target can be the beginning of many, … Read more
Whether it’s advice about cats, dogs, or kids, one suggestion is common: ignore bad behavior. That can seem like a good plan and sometimes it works, but sometimes it backfires. Is “ignore bad behavior” actually bad internet advice? Or just one piece of the puzzle? Why Ignore Bad Behavior? Many behaviors are controlled by consequences, … Read more
Confession time: I can be kind of lazy! When I train cats (or any animals), I prefer to get the most out of my time in the easiest way. That’s one of the reasons I’m all about rewards-based training! Rewards-based training (teaching an animal by creating positive consequences for desirable behavior) has many major benefits. … Read more
When you think about training your cat to do tricks, what do you think? “You can’t train a cat!” “That would be cute to post on Facebook, I guess?” “My cat is [peeing on everything, hiding all the time, biting me], I can’t even think about stupid tricks!” Here’s a radical* suggestion: not only can … Read more