You might have heard about clicker train, specifically for dogs – but did you know cats can also benefit from it? Below, we focus on the best steps to clicker training your cat, and how to get started. This is the ultimate guide to clicker training for beginners.
What is clicker training?
Clicker training is the use of a mechanical device, named a “clicker” which makes a super short, distinctive sound. This sound lets the animal know that they are doing the right thing at the right time. This combined with a treat, and positive affirmations is a really effective way to teach any animal some tricks.
So, to get started, you will need a clicker, your cat’s favorite treats, and a little bit of patience.
Step 1 – Calculate your clicks
You have to make sure to make each click count, this way your training will be the most effective. Make the clicks relevant, and give your cat a treat after every one of them. Wait until your cat has eaten before making another click and treating them again.
Each cat is different, it can take up to 20 repetitions for this to start to work. The clicking combined with the treat makes it a super effective way to train, though.
Step 2 – Change the behavior
If you want your cat to scratch the scratching post and not the furniture, or sleep in its bed rather than on the desk, whenever they perform these actions, click and treat. They’ll soon communicate that it’s a good thing to do, it might take a little while but it’ll work. Just keep on trying.
These are the first steps to training your cat, and they are simple tasks. Like, using the litter tray, lounging off the furniture, and not plucking the carpet.
A lot of cat owners top here, and that’s totally fine.
Step 3 – Target training
If you want to go a step further, you can go onto target training. This expands way past the basics. Once you’ve mastered the clicker and your cat seems to understand that a click is equal to appropriate behaviour, target training shouldn’t be so hard.
You can make your cat touch things with their nose, jump through hoops or other fancy tricks. Repetition is super important, as you go on, you will be able to modify your cat’s behaviours and teach them nifty new tricks that will impress everybody.
Make sure that any behavioral problems your cat may be having aren’t medical issues. If you’re really struggling to train your cat, visit a vet or a behaviorist, it might be an underlying issue.
Above all, have a little bit of patience, and have fun. Clicker training is a great way to bond with your cat and give them valuable skills that will benefit them all their lives.
We love clicker training with our cats, it’s almost like a gram that we play that we know it reinforcing positive traits into them.
Do you have any clicker training tips? We’d love to hear them. Also, check out the YouTube video below, we found it to be one of the most useful.
I didn't know you could successfuly clicker train a cat! My cat has a problem now with scratching on the corners of walls, so i'm going to try this on him.
I didn't know you could successfuly clicker train a cat! My cat has a problem now with scratching on the corners of walls, so i'm going to try this on him.
Great! Good luck, let us know how it goes!
Great! Good luck, let us know how it goes!
I am hoping the same best effort from you in the future as well. In fact your creative writing skills has inspired me. https://catthink.com/
I am hoping the same best effort from you in the future as well. In fact your creative writing skills has inspired me. https://catthink.com/