While you may have never seen a cat do tricks like roll over or sit, they can be taught to perform or not do certain behaviors. Dogs are eager to please their masters, but unfortunately, felines could care less. The main two methods for how to teach a cat tricks involve either positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement.
First you will need to decide what trick to begin with. Select a behavior that your cat already does frequently. Since felines tend to swat at moving objects, you might be able to parlay that action into giving you a high five.
Cats often react to the use of rewards in training. Give tiny bits of the cat's favorite food or treats as the reward. You may have to try several different types of food or treats to find one that will motivate your pet. Once you find a reward that works, you may want to limit the treat to your training sessions. Cats do not respond positively to training tactics such as giving praise or extra playtime.
At first, give your animal a treat every time the desired behavior is performed. Later, you should only give the treat intermittently so that a treat is not expected each time.
Patience is essential when working with felines. Any frustration or negativity on your part will only alienate your pet from the training process.
If you are trying to stop an undesirable behavior such as jumping on the kitchen table, try spraying water at your cat. Some will learn to associate the displeasure of being sprayed with the action of jumping on the table and stop the behavior.
Even though cat training is not as easy as dog training since cats are much more independent, you can learn how to teach your cat tricks or other behaviors that you want.
