Training – a way out of cat boredom

Learning commands is primarily associated with dogs. Few people realise, however, that it is also possible to train and even coach a cat! Teaching it to perform simple tricks and respond to commands is not only practical, but above all a way of providing your pet with enjoyable, mentally stimulating entertainment and strengthening its bond with its carer. Caring for a pet is not just about providing food and basic accessories such as a bed – cats also need entertainment and intellectual challenges. Find out what you can teach your pet!

 

Cats love to learn!

Animals are eager to learn – acquiring new skills is a natural process that allows them to survive in an adverse environment. Pet owners use this phenomenon to encourage their pets to respond to commands – this is also how cat training works. Usually, if an action is mastered in the wild, the animal receives a reward (e.g. food) and if it is not performed correctly, it receives an unpleasant stimulus (e.g. pain), which helps to reinforce the behavioural pattern. In the domestic environment, the cat also learns all the time – e.g. where it can enter and where it should not, how it can behave towards its carers. However, can it be taught to carry out commands like a dog?

Strengthening the bond with the carer

Cat guardians often wonder how to strengthen the bond with their pet. Teaching and training work great for most cats! The basis, however, is to use positive training methods involving positive reinforcement (R+) and negative punishment (P-). In practice, this means that for a correctly performed command the pet receives, for example, a treat, and for a poorly performed action simply does not receive the expected reward. Motivating the learning of new commands with the help of pleasant stimuli makes the cat more willing to stay with the caregiver, because he associates his presence with positive events and fun ending with obtaining a specific benefit.www.DeepL.com/Translator

Rules of training tricks and commands for the cat

So how do you teach your feline friend tricks, such as responding to the command “sit” or “give paw”? First of all: slowly! Training your cat should be gradual, so that the pet does not get frustrated. Give the command and encourage the pet to perform the action and understand exactly what you want from him (for example, raise his paw, wait for him to sit by himself), then praise him and immediately give him a reward. What to keep in mind:

• start with the simplest commands,
• reward your cat for every, even the smallest progress,
• always praise him verbally and immediately afterwards give him a treat – after some time the word itself will become a reward,
• divide the training into short sessions of several minutes, so that your pet does not get bored or discouraged,
• end each training session when the pet performs the activity correctly (at least to a small extent),
• if you see that something is too difficult for your cat – ask him for something easier!

 

How to prepare for training a feline companion?

The most important thing is the preparation of the caregiver. To make training enjoyable for your cat and for you, first of all, try to learn as much as possible about training methods before you even start. Read professional articles, watch tutorial videos available on the Internet, think carefully about what you want to achieve and how. Then:

• choose a quiet and peaceful place where your cat will not be distracted by any additional stimuli,
• stock up on your pet’s favorite treats,
• don’t rush – start training at a time when you have plenty of time to do it.

If you notice that your cat is completely unwilling to cooperate with you, don’t do anything by force. Training is supposed to be fun, not coercive!

And after an intense workout…. Time to relax in the lair!

You will probably be surprised at how tired your pet will be even after a short training session! Training and training is a big intellectual effort for a cat, after which it will certainly want to sleep and recuperate. It is therefore crucial to provide him with the best possible conditions for rest. Each cat bed in Rexproduct’s range is designed to give your pet the most effective and healthy rest possible. See if you can find the perfect bed for your four-legged friend!