How to Clicker Train a Cat

Many people say that cats can't be trained to do tricks, but this is totally false. They can be trained to do a variety of behaviors, and one of the easiest ways to teach them is via clicker training. Clicker training is based on behavioral psychology. It uses a signal (in this case, the sound of the clicker) to let the cat know when it has done a desirable behavior or has performed correctly. The clicker is a way for the trainer to say "yes" to the cat.

Things You'll Need

  • Clicker or noise making device
  • Treats to use as rewards
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Instructions

    • 1

      Get yourself a clicker. Although you can use any small device that makes a distinctive sound, you may want to buy a clicker from one of the websites that specializes in clicker training. They offer a small, easy to use clicker that produce a sound that the cat isn't likely to hear anywhere else. The sound has to be unique because you will be teaching your cat to associate that specific click with rewards and good behavior.

    • 2

      Choose some treats to use with the clicker during the initial training. Use something that your cat really enjoys so you can easily teach it to associate the clicker with a favorite treat. Commercial cat treats are easiest, but if you have a fussy cat you might need to use little bits of lunch meat or some other favored goodie.

    • 3

      Consider getting a book about clicker training animals. In this article, you will learn the basics of clicker training. You can use this training method to teach a cat just about any behavior, and you can also use it successfully with almost any other type of animal. If you are successful with the basics, you may want to move on to more complicated tricks. A good book will guide you through this. Search "clicker training" on Amazon or any of the major book-selling sites and find a guide book that appeals to you.

    • 4

      Decide on a simple behavior to start. Choose something natural for your first attempt so it will be easy to teach the cat to associate the clicker with a reward. For example, you might decide that you want your cat to touch an object with its paw on command. Because many cats will naturally touch or bat at objects, this is a good way to teach the cat to associate the clicker sound with doing something correctly and being rewarded for it.

    • 5

      Click the clicker immediately whenever the cat does the desired behavior. Make sure that the clicking sound occurs while the cat is doing the behavior, not after it stops. The two things must be linked together in the cat's mind. Initially you can reward the cat for any attempt. For example, if you're trying to get it to paw a ball and it just lightly taps the ball, click during the behavior and immediately give it a treat. As your lessons progress, click and reward only when the cat puts its paw completely on the ball.

    • 6

      Give the cat a treat immediately after using the clicker. The idea is to teach the cat to associate the sound of the clicker with something positive. The treat reinforces the clicking sound and the fact that the cat did something desirable. As you progress in your training, you will eventually stop using the treats. However, in the beginning it's critical to use them and to give them immediately after the click to get the concept firmly implanted in the cat's mind.

    • 7

      Keep your lessons short. Cats have a limited attention span, and if you try to force them into a too-long training session, they will associate the clicker with something negative. Spend a few minutes working with your cat several times a day. Your cat will enjoy the attention and look forward to the sessions.