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Despite what most people think, cats are able to learn simple (and later advanced) commands as long as their tutors do things correctly and use positive reinforcement.
The Animal Expert explains how to teach the cat to paw so you can interact with him and further strengthen your relationship with your pet.
It's very gratifying to see how your little one is able to follow a command you've taught with a lot of patience and perseverance because, without these two qualities, it's impossible to succeed with the tricks to teach cats.
So if you want your cat to learn how to put a paw on the palm of your hand, keep reading this step-by-step article and don't miss out on all the tips for teaching cats!
How to teach cats tricks?
The tricks you can teach your cat depend on your cat's ability to learn and your patience and perseverance to teach what you want her to learn. So, you don't think that only dogs are capable of learning commands, since cats also have this ability, in addition to being very intelligent and enjoying interaction with their human companions.
While it's harder to teach a cat than a dog, these tips for teaching cats rely on positive reinforcement, which makes the task much easier. The most popular tricks to teach cats include give the paw and turn on themselves, but they are also able to learn other things like using the toilet or learning your name.
First, you should know that the ideal time to teach the cat an order is when it is active and never sleeping, sleepy or tired. If you try to wake up the pet to play with you, you won't have good results. We also recommend that the training session take place before the Meal time so that your feline is hungry and the treats used as a reward are more appealing. To do this, use cat treats, snacks or canned food that you know he likes.
It is convenient that the orders you want to teach your cat are simple and within his possibilities since, of course, we all have our limitations and so do kittens. if you use always the same word associated with a certain order, you will get better results, such as "hello", "paw" or "give a paw".
Finally, we recommend that, in addition to treats for cats, use the clicker as a secondary reinforcement in training the pet. The clicker is a small device that emits a characteristic sound and is generally used to teach commands to dogs, and it can also be used with other animals.
teach the cat to paw
To teach your cat how to give a paw, follow these step-by-step instructions:
- Start by going to a secluded, distraction-free location to start your training session.
- If your cat knows how to sit, start by giving that order. If he doesn't know, give him a little tap by pouncing the lower part of the loin down so he sits on the ground.
- Then, give the order "hello", "paw", "give the paw" or whatever you prefer so that he performs the command at the same time offers a hand to your feline palm up.
- Wait for your pet to place its paw over your hand and, when you do, reward the pet with a treat.
- If he doesn't put his paw over your hand, hold the paw for a few moments and put you over his hand. Then, offer a treat for the pet to associate the gesture with the prize.
- Repeat this operation several times for a maximum of 10 minutes a day.
At first, your cat won't understand what you want him to do, but after several training sessions he will understand that by putting his paw on your hand, he will be rewarded. So, over time, you can eliminate the rewards and suggest the command at any time without having to always reward the pet with food, but with pampering, affection and praise so that it feels fulfilled. Don't think about doing this at the beginning or while learning the paw trick as it can get confused.
Tips for teaching cats
Just as each person is different, so are animals and each of them has a different learning ability.. If your cat has more difficulty learning a command than your neighbor's cat, don't worry or get upset as each thing takes its time. With patience, it is certain that you will succeed, always with a lot love and constancy, repeating the training regularly so that the pet remains motivated and doesn't forget what he learned.
Don't forget that you should stay calm and not scold the pet while you teach him how to give the paw, as this will only make it a negative experience for him, instead of having a fun playtime between pet and human friend.
Finally, you should know that the sooner you start teaching your cat tricks, the better. When they are puppies, they have a better ability to learn, just as human babies do.
Do you know how many fingers a cat has? Read our article on this matter.