Like dogs, cats can learn tricks with clicker training. The sound of the clicker comes super fast, faster even than the short amount of time it takes for you to get a treat reward from your hand to a cat’s mouth for doing something right. In that way, the clicker lets your pet know that a treat is coming and keeps him motivated. There’s literally no time for his attention to wander. Here are some ways to optimize the training.
1. Teach your cat what the sound of the clicker means. Over the course of a few days, click and then immediately give a treat — for no reason at all. Do this 20 to 30 times so your cat learns that a click means good things are coming.
2. Never train for more than 2 to 3 minutes at a time. Let’s say you want to teach your pet to sit. Start by holding a small treat in your hand and moving it in an arc over his head, starting from the front, so that he ends up leaning back to keep seeing the treat and lowering his bottom to the floor. As soon as he does, click and reward. Do that several times. That’s it for the day. On another day you can add the “Sit” cue — six or seven times and then stopping. That way, your cat learns he gets rewarded for sitting when you tell him to, not just because he sits to be in a better position to see the food or because he happens to sit. Note: On some days your cat may not want to cooperate at all. That’s okay; let it go. The idea is to just have some fun with your pet. He’s not a dolphin who has to learn how to jump through a hoop to delight a crowd.
3. Train before meals. Your cat will be more motivated if he’s hungry.
4. Always end the training session when your cat has done something right. At the beginning, your cat may not sit all the way but may just bend his back legs a little. That could be the “something right.” Proceed another day to rewarding with a treat when his rump actually reaches the floor.
