Not only clicker-training is a fun way to stimulate your pet, but it’s also a great activity for both of you to have heaps of fun! “Whenever I have visitors,” says Chantale C. of Michigan, “I show them how Puffs can high-five me. It’s the greatest thing ever!” And, indeed, clicker-training is a growing craze within the pet owner world. Why not join in? All you need is a really eager cat or kitten, and a little information to get you started! Assuming you have the feline, here’s the information – have a wonderful time clicker-training Buddy!
CLICKER-TRAINING: TEN STEPS – ONE AMAZING RESULT
Like any other kind of training, clicker-training is a step-by-step process. You have to do everything in order, otherwise either you or your feline partner will get confused, a feeling which usually leads to another – the latter is often reffered to as “discouragement”. So, even if it seems long and boring, and even if it seems totally useless, each and every step in clicker-training is very important, and should not be ignored. I will write down this article in order of happenings, and not copying from any source – based on my own experiences. For the moment, it will only tell you how to teach your cat to high-five you – something which I was still teaching my cat at the time I was starting this article. Today, as I write the last words, I am still mourning my beloved Kiwi, who was fatally struck by a car on the evening of May 3d, 2007. I never got to show Kiwi’s new trick to anybody else than my sister and parents, and it was my dream to show how clever he was to everybody I know. I hope you will be able to achieve this dream and I wish you the best of luck in clicker-training your favorite feline.The first thing you need is a clicker. You can see, from its name, that a clicker is a “clicking” object – and even if professional trainers use store-bought clickers that are really called clickers, anything is fine. As for me, I use a pen. But the whole purpose of clicker-training is to get your feline to associate a sharp noise with a behavior, so you can even “tssk” with your tongue and will have perfectly fine results.
Now that you’ve got the clicker, you need to know what to do with it. Assuming that you’ve already read this whole article before starting the process, you have to decided whether you’re fast enough or need some practice. If you choose the last option, then turn on the TV and do this:
1. Whenever you see a person let’s say, sitting down, click on the instant the person’s bottom hits the chair. Choose some other easy things – eating, or opening a door. Imagine that you want the person to associate the click with his action. Click at the exact moment the action is being done.
2. To make things a little hardy, click on the instant a person starts speaking. If you want to teach your cat how to meow when the doorbell rings, you’ll have a “capture” (this is what it’s called) the meow as soon as it starts.
When you feel you’re good enough, find a peaceful room in your home and bring your cat along. (it’s recommended that you teach only one cat at once, unless you decide to teach them a trick that requires several felines) Place a bowl of biscuits near you, and start your first session! The first three sessions should be held the same day.
The first session is the simplest one. No need to teach your cat anything complicated. You just take your clicker (or whatever you might be using as a clicker) and click. At once, give your cat a treat. Always treat your cat the instant you click, and repeat the process twenty times or so. End of the first session.
Session number two is just as easy as the previous session, and the third session will be the same as well. End of the first three sessions, and of your first clicker day!
Session number four is when the fun starts. This step is called The Touch. You will need:
- your clicker
- your treats
- any kind of long, thin stick – it could be a spatula!
Hold the stick in your hand, and the clicker in the other. Show the stick to your cat, and click the instant he touches it with his nose (or smells it really close). Reward as fast as possible. Repeat the process. Your cat will probably be slow, but make sure you reward only when he touches or smell. Repeat about ten times before adding the cue “touch” right when your cat touches the stick. Repeat about ten more times, with the cue. End of session number four.
Session number five and six should be held the same day.
You can have a few more sessions – go on with the Touch trick until you are sure that your feline friend understands what he’s doing. Then you can go on to…
The seventh session, which is the most incredible session! Holding your clicker in one hand, move your fist on the floor in front of your feline. When he touches your hand with his paw, click and reward. Do this another 19 times before closing the session. End of session number seven.
Session number eight (held the same day) is getting even closer to your goal. Move your fist around the floor a couple of times, until you are sure kitty remembers the previous session. Then, lift your fist a little and let your cat touch it a few times. When he’s understood there’s not much difference between the fist touching the floor, and this fist a little higher, spread your hand and move it around. Go on a few times until kitty swats at it each try. End of the eighth session.
Session number nine is when Kitty will understand the whole purpose of his training. Move your hand like you did previously, not touching the floor. When your feline remembers and has touched your hand a couple of times, put your spread hand in front of his face (not too close!), like you would do if you wanted him to high-five you. Most likely, he will simply touch it like he did in the previously steps. Always click and reward when he does something right. Finally, add the cue “Gimme five!” and practice your trick a few more times. End of session number nine.
The tenth session is just some more practicing of the “Gimme five!” trick. Then you can practice once in a while to make sure your feline remembers what to do, and next week, invite your friends and family to see how smart your cat is!
Now that your feline has learned this trick, you are ready to teach him more. I wanted to write more about this as I continued training my young cat, Kiwi, but never finished the process of clicker-training him because of his passing. If you want to find out more about this wonderful activity, you could read the amazing book, ‘The Little Big Book of Cats’.
I hope that you will be able to teach your cats all sorts of wonderful things, and as you show his high-five trick to your friends and family, please remember the wonderful cat who never got to show his family how clever he was. And remember to love your cat as much as possible while you have him with you, because you never know when God will decide to take him away from you. Kiwi would be so please to see a cousin of his, high-fiving his mama. Thank you, on behalf of Kiwi, and may he rest in peace at Rainbow Bridge.
— May 5th, 2007
IN MEMORY OF KIWI – R.I.P., my little boy… I miss you so!
HI there, I have read your item and I think it is birlliant, firstly I am so so sorry about what happened to your dearest Kiwi. You loved him so much I can tell.
I breed Siamese, who are very intelligent cats, I am going to teach my girls this trick and hopefully many more. My cats play fetch and love it, I will let you know when my babies have learnt this trick. I have 6 cats and it would be great to get them doing this simultainiously.
Thank you for your story, was Kiwi a Norwegian Forest cat? He looks very like one. Have you got yourself another cat, if not you should.
DebXX
By: Debbie on September 14, 2007
at 10:59 am
Hi Debbie,
Thank you for your kind comment on my article. You guessed right – I never loved a cat as much as I loved my little Kiwi! Well, I think I adore each of them just as much, but in a different way. Kiwi was the most affectionate cat we ever owned, so I gave that back to him.
I’m sure that you and your cats will love clicker-training. The only thing I wanted to say is that in the article above, I missed a few steps between the cat touching the stick with his nose & touching your hand as you move it on the floor. Though this worked fine with the very eager two first cats I trained (Kiwi and Pollux), it did not work with Kashmir; some cats are just too lazy to touch a moving wrist! I recommend that you do try the method suggested in my article, but if ever you have a lazy cat (no offense to the kitty!!), you can ask for advice on this wonderful clicker-training Yahoo! group that I discovered a few months ago: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cat-Clicker The members are all very helpful and in the “Files” section, you will find many more fun tricks to teach your cats!
Anyway, I hope that this helps. To answer your two last questions: Kiwi was probably a Maine Coon mutt – we have no idea of his origins since he was rescued from a grocery store parking lot. And yes, we did get two lovely kittens a few days after Kiwi’s passing. I would have waited longer, but my mother and sister insisted on getting those kittens, and they are so adorable that I agree: it was the best decision! I am currently clicker-training them as well – Pollux gives high-fives and Kashmir gives me the sweetest little nose kisses on command. I will write an article on how to teach the latter trick, so keep checking my blog.
Thanks again for your kind comment! I hope that you have a wonderful week-end.
Cheers,
Maia
http://www.pawradise.net
http://furkids.wordpress.com
By: scratchingpost on September 14, 2007
at 1:21 pm