Train Your Cat to High-Five
Is it possible to train a cat? Absolutely! Here is a quick lesson on how to do so.
First, find something delicious that your cat values. Think baby food. Turkey, chicken, or ham baby food work great, as do mackerel or tuna fish. Baby food is our favorite since it is easily scooped with a spoon and quick to heat (approximately 15 seconds on low heat in your microwave), but test it on your finger first to ensure it is not too hot.
You can give him a hard cat treat, although it will take him longer to eat and expect training to go slower. If you offer fish, offer tiny bite-sized pieces so they are consumed quickly.
Second, find a clicker. If you haven’t already introduced your cat to the clicker, watch this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q787R2DNDJI Your cat should know that a click means a treat is coming.
With your cat in front of you, SLOWLY AND LIGHTLY touch his front paw. When he lifts his paw, click and give him three licks of baby food. Repeat several times. You will soon notice him lift his paw without being touched. When he does this, click and treat. Repeat this ten times and end your training session.
When he has offered his paw a total of thirty times (throughout several training sessions), he is ready for a verbal cue. Say ‘Give me five!’ and offer your hand. When he touches your hand, click and treat!
Hooray, your cat knows a fun party trick!
Tips:
* Practice before meal time.
* Keep training session short. If he walks away during training, let him do so. We want to end a training session while he’s still engaged and next time make a point to do a shorter training session. If you trained for four minutes today, train for two minutes tomorrow. By doing so, your cat will be more eager to train next time.