One of the most desirable things that your cat can do is to come when you call for her. It is highly likely that she has already learned to come when she hears the can opener or the treat can but, unless you can emulate that sound, you will need to come up with an alternative cue.
Cats cannot be forced into doing anything. The more you attempt to coerce them, the more they will wish to escape the situation.
A cat must want to perform a specific behavior before you can teach her to do so on command. Therefore, the reward for that performance must be highly motivational so that she will want to repeat the behavior over and over again.
Clicker training can enhance your feline's performance by informing her when she did something you liked so that she knows the reward is on its way.
Before you can train your cat to perform anything, you must discover what will make her want to work for you. Many cats will do anything for canned food or tuna. Some cats prefer treats. Then there are those cats that could care less about food rewards but a special toy will get them moving.
Begin the training by teaching your cat the meaning of the click sound.
Now that your cat understands the meaning of the click, we can progress to teaching her to come when called. (You can also target train your cat at this point, if you like. Target training is explained fully in this article.)
Always begin training with small steps.
Your cat will not automatically understand to come running from long distances unless you first teach her to come to you from a foot away.
You will discover that your cat learns very quickly, and it won't be long before you're able to have her come to you from across the room.
Be sure to be timely with your click and reward. Once motivated, cats respond very quickly and need to be informed of their success immediately.
Limit your training sessions to five or six repetitions, and stop the training session if your cat acts disinterested or frustrated. Simply try again later.
Never attempt to use punishment as a way to train your cat. This will lead to fear, hiding, or aggression and possibly other negative behaviors.
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