Many people have a problem with free-roaming cats who hunt wild birds as they feed or nest in their yards, who use their garden as a litter box, or who upset their pets by invading their territory. You certainly have the right to enjoy your yard and the birds who visit it. However, it’s your responsibility to solve your free-roaming cat problem humanely.

Why Are They Picking on Me?

Although a destructive neighborhood cat can be frustrating, don’t take it personally. The cat isn’t acting out of spite or picking on you for some unknown reason. He’s behaving naturally. The problem, of course, is that he’s doing so in places you find inappropriate. The solution lies in making those places undesirable so the cat will behave naturally somewhere else. Many cats will hunt birds. Cats have preyed upon birds for thousands of years, and there’s no foolproof way to discourage this natural instinct.

Another natural feline instinct is to defecate in areas where the cat can cover his scent by burying the waste. Therefore, a cat who spends most of his time outdoors appreciates the soft, pre-dug dirt of your garden—or your child’s sandbox— as a handy toilet. When a cat naps on the hood of your car or in the center of your flowerbed, he’s simply sunning himself in a nice, warm spot and doesn’t realize the damage he’s doing. He won’t connect your negative reaction with the place where he naps, and although he may learn to avoid you, he won’t avoid the place or stop the activity. A free-roaming cat may approach your window or patio door and challenge your cat or dog through the glass with body language or vocal insults. The best way to protect your pet from this situation is to keep the outside cat away from the areas that your pet can see by using the techniques described below. Of course, the ideal solution is for all cat owners to keep their cats safely confined. Unfortunately, not all cat owners are willing to do this, so you’ll need to take steps to solve the problem without harming the cat, the birds, other animals, or your yard and garden. Because each situation is different, you may need patience and ingenuity to find the appropriate deterrent through trial and error.

Repellents

Repellents and devices designed to startle the cat “in the act” will work best to condition him to avoid the area. Never use poisons. Not only is poisoning animals inhumane and illegal, it’s not an effective solution to the problem. Poisons will only rid you of one “pest” and won’t deter any others. You’d have no way of knowing or controlling who might find and ingest the poisonous substance. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has registered more than 30 compounds for safe use in repelling domestic cats.

Check with any pet supply store or garden supplier for commercial cat repellents. Most commercial repellents are based on the simple mothball compound. Mothballs or moth crystals, encased in cheesecloth bags to help protect the soil, work well to keep cats from digging in garden areas or potted plants. Keep in mind that the effectiveness of any repellent will deteriorate with moisture and time. Whether you use mothballs or a commercial mixture, you’ll need to reapply the solution after each rain, heavy dew, or watering. Check with your garden supplier to be certain that the solution you choose won’t harm plants growing in that area, especially if you use fertilizers or other soil additives. For areas where cats want to dig, ornamental pebbles may be an effective deterrent. Avoid pebbles that are very round or smooth, as they make a great cat bed. Rocks or pebbles should be placed in a way that makes it difficult for them to be dispersed. Small-gauge chicken wire can also be buried under a light layer of dirt or mulch, and may even restrain some weeds. The sharp pebbles or rough wire will be uncomfortable to soft paws.

"Surprise" Devices

To teach a cat to avoid a specific area, you must make that area unattractive to him. The best method is to surprise the cat “in the act” but without the cat knowing that you are the one administering the surprise. Simple devices can effectively booby-trap the area that a cat has found attractive.

• Sound and Movement: Scatter dry beans, macaroni, or birdseed on a metal tray; disposable pie pans or cookie sheets work well and are inexpensive. Balance several trays along the fence, porch or deck railing, the windowsill, or around the edge of any vehicle where the cat jumps onto the surface. Birds can still land safely if the trays are balanced properly, but the weight of a cat leaping onto the surface will upset the tray. The cat will be startled by the noise and by the unsteady, collapsing perch. As a variation on this “falling tray” method, set shallow plastic lids filled with water on each end of the tray to add a shower to the noise and movement of the falling tray.
• Texture: To keep a cat from jumping onto flat surfaces (railings, vehicles, or decks), criss-cross double-sided tape onto a piece of sturdy plastic—either a heavy, plastic drop cloth or a vinyl tablecloth would work well. Drape the plastic over the surface and secure it with cord, or at least one weighted object, to keep it in position. The sticky tape is annoying to the cat (without causing pain or panic), and the slick plastic not only rattles but also offers no foothold. An alternative to sticky tape would be to use a plastic carpet protector with the knobby side up.
• Water: This method works especially well for those areas where birds feed on the ground or where cats are using a garden area as a litter box. When the temperature permits, turn on a water sprinkler during the usual time of disturbance (which may be dawn or dusk if the cat is on your property to hunt). A timing device for the sprinkler, set to a staggered schedule, will help discourage those intelligent cats who would otherwise simply avoid the area at “regularly wet” times of day. A motion-detector sprinkler, designed specifically for deterring cats and other animals from gardens and other areas, is another option.
• Obstacle: If your bird feeder or birdhouse is mounted on a post, nail a galvanized metal guard in the shape of an inverted cone to the post to protect the platform.

Responsibility

If these suggested remedies fail to provide relief, your next step is to establish who cares for the cat. In many cases, the “problem cat” may be an owned cat who is allowed to roam, or the cat may have no real owner. If the cat belongs to a neighbor, your problem is a shared one. It’s not always easy to discuss neighborhood issues diplomatically. Remember that the cat is your neighbor’s pet, even though he’s a nuisance when he’s on your property. By emphasizing your concern for the cat’s safety, instead of the problems he’s causing, you have a greater chance of gaining your neighbor’s cooperation. If you’re unable to determine who owns the cat, the problem is in your hands. In some cases it may be difficult to distinguish a feral (semi-wild) cat from a potentially friendly stray, so unless the cat comes to you fairly readily when you squat down nearby and gently call to him, play it safe and don’t touch the cat (if you are able to get close enough in the first place). Even some well-socialized cats despise being picked up by strangers. Assuming you’ve already tried the reconditioning tactics mentioned above without success, you may need to resort to a humane trap.

Humane Traps

Don’t use anything other than a humane cage trap designed to lure a cat into the cage with food and to safely contain him until he can be moved to another area. The Larimer Humane Society rents out these traps. Be sure to find out how to set and bait the trap, how to cover the trap, and how often to check the trap. If you have any reason to believe that the cat has an owner, please think twice before trapping the cat, unless you plan to return him to his owner. If the cat is feral and unowned, check with The Larimer Humane Society’s Animal Protection and Control service for more information.

To trap a stray cat, bait the trap with canned cat food. Place the trap in an area that’s sheltered against the weather. You may hear some alarming noises when the cat realizes he’s trapped. Immediately cover the trap with a sheet, blanket, or towel large enough to cover the entire trap; this will calm the cat considerably and prevent him from injuring himself in the trap. If the cat is confined with no access to water or shelter from inclement weather or predators, it’s important that you remove the trap from the area immediately. Using gloves to prevent scratches or bites, put the trap in a protected area until you can take the cat to an animal shelter or veterinarian (which should be as soon as possible).

Many owned cats, unfortunately, don’t wear collars with identification. An owned cat who is lost may behave fearfully. If the cat is unknown to you, take him to your local animal shelter. He will be cared for there, and his owners will have a better chance of reclaiming him. If he is not reclaimed, you may be able to take the cat yourself if you wish. Please contact the Service Desk at the Larimer Humane Society for more information about this. Also, please note that residents within Fort Collins and Loveland city limits, as well as within the Town of Wellington, MUST license and vaccinate all and any of their cats.

We’re all familiar with the impact that curiosity can have on a cat’s life expectancy, but a cat’s penchant for nosing around can be pretty upsetting to his caregivers as well. That’s why some cat owners seek to deter their felines from doing certain things through the use of “aversives.” Aversives are tools and techniques used to keep cats away from particular places or to stop them from engaging in undesirable behaviors.

Establishing an effective aversive stimulus to prevent various antics is often a case of trial and error, as individual reactions will vary with each cat. But don’t forget that even after you’ve found the best method to discourage a cat from a particular action or place, the approach will seldom work effectively unless you offer a positive alternative that is both convenient and rewarding. What are some typical aversives used by cat caregivers? Here’s a rundown of some common deterrents, each of which will have varying degrees of success depending on the objective and the cat.

Textures

One way to keep your cat away from certain areas is to surround (or cover) the area with materials that make your cat’s paws uncomfortable. Try shelf paper (sticky
side up) or double-sided carpet tape. Heavy plastic carpet runner (pointed side up) can also be used effectively in some situations.

You may need to weight the material firmly or tape it down to ensure it stays put. To protect furniture or floor finishes from sticky substances, attach the aversive to a piece of foil or heavy plastic and secure that with weights or light tape.

Smells

Because cats are often attracted or repelled by certain scents, you can set boundaries by soaking cotton balls, rags, or washcloths in a “stinky” substance that is not harmful to cats. To help protect carpets, upholstery, floors, or furniture, place the saturated object on a piece of weighted foil or heavy plastic. To prevent the substance from seeping into the ground, use the same precautions. Some of the most effective substances to apply include the following:

• Citrus odors—such as concentrated juices or fresh peels
• Colognes
• Some muscle rubs (NOTE: Some cats react to menthol as they do to catnip—beware!)
• Aloe gel

Tastes

Just as certain odors will discourage cats from visiting places where you don’t want them, certain displeasing tastes will keep them from returning. Some of the following substances may damage furniture or floor finishes, however, so be sure to test them in a hidden location before widespread use.

• Bitter Apple® or similar sprays and gels marketed specifically for pet taste aversion
• Some muscle rubs
• Citrus, such as from concentrated juices or fresh peels
• Aloe gel

Human-Controlled Aversives

Some items can be used to distract your cat and thereby interrupt his unwanted behavior. Such devices are not meant to terrify your cat, but to provide a brief distraction. It’s best if your cat does not perceive the distraction as coming from
you. In the instant your cat’s attention is focused on the distracting action, redirect his behavior to an appropriate object, and then give him lots of praise. Some effective
aversives that you control include:

• Spray bottle or squirt gun filled with water only (NOTE: Avoid high-powered water guns that have a very forceful spray)
• Loud air horn
• Whistle
• Shaker can (soda can filled with nails, pennies, beans, or pebbles—then securely taped shut)

Surprise! Remote Aversives

Sometimes the best approach for teaching an animal is to work from a distance. If every aversive is delivered when you’re in the room, your cat may quickly learn, for example, to jump on the coffee table only when you’re not around.

A few good approaches include:

• Motion detectors that react with a startling sound
• Snappy trainer (an upside-down mouse trap that’s securely taped under paper to avoid injury)
• Aluminum pie plate containing water, beans, or pebbles—preferably balanced precariously on a counter or other undesirable “jumping” surface so that it will fall off when your cat jumps up
• ScatMat® (which delivers a very slight electrical shock)

When using aversives, remember that they offer the advantage of modifying certain feline behaviors in ways that distance the “correction” from you, the caregiver. Experiment with different types of aversives and try to match the aversive to the cat. For example, using a surprise technique on a cat that tends to be fearful should be a last resort.

Above all, be patient and give your feline frequent play sessions and attention as well as appropriate objects for him to scratch, claw, and climb. That way, your cat’s antics will amuse you instead of annoy you, and the special bond between both of you will continue to grow.

Adapted from material originally developed by applied animal behaviorists at the Dumb Friends League, Denver, Colorado. ©2000 Dumb Friends League and ©2003 The HSUS. All rights reserved.

While we humans may not yet be adept at holding conversations in cat-speak, cats nonetheless use their language to communicate with us and other animals. Some cats “talk” more than others, but most cats do make noise some of the time, and they expect us to know what they’re saying. We’re all familiar with the meaning of hissing and growling, but there are many other sounds your cat is capable of making, and a variety of reasons for vocalizing.

Medical Reasons

If your cat’s behavior changes suddenly, the first thing you should do is take her to your veterinarian for a thorough health examination. Cats often hide symptoms of illness until they’re seriously ill; any change in behavior may be an early indication of a medical problem. A new vocalizing behavior, in particular, may indicate physical discomfort stemming from an urgent need for medical attention. A normally vocal cat who stops talking is also in need of a medical checkup.

Breed Tendancy

Asian breeds, such as the Siamese, are known to be very vocal. If your cat has a pointed face and a long, lean body, chances are she has some Asian heritage, so “talking” may be a part of her character. If your cat’s chatter bothers you, then avoid giving her any attention when she is vocal because this will only encourage the vocal behavior. Instead, give her attention when she is quiet.

Attention-Seeking Behavior

Some cats “talk” because they know they’ll get a reaction. People may talk back, put out some food, pick up and soothe the cat, or even pick the animal up and temporarily “lock” her in another room. All of these responses will encourage an attention-seeking cat. To discourage this behavior, simply ignore your cat when she does this, and when she is quiet, pour on the love, feed her, or give her some treats. This will teach your cat which behaviors you would like her to continue.

Your Cat Wants to Go Outside

If your cat was previously an outdoor cat and you plan to keep her safely inside, then good for you! The following are some suggestions to help make the transition easier on both of you:

• Spay or Neuter Your Cat. Spaying or neutering will rid your cat of those hormonal urges to go out and seek a mate. This will result in a calmer, friendlier cat.
• Create a Play Schedule. Schedule play times during the times your cat would normally be outside. This will distract her from her normal routine and establish another, safer routine.
• Provide a Window Seat. Be sure your cat has a view of the outdoors and a sunny place to lie. Cats like to watch birds, so putting a bird feeder outside a window is likely to make the window a favorite spot for your cat.
• Run a Scavenger Hunt. Give your cat a game to play by hiding bits of dry food around the house. Hide the food in paper bags, boxes, and behind open doors. This will give her exercise and keep her busy so she doesn’t think of going outside. This is especially good to do right before the family leaves the house for the day.
• Pay Attention. Try to give your cat extra love and attention during this difficult transition.
• Try Aversives. If your cat still won’t give up meowing by the door, try an “aversive.” For example, leave a strong citrus scent by the door to help make the area undesirable to your cat. Totally ignore her vocalizations. Whenever she is quiet, give her a food treat and encourage her to play or cuddle.

Grief

After the death or departure of a person or animal in your cat’s life, she may vocalize to express her grief. This can be a normal part of the grieving process. The best thing you can do for her is keep her schedule the same (or as close to it as possible) and spend some extra time cuddling and playing with her. With time, this problem should take care of itself. If your cat does not return to her normal self, consult your veterinarian.

Transition

If your cat is new to your home or has just gone through a change—such as a person or other animal moving into or out of the home—and she has just started her talkative behavior, be patient. This may be happening due to the transition and will stop on its own if the behavior is not encouraged. Remember, even scolding can be perceived by your cat as attention, and thus encourage the behavior.

Adapted from material originally developed by applied animal behaviorists at the Dumb Friends League, Denver, Colorado. ©2000 Dumb Friends League and ©2003 The HSUS. All rights reserved.

If you want your cat to live a long and healthy life, keep her inside. If you allow your cat to wander around on her own, without your supervision, she is susceptible to any of the following tragedies:

• Getting hit by a car
• Ingesting a deadly poison like antifreeze or a pesticide
• Becoming trapped by an unhappy neighbor
• Being attacked by a roaming dog, cat, or wild animal
• Contracting a disease from another animal
• Getting lost and being unable to find her way home
• Being stolen
• Encountering an adult or child with cruel intentions

The following are some of the reasons people have provided for allowing their cat to be outdoors without their supervision, along with our comments and suggestions.

"I Have a Six Foot Fence"

Unless you have special fencing that’s designed to prevent a cat from climbing out, your cat will be able to scale your fence and escape the confines of your yard. Even if you do have special fencing, you need to make sure that it can keep other cats or animals from getting into your yard to get to your cat.

"My Last Cat Went Outdoors and He Loved it."

Your cat may enjoy being outdoors, but by allowing him to go outside, unsupervised, you’re putting him at risk and shortening his life span. Most cats that are allowed to roam outdoors usually don’t live for more than a few years. Cats who live strictly indoors can live up to 18 - 20 years of age.

"My Cat's Litter Box Smells."

Scoop your cat’s litter box on a daily basis. How often you change the litter depends on the number of cats in your home, the number of litter boxes, and the type of litter you use. Twice a week is a general guideline for clay litter, but depending on the circumstances, you may need to change it every other day or once a week. Wash the litter box with soap and water every time you change the litter. Don’t use strong-smelling chemicals or cleaning products when washing the litter box, as it may cause your cat to avoid it.

"My Cat Likes to Sun Herself."

Your cat can sun herself by any window indoors. If you’re really set on letting your cat sun herself outdoors, put her on a harness and leash and stay with her while she’s taking in the rays.

"I Can't Keep Him In."

Keep your windows closed or put in screens. Remember to always keep your doors closed and teach your children the importance of keeping the doors closed, too. It may take a few days or a few weeks, but if there are enough interesting things for your cat to play with indoors, he’ll come to enjoy being indoors. Be sure to provide him with a scratching post and safe toys to bat or carry around.

"We've Always Let Her Out."

You can change your cat’s behavior. It will take time and patience, but it might save her life. When you implement your "closed door" policy, give her a lot of extra attention and entertainment. At first she may cry, but don’t give in. Soon she’ll be happy to stay indoors with you.

"My Cat Knows to Avoid Cars."

Even if this were true, all it would take is another cat, a dog, or a shiny object to lure your cat into the street and into the path of traffic. Also keep in mind that some people may not swerve to miss a cat in the road.

"My Cat Needs Exercise and Likes to Play with Other Cats."

Stray cats are likely to spread viruses like feline leukemia and other fatal diseases. If your cat needs a friend, adopt another cat that’s healthy and disease-free.

"My Cat Yowls and Acts Like He Really Needs to Go Outside."

Your cat may be feeling the physiological need to mate. If this is the case, make sure your cat is neutered (males) or spayed (females). Sterilized cats don’t have the natural need to breed, and therefore, won’t be anxious to go out to find a mate.

Copyright 2000. Dumb Friends League. All rights reserved.

Living with a cat can be beneficial to children. Cats can enhance children's self-esteem, teach them responsibility and help them to learn empathy. However, children and cats may not always automatically have a wonderful relationship. Parents must be willing to teach the cat and the child acceptable limits of behavior in order to make their interactions pleasant and safe.

Selecting a Cat

What age is best? Many people have a warm and fuzzy image of a kitten and a child growing up together. If you have a young child and are thinking of adopting a kitten (less than 1 year old) there are a few things you need to consider.

Time and Energy:

• Kittens require a lot of time, patience and supervision. If you have a young child who already requires a lot of care and time, you should ask yourself if you will you have enough time to care for a kitten as well.

Safety:

• Kittens, because they're babies, are fragile creatures. A kitten may become frightened or even injured by a well-meaning, curious child who wants to constantly pick him up, hug him or explore his body by pulling on his tail or ears.

Rough play:

• Kittens have sharp teeth and claws with which they may inadvertently injure a small child. Kittens also tend to climb up on small children and accidentally scratch. All interactions between your child and kitten will need to be closely supervised in order to minimize the chances of either being injured.

Advantages of Getting an Adult Cat:

• Adult cats require less time and attention once they've adjusted to your family and household routine. You can better gauge how hardy and tolerant an adult cat will be of a child's enthusiasm and you can work with your local animal shelter to adopt a cat that has previously lived with children.

As a general rule, if your child is under six years old, it's best to adopt a cat that's over two years old. Although kittens can be a lot of fun and it's exciting and rewarding to help them grow into wonderful companions, they do require significantly more time to supervise than an adult cat.

Who Will Care for the Cat?

It's unrealistic to expect a child, regardless of age, to have the sole responsibility of caring for a cat. Cats need basic things, like food, water, shelter and litterbox maintenance, but they also need to be played with and given opportunities to exercise on a consistent basis. Teaching a cat the rules of the house and helping him become a good companion is too overwhelming a task for a young child. While responsible teenagers may be up to the task, they may not be willing to spend an adequate amount of time with the cat, as their desire to be with their friends usually takes over at this age. If you're adopting a cat "for the kids," you must be prepared and willing to be the cat's primary caretaker.

Starting Off Right

Below are some guidelines to help you start off on the right foot. Remember that small children should never be left alone with a cat or kitten without adult supervision.

Holding:

• Because kittens often squirm and wiggle they can easily fall out of a young child's arms and become injured. If held too tightly or forcibly restrained, the kitten may respond by scratching or biting. It is safest for everyone if your child is sitting down whenever he wants to hold the kitten.
• For adult cats, have your child sit in your lap and let the cat approach both of you. This way you can control your child and not allow him to get "carried away" with pats that are too rough. You are also there to teach your new cat to treat your child gently. Some cats do not want to be held, but will sit next to you and your child if offered treats or petting. Keep in mind that the cat should be allowed to leave when it feels like it.

Petting and Giving Affection:

• Children often want to hug cats or grasp them too firmly. Your cat may view this as a threatening gesture, rather than an affectionate one, and may react with scratching or biting. You should teach your child to let the cat approach on his own terms and pet lightly. You should also teach your child to avoid staring at, or looking directly into, your cat's eyes.

Giving Treats:

• When children offer a treat from fingers held together as a pincher the cat may accidentally bite fingers instead of only taking the treat. Have your child place the treat in an open palm, rather than holding it in his fingers. You may want to place a hand underneath your child's hand to help guide him.

Supervising Play:

• Cats interpret quick and jerky hand movements as an invitation to play. You should teach your child to offer the cat or kitten a toy on a string in order to maximize the distance between the child's hands and the toy. Encouraging a cat to play with hands and fingers may result in scratches or bites.

Be Patient:

• Your new cat may take some time to feel comfortable with your child's actions and sounds and will approach when he feels ready. Your cat must also learn which behaviors on his part are appropriate and which are not. Our handout "Managing Your Kitten's Rough Play" outlines procedures for discouraging rough play and encouraging appropriate play. Punishing your cat for inappropriate behavior will not help. If he learns that being around children always results in "bad things" happening to him, he may become defensive in their presence.

Please contact a behavior specialist if your cat is growling, hissing or biting at your child for any reason. This situation needs IMMEDIATE attention. Punishing your cat is likely to make matters worse.

Copyright 2003. Dumb Friends League. All rights reserved

Train a Cat? Can You Really do That? Of Course You Can!

We’ve all seen cats perform on TV. Do you think those cats have something your cat doesn’t? Probably not. Cat "actors" may be more comfortable than your cat would be in front of all the cameras and lights, but the only other advantage they have is a patient and knowledgeable trainer to work with them. In fact, you can bet that many of those cats you see on TV were rescued from a shelter.

You may not envision stardom for your cat, but you can still teach your cat a few tricks and impress your friends and family. Tricks like sit, high-five, come, stay, and jump (on or over something) are relatively easy to teach. Training is fun and will strengthen the bond between you and your feline friend. Patience and a sense of humor are key. Anger and frustration have absolutely no place in training.

Clicker Training

One great training method used for cats and many other animals is called "clicker training." This method is often used with performing marine mammals and zoo animals that need to learn to accept human handling. It involves using a specific sound IMMEDIATELY after the desired behavior is performed. The sound can be a click (you can purchase cheap clickers from pet stores or just use a click of your tongue) or it can be a key word ("yes," "good," etc.). The trick (for you!) is to make sure you use the same sound or word all the time.

The idea behind clicker training is that the click (or whatever sound you choose) serves as a "bridge" between the desired behavior and the cat’s reward (after clicking, you’ll give your cat a food treat). So the order of go is: (1) The desired behavior occurs, (2) you click and (3) you give your cat a reward.

The reason for having a bridge is simply that animals live in the present. To make it easy for them to learn, we must let them know RIGHT AWAY when they do a good thing. Say your cat sits. In the seconds it takes you to fumble around for a treat to reward her for the sit, your cat may have turned her head to look out the window. For all she knows, turning her head is what got her the reward, not sitting. But you can eliminate that confusion by clicking the moment her butt hits the floor.

Of course, clicking in itself is not a particularly motivating reward for your cat. So now you must link the click with the treat. To begin, take a few treats in your hand, sit on the floor with your cat, and just click and treat. Click and treat, click and treat, click and treat. Kitty doesn’t have to perform any special behavior here. She’s just figuring out that the click is a good thing because it means a treat will follow. This may take minutes, hours or weeks!

(By the way, training should never last for more than a few minutes at a time. To speed up progress, you can do really short training sessions several times a day. But also keep in mind how many food treats your cat is getting, and adjust her diet accordingly if necessary. In fact, you may want to use her regular food as the treat if she’ll go for that. Or talk to your veterinarian about healthy treats and a good diet for your kitty in training.)

Targeting

Once your cat associates the click with the treat, a great way to begin actually teaching her to do something is by using a target. A target is something that she’ll learn to touch with her nose (and later maybe with her paw). A stick, a dowel, or something similar will work, as long as it’s long enough for you to be standing with it in your hand and have it still reach your cat’s nose while she’s sitting on the floor. Another suggestion is to use the "wand" from one of those cat toys that has a string and feather attached. Just remove the string and feather first.

Okay, now you’ve got your target. Begin by standing or sitting with the target in your hand and your cat nearby. Hold the target so that it’s easy for your cat to come sniff it. Some cats may be frightened if you wave it around them. Now comes patience (because you never want to physically force your cat to do what you want; learning is more effective when she figures it out for herself). Most likely, your cat will eventually come sniff the target out of curiosity. When she does, click and treat! If she just doesn’t appear interested, you might try putting a dab of moist food or catnip spray on the tip of the target. You may even have to begin by clicking and treating when she comes toward it, even if she doesn’t touch it initially. Baby steps are okay! Eventually, though, your goal is to get her to touch the tip of the target. Again, this could take minutes, hours or weeks. Several short training sessions are ideal.

Once she’s consistently touching the target, move the target around. You’ll eventually be able to use the target to make her walk beside you, jump up on the bed or a stool, perhaps even jump through a hoop! At some point, you can eliminate the target stick and just use your finger or hand as a target.

A Couple of Easy Tricks to Get You Started

Sit

Sitting is easy to teach. You can use the target or put a treat in your hand and let your hand be the target. If you use your hand, let your cat sniff the treat you’re holding so she knows it’s there. Stand in front of your cat. Lure her into the sit position by simply raising your hand or the target up and toward her back a little. Keep your hand/target close to her nose as you do this. As she follows your hand with her eyes and nose, the rest of her body will automatically end up in the sit position. If she gets up on her hind legs, you’re holding the target or treat too far away. As soon as her butt hits the floor, click and treat. Once she knows to sit by just your hand rising over her head, you can add the command, "sit." When she knows "sit" pretty well, you can begin phasing out the treats, rewarding only randomly.

High-Five

High-five is similar to the sit. Remember how we said that your cat may get up on her hind legs if you hold the treat too far away? Well, this is what you need to do for the high-five. Some cats may reach with one paw, some with both. Once one of her paws hits the target or your hand, click and treat. Eventually add the command, "high-five."

Don’t Stop Now!

This is just a brief introduction to the fun things you can teach your cat. To learn more, read the book, Clicker Training for Cats, by Karen Pryor, do an Internet search for "clicker training," Just remember that training should always be FUN for both you and your cat. The look of amazement on your friends’ faces as your cat performs is a great added bonus!

This article was written by animal behavior volunteer, Cheryl Kolus.

Copyright 2003, Larimer Humane Society