Training the Torties

weldrwomn

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I got all inspired and got a book on how to train the cats. I am impressed with how much they learn and the record speed with which they do it. Granted, I am only on the second night, but Marcie has learned how to touch the end of a stick on command and sit on command. For some reason, every "sit" is accompanied by a loud "rowr", but at least she sits.

Darcy doesn't like to touch the stick because it is rather boring. She prefers to sit, jump up, and jump down. I ended up with several puncture wounds requiring bandaids because she was too enthusiastic to take the treat from my fingers gently. Now she gets her treats deposited on the floor.


Has anyone else tried to train their cats?
 

katiemae1277

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I tried to train Atlas how to say Mama, cause his regular meow kinda sounded like it
did not really go over that well
 

footersownsme

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All 4 of mine know how to sit and come. I make them sit before they get treats. Training has not gone any further than that...they do know NOOOO and GET DOWN!! lol my neighbors got to think i'm NUTZ.
 

laureen227

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mine all know what 'no' means... plus, they seem to recognize 'tone of voice' - if i say their names in a scolding tone, they understand.

Pixel will usually come when i call [partway, anyway] as will Chip.

Java will raise her nose when i say 'kisses' so i can kiss it [she meets me at the door when i get home
].

Firefox comes when i make 'kissy' noises
- that's how i called her for her special extra meals when she was a wee little one.

they all seem to know [except Firefox, who isn't much for lap sitting, yet] that when i pat my stomach, it means get up, 'cause meowmy's getting up.

Cable pretty much does what she pleases, tho


oh, & they rarely get on the countertops when i'm at home.
 

katachtig

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Carly is the only treat motivated one so she will now sit and we do "high fives" where I hold up my hand and she taps it with her paw.
 

kluchetta

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Well, my cats know their names (except for Clyde, LOL). They come when they want to when I call...they like to make it look like their idea. Hmmm...I thought I had them better trained than that!
 

kara_leigh

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Nora comes when I call her...but only when SHE wants to. Which actually is not very often. LOL She comes when I say "come 'ere!" in a high pitch tone or call her name. Gus always always always came when he was called. I called him by saying "Gus Gus!" or by flicking my tongue against the roof of my mouth to make a "tk tk tk" sound. Nora is getting better at recognizing that as a call to come. It doesn't mean she WILL come, though. She just knows what it means now. lol I don't think I could get her to do any more tricks...not saying I couldn't teach her, I just don't think she would do them. She is VERY pretentious and everything has to be on her terms. She's our princess, that's for sure. LOL

I don't know if this would be considered a trick, but any time she wants your attention when she is on your lap or sitting next to you on the sofa, she'll reach up and oh so lightly touch your face with one paw. It's very cute. We were eating veggies last night waiting for the ball to drop, and she could smell the cucumbers. She sat there and begged. She was too cute, so she ended up getting a couple, along with a bite of a few other things. We found out she despises celery...that's my girl!! LOL
 

pintameez

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My super-clever boy, Cage, walks on harness & leash just like a dog (better than some dogs I've seen, to be honest, lol), right down the sidewalk, sniffing here & there, coming along when I give slight tugs on the leash, chatting away the whole time. He will also jump "up" or "down" on or off whatever piece of furntiure I am directing (chair, table, bed, desk, countertops, whatever). He will "sit" and does a sort of half-wave, with or without treats. He responds when you talk to him, very enthusiastically, he loves to babble. He does flips with the feather teaser, I tell him, "Jump Cage" and swing the teaser in arc over his head and he does a jump-flip-land thing, very cute. Cruz does this same thing, too. They know when I am just playing, or when I am asking them to jump-flip. He will fetch almost anything you throw for him: toys, bunched-up paper, granola bar, pack of gum, sock... you name it, he'll fetch it. His favorite is noisy paper balls, though.

Cruz, my Siamese, is also very clever. She will sit and she does sort of wave, she also fetches (mostly small toys), she hasn't quite gotten the hang of the harness & leash thing, although she does alot better when Cage is outside with her, and lots of verbal encouragement from me or my husband.

My Cally girl (RIP) had the BEST wave ever, she would wave any time of day, anywhere, for anyone, she even did it for the vet a few times. It was the cutest wave in the world, very enthusiastic and dainty, waving her paw up & down like a little child would. She also sat.

All my cats have always been trained to come when I called, "here-kitty-kitty-kitty-kitty-kitty!" They all understand "no" and "get down" and "up". I have attempted to harness train all my cats but some take to it better than others, some are just too nervous by nature to really love exploring the outdoors regularly. My cats are strictly indoors-only, they only go outside with the harness on, and if you pick up the harness or leash and jingle it, they come running - you have to be careful touching the harnesses in this house, or you have 2 excited cats at your feet, crying to go out for a walk.

I have always wanted to try toilet-training them, to use the human toilet instead of the litter box. I think that's fantastic, and maybe someday I will try it. LOL

Also, years ago with my very first cat, I had trained her to jump OVER small obstacles, like a horse. lol That was fun.
 

jack31

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I got a cat training book for Christmas and Jack and I will start our first training endeaver this evening! I think he will take to it very well! I'm still debating whether to try and train Harley--he's very quiet, has no idea what his name is etc...we'll see about him.

Leslie
 

sharky

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Dahlia is working on coming to her name ... it only been a month and she acknowledges it ...

The other four all know sit , stay , off , down , come , lay down and most of the time understand ut uh and NO ... I have been training cats for yrs
 

jack31

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Training went well with Jack!

failed miserably with Harley--he's not food or treat motivated at all--I wonder about his mental capacity quite often to be honest.

Leslie
 

kluchetta

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Originally Posted by Jack31

Training went well with Jack!

failed miserably with Harley--he's not food or treat motivated at all--I wonder about his mental capacity quite often to be honest.

Leslie
LOL
he's probably wondering about YOUR mental capacity trying to make him do that stuff.
 
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