TheCatSite.com › Forums › Our Feline Companions › Behavior › Do you think you can teach your cat to spell?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Do you think you can teach your cat to spell?

post #1 of 14
8/2/10 at 6:32pm
Thread Starter 
I'm working on teaching Jack to spell his name with refrigerator magnet letters (the kinds kids play with).

He's catching on fast. We started with the letter J (as that's the only one I have now) but I get him to touch the letter as I call it out and give him a nibble of dry food treat when he does.

He only gets the treat when he touches the letter. I have other magnets and line them up with the J and then he has to choose. So far he's been picking the J letter over the other kind.

Eventually I'm hoping to get him to spell out his name. Just thought it would be a fun trick to show people.......since most don't think cats can learn anything
Reply
post #2 of 14
8/2/10 at 7:45pm
I don't doubt an Oci could learn to do it
Reply
post #3 of 14
8/30/10 at 10:36am
Thread Starter 
Jack now knows how to spell his name with ALL 4 letters and do it with 95% accuracy.

He rarely touches the wrong letter - even if I mix them up.

Now to figure out how to get it on video and either post to utube or something to show. He even has performed this for 2 outside people who stopped by our house.
Reply
post #4 of 14
8/30/10 at 10:47am
Nice, jack is really smart, how I wish my Charlie could do it too, he is a very lazy cat
Reply
post #5 of 14
8/30/10 at 12:08pm
Thread Starter 
You have to more/less go with what they are motivated most with - what do they like to play with most, what tendencies do they have that could be built into a trick.

With Jack, he's very food motivated and he loves to play with the refridgerator magnets..........so I built on that and it was easy to teach. He knows how to open cupboard doors too, but I don't want to encourge that behavior - he does it enough on his own!
Reply
post #6 of 14
8/30/10 at 1:44pm
Wow, that is amazing, I would love to see that. No doubt that probably all cats could learn this and similar things, I just do not have time. x
Reply
post #7 of 14
8/30/10 at 5:01pm
Thread Starter 
I disagree - not all cats are motivated to do tricks. This is why you have multiples in a tv show, because some are better at certain things then others. Ling would not have the patience to sit and look at letters on the fridge, as she has no motivation to even play with them.
Reply
post #8 of 14
8/31/10 at 8:49am
How cool! One of my cats is pretty dim, and the other is quite lazy, and neither are food motivated, so I don't think mine could do it, but I'm sure some could, lol .

I always said that I should've taught tricks to my cat who just passed away. She was *extremely* food motivated, and I have no doubt that she would've done whatever she could if she thought it would result in a bit of cheese .
Reply
post #9 of 14
8/31/10 at 8:54am
lol whatever next, talking cats, cats that walk and now spelling cats! you should youtube it, love to see it.
Reply
post #10 of 14
8/31/10 at 9:36am
that would be brilliant to watch

clever Jack
Reply
post #11 of 14
9/4/10 at 1:35pm
When you get some pictures, be sure to post them so we can laugh too.
You can teach certain cats to do things. My Max played hide and seek. I would tell him, "Max, I am going to hide from you." He would wait and give me plenty of time then he would look in every room until he found me. It was too funny.
Reply
post #12 of 14
9/4/10 at 3:07pm
Squeak rolls over for treats. Dusty is not food motivated at all, plus she is lazy.

I'd love to watch Jack spell too!
Reply
post #13 of 14
9/4/10 at 3:17pm
I had a dog who knew how to read .... I am sure Sylvie does but he is only motivated by him and maybe Nat
Reply
post #14 of 14
9/5/10 at 2:42pm
I would be scared of what Ripley would say if she knew how to spell!
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Behavior
TheCatSite.com › Forums › Our Feline Companions › Behavior › Do you think you can teach your cat to spell?