I've had my male cat about 6 months now. He's about 1-1/2 years old. I suspect he's pretty intelligent. (I've had cats ranging from dunces to Albert Einsteins, so I'm able to evaluate them pretty realistically.)
I live in a building with interior hallway, and take him plus my female on a walk down the hall every night. The female doesn't go far from my door, but the male may go all the way to the end of the hall (quite a distance), and sometimes so excitedly that he ceases walking and RUNS down the hall.
The first word we taught him was "Bad". He learned that quickly and knows it means not to do whatever it is he's doing. (Whether he complies or not depends on his mood.) The second word he learned was "Walk". This causes him to make a beeline for the front door, knowing his fun is about to begin. The third word he learned was "Home", meaning the walk (or run) is over; go back home. (Again, whether he complies or not depends on his mood.)
I am now trying to teach him "Bed". Sometimes he spends the night in the living room in his cat tree. Sometimes he sleeps on my bed. I like when he's with me and want this word to be a signal to come to me. My question is, is "Bed" too much like "Bad"? I don't want him to get confused, and I don't want him to equate the two, leading to who knows what bizarre behavior.
Any thoughts?
Thanks!
I live in a building with interior hallway, and take him plus my female on a walk down the hall every night. The female doesn't go far from my door, but the male may go all the way to the end of the hall (quite a distance), and sometimes so excitedly that he ceases walking and RUNS down the hall.
The first word we taught him was "Bad". He learned that quickly and knows it means not to do whatever it is he's doing. (Whether he complies or not depends on his mood.) The second word he learned was "Walk". This causes him to make a beeline for the front door, knowing his fun is about to begin. The third word he learned was "Home", meaning the walk (or run) is over; go back home. (Again, whether he complies or not depends on his mood.)
I am now trying to teach him "Bed". Sometimes he spends the night in the living room in his cat tree. Sometimes he sleeps on my bed. I like when he's with me and want this word to be a signal to come to me. My question is, is "Bed" too much like "Bad"? I don't want him to get confused, and I don't want him to equate the two, leading to who knows what bizarre behavior.
Any thoughts?
Thanks!