Cat Lovers Digest

Cats tend to be individuals. They like to do things at their own convenience and without any regard for their owners. If a cat wants to come when it is called, it might or it might not, depending on its mood and what it is doing at the time. However, there are things that you as an owner can do to get your cat to come when it is called, or at least improve the chances of getting your cat to respond.

The first step to getting your cat to “come” is getting it to recognize its name and the word come. Get some very special treats ready. Get very close to your pet and have a treat ready in your hand. Say its name followed by the word come in a pleasant, cheerful voice. If the cat turns towards the noise, praise it and offer the treat. Practice this for a few sessions. Keep the sessions very short.

After a few sessions move a little further away from your pet. If the cat comes to you, praise and reward him. If the cat does not show any interest call again and make sure that the cat knows there is a reward being offered. Do not throw the treat, make the cat come right to you to get its reward. As your cat begins to grasp the concept move a little further away. Always offer a reward, but keep them small. This is not a meal.

Your cat will soon realize that it will get rewarded for answering. Cats, like any animal, respond better to positive reinforcement rather than negative. Do not correct your animal if it does not do what you want. Ignore the failures, and praise each small success. Cats are not stupid, they can and will learn if they understand exactly what it is that they are being asked to do. Try again later. As your cat learns, move to another room and try calling.

To get the best results practice when your cat is hungry. If your cat is full, you will greatly reduce your chances of success. If you do free feed your pet you may want to stop doing this while you are training. After a training session feed the cat its regular meal but take the food away after a couple of minutes. Do not starve the cat, but do not leave the food out either. Make sure that it gets a decent meal.

Many pet owners mistakenly send a mixed message to their pet. You always want the cat to think that coming when it is called is a good thing. Never call your cat and follow up with an unpleasant experience. This means that if you have to give your cat a pill or take it on an unwanted trip in the car do not call the cat. Instead go and physically get the cat. You have to ensure that every time you call your cat it is pleasant experience for the animal. You do not want the cat to make the association of an unpleasant experience with the act of coming.

If you do all of these things you will discover that it will not take long before your cat responds to being called. Cats are not hard to train. You just have to make sure that you are providing a reason to respond and are sending the correct information to your cat.