There is a method of learning to which no mammal is impervious—not even cats. It is called “classical conditioning,” and is used in a very specific way as part of clickertraining. Every click results in something positive for the cat: a treat, a cuddle, a favorite game. Because cats are intelligent, they quickly understand what kind of behavior gets them a click and a reward, and they will experiment in order to find out what else might work. This manual explains what classical conditioning involves, why it works with every cat, how to avoid mistakes, and how to use rewards properly and develop chains and sequences of behavior, as well as small tricks.
About the Author
Martina Braun is an animal psychologist specializing in behavioral therapy for cats and dogs.
Last year Americans spent $400 million on 1.8 million tons of cat litter–enough to fill the Empire State Building two and a half times! Now, Paul Kunkel presents a foolproof, 21-Day Program for teaching any litter-trained cat between the ages of six months and ten years to use a toilet instead of a litterbox. Illustrations.
I have been training my ginger tomcat Jonathan for the last 4 months, and we’ve mastered all the basics: Sit, Lie Down, Stay, Wait, Heel, Beg etc etc. He even does tricks.
But he won’t roll over, not even for his favourite treat of Friskies.
Any hints, is there a physical reason why a cat is so stubborn?
