Pattern games are a simple set of exercises that provide a predictable and secure structure for animals in order to help them normalize changes in their environment (potential “triggers” for reactive cats). Patterns are safe, predictable, repetitive, voluntary and normalizing!
Pattern games were created by Leslie McDevitt for use with reactive dogs, but there is nothing stopping us for using these tools with our cats!.
This is just a cute and hilarious video of our cats performing their tricks. You’ll see them do well and then we roll into complete chaos. Just fun and inspirational. Training increases confidence and is a great way to have fun with your cats and build a bond! Give it a try!
Training can be so much fun and so incredibly cute! Once you teach the basics it’s easy to build upon that and train all kinds of cool tricks, like playing a children’s piano! Training can be for purpose and for enrichment. Remember it is just as important to exercise their brains as well as their physical body.
Cats can be trained, yes it is true! One of the most important behaviors you could teach is recall or “come when called”. This could save your cats life if they ever got outside unexpectedly or were about to dart towards danger. It can also help you find them in the home when you cannot locate their secret hiding place. Please, do not underestimate your cats ability to train and learn!
I make a lot of mistakes as a trainer in this video. The timing of my rewards are not great and I even miss a few entirely! Willow had only learned how to give “ten” just the day before. We were both still learning. I share this because it is important to have realistic expectations, try your best, and push forward. Just because it is not seamless does not mean you shouldn’t try to train your cat! You will learn together and from each other. Just keep trying.
This clip is an example of how well positive reinforcement can work to train your cats and kittens. Willow started young and she is very eager and focused, but older cats can learn new things too! In this video Willow: goes to mat, goes to stool, sits, sits up, spins, goes through a tunnel, rides a skateboard and hi-fives! (And is precious, but that is a given!)
by Caddy