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.
clicker training
Finn demonstrates “recall,” a life saving behavior to train!
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!
Using Shaping to Allow Handling for Oral Medicating
In this video I teach you how to use the training technique, shaping, to desensitize and counter-condition your cat to allow their head, neck and jaw to be handled and manipulated to allow this type of pilling technique. For context and to see what your end goal will look like, check out my video, “Train Your Cat to Accept Oral Medications” and others!
Food Rewards Suitable for Training and Medicating
Cats are trainable and can be quite easy to medicate. It is all about finding something that motivates them to make it worth their while. The key to this being successful is keeping the reward novel; do not burn them out on it. Humans struggle with this part. Be stingy with your rewards and before you know it your cat will be doing all kinds of tricks like sit, hi-five, and even riding a skateboard! Not to mention eating their pills willingly! That's right, just take a look at the photos below to see how my cats swarm me at meds time.
Meats:
Canned cat food-generally something different than you offer each day
Hill’s a/d, Royal Canin Recovery, Purina CN (these Rx diets are ultra hi-calorie and should only be used for medicating & positive reinforcement)
Single ingredient, plain meat human baby food (ham, chicken, beef, turkey) NO onions! Or try Ciao Churu purees (essentially baby food made just for cats) available in a variety of different flavors.
Broths-chicken and beef broth (low/no sodium), tuna, oyster or clam juice
Deli meat, boiled chicken, sardines, salmon, SPAM! (yes, Spam)
Dairy: *most cats are lactose intolerant-use sparingly*
Milk, cream, heavy whipping cream, whipped cream cheese, yogurt, vanilla ice cream, cheese (any version), squeeze cheese, sour cream, and the like
Outside the box ideas:
Mini marshmallows (they make a great pill pocket)
Banana or Peanut Butter
Willow will do most anything for Hill's a/d, that's how she learned to skateboard!
The meds train at our house! They come to ME!
Lined up and waiting. My service is apparently slow.
Ever think your cats would be eager for pills?
Traditional cat treats:
Freeze dried meat treats (Purebites-chicken & turkey or Halo’s Liv-a-littles)
Greenie’s dental treats or Greenie’s Smartbites
Temptations, Pounce, Whisker Lickin’s, Party Mix (considered junk food and a last resort for sick old seniors that need medications).
Any dry food other than their regular dry food can also be a treat.
*always check with your veterinarian first
Get them accustomed to the routine young, BEFORE they need daily meds.
Cats are trainable, but you gotta pay 'em!
Need More Help?
Watch my Medicating Tips and Tricks video!
Different cats.
Different personalities and ages.
All enthusiastic for meds time!
Willow Skating and Giving “10”
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.
Willow clicker training at 5 months
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!)
