Forums » Smalltalk » AMA Training Cats

Hi!

I have two kitties who are very talented. They are leash trained and Toulouse can shake, sit and poses for photos on command

I have a lot of experience working with cats and have a lot of Cat knowledge in general. Feel free to ask me

You love your cats so much!!

I live in a fairly dense cluster of apartment buildings and you sometimes see people in the common areas walking their cats. I really want to go up and ask to pet them, but I'm guessing that's not okay?

Oh thats awesome that you see people walking their cats! If the cat it out in the open (not in a closed stroller or back pack) absolutely come and ask us! (Even if the cat is in a backpack and stroller, i'd still encourage you to come talk to me. )Just like a dog you should never pet without asking so the same rules apply to a cat! The owner will know if the cat will react well or not. For instance I know Chinny is weary of Children so I pick her up in my arms and kneel down and instruct them to pet the top of her head. I am in complete control of the situation. Part of the reason I do this is to get through my anxiety because it encourages people to talk to me and force me out of my shell. I am always ready to talk about my cats.

Do you use/recommend a clicker for cat trick training?

That's amazing! On the topic of cat training, do you find it difficult to get them to wear the leash or harness?

I think my black and white cat would have benefitted from clicker training. I definitely recommend using it, however cats can be finicky so if they are not food motivated then they may not take to the clicker training.

Personally no. My cats do not mind it when I put the harness on them. The black cat, Toulouse was a kitten when I started him would bite at it but then learned quickly that it meant he could go outside. Both cats now push their head through and lift each arm to put their harness on. I will say in the beginning they were antsy but never 'flop on the floor and not move'. I have had cats in the past that would just lay down and never get up and being young I gave up on the idea instead of trying to get them to see the positive side of it.

In terms of the leash-- we're still working on Toulouse. He got very scared when we took him out of our backyard and tried to get to the park. He is more of a homebody and enjoys playing in the backyard. Winter has arrived so our outdoor activities have ceased so we will have to keep working with him next spring.

Chinny (B&W) is pretty good with the leash. I try to let her lead and go where she wants to go. For example we walk fine to the park because she wants to go there. However when its time to go home she gets defiant because she wants to continue to play in the forest. So to get her home I pick her up and walk for a bit, put her down and give her the option to walk back. If she is still defiant and I repeat the process but usually once I walk away from the forest she is good to walk home as long as we make a couple stops at her favorite rocks.

I LOVE CATS WITH ALL OF MY HEART. Just putting it out there...

Anyway, I've seen sssosoooo many people saying they hate cats because "cats are mean." However personally I have seen plenty of cats who are very sweet and have a wonderful bond with their owners. What is your response to that? What is your experience with your cats when you first got them?

A second question if you don't mind; how is your life with them? Like, in general at home. Are there lots of your belongings you've had to put away in fear of the cats messing with them and hurting themselves with them? Are they allowed to walk around wherever they want or do you have limits? For example I myself am a painter, an artist. So if I was to have a cat, what should I do to keep the cats away from the paint and such for them to not be harmed? Just stuff I've been curious abt because I've always wondered how people with cats (and animals in general) keep their personal stuff out on shelves and stuff and not have anything bad happen to it.

Thank you for anwesing ppl's questions and I hope you don't mind answering mine as well

Haha I am a cat lover as well!

I do not understand this sentiment at all about hating cats. If you say you hate dogs people look at you like you're insane. So why is it acceptable for people to hate cats? My answer to this is you haven't met a good cat yet. Just like there are dogs with issues there is also cats with issues. I wouldn't say its a bad dog, or a bad cat. Inherently its not the animals fault its usually lack of training or something traumatic that happened to the animal. Some cats just aren't social, they are not dogs and do not want to be pet hard all over. They may be sensitive to touch or sound. Cats absorb the energy we put into them when petting them. So when you start your pet from head and end at the tail you are putting a lot of energy into the cat and it may get overwhelmed and lash out. I always explain to people that they need to learn how to read animals based on their eyes and body language. This will make it easier for you to understand how to treat the animal. I always offer to let these kinds of people meet my cats because I know mine are very sweet. However these kinds of people usually decline because they are not open to the idea.

I have had many cats in my life time due to having parents that have worked in shelters/vets and the other being a zoologist and general animal lover. But the two I have now were my first kids. Meaning my full responsibility. I love them with all of my heart and will do anything for them. They bring me so much joy and help with my anxiety/depression.

Life with cats can be interesting. I had a couple of cats who had an obsession with chewing on wires. I lost many pairs of headphones as a kid and I was always angry. I learned to put them away in a drawer so that he would not chew on them. Now as an adult I stopped any bad habits that would have formed like wire chewing. However I do have to be careful still. Any sewing I do I must make sure the needle and thread is put away so the cats dont step on/eat the thread. No tinsel for christmas because if they eat it, it could kill them. I have to be conscious of plants that are toxic. I even have a fire escape plan for the cats.

To keep your cat away from your paints I would definitely suggest fully cleaning up each time youre done. Put your painting on an easel so they are not tempted to jump on it if the paint is still wet. Make sure paint water is disposed of and the cup is not left on the table to drink. Keep paint brushes away and wash them after each use.

I havent had too much trouble keeping them out of places theyre not supposed to be because the only places theyre not allowed is the kitchen counter and my dinner table. Everywhere else is free game. Now when I first got my bookcase I was worried theyd try and jump on the top and get hurt. So I simply place things on top so they visually could see there was no way to get up there.

Feel free to ask anything else!

I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU. There is no "bad" cat or dog or animal in general. It's created by a certain environment or by human intrusion. As you mentioned it's also abt reading the animal and many ppl sadly do the wrong things which then trigger a reaction from the animal of which they didn't expect and want.

Yeaaahhhh the wires thing I did think abt Does that mean you have protection on your wires and other electrical stuff or? Oh, fire escape plan? How did you make that? I'm very curious, haha.

Would it help to have a single room where I lock the door which can be my "art room" where all my art stuff are? Or is that bad? The paint brushes and all other stuff like paints, for example I have small pans of watercolor, does it work fine putting them into a box of some sort or a drawer?

Ah I see, good choice. I would say dinner table and kitchen counter as well would be a no go. It's because I've seen owners who let their cats go EVERYWHERE. Bed, counters, everything. So was just wondering, ahaha.

Thank u sm!!

No problem!

Because my cats dont have wire chewing tendencies I do not need to have wire protections. However for cats that do chew on them i recommend getting a bitter substance they sell to put on them so the cats will think it tastes awful.

My fire plan is to close doors check under the bed. Once both cats are located put them into their stroller or carrier whichever is safest to get to first. Carrier is in my bedroom, stroller is by the front door. Then move them to the car so they are safe.

In my experience having one room they can't get into is going to make them do everything they can to get into it. My dad always kept his bedroom cat free and every chance they had they were trying to bolt in. To me the cats world is so small that I don't believe in limiting their space by closing off a room. I think that you simply put your stuff away after each use in a box or bin until you've built a relationship with the cat. During that time you can teach it to not get on your art desk and then eventually you can build trust that you do not need to put your things away.

This is SO COOL. I had a cat whose name was Kitten / FUBAR because he would follow me anywhere without a leash; he was my soul cat and I miss him everyday. My current cat doesn't mind being on a leash but does that hunker-down-walk and does try to hide. She's great on car rides and is very food motivated, so it has been easy to ease her into things. I've been taking her into my apartment's hallway and working with her there lmao and it is taking a little bit of time. She is very big so it's easier to transport her with a leash instead of in a carrier.

Do you recommend a particular harness? I have a dog harness and one of the thin cat harnesses, but she managed to back out of the cat harness. I have taught her how to sit though. Why are cats so cool??

I had a cat years ago, and she really loved to jump up to my hand and bite me. I told her to stop and raised my voice in hope she'll understand, but it just encouraged her more.

Do you have any tips to train cat so they can stop biting their owner?