Cat’s can be trained? I get asked this often. My answer is yes; they can be trained. Continue reading to know more about us here at Mio and Melody’s cat training.
A girl and two cats
As the human of the trio, I, Kathryn, will be the one you will see the most. I started with a childhood surrounded by animals. I was the youngest in the household, and it was my responsibility to take care of all the animals. It also fell on me to train our dogs. It never occurred to me that one could train a cat until 2008 when I decided to put a leash on my very sociable tuxedo, Sunny. Even though he was five years of age, he took to it right away and loved our daily walks. We were always accompanied by my much more skittish black cat Seiko, who refused to take to the leash but didn’t want to leave the side of his best friend.
Fast forward to 2019, and I’m bringing home a scared ginger female tabby, who quickly developed a severe case of separation anxiety. Before I chose her, I also planned to bring home one of her siblings, but unfortunately, her three siblings had all been claimed already when I had the chance. Her separation anxiety also created a case of over-excitement and jealousy. No one could come near me without her attacking them. Something had to be done. I spent all my free time teaching her the word, no, to come when called by name, how to react to other humans and animals, learning commands such as sit, shake, and beg and stress training.
A month later, I came to find out one of the other kittens from her litter was never picked up by the person who claimed her, and she was offered to me. My answer was a resounding yes! I brought the second fluff ball into the training sessions, and she quickly picked up what was being taught from observing her sister.
Fast forward to today, I have two, mostly, well-behaved adult cats who can follow several commands, not just when I give them but also when others give them. They are confident, happy, and demanding. I couldn’t wish for better.
Now to introduce you to the girls
Mio- Hiiiiii!!! I’m a 15 lb female short hair ginger tabby who loves attention. Give me enough attention, and I may drool on you. Meowmy says I’m the cat version of a St. Bernard because of how much I drool. I don’t know what that is, but I’m OK with that if it’s anything like my dog friends at the neighbor’s house.
Melody- I’m a 12 lb long hair calico. I like batting around balls with bells in them and treats, lots of treats. I am named for my beautiful voice that I grace my humans with the pleasure of hearing as often as possible to voice my every want and need. When I want your attention, I will approach you, and I will walk away as soon as I’m done with you, so don’t get too touchy-feely.
Training your cat is very rewarding
When I tell people I have trained my cats to follow commands, or they see them come to me when called by name, I always get a look of surprise and the question, “It’s possible to train cats?”
Cats have the unfortunate stereotype of being standoffish, anti-social, and even snobbish. Humans make jokes about cats knowing humans once worshiped them in Egypt, which shows in their behavior. Many people claim not to like cats because they aren’t as friendly as dogs or find them creepy. Some will even say they have an allergy to cats when in reality, they don’t.
However, cats are among the most friendly, affectionate creatures out there. Why do you think their owners become so obsessed with them and proudly accept being labeled as crazy cat people?
I feel by training our cats; we can create a whole new level of trust between animals and humans. This new level allows our feline friends to feel safe enough to approach other humans as readily as dogs would as long as their primary human is nearby. It also teaches the cat that no matter what the situation is, they can always look to their human for a sense of security.
Showing you how easy and fun it is to train your cat
Our goal here is to give you tips on training your cat that will be entertaining for both of you. We will also be suggesting products, such as treats, toys, and accessories that can help with your training efforts. Keep an eye out for posts from all three of us because the girls have much to say
If you ever need a hand or have any questions, feel free to leave them below, and I will be more than happy to help you out.
All the best,
Kathryn, Mio, and Melody
Email: kathryn@box5246.temp.domains
I have had both a dog and cat most of my life. It’s super fun to watch how the cat interacts with the dog. Occasionally (not as often anymore) the cat will lie down next to the dog in her dog bed. Anyway, I think a lot of people don’t think about how you can train cats other than training them to use their litter. Great post to introduce people to the idea.
I’ve found most people only know cats through the interaction that their dogs have with them. Yet they never seem to see the similarities between them. One similarity is that you can use the same techniques you would use to train a dog to train a cat. An interesting thing about cats and dogs when trained together is oftentimes one will catch on faster than the others and the faster learner will assist in training the other. An example of this is a cat I grew up with, Sassy, who would observe as I trained my dogs growing up. When the dog wouldn’t perform an action the cat would use his dominant nature bat the dog on the nose to get it to pay attention.