Teach cat to shut door

[Rgarner]

Yeah, I know, but if they can train dogs, why not? He wanders around and barges in and out, day or night, when it's more annoying. I just want him to be more polite and thoughtful.

 

[mikedt]

It's impossible to train cats, except when it comes to food, otherwise they'll do what they like.

Why do you think you never see cats been used as service animals?

 

[mikedt]

We've got a few moggies on the school campus. They're not supposed to wander into the buildings, but they do sometimes.

Good luck with training them to close doors...ha!

The school keeps them because they catch rats and mice.

 

[MrJavi]

How about installing a pet door

https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Interior-2-Way-Locking-White/dp/B00061RIT4

Train cat to ise the toilet (maybe).

https://www.google.com/amp/s/bestselfcleaninglitterbox.com/litter-kwitter-product-review/amp/

 

[no one]

You can train a cat. But cats don't care. They're certainly smart enough, they lack the empathy to even consider you anything other than toy for their amusement though.

 

[Rgarner]

I mean an inside door. It'd be great to install a pet door on the inside, huh? Then we could just lock the regular (indoor) one.

 

[mikedt]

You can train a cat. But cats don't care. They're certainly smart enough, they lack the empathy to even consider you anything other than toy for their amusement though.

Yeh you can train a cat where to find it's food, and where it should take a crap(with litters). But that's about it.

 

[olbriar]

My cat uses the toilet but it is entirely her idea. She knows how to behave around people but beyond that I've never had any luck training her to do anything. As near as I can tell, she has me trained.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

My nephew trained his cat to do everything a dog can except tracking and retaining people.
I have no idea how he did it but he did.
Must be a random superpower.

 

[Rgarner]

There's a superpower I could really use. Maybe some day I'll run into the right spider. Meanwhile, I guess I'll just have to find Karen Pryor.

 

[MoodyBlues]

I saw a cat on the news recently, whose owner taught her to close a door. So, yes, it's possible. Cats are very intelligent and can be trained to do all sorts of things.

For example, my big boy, Big Brian, was a tomcat who appeared in my backyard one day. I ran in and got him some food and water. Repeat for the next day. On the third day I picked him up and took him inside. I closed off the back part of the house to keep him away from my other cats until my vet gave him a clean bill of health. [He turned out to be FIV+, but that's not a threat to the other cats.] My vet guessed him no younger than 5, perhaps as old as 10. He had been an outdoor tomcat for X years.

With patience and consistency, I potty-trained him, stopped his spraying, stopped his aggressiveness to other cats, AND taught him a trick! My cats love Temptations [treats], and I taught Big Brian to tap my hand to reveal the Temptations inside. When my grandsons were younger, they got such a kick out of clasping a handful of Temptations, calling Brian over, saying 'use your hand, Big Brian!' and then having him eat out of their hands.

To this day, that's how he gets his snacks. It was super easy to teach. I just used the same methods I used when training my Great Danes for 40 years: positive reinforcement, calm demeanor, praise, patience and consistency. Try it!

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Will he sit?

 

[Rgarner]

He sits, but if you mean on command, not really. He shows up if called maybe half the time. Sometimes he seems to be hanging around me, but I'm not sure if that's really the case or he just wants to be in a comfortable spot, e. g. on a bed, paper, etc.

 

[muddlemand]

A friend of mine taught her cat to sit.

Hi folks, by the way. Couldn't resist a cat thread.

 

[muddlemand]

I have taught mine "I'm closing the door!" but I'm not entirely sure she isn't obeying. She's just reluctant to be shut out. But it is the phrase she recognises, not just the context.

She definitely likes to hang out with me. It's taken me a year to be sure I wasn't imagining it. When I go outside and she's nowhere to be seen, within minutes she'll turn up to sunbathe next to me. She also likes to come on short walks with me. These are trained, of course, all her own doing.

 

[no one]

Unless a cat finds an advantageous benefit to your game, it won't play.

 

[MoodyBlues]

Unless a cat finds an advantageous benefit to your game, it won't play.

Praise and love are advantageous benefits! They've worked for me for *cough* more than *cough* 55+ years.

Big Brian was rewarded with nothing more than positive reinforcement, praise, and love when I potty-trained him. A 10(?)-year-old, formerly outdoor, tomcat, learned to potty in litter boxes--ONLY--with no tangible reward. Just love.

 

[no one]

That is what I'm saying. The cat gets something beneficial from the situation, so it plays along. Cats can be trained, they just have to motivated correctly.

 

[muddlemand]

Same with dogs, though. Many dogs never quite get it and you have to have treats handy in your pocket for their whole lives. The difference with cats is that approval isn't their highest motivation. Dogs are pack animals and hate to feel ostracised. Like humans in that respect.

Which also can be trained, though it's a tad more complicated.

 

[MoodyBlues]

In my experience, it was never necessary to bribe a dog with treats for life. And, believe me!, when you're talking about dogs who weigh close to 200 pounds, they must be well trained.

Every one of my dogs--not just Great Danes, but mutts, too--learned obedience through the methods I've previously mentioned. Sure, I used treats along the way, but never as their sole, or even primary, reward. Praise, hugs, and positive reinforcement made up about 80% of their training rewards, tidbits of treats about 20%.

It was imperative that they obey...or many bad things could've happened. You know dogs who jump up at you to say hello? Guess what happens when a 185-pound dog does that to someone not expecting it!

 

[MoodyBlues]

That is what I'm saying. The cat gets something beneficial from the situation, so it plays along. Cats can be trained, they just have to motivated correctly.

Sorry, I got the impression you meant tangible rewards, like treats.

 

[no one]

this guy:
That is what I'm saying. The cat gets something beneficial from the situation, so it plays along. Cats can be trained, they just have to motivated correctly.

Moodyblues:
Sorry, I got the impression you meant tangible rewards, like treats

Perhaps I wasn't being clear where I was coming from.
All I am getting at is that cats can be trained. It just needs to be worth their while.
Dogs, on the other hand, want to be your best friend every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day, of every, everything, and they will do what they think will make you happy. Cats are not so easily swayed by the hollow charms of humans.

 

[muddlemand]

In my experience, it was never necessary to bribe a dog with treats for life. And, believe me!, when you're talking about dogs who weigh close to 200 pounds, they must be well trained.

Every one of my dogs--not just Great Danes, but mutts, too--learned obedience through the methods I've previously mentioned. Sure, I used treats along the way, but never as their sole, or even primary, reward. Praise, hugs, and positive reinforcement made up about 80% of their training rewards, tidbits of treats about 20%.

Having always trained them so well, that's probably why you haven't needed to carry on treating them.

The only dog I ever had, I didn't meet till she was five, and I wasn't fully fit, so we never made it to perfect.
I like to think that if I'd had her from puppyhood, and had my full health at the time, she'd have been a perfectly behaved dog. I've always known it's the owner/handler that needs to be trained more than the dog!
She was very, very good but she (we) never got the hang of recall. She was a lurcher; I was on a lurcher/greyhound forum and everyone agreed they were selective about when to take notice - but I always thought, their temperament is so gentle that they won't become aggressive or pester for attention, so no significant problems, if they aren't thoroughly trained, so owners that don't get why training matters will never be forced to wake up to the reasons for it. I'm sure that's why the community generally saw things that way. Greyhound blood really does seem to mean a different companionship experience. They're very easy dogs to be lazy about.

It was imperative that they obey...or many bad things could've happened. You know dogs who jump up at you to say hello? Guess what happens when a 185-pound dog does that to someone not expecting it!

I know!! my neighbours have four: St Bernards and Newfoundlands. They're very well loved, and very lovable, but about as well trained as your average tiny dog (a dig at owners, not the breed!). I'd hate to be a cyclist passing as those affectionate dogs leap over the wall to say hello...!

 

[MoodyBlues]

this guy:
That is what I'm saying. The cat gets something beneficial from the situation, so it plays along. Cats can be trained, they just have to motivated correctly.

Moodyblues:
Sorry, I got the impression you meant tangible rewards, like treats

Perhaps I wasn't being clear where I was coming from.
All I am getting at is that cats can be trained. It just needs to be worth their while.
Dogs, on the other hand, want to be your best friend every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day, of every, everything, and they will do what they think will make you happy. Cats are not so easily swayed by the hollow charms of humans.

Got it!

 

[MoodyBlues]

I like to think that if I'd had her from puppyhood, and had my full health at the time, she'd have been a perfectly behaved dog.

I hear you. It's definitely easiest to train a brand-new puppy, but I've learned it is possible to teach an old dog new tricks.

My current example is my helper's dog, who joined my household ≈3 years ago. As with most adult rescues, her true age is unknown, but she was believed to be ≈12 when she moved in, so she's ≈15 now.

She's very good and well-behaved, except that she was always allowed to jump up at people. Granted, at only ≈50 pounds, it's not as catastrophic as with a big dog, but I'm still unsteady on my feet and really just can't have her doing that. From the get-go, I went back to my trusty old bag of tricks and gently taught her not to jump on me. No training treats involved.

Separate from that, I've also taught her a new phrase and routine. Last thing at night she comes to my room, I say "bedtime snack?!", she lies down, then I hand her a chew...thing. [They vary daily, but keep her busy gnawing for 3-10 minutes.] She learned that in less than two weeks!