Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in. ― Isaac Asimov

Who says you can’t train cats??
… A lot of people.

Most people I meet (even my cat and dog clients) believe you can’t train cats to do a darn thang.   Here’s the truth: Folks who believe this are not properly communicating with the cat, they’re not listening to the cat, and they’re not reinforcing the right behaviors.  Also, they have yet to learn that cats are crazy cool, wicked smart, and very easy to train.  But I have hope for the nonbelievers.

One of my clients is a believer; she is seeing the proof in action.  She also has an advantage because she is very familiar with the world of felines.  She works at one of the best cat veterinary practices, Just Cats Clinic.  Taking into account the needs of my client, the cats’ needs, and what I see possible, my client and I have been working together to create consistency, health, harmony, and a lot of fun in her life … and the life of three of her cats, Coco, Brighton and Disco.

Coco and Brighton are two of three cats in my client’s home who are learning various behaviors, all with the help of clicker training and target training.  Coco is 9 years of age and Brighton is 8 years of age.  They are a breed of cat called the Cornish Rex.  If you haven’t heard of the Cornish Rex, they are very cool cats. They’re incredibly affectionate and very clever. –Check ’em out here.

Coco has a book out right now, so she and her person travel a lot for book signings, and meet and greets.  This training program is geared toward helping Coco to feel safe, secure and content, while creating a better connection with the people who come to see her.  This training process is also teaching Coco’s person to recognize when Coco has had enough during her public appearances.  Brighton and Disco (the male cats) don’t have a book deal, but they are just as eager to learn new behaviors.  Clicker training and target training are allowing all of this to happen!

Cats of Any Age Can Learn

Do you have an older cat?  Do your friends or family members live with an older cat?  Please share this with them: If you believe that an older cat cannot be trained, have fun in his/her senior years or learn new behaviors, think again.  Cats of all ages are capable of learning.  Just ask our senior cats Beaux and Albert, or Brighton and Coco!

Ok, so you can’t ask them, but I am here to tell you that older/mature cats are easily trained, enjoy learning new behaviors, and they need this kind of mental and physical stimulation.  This kind of training changes your life and their life, far beyond what you thought was possible.

Feline Fact:  Older cats (7-10 years) are considered “mature” or “middle age”. “Senior” cats are 11-14 years of age.

There is more to come about what we are training these clever cats, what they are teaching us, how we do it, and how you can do it, too!  Be sure to stay tuned!

Time spent with a cat is never wasted. ― Colette

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