No matter where you are in your cat nail trimming journey, this post is for you! We will guide you through why regular nail trimming is important, how to trim cat nails using a clicker, and some other things you can do between trims.

Note: We are focusing on the front paws only to begin with. The reason for this is because your cat can easily see what you’re doing when working with their front paws, which makes the training process easier and less scary for them.

Disclosure: Cat School may receive commissions from affiliate links included in this article.

4 Reasons You Should Trim Your Cat’s Nails

Regular nail trimming is essential to maintaining your cat’s overall well-being. Cats need their nails (declawing is a harmful practice we would never recommend), but they can get too long, which can be uncomfortable for them and for you. While some cats’ claws may get filed naturally, most people need to trim their cat’s nails.

Learning how to clip your cat’s nails is important for several reasons:

1. To protect yourself from getting scratched. Whether your cat is playing with you, making biscuits on your lap, or doing tricks like high five, their sharp nails can come into contact with you and hurt.
2. For your cat’s safety. Long nails can get caught on things like carpet and furniture, potentially leading to painful injuries such as broken nails or having a paw stuck in a surface.
3. For your cat’s comfort. If your cat’s nails get too long, they can even curl back on themselves and grow into their paw pads, which can cause pain, mobility issues, and infection.
4. To protect your furniture. Nobody likes it when their nice furniture gets damaged. Trimming your cat’s claws will keep them from getting snagged on the couch or pulling on the living room rug.

Tools for Cat Nail Trims

Having the right tools for the job is important! Here are a few things you’ll want to have handy before beginning your cat nail trims:

• Cat nail trimmers – You want something with a sharp, stainless steel blade so it will slice right through your cat’s claws without crushing them. You also want the clippers to be comfortable in your hand.
• Your cat’s favorite high-value treat – Churus work great for this!
• A clicker – You will use the clicker throughout the process.
• Targets – You will use these targets to work on your cat’s paw handling. Targets include cork yoga blocks, trivets, and coasters. 
• Styptic powder – Although we hope this never happens, if you accidentally trim your cat’s nails too short, you can quickly stop bleeding with this powder. Cornstarch also works well.
• Patience – It’s good to set reasonable expectations. The nail trim process can take weeks and months, depending on your cat’s level of fear and how often you practice. Consistency is key; lots of easy sessions will help your cat overcome their fears of the nail trim process. 

How to Trim Cat Nails Using Clicker Training

Now that we’ve established the importance of trimming your cat’s claws and the necessary tools, it’s time to move on to the training steps.

Many cats aren’t fans of nail trims because restraining their paws is a scary sensation. The good news is that with time, patience, and a detailed training plan, every cat (even the most fearful) can learn that nail trims are not scary. The goal is to make the experience as positive and stress-free as possible.

There are four phases to improving your cat’s response to nail trims. As you work your way through the training steps, it’s important to remember to take things slowly and always keep a close eye on your cat’s body language. If you notice your cat is stressed (e.g., not eating the treat or walking away from your sessions), stop and try again later by making it easier. 

Phase 1: Making positive associations with the nail clippers.

The nail clippers themselves can be a scary tool, so the first goal is to show your cat that good things happen when the tool comes out. We want your cat to see the tool and get excited about it – like really really excited because they know they are going to get their favorite treats. Reserve the highest value treat for this training so your cat only gets it for nail trim training.Steps to building that positive emotional response to the nail clippers:

1. Bring the clippers out first. As soon as your cat notices them, present your cat with a high-value, delicious treat. Reserve this treat only for this training.
2. As soon as you stop feeding, immediately put the clippers away.
3. Wait a few seconds and repeat the process once or two more times.
4. Practice this exercise in a few locations so your cat is surprised to see the trimmers and then excited to see the treats.
5. Try to do two short sessions per day.

Tip: Make sure your cat sees the clipper FIRST before the food. If your cat is distracted by the food and then the clippers come out, the training won’t work.

How will you know it’s time you move on? 
Look for any of the following behaviors:

• Sniffing the clippers
• Head bunting the clippers
• Purring at the sight of the clippers

Phase 2: Getting comfortable with body handling and touch.

The goal with this phase is for your cat to accept general body handling. You want your cat to know that when you touch them, good things happen (they get treats). 

1. Start in the zones where your cat is comfortable with touch (for example, on their back and sides), and present food AFTER the touch. You can also start the touch and then present the food so that they overlap before simultaneously removing the food and the touch.
2. Repeat while gradually gliding your hand to the more challenging zones. 
3. Continue to practice until your cat is comfortable with gentle touches all over.

Tip: Lickable treats or licking wet food off of a spoon work well for this phase.

How will I know I can move on? 
By the end of this training phase, your cat should be comfortable with you touching their legs and paws. 

Note: Training on a chair can be a helpful tool to encourage stillness. You tell your cat it’s time to participate in their daily handling sessions, and your cat (by staying on the chair) communicates that they are willing to participate. If your cat leaves the training station, that’s a sign you need to make it easier or more worthwhile with higher-value treats.

Phase 3: Willingly presenting paws.

This nail trim training process is designed to get your cat beyond tolerating nail trims to becoming an active participant. The goal is that, instead of grabbing your cat’s paws and trimming (this can be aversive), your cat will willingly present their paws to you for handling. 

We use various props (targets) for this phase, including the cork targets mentioned earlier. If you substitute other targets, ensure that they are not slippery.

With each step outlined below, you want your cat to consistently perform the behavior 4-5 times in a row before moving on to the next step.

1. Teach your cat the “two paws on” behavior using a yoga block. Watch this YouTube tutorial video for the full training steps. 
   
2. Fade out the lure. Your cat should notice the targets in the environment and offer the “paws on” behavior on their own. 
   
3. Isolate the dominant paw. In the previous steps, did you notice if your cat favors a particular paw by stepping on the block with that paw first? If so, that’s the paw you want to start with for this step.
   
   Position the yoga block to encourage your cat to use one paw to step onto it. You might need to experiment with the placement by putting it off to the side, for example. Click and reward when your cat steps on the block with the correct paw.
   
   Note: If your cat steps up with the wrong paw, lure them off and feed them the treat with the correct paw on the block. Only click for the action of the correct paw moving. This is not an easy step, and you may need to experiment with moving the block around.
   
4. Make your target smaller. Once your cat is comfortable with Step 3 and consistently only puts one paw on the block, repeat the step with a stack of cork trivets or other smaller prop, and then eventually with the even smaller cork coasters. The goal is to reduce the size of the prop so it’s small enough to fit in your hand.
   
5. Raise the target. Instead of stacking your cork coasters on the floor, it’s time to pick one up in your hand to raise it off the ground. Get your cat to repeat placing their paw on the target in your hand.
   
6. Introduce the paw shake. Using your coaster target in your hand, get your cat to present the paw you want and introduce some gentle paw touching. The goal here is to get your cat comfortable with you handling their paw for around 3 seconds. You can even feed your cat while you’re touching their paw.
   
   Note: Note: If your cat pulls away, reduce the length of the touch. Be sure not to click when your cat pulls away because you don’t want to reinforce that behavior.
   
7. Fade out the target. Present your hand (with no target) to your cat on the side for the paw you want. They should present their paw and place it in your hand. 
   
8. Introduce the other paw. Repeat steps 3-7 with the other side.
   
   Note: If your cat has trouble presenting the other paw, use your yoga blocks to create stairs. Use your food reward to lure your cat up the stairs. They will have to step one at a time, and when they step with the paw you want, click and reward.

The end result of this training is that you have a reliable signal to get your cat to present EACH paw. Your cat should understand when you present your hand off to the side, that signals for them to present the paw that’s closest to your hand. You can then continue to improve your cat’s response to nail trims. 

Phase 4: Extending the nail, touching clippers to nails, and clipping!

Now that your cat is willingly presenting their paws and is comfortable with the presence and touch of the nail clippers, you can reach the nail trim finish line by working on extending the nail, touching the clippers to nails, and finally clipping.

1. Extend one nail. Reward your cat. Work systematically through each paw, feeding treats after each nail extension.
2. Touch the clippers to the nail. After your cat presents their paw, extend one nail and gently touch the clippers to it. Repeat with each nail, gradually increasing the time your cat is comfortable with you holding their paw.
   
   If your cat tries to pull away at any point, let them. We want them to always feel in control. Continue to give your cat food even if they pull away, as the goal is to pair the training with a positive outcome (food). Some students might worry that they are reinforcing their cat for pulling away, but we are addressing the fear, not the action, so it’s OK to give treats even for the incorrect behavior. However, it’s always best to back up a step and make it easier so your cat doesn’t present the pulling away behavior.
3. Cut a nail. Use the clippers to clip one nail at a time, rewarding after each one. It’s okay if you aren’t able to do them all in one session. Repeat the process and continue rewarding. 

Here is some important information to review when it comes to clipping your cat’s nails:

• The quick is the blood supply that runs through the nail. We always want to be mindful to not hit the quick. If nail trims cause your cat pain, they will be even more fearful and anxious about the process.
• Just take the tips off. Clip often and take a tiny bit off each time. This practice will keep you from ever getting too close to the quick and improve your skills at cat nail trims. The more you practice the better your cat will be at holding still and waiting for their treat.

It Takes More Than Just Nail Trims

Cat clawing and scratching is a frequent complaint of many cat owners. Regularly trimming your cat’s nails helps minimize damage for sure, but if you want to keep your cat from scratching your furniture, you’ll need to take a couple additional steps: training and providing plenty of scratching posts!

Scratching is an instinctual behavior, so instead of trying to stop the behavior, you want to redirect it. You can find a wide range of cat scratchers – from vertical and horizontal ones, to cardboard or carpeted ones, and more. Get a few different styles, and place them in various areas of your home – especially near the places they tend to gravitate towards.

In addition to scratch training, be sure to maintain your nail trim training by practicing between clipping sessions. A veterinarian might advise you to clip your cat’s nail once every two weeks. A behaviorist says “practice every day.” At zoos and aquariums, they practice blood collection simulations 100 times for every real one. Likewise, don’t just wait until your cat needs their nails trimmed to get the clippers out. If your supplies are close by, you will be inclined to practice often. Be sure to touch your cat’s paws, extend their nails, and maintain that comfort with them allowing you to handle them in this way.

Cat Nail Trim FAQs

• What about the back claws? Working on the front paws is different than working on the back paws because a) the cats can easily see what you are doing, so it’s a little less scary, and b) front and back claws grow at different rates.
  
  Many people find that back claws grow slower. That doesn’t mean you can ignore them, but focus on the front paws first to help your cat understand what’s going on. Then turn your attention to training the back paws.
  
  Trimming the back paws is easier when your cat is lying down (relaxed on one side), so once you’ve done Phase 1 and Phase 2, your cat should already see the trimmers as a good thing and be comfortable with you touching back paws.
  
  At this stage, you will skip Phase 3, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be doing clicker training. Instead, focus on teaching your cat to lie down on cue, making the process easier because you can signal your cat to lie down when you are ready to practice nail trims on the back paws. Once your cat has a good down signal, focus your attention on Phase 4.
  
• Is using a dremel tool okay? While it is possible to teach a cat to accept a dremel that would be a different training plan because the cat would need to be desensitized to the sound and vibrating of the tool.
  
• Can I use human nail clippers on my cat? Yes, it is possible, but I prefer to use pair clippers designed for cats. 
  
• Do I need to trim my outdoor cat’s nails? Maybe. This will depend on how much they get filed based on their outdoor activities. Some cats are more active than others, for example, by engaging in climbing trees and scratching fences. A cat’s behavior and activity can change as a they get older so while they may not need it now, it’s still wise to do the training process. Plus, if your cat gets something stuck in their paw, they will need to be comfortable with handling so you can remove it. 
  
• How often do I need to trim my cat’s nails? Just like with human nails, cat nails grow at different lengths. Generally speaking for indoor cats though, you’ll probably need to perform claw trims every 2-3 weeks. Check on kitty’s nails every so often to see how sharp they are and to determine if it’s time for a trim. An outdoor cat may need nail trims less frequently.
  
• What if I can’t get every claw trimmed during a session? That’s okay! Clipping one or two per session is absolutely fine and encouraged so you can make it a positive experience.
  
• Is cat declawing bad? Yes! It is a cruel and painful procedure that can cause serious behavior and health issues for your cat. Thankfully declawing is becoming illegal in more and more places, and there are many veterinarians who will refuse to perform the procedure. 
  
• Is it okay to muzzle my cat during nail trims? No. Muzzling can be scary and stressful, leading your cat to further associate nail trims with negative experiences. The goal is for the cat is comfortable with nail trims so they are not at risk of biting. If you go through the training process outlined above, muzzling will not be needed.
  
• What do I do if I need to cut my cat’s nails during the training process? If you’re still working on your nail trim training but need to clip your cat’s nails in the meantime, you can use the distraction method. With this method, you give your cat a squeezie treat or lick mat to distract them and keep them occupied while you trim. Watch the video below for a demonstration

If you run into any trouble throughout the training process or would like help teaching your cat to lie down on cue for their back paw nail trims, head on over to Cat School to access full training tutorials (including video demonstrations). You’ll also be able to ask questions and get personalized feedback and assistance from cat behaviorist and trainer, Julie Posluns.

The post A Training Guide to Cat Nail Trims: Front Paws appeared first on Cat School.

If you are starting your cat training journey, you are probably wondering the best approach to clicker training multiple cats. Is it better to train them separately, or should you train them together? While either option works, there are benefits (and obstacles) to both. Keep reading for tips to make the process easier!

Disclosure: Cat School may receive commissions from affiliate links included in this article.

Separating Your Cats

Trying to teach one cat can be challenging enough, but when you start to add more cats into your “classroom” it can get chaotic, especially if all your cats are eager to participate.

When you start working with your cats, I recommend separating them (if possible). This will allow you to give each cat the time and patience they need to learn the rules of training.

If you have a home with natural separations, like rooms, try to separate your cat by working in a room with one cat at a time. However, if separating your cats causes them lots of stress (for example, one cat is scratching at the door or vocalizing, and the other cat is getting distracted), you will need to explore other options (more on this down below).

Even if you have goals of training your cats together, it’s much easier to teach a few foundational skills to each cat independently before training them together. Learning these foundational behaviors will help them to be good classmates.

Foundational behaviors include:

• following a finger target
• sit at their place (“parking spot” training)
• stay

Once your cat has mastered these skills independently, you can begin what I call the “Students in a Classroom” setup for training multiple cats together!

Easy Ways to Introduce Training with Two Cats Together – Like Children in a Classroom

If you aren’t able to separate your cats for training, or you want to be able to train two cats together, you can follow the steps outlined below. This training plan will set you and your cats up for success to be able to train like children in a classroom!

Start with food puzzles or snuffle mats

Step 1: Give each cat a food puzzle to work on. You can start by doing this in the same room and placing yourself between your cats, each on either side of you. The goal is for each cat to stay at their own station and focus on their puzzle instead of on what the other cat is doing.

Step 2: Use the clicker to reinforce each cat’s attention. When one cat looks up, click and give them another treat at their station. The goal is for each cat to look at you when they finish their puzzle to get more treats instead of going over to the other cat’s puzzle.

Step 3: Encourage your cat to move away from their food puzzle (“seat”) and then back to their “seat,” while the other cat stays at their “seat.” A similar analogy is like when a student in a classroom goes up to the front of the class and then goes back to their seat without stopping to visit with other students along the way.

To achieve this, you can give a treat to the cat who will be staying at their seat to reinforce their stay. Simultaneously, you’ll toss a treat away for the other cat, and then reward with another treat when they return back to their “seat” (like the ping pong kitty game). The other cat will continue to get treats for being good and staying at their “seat.”

Repeat this step so each cat gets a turn at this exercise going in opposite directions. Sitting in between your cats is an excellent way to increase their success and reinforce them for returning to their spots.

Troubleshooting: If one cat tries to get to the other cat’s food puzzle, click as soon as they look up and put a special treat in their puzzle to entice them back to it. You can also sit between them or use a doorway/gate to create a barrier.

Sit at a doorway

A doorway can be a great barrier. Sit at the doorway (with the door slightly open) and use treats to try to encourage each cat to stay at their respective sides. You know this training works when the cats start waiting for you to give them another treat instead of trying to get past the door to see their “classmate.” 

Introduce the ping-pong kitty game and start tossing treats further away for the cats to search for them. When one cat is searching for a treat, try teaching the other cat simple basics like sit.

Move to an elevated surface

Now it’s time to move your cats to more defined “seats.” I recommend using feline cots for this training.

Step 1: Teach your cat to get onto their cot. An easy way to get started is to layer the snuffle mat or food puzzle over the cot. You can also use a target stick or finger target to teach this behavior. The goal is to encourage your cat to go to their bed to eat their treats on their mat.

If you don’t have cots, you can use chairs. Just be sure they are comfortable and not slippery.

Step 2: Introduce stay training. Reward your cat for staying at their seat, even when you walk towards the other cat. The goal is for one cat to stay at their seat while you approach the other cat.

Step 3: Start introducing training skills to your cats. The goal is for one cat to work on a skill while the other cat gets reinforced for staying at their seat. You can also have one cat engaged with a food puzzle while you work with the other cat. Figure out which set up works best for you and your cats.

If your cat leaves their spot when they aren’t supposed to, that means they need more reinforcement with the previous steps or your need to do shorter sessions with each cat for now.

Troubleshooting:

• If your cats keeping trying to go over to the other cat’s station, consider sitting or standing between them or use a doorway as a barrier to keep them on their respective sides.
• If these methods are really failing and things are chaotic, consider getting a playpen or gate to help with managing both cats until they learn the class rules. Playpens can be an excellent way to keep your classroom a little less chaotic while keeping all your students happy because even though they are confined they get to be part of the action.

Multi-Cat Training FAQs

What if I have more than two cats?

If you have more than two cats, you can continue with the parking spot method by training each cat to stay in their seat. Two cats would stay at their seat while the other gets a turn.

You can try putting all except the cat you plan to train with in a room behind a closed door. You can add some enrichment to the multi-cat room (like puzzles or toys) so they barely even notice that one cat is missing. This will allow you to train independently with one cat at a time.

Will this training help cats who don’t get along?

Teaching your cats to stay at their seats is a great way to support introductions and improve cat-cat introductions. I highly recommend reaching out to a cat behaviorist to get some support in using clicker training as a tool to improve your cat’s interactions.

Does a cat get confused when they hear the click and it’s not their turn?

Cats are really good at understanding our attention and interactions. This means that when you’re working with one cat, it’s going to be pretty obvious to the other that it’s not their turn. You’ll have your back to them and you won’t be asking them to do anything.

That being said, when first getting started, I like to use a very high rate of a reinforcement with the cat that’s waiting for their turn. You almost always give them a treat anytime you click, so when you’re working with one cat and they do something correctly, you click and treat both cats. That way one is rewarded for their work while the other is simultaneously reinforced to stay at their place.

You can gradually decrease the rate of reinforcement just so that it’s stable, the cat understands to stay at their place, and they get reinforced every so often.

VIDEO: How to Train Two (or more) Cats Together

Whether you’re clicker training two cats or clicker training multiple cats, it can be a bit to juggle, but the end results will be well worth the effort! If you run into any trouble with your training, Cat School Teacher Julie Posluns would love to help you out. By joining Cat School, you’ll have access to our course on training multiple cats, as well as access to Julie to be able to ask her any questions or get personalized feedback on your training.

The post Clicker Training Two Cats Together (or even more!) appeared first on Cat School.

 Disclosure: Cat School may receive commissions from affiliate links included in this article.

What is Enrichment for Cats?

Enrichment is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “the action of improving or enhancing the quality or value of something.” When applied to cats, it means to improve or enhance the quality of their lives. Enrichment for cats is providing outlets for them to act on their natural instincts to run, climb, play, and hunt. It also means giving them activities that challenge them both mentally and physically.

Why is Enrichment for Cats Important?

Indoor cats are chronically bored. They are confined to their home, and their days are repetitive and endless, with nothing to do. Though we may think they’re living the life of luxury, getting to sleep all day without a care in the world, the reality is they are frequently bored and depressed.

“The lack of physical activity and mental stimulation that indoor cats must contend with day after day and year after year affects them more deeply than we could possibly understand,” a passage from the book Indoor Cat by Laura J. Moss and Dr. Lynn Bahr reads. “It takes a mental toll, often resulting in anxiety and depression. And it has physical effects as well, which can manifest as serious health ailments, such as skin conditions and gastrointestinal disorders.” So as you can see, not only is a bored cat affected mentally, they are also affected physically.

For indoor cats, stress has various health effects including the occurrence of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and chronic urinary tract infections. 

In addition to helping combat these health issues, providing your cat with activity will give them an outlet to vent their excess energy, and it can also help with problem behaviors like aggression, litter box issues, and bullying. A bored cat can quickly become a destructive cat, after all.

By providing your cat with several types of enrichment to exercise both their body and mind, you are helping them to live their healthiest and best life. Not only that, the relationship and bond between you and your cat will become stronger than ever.

The Types of Cat Enrichment

Cat enrichment comes in many forms. There are games, cat toys, and enrichment activities you and your cat can do together, and others your cat can enjoy by themselves.

When coming up with enrichment ideas, be sure to consider all of your cat’s senses. They should have options to act on sight, smell, touch, hearing, and even taste. The good news is many enrichment ideas are simple and inexpensive, and many don’t even cost a thing.

Environmental Enrichment

Environmental enrichment for cats includes things that enhance your cat’s living quarters, allowing them to act on their natural instincts and desires. Here are several ways you can provide your cat with this type of enrichment:

1. Grow some cat-friendly plants. Cats love greenery. They enjoy snacking on it, playing in it, and just enjoying the smells. You can create an indoor cat garden using cat-friendly plants, including cat grass, catnip, silvervine, spider plants, and impatiens. You can check the ASPCA Toxic & Non Toxic Plants List to find more cat-friendly plant options.
2. Provide plenty of scratching surfaces. Cats have an innate need to stretch, flex, and scratch. Cat scratchers allow them to act on those instincts and needs without destroying your furniture. It’s best to have a variety of surfaces too – scratching posts, horizontal scratchers, scratchers made from sisal, and scratchers made from cardboard.
3. Provide vertical space. Cats like to be up high, so it’s important to provide surfaces and space for them that allows them to climb up and get that bird’s eye view. Cat shelves on the wall or even a tall cat tree or other type of cat furniture will do the trick.
4. Hang on to those cardboard boxes. It’s no secret that cats love boxes – even if those boxes sometimes seem too small for them to fit in. Boxes give them a place to hide, play, and even scratch and bite. The good news is they are easy to come by too!

Social Enrichment

Social enrichment involves activities you and your cat can enjoy together so they get socialization time and interaction with you (and even your family members and friends). This is beneficial for both of you, as it will help strengthen your bond.

1. Play games with your cat. Games can be fun for all! They are a great way to engage with your cat while also getting them up and moving. Some games for a cat include dragging toys under blankets, towels or around corners; tossing cat treats for them to chase; or hiding and having your cat find you.
2. Grab a wand toy. Wand toys are excellent interactive toys that give your cat the chance to chase, pounce, and “hunt” with you involved. You can run around the house with it, use it to encourage your cat to climb on their cat tree, and really get them active.

For more tips, check out this article about interactive cat play from Dr. Mikel Delgado. 

Cognitive Enrichment

Cats need a mental workout in addition to a physical one. Cognitive enrichment provides just that. You might be surprised by how much a good mental workout will tire out your cat!

1. Train with your cat. Clicker training requires your cat to problem solve while also increasing their movement, so it actually checks all the boxes for both a mental and physical workout. Plus, it’s an excellent bonding activity.
2. Use food puzzles. Food puzzles or puzzle toys are toys that require your cat to manipulate it in some way to release food/treats as they interact with it. Some require your cat to roll it around until food comes out, and others require your cat to use their paws to move pieces around in order to access the food/treats. They are a great form of problem-solving, and they also satisfy a cat’s instinct to hunt and forage.
   We recommend feeding your cat with food puzzles instead of bowl feedings twice a day as well. Check out Food Puzzles for Cats for more information about how you can use them to improve your cat’s life.

Sensory Enrichment

As mentioned, it’s important to give your cat the ability to exercise all their senses – sight, smell, touch, hearing, and even taste. Sensory enrichment activities do just that – they provide new and engaging sources of sensory exploration for your cat.

1. Put your cat’s nose to the test. Nose work activities are when you hide treats or food for your cat to sniff out and forage. Examples of nose work activities include hiding treats in crumpled up paper or paper bags and placing them around a room, or filling plastic Easter eggs with treats for your cat to “hunt.” Snuffle mats are another more simple form of nose work. Checkout Nosework Cats for more information about this fun activity!
2. Try a lick mat. A lick mat is a flat, rubber mat with ridges and bristles. You can spread your cat’s wet food or a Churu treat across it, and your cat has to lick around the mat to get the food. It’s a fun way to give your cat a special treat, and it can even help keep your cat happy and occupied for things like nail trims or flea and tick med application.
3. Blow some bubbles. Bubbles floating through the air in their unpredictable flight patterns can be highly engaging and interesting for some cats. They enjoy jumping into the air after the bubbles and batting at (and popping) them. Just be sure whichever bubbles you use are cat-safe. There are actually even some companies that make catnip bubbles.
4. Give your cat an interesting view. Got a window with a great view of the yard? Add a window perch and set up some bird feeders outside. Your cat will love getting to watch the birds. If your window has a screen, try opening it up so your cat not only gets a good show, they also get to hear and smell the birds too.
5. Have a catnip party. While not all cats are affected by catnip, 70-80% are. You can throw your cat a catnip party by tossing out some catnip toys and/or sprinkling some catnip on a rug or cat bed. If your cat is one who enjoys the herb, they will have a blast smelling and rolling around in the nip. You can also try making your own DIY catnip socks!

Taking Your Cat Outside

For us humans, outdoor time has a multitude of benefits, including lower blood pressure, better mood, less anxiety, and more. “Clearly, access to the world outside the walls of our home is imperative to our mental and physical health. So it’s not surprising that the same holds true for our cats,” say Moss and Bahr in Indoor Cat.

Taking your cat on outdoor adventures actually checks all the boxes for feline enrichment. Not only does enjoying the great outdoors together strengthen your bond, it also allows your cat to experience so many new things they just don’t get inside. They will get to feel the grass beneath their paws (and maybe even enjoy a little nibble) and the breeze in their fur. Not to mention the countless sights, sounds, and smells.

Whether it’s back yard hangs or hikes in the woods, we would never recommend letting your cat free roam outdoors or leaving them outside unsupervised. For a safer outdoor experience, keep your cat on a harness and leash. Stroller and backpack rides are another safe alternative. 

If you need help with cat harness and leash training, join Cat School for step-by-step training guidance, video tutorials, and personalized help from Julie the Cat Teacher.

Cat Enrichment FAQs

How long should I play with my cat every day?

Your cat should have access to toys they can play with themselves at all times, but you want to try to set aside 10-15 minutes each day for you to have interactive playtime with your cat. Some cats may need more play time than others or have different preferences, but ultimately we want our cats to get some physical activity each day. 

How long should I train my cat every day?

Training with your cat doesn’t have to be time consuming. One or two 5-15 minute sessions each day would be a great addition to their routine! If you’re able to do more than that, great, but it isn’t necessary. You can even split up your training sessions throughout the day – a few minutes here and a few minutes there. 

What if my cat doesn’t play? 

Ensure that you are playing with your cat in a way that mimics how prey would behave; dangling a toy in front of your cat’s face won’t get them as excited as dragging toys under towels watching them disappear or around corners. Try to engage your cat in play before a meal when they are likely to be more active. If your cat is more motivated by food, consider practicing cat agility to increase your cat’s activity. You can guide your cat around an obstacle course using a little wet food on a spoon. This is an excellent way to burn physical and mental energy. 

Fortunately, there are many ways to enrich an indoor cat’s life. Whether you engage your cat in a short play session, do training, or bring out their favorite food puzzle, your cat will appreciate you breaking up the monotony of their day, resulting in a happier and healthier companion.

Sources:

Dantas, L.M.S., Delgado, M.M., Johnson, I., & Buffington, C.A.T. (2016). Food puzzles for cats: Feeding for physical and emotional wellbeing. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 18(9), 723-732. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612X16643753

The post Enrichment For Cats: 13 Ways to Improve Their Lives appeared first on Cat School.

• How do I train my cat without treats?
• Do I need treats to train my cat?
• Are there alternative ways to train cats that don’t require treats?

Some cat parents might be asking these questions because they’re worried about their feline friend gaining weight or they can’t find food their cat will work for.

If that’s you, keep reading because we’re going to share about other types of rewards (do they work?) and how to reduce your cat’s treat consumption.

Disclosure: Cat School may receive commissions from affiliate links included in this article.

Can I ever stop giving treats or rewards?

Rewards and positive reinforcement are necessary when you’re training your cat a new behavior or trick. But after your cat has mastered their behavior, you might be wondering if you can phase out the treats or rewards from your training sessions.

We’re going to answer that question with another question: Would you continue going to work without a paycheck? Probably not! We all need motivation to work hard, and cats are no different. While our paychecks come in the form of money, a cat’s best paycheck is usually in the form of food.

So what happens if your cat isn’t food motivated, or if you don’t want to use cat treats as rewards? Will praise, attention, or toys work instead?

Can I reward my cat with pats and praise?

Rewarding your cat with praise and attention might work in the short term, but if your goal is to teach a large repertoire of cat tricks and to work in distracting environments, praise and attention won’t get you very far.

Let’s go back to the work analogy… What if your boss only rewarded you for your work by patting you on the back and telling you what a great job you did? Chances are you wouldn’t stick around very long without an actual paycheck.

Can I reward my cat with toys?

Some cats are highly toy-motivated, so toys can work as training rewards. This is especially true if you’re working on a trick or behavior with motion, such as getting your cat to jump over your arm, leg, or another object. The reward would then be for your cat to chase their favorite toy. (Wand toys are great for this kind of training.)

One disadvantage to using toys for clicker training is that they can get your cat excited. If you’re working on a behavior that requires your cat to remain calm and stationary, it’s going to be harder to do that with toys.

Playing with a toy can also distract your cat from their training. It will take several seconds out of your training to play, as well as additional time to get your cat back into training mode.

In contrast, a tasty treat can be delivered to your cat in their current position and only takes a couple seconds to eat, allowing you to quickly move on to your next repetition. You will make much faster progress training with treats than with toys.

Increase Your Cat’s Food Motivation

If you struggle with finding a food or treat your cat will work for, you aren’t alone. The good news though is that there are ways we can work on building a cat’s food motivation and finding rewards they will work for.

If your cat doesn’t seem willing to work for food or treats, the issue generally lies with their diet. Here are a few changes you can make to help:

1. Don’t leave dry cat food out.

Leaving a bowl of dry food out for your cat to graze on all day will quickly ruin their food motivation. Dry food has a lot of flavors added to make it enticing for your cat, causing it to compete with your training treats and lowering the value of anything else you give your cat.

2. Feed your cat a moisture-rich diet.

To put it simply, wet food is healthier for your cat than dry food. Veterinarian and cat advocate Dr. Lynn Bahr of DeziRoo.com says that wet food is better for cats because it is lower in calories, higher in protein, and full of moisture.

Once your cat is on a wet food diet, you can reserve the highly-enticing dry food for training. Making this switch will fast-track your cat’s training because they already love their dry food. As long as you put it away and feed them something else for their meals, the dry food turns into an excellent reward.

If you’re still having trouble finding a treat your cat is willing to work for, read this article about what to do if your cat doesn’t like treats.

Reduce Your Cat’s Treat Consumption

Perhaps you’re worried about your cat gaining weight, or you’re on a budget and don’t want to have to buy a bunch of extra treats. No matter the reason, there are a few ways you can reduce your cat’s treat consumption:

1. Use their food as a reward instead of treats.

You don’t necessarily have to use treats as a training reward. You can use pieces of their dry food, and you can also use their wet food on a spoon.

2. Don’t reward every behavior.

Another way to reduce treat consumption is by not rewarding every good behavior or skill. In fact, it can even be better not to reward each time. Let’s use a slot machine analogy. If you go play a slot machine at a casino, you don’t win every round. You’re excited to keep playing though because of the opportunity to win.

This same principle can be applied to animal training. Our goal is for the cat to think they always have an opportunity to “win.” As long as they do, they will continue to work. You just need to make sure you reward your cat enough to stay motivated but not frustrated. 

Note: If you click you must reward: one click = one treat.. If you aren’t rewarding your cat for every rep, be sure not to click.

3. Break treats into tiny pieces.

I often see people training with treats that are way too big. Guess what? Your cat will enjoy smaller treats too! Freeze-dried treats are especially easy to break apart into smaller pieces, plus they’re typically single-ingredient, making them a healthy treat option.

4. Deliver the food in a way that requires your cat to work to get it.

You can be savvy about your food delivery so your cat has to work a bit harder to get the treat. This strategy will help your cat get a bit more exercise as they work for their treats. A couple ways to do this include:

• Drop your cat’s favorite treat into a snuffle mat after they perform the desired behavior.
• Toss the treats away from you when you reward
• Build a chain of asking for several skills in a row before rewarding at the end. This is similar to a dog running an agility course before earning their reward at the end. You might ask your cat to jump on a chair, spin, jump off and over an obstacle and only reward the final jump. 

While praise and toys can work for cat training in some instances, food rewards really are the best and most effective. As you can see, there are ways you can learn how to use food and treats properly so you aren’t giving your cat anything unhealthy or causing them to gain weight.

Watch this Cat School video for more info about alternatives to training treats and ways to reduce your cat’s treat consumption:

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Good news – there’s no need to wait! You can begin your kitten training now, no matter their age. The earlier you start training, the more well-behaved and well-adjusted your kitten will be.

Keep reading for all the details, from why to what to how.

 Disclosure: Cat School may receive commissions from affiliate links included in this article.

The Benefits of Training a Kitten

When people bring a new puppy home, one of the first things they usually look into is puppy training and obedience. Unfortunately, it isn’t quite as common for people to consider kitten training when they bring a new kitten home. Many people don’t even realize that cats and kittens can be trained.

For most of the same reasons you’d train your new puppy, you should train your new kitten. There are many benefits, after all. Training will:

1. Help them acclimate to their new home.
2. Help you and your kitten start bonding and getting to know each other.
3. Provide your kitten with an activity that will exercise both their mind and body.
4. Set them up for success later on for things such as riding in the car, visiting the vet, meeting and interacting with strangers, etc.

What Should I Teach My Kitten?

One of the best ways to figure out what to teach your kitten first is to consider your future goals. For example, if one of your goals is to be able to travel with your cat, you will want to start introducing those skills as soon as possible.

Most cat owners would love it if their cats were:

• Comfortable going in their carrier and the car for vet trips and other stress-free travel
• Cooperative for nail trims, teeth brushing, and other handling requirements
• Not scared of strangers coming over
• Happy to wear equipment like a harness and leash
• Able to see dogs and people without panicking (if doing leash walks)

Maybe you have other goals, like wanting to be able to take your cat in a backpack or making sure your cat is dog-friendly if you plan to get a puppy down the road. It’s good to consider your plans and start training for future goals.

Whatever your goals may be, we recommend clicker training, as it is an excellent way to teach your kitten practical skills and help your kitten get started on the right paw. If you aren’t already familiar with clicker training, it is a form of positive reinforcement training in which you mark your pet’s desirable behavior and then reward it. This method gets its name because it uses a small, hand-held tool called a “clicker” which makes a clicking noise.

When your cat performs the desired or good behavior, you press the button on the clicker, and follow up the click with a food reward, such as a tasty treat or piece of kibble. Your kitten will quickly learn a reward is coming because of the action you did when they heard the click.

Now that you have an idea of how clicker training works, you can begin to use it to train some foundational behaviors that will set your kitten up for success.

1. Socialization

If you’ve brought a kitten home that’s already happy to cuddle with you, that’s great! However, it’s not uncommon for people to get a kitten that needs time to warm up to them. If your kitten is hiding under the bed and will only eat when you aren’t in the room, the first step is to fix that through kitten socialization. 

Kitten socialization is the process of introducing your kitten to other living beings, exposing them to different environments, getting them comfortable being handled, and generally helping them to make positive associations with the world around them. It is a crucial part of kittenhood if you want a well-socialized kitten who will be more accepting of handling, of new people and environments, and of things like car rides, vet visits, carriers, nail trims, grooming, etc.

One way to improve your cat’s socialization skills around people is by using the target stick. Once you train your kitten to touch their nose to the target, you can use it to lead them around, jump on and off objects, lead them into a carrier or playpen, etc. The target stick is analogous to icebreaker games. It’s much easier to interact with unfamiliar company if there’s a game to get you started. The target stick will help your kitten interact effectively with new and unfamiliar people, and see them as a source of treats and rewards. 

Further reading: How To Socialize A Kitten

2. Handling

Young kittens are irresistible, so you’re obviously going to want to hold and snuggle with your new kitty as much as possible. Understand though that some kittens might be a bit fearful at first and not totally open to being handled. If that’s the case, don’t worry! You can work with your kitten so they get used to your touch and allow you to handle them (see section above on socialization).

Getting your cat used to being handled is important for more than just snuggles though. It is necessary for tasks such as nail trims, teeth brushing, grooming, and vet visits. Petting, holding, and handling your kitten should be a part of your everyday kitten training routine.

Touch your kitten’s paws, pet their head, touch their ears, tail and mouth. Get them used to having your hands on them. You can make these experiences positive ones by including treats. You want your kitten to associate your touch with good things.

If your kitten won’t get anywhere near you, you can start by building their confidence at a distance, click and reward them for eye contact or any movement. For example, put a soft blanket far away from you with some tasty food. If your kitten moves there, click and toss another reward on the blanket. The goal is to show your kitten that looking at you and moving around you is a positive experience.

3. Litter Box Training

Litter training a kitten is obviously one of the first skills you want to start with when you bring your kitten home. To set your kitten up for success, it’s important to create a conducive environment for them. This includes:

• Choose a litter that is kitten-safe. Because kittens explore with their mouths, you don’t want to use a litter that contains fragrances, harsh chemicals, or clumping properties. Once your cat is a few months old and well-acclimated to using the litter box, you can switch to a clumping litter. For now, opt for a pellet-based litter that won’t be harmful if ingested. 
• Choose the proper litter box location. Use a litter box that has an open top and is shallow for easy access, and look for a corner spot that is away from clutter. Kittens ages 3-8 weeks old should be confined to one room while they’re litter training so they don’t have to travel far to find the litter box. Older kittens acclimating to larger spaces should have multiple options to choose from. They should always have one within 10 feet. 
• Use positive reinforcement. When your kitten uses the litter box correctly, be sure to praise them! If they go to the bathroom outside the box, don’t punish them though. Instead, clean and disinfect the area. If they continue to use the same spot consistently, try moving their box to that location.
• Keep the litter box clean. Scoop the box at least once a day to keep it fresh. No one likes to use a dirty bathroom!

4. Sit

Training a kitten to sit is one of the first “tricks” you can teach them. To do this, you need to capture your kitten’s “sit” by clicking and rewarding whenever they do it naturally. Pair it with a hand signal and voice cue, and eventually your kitten will learn to do it on command.

Watch this video for a training tutorial:

5. Parking Spot Training

One of the most useful behaviors you can train is to go to a mat, or “parking spot,” on cue. I recommend beginning to train this skill from an early age. Your kitten’s “spot” can be a mat, blanket, or cat bed. You want something that is easily portable and can be moved around different areas of your home. I personally just use my laptop case.

Watch this video for a training tutorial:

Further reading: “Parking Spot” Training: Train Your Cat to Go to a Mat

6. Proper Meal Time Behavior

Chances are your kitten will run around crying and acting a bit crazy at meal times. This type of behavior is not one you want to encourage, as it is not a good way to set the tone for future behaviors. For this reason, teaching your kitten self-control around mealtimes is a good idea.

You can do this by using the previously mentioned “sit” and “parking spot” training skills. Whenever it’s time to feed your kitten, ask them to sit in their designated spot – for example, on  a chair or stool. It will take some practice for sure, but once they get the hang of it, feeding times will be more controlled and peaceful. 

During the training process we can prevent kittens from practicing naughty behaviors by using a playpen.  

7. Training Their Name

It’s a common joke that cats never come when they’re called. While this may be true for untrained cats, you can certainly train your cat or kitten to come to their name. All it takes is some practice and lots of treats.

Watch this video for a training tutorial:

8. Carrier Training

Your kitten will need to go for a car ride eventually, whether it’s to visit the vet or to go someplace more fun. To make their car and travel experiences as positive as possible, you should begin carrier training ASAP. The carrier training process involves a quality car carrier, lots of treats, and patience.

If you need help with your carrier training, we include step-by-step training tutorials in the Cat School course.

Watch this video for a backpack training tutorial:

Further reading: How to Get a Cat in a Carrier and Travel in the Car

9. Harness Training

Taking cats out on a harness and leash is becoming more and more popular. It is a great way to safely let your cat explore the outdoors, which is an easy and excellent way to provide enrichment to your cat’s life. While you certainly can train an adult cat to accept a harness and leash, the training process will likely go more smoothly if you start at a young age.

Even if you don’t want to explore outdoors with your cat on a harness and leash, we still recommend going through the training process. Having your cat harness trained can come in handy for many reasons, such as in emergency situations, visiting the vet, etc.

Watch this video for a harness training tutorial:

Other Tips for Training a Kitten

Now that you know which skills you should work on, along with some how-tos and resource recommendations, here are some final tips to make your training sessions as successful as possible:

Keep your training sessions short.

A kitten’s attention span won’t last too long, so it’s important to keep things short, simple, and easy to begin with. You can do multiple training sessions in a day, but keep each individual one down to about 5 minutes or less.

Work on one skill at a time.

Again, a kitten’s attention span won’t last too long. Plus, you don’t want to overload your kitten, as that will make your training less productive and stressful. Keep your training sessions down to just one skill at a time in order to see the most progress.

Avoid punishment.

We are proponents of positive reinforcement. Rather than punishing your cat for bad behavior, you should reward them for good behavior. Punishment can lead to stress, cause your kitten to be scared of you, and ultimately hurt your relationship that you’re working so hard to build.

Pick a quiet area for training.

Kittens can be easily distracted. In order to keep your cat focused when training, pick a quiet room or area of your home that is free of distractions. No background TV or music, no other pets or kids. Just you, your kitten, your clicker, and their treats.

Choose a healthy food and consistent meal schedule.

When it comes to training your kitten, you will need to find a reward they are willing to work for. Food rewards typically work best, but in order for your kitten to be enticed by a food reward, you have to make sure you are feeding them healthy regular meals and that they don’t have 24-hour access to a bowl of dry food. 

Generally speaking, your kitten’s treat preferences will depend on what you feed them for meals. If you are feeding them a processed food diet, it will be tough to find a reward that can compete — that’s like feeding a child french fries and then offering a granola bar for dessert.

To build a kitten’s food motivation, you want to make sure they don’t constantly have food readily available and switch to feeding small, scheduled meals – at least three small meals per day. You also want to feed them a healthy, moisture-rich diet and expose them to a variety of foods to prevent them from becoming picky. 

Once your kitten is eating properly, you’ll be able to use healthy cat treats such as freeze-dried treats, lickable treats, or even their wet food on a spoon. 

Further reading: What are the Best Treats for Clicker Training Cats?

Be consistent.

Your first step is to show your kitten that learning is fun. Creating a routine and establishing consistency with their training will help your kitten make progress. 

Congratulations again on your new family addition! We wish you all the best with your training. If you reach a point where you need help or have questions about your kitten’s progress, be sure to join the Cat School Membership community, where students are encouraged to share about their training and ask questions to receive personalized feedback and help. In Cat School, you’ll have a roadmap of skills to follow, with each training step broken down into bite-sized pieces. We’d love to have you as a student!

The post Is Training a Kitten Possible? appeared first on Cat School.

Kitten socialization is vital if your kitten grows into a well-adjusted, social, and confident cat who is comfortable with different situations and environments. Read on for more information on how to socialize a kitten.

Disclosure: Cat School may receive commissions from affiliate links included in this article.

What is Kitten Socialization?

Kitten socialization involves:

• introducing your kitten to other living beings like people and animals
• exposing them to different sights and sounds so they feel safe in the world around them
• getting them comfortable being handled so they accept procedures like nail trims and teeth brushing
• helping them to make positive associations with the world around them so they have the best chance of growing up to be happy and confident

A well-socialized kitten will be more accepting of new people and environments, but also of things like car rides, vet visits, carriers, nail trims, grooming, etc.

It’s important to note that exposing your cat to new things is different from socialization. For example, if you introduce your cat to dogs, but their experiences always consist of the dog chasing or harassing them, your kitten will grow scared or intolerant of dogs rather than accepting them. 

Exposing kittens to triggers that cause them to have a fearful response or panic is called “flooding” and will only make your kitten even more scared of you and the situation. Flooding is the same as throwing someone in a pool to teach them to swim.

The key to socialization is to expose your kitten to the new person or environment in a way that’s not scary, PLUS pair good things (treats and toys) with the experience to make it positive.

When Should I Start Socializing My Kitten?

Early socialization with kittens is the key to preventing the fearfulness of humans. It is highly recommended for kittens between 0-12 weeks of age to be exposed to people at least once a week. For example, having your kitten meet friends and family when they are young is worthwhile. 

If you’ve adopted a kitten that missed this early socialization period, it’s still possible to socialize them; however, it may take a bit longer to show them that each situation and person is safe. No matter your kitten’s age, socialization is possible and should be a focus when bringing them home.

How to Socialize a Kitten in 13 Ways

As mentioned, socializing kittens means introducing your cat to a possible trigger at a low level so it’s not scary, and then pairing that introduction with something positive – like the food they love. In this list are many ways to begin the kitten socialization process:

1. Pair Food With Touch

We want to build a foundation of trust and cooperation with our kittens, which begins with showing that touch is a positive experience. Instead of giving your kitten all their food in a bowl, you can use their food to strengthen your bond. One of the easiest ways to create this association is by having your cat lick wet food off a spoon while you touch them. 

Be sure to touch your kitten’s paws, head, ears, tail and mouth. You can even try opening your kitten’s mouth to inspect their teeth (a great way to lead into teeth brushing!). Not only will your veterinarian thank you for this later, but you’ll also be more familiar with your kitten’s body and able to notice any potential health issues down the road. Practice daily until your kitten is comfortable with touch in all zones, especially the more sensitive ones like their paws. 

2. Introduce Grooming Tools

Brushes and nail clippers will be a part of your kitten’s reality, so you want to introduce them early to show that they aren’t scary. Bring out the tools and pair them with your kitten’s favorite treats. When offering your kitten a toothbrush, add something tasty to it and let your kitten lick it.

Tip: Use a more exciting reward for the scarier tools like nail trimmers. The goal is for your kitten to see these tools and get excited.

3. Engage in Play Together

Playing with your kitten will do wonders for their socialization skills and build their confidence. Interactive play is a great bonding activity and a way to build trust. 

Throwing a toy out for them to play with on their own isn’t enough. As Dr. Mikel Delgado says, “Toys that are left lying on the floor are ‘dead.’ They are boring.” 

Some engaging play ideas include dragging toys under a towel to mimic hunting, alternating the speed and movement of the toy, and using toys with different sounds (think rustling and crushing sounds). Wand toys are great for this. 

4. Use Food Puzzle/Foraging Toys

Food puzzle toys are beneficial for many reasons. They provide physical and mental enrichment, help reduce boredom and stress, and allow your kitten to act on their natural hunting/foraging instincts.

There are many different foraging toys, such as snuffle mats, stationary puzzle toys, mobile puzzle toys, etc. Let your kitten try out different ones, so they get as much experience and opportunity to put their foraging skills to the test as possible. You will also be able to figure out their learning style and foraging preferences. 

5. Have Visitors to Your Home

For your kitten to be comfortable around new people (besides you and members of your household), you should introduce them to outside people regularly. These “outsiders” can be friends, family members, neighbors, whoever!

As with everything related to kitten socialization, your kitten needs to make positive associations with these visitors. Have the visitors pet your kitty, give them treats, play with them, and talk to them sweetly. Only allow people to hold your kitten if it’s something your kitten enjoys; being forcibly held will not help your kitten learn that people are good.

Fear Free recommends having your kitten meet someone new every day for the first 14 weeks of their life. The more you can work on this skill, the better.

6. Start Carrier Training

Car rides with your cat are inevitable, and you will need to take your kitten to the vet at some point, at the very least. And who knows – you may eventually move, need to take your cat on a road trip, or even start adventuring with your cat.

If your cat is riding in the car, they should be riding in an enclosed carrier for safety reasons. Carrier training adult cats can sometimes be tricky, so it’s best to start the process when your kitten is young.

Leave the carrier out, feed your kitten in it, and put catnip and toys inside it to make it a fun and enticing place. We want your kitten to associate the carrier with positive things, making being in the carrier and future car rides much easier!

7. Go on Car Rides

Speaking of car rides, they are something that you should practice regularly. Once your kitten is comfortable in their carrier, you can start, introducing them to the car. Gradually work your way up from just sitting in the car in the driveway to short rides around the block to longer rides around town. 

As with everything, the goal is to make car rides a positive experience for your kitten! If you have a partner, they can be responsible for putting treats inside the carrier throughout the journey. Visit Starbucks, get yourself a snack for your efforts (training is hard work), and give your kitten some treats for coming along for the ride. Introducing your kitten to car rides will make traveling with them so much easier.

8. Make Happy Visits to the Vet

It’s no secret that vet visits can be stressful and scary for cats, but it doesn’t have to be that way. You can set up “happy visits” to the vet to counteract the negativity. A happy visit is when you take your kitten to the vet exclusively for pets and treats. You can let the vet techs and your veterinarian handle and love your kitten to make the experience positive, reducing their fear and stress the next time they have to go for an actual wellness visit. 

If you’re able to find a Fear Free certified veterinarian, that’s even better, since they will be especially focused on making your kitten’s vet visits stress-free.

9. Introduce Your Kitten to Cat-Friendly Dogs

Socializing a young kitten includes socializing with other animals in addition to humans. You may decide to get a dog in the future, so you want your cat to have some exposure to them. Even if you have a resident dog who shares the home with your kitten, you should still practice meeting other dogs. Your kitty is bound to run into strange dogs at some point, whether in the lobby at your vet’s office or while you’re out on a leash walk.

As mentioned earlier, the key is ensuring these dog interactions are positive. If you have friends or family members who have “cat-friendly” dogs, start there, and ask them to come to your home and bring their dog. 

Set up safe and controlled interactions (have the dog on a leash or behind a gate so the dog never chases the cat. You want to start by letting your kitten observe the dog up high, where they are safe. Use treats so your kitten associates the dogs with positive things.

10. Try Out Different Foods and Treats

Cats are notoriously picky eaters, so introduce your cat to different foods and treats when they’re young to expand their palette. Allow them to try various protein sources, textures, and flavors. Cats learn to be picky by only giving them one food, so we want to avoid this by encouraging them to accept a variety of meals and snacks.

Hint: Make a mental note of their favorite things so you can use them for training sessions later!

11. Introduce Your Cat to Different Sounds

One of the scariest things for unsocialized kittens is loud noises – sirens, fireworks, construction, dogs barking, etc. While these sounds may be complex for you to practice with “in real life,” recordings of sounds from Youtube can be an excellent first step to desensitizing them. 

You can also open your windows (as long as they have screens) or give your cat access to a catio or outside playpen so they can experience these sounds in a controlled environment. Car rides will also help introduce your cat to the sounds of the outside world.

12. Experience Different Textures

This may seem silly, but walking on different surfaces and textures can be startling for some cats. As with the different food and sounds, you should introduce your cat to the feel of different textures such as carpet, hardwood, concrete, and grass. Have your cat follow wet food on a spoon over many surfaces. Cats can be startled by changes in their environment. For example, even moving a rug around can be startling. Reward your kitten for treating new surfaces like a fun obstacle course.

13. Begin Harness & Leash Training

Harness and leash training should be a part of every cat’s training process. Even if you don’t have grand plans to travel and adventure with your cat, there are other situations in which harness and leash training can come in handy. For example, in an emergency, visiting the vet, moving, etc.

Being harness and leash-trained will allow you and your kitten to enjoy some safe outdoor time together. Because we don’t recommend letting your cat free-roam outdoors, harness and leash training your kitten is the best way to let your cat experience the outdoor world in a safe and controlled manner. 

While older cats can be harness trained, introducing your kitten to the harness and leash when they are young can speed up the process.

When Can You Start the Socialization Process?

Your socialization training can begin as soon as you bring your kitten home. Though it’s never too early or too late to begin, starting with socialization at an early age is best. However, the socialization window never fully closes – you can still work with an older kitten.  

If you’re lucky, you may even have Kitten Kindergarten classes near you. In kitten kindergarten, you would get help from a trainer and/or cat behaviorist with all of the above-mentioned socialization steps. These classes are becoming more and more popular for good reason, and hopefully the future will see more opportunities to make it easier to socialize kittens. 

In addition to the socialization skills mentioned in this article, you can also start clicker training your kitten. Clicker training helps to teach your kitten self-control and to focus on you. When you’re ready, you can begin incorporating clicker training basics into your routine. Parking spot training is especially helpful.

Remember to have fun as you work on all these skills with your cat – socialization and training are about enriching your kitten’s life, setting them up for success and happiness, and building that bond and sense of trust between the two of you. It should be a positive experience for you both.

If you come across anything you need help with or would like to dive deeper into your cat’s training, be sure to join the Cat School Membership group. In Cat School, you have direct access to cat behaviorist Julie Posluns, and you’ll be able to follow her training roadmap with video tutorials and step-by-step lessons. Her goal is to help you give your cat the best life possible!

Sources: 

Pratsch, L., Mohr, N., Palme, R., Rost, J., Troxler, J., & Arhant, C. (2018). Carrier training cats reduces stress on transport to a veterinary practice. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 206, 64–74. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2018.05.025 

Dantas, L. M., Delgado, M. M., Johnson, I., & Buffington, C. T. (2016). Food puzzles for cats. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 18(9), 723–732. doi:10.1177/1098612×16643753

The post How to Socialize a Kitten appeared first on Cat School.

Regardless of where you are in your cat training journey, you probably have questions. This guide will hopefully answer them all and help get you on the right path. If you have any additional questions, we recommend joining the Cat School Community, where you have a direct line of communication with Julie Posluns, an applied animal behaviorist and cat trainer.

 Disclosure: Cat School may receive commissions from affiliate links included in this article.

Clicker Training Cats FAQs

What is clicker training?

Clicker training is form of positive reinforcement training. With clicker training, you mark your cat’s desirable behavior and then reward it. This training method gets its name because of the small, hand-held tool called a “clicker” that is used to mark your cat’s behaviors.

It is important to press the clicker at the exact moment your cat performs the desired behavior, and then follow up the click with a food reward. Your cat will quickly learn that a the clicking sound equals a treat.

Further reading: How to Train a Cat: The Ultimate Cat Training Guide

Do I need a clicker?

You don’t necessarily need a clicker. If you don’t have access to one or are waiting for yours to arrive, you can instead make a clicking noise with your mouth or use the word “Yes” each time your cat performs the desired behavior.

For more precise behaviors like “high five,” a clicker is a useful tool because you want to capture that split-second action at the exact moment the behavior is demonstrated to let your cat know they did the skill correctly. For example, if you are teaching “high five” and your cat raises their paw, without the clicker, they won’t know what explicit behavior earned the reward.

What if my cat is scared of the sound of the clicker?

Your goal should be to help your cat overcome their fear of the clicker. Muffle the sound in a sock or click it from far away so it’s a lot quieter, then toss a treat to your cat. They will eventually start recognizing that the clicker means treats and no longer be afraid of it. Once your cat starts to recognize the clicker is a good thing, you can begin to fade out using the sock to muffle it.

What is a target stick?

In addition to a regular clicker, we also recommend using a target stick for clicker training cats. A target stick is a long, lightweight (and usually foldable or extendable) stick with a small ball on the end. It can easily fit inside your pocket when not extended.

Target sticks are popular items in the both the pet and animal training world. They are a helpful tool to move your pet through space without physically forcing them. For our purposes, it’s a clear visual target to move a cat from one place to another.

The target stick we offer through Cat School is both a clicker and a target stick in one! It allows you to quickly mark the behavior without having to fumble for a separate clicker. It also has an extendable wand that allows you to change the length.

Further reading: Why You Need A Target Stick To Train Your Cat

What are the best treats for training?

There is no magical, universal training treat. Each cat will have different preferences, and different treats will work best for different situations. Understand that there are high-value and low-value treats so you can use them accordingly. Try to figure out what your cat’s absolute favorite treat is, and reserve that for training more difficult behaviors.

That special treat may be dry treats, kibble, wet food, freeze-dried, or squeezable treats. Each cat will have different preferences. It’s good to have multiple treats that your cat will work for.

Further reading: What are the Best Treats for Clicker Training Cats?

How long should a clicker training session last?

We recommend keeping your training sessions around 5 minutes long, especially in the beginning. If your cat is really into it, you can go for a bit longer, but you always want to end on a good note. If you push your cat too hard or for too long, they might lose interest or focus. You want to end your session before you lose your cat’s attention.

That being said, you can do multiple short training sessions in a day. Just be sure to give your cat a sufficient break in between.

Is my cat too old to be trained?

Never! Cats can be trained at any age – it’s never too late!

What age should I start training my cat?

You can start at any age. If you have a new kitten, you should focus more on socialization skills first – handling, being around other people, etc. These skills will set them up to be well-adjusted kitties, ready to begin clicker training!

Further reading: Is Training a Kitten Possible?

What if my cat isn’t food motivated?

If your cat isn’t willing to work for treats, it could be that you haven’t found the right tasty treat yet. Try some different treat options to find one that your cat deems worthy.

Your cat’s feeding schedule is also a big part of the training equation. If your cat has 24/7 access to a full food bowl, they won’t usually be very food motivated. Why work for a treat when they can just walk over to their food bowl whenever they want?

Feeding food with moisture and reserving any dry food for training only (i.e. not leaving a bowl of dry food out) is a good strategy. Adjusting your cat’s feeding schedule from free-feeding to planned, portioned meals high in moisture, while reserving all dry food and treats for training, will make a big difference in your cat’s willingness to work for treats! 

What trick or behavior should I start with?

If you’re just starting out, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out where to start. We recommend starting with a new and easy behavior, such as target training or “sit.”

Knowing how and when to build on your skills can be tricky though, which is why we have a step-by-step training roadmap to follow in our online Cat School Course! It will guide you through the training process in a logical progression, eliminating any guess work on your part as to where to start and where to go next.

Do I have to give my cat a treat every time they do a trick?

Once your cat gets comfortable and confident with a behavior or skill, you don’t necessarily have to give them a treat every time. However, you should still go back and revisit those mastered skills in your training sessions, giving your cat treats when they perform them. You don’t want to only ever be teaching new skills.

Another instance when you might not give your cat a treat after each skill is when you’re working on chaining skills together. For example, if you’re trying to train your cat to sit and then give a fist bump, you wouldn’t give them a treat after they perform sit. You’d give them the treat after they perform both behaviors back to back. You shouldn’t try chaining behaviors together though until your cat is 100% confident with each skill individually.

Should I still click if I’m not giving my cat a treat?

No. You want your cat to understand that a click means they get a treat. If you stop giving treats after clicking, then you will confuse them and cause training regression.

If you aren’t going to give your cat a treat after performing a behavior, you should not click.

What if I have multiple cats?

You can train multiple cats at one time; however, it is a bit more difficult. If possible, you should start with one cat at a time. Training multiple cats simultaneously requires some prerequisite skills such as mat and/or chair training, as well as distractions such as food puzzles and/or snuffle mats.

We have a section in our online Cat School Course about training multiple cats if you’d like to learn more.

Can I use clicker training to stop unwanted behaviors, such as scratching and counter surfing?

Yes! We understand that not everyone is interested in teaching cute cat tricks. Some are more interested eliminating bad behavior. The good news is that is possible with clicker training.

To put it simply, there are 3 steps:

1. Identify why your cat is doing the behavior.
2. Try to prevent the behavior from happening so it does not get reinforced.
3. Once the behavior is managed, you can begin to train an alternative good behavior.

Further reading: How To Stop Your Cat’s Unwanted Behavior With Clicker Training

Can you teach your cat to accept nail trims or teeth brushing using clicker training?

Absolutely! The key to nail trims and teeth brushing is to take things slowly and get your cat to not just tolerate the activity, but to willingly accept it. Of course, the earlier you start training these behaviors the better, but it is possible to get a cat of any age or temperament to accept nail trims and teeth brushing.

Further reading: A Step-by-Step Guide to Brushing A Cat’s Teeth

Can I train my cat to walk on a leash?

Contrary to popular belief, cats can be harness and leash trained! Going outside with your cat, even if it’s just in the back yard or front porch, is a great way to bond and let your cat experience the sights, smells, and sounds of the outdoor world in a safe and controlled way.

If you are interested in leash training your cat, we recommend our harness kit. We also help walk you through harness training over in the Cat School Online Training Course! 

As you can see, there is a lot to consider when clicker training cats, but once you get started, you won’t regret it! Both you and your cat will enjoy yourselves, and you’ll be on your way to building the bond between you and giving your cat a more enriched life.

If you have more training questions or need personalized help with your training, join the Cat School Community! Julie would love to meet you and your student and help you on your cat training journey!

The post Clicker Training Cats: All Your Questions Answered appeared first on Cat School.

• Outdoor cats – cats that roam free
• Cats that go out on a harness and leash
• Cats at risk of door dashing. If indoor-only cats are at risk of getting outside, they should wear a collar.
• Cats experiencing a change in their environment that puts them at risk, including traveling, moving, vet visits, and being cared for by a house sitter.
• Cats who may need to wear a cone one day because of treatment.

That being said, getting your cat to actually wear a collar can sometimes be easier said than done. Not all cats will take to wearing a collar right away, and putting a collar on your cat is not a set it and forget it type of situation. Cat collar training is essential to ensure your cat is successful at wearing a collar.

Should I Train My Cat to Wear a Collar?

The short answer is, “Yes!” Whether you have an outdoor cat, indoor-only cat, or walk your cat on a leash (like I do), all cats will likely need to wear a collar at some point in time. For some, wearing a collar is 100% mandatory.

Every outdoor cat must wear a collar.

While we advocate for every feline companion to be an indoor cat (unless going outside on a harness and leash), many cat owners still let their cats roam free. For these outdoor cats, there is a real danger in getting lost. It’s easy to mistake an outdoor cat not wearing collar as a stray cat.

Only 74% of lost cats are reunited with their families, so we should be doing everything possible to improve that statistic. Wearing a well-fitting collar, attaching a GPS tracker to the collar, and getting your cat microchipped are all ways to keep your outdoor cat safe. It also allows people to contact you if your cat is injured, gets in a fight, or is being a nuisance in your neighbor’s garden.

Cats who go out on a harness and leash MUST wear a collar.

There is no such thing as an “escape-proof” harness, so any cat who goes out on a harness and leash should also wear a collar with a tracking device. In an emergency situation, if your cat slips out of the their harness, you will still be able to find them.

Indoor cats who door dash MUST wear a collar.

It is a good idea for cats who are at risk of door dashing to wear a collar. Accidents happen, and if your cat gets outside, having a collar on them (with a tracking device) will help you recover your cat.

Cats who are being put at risk due to a change in environment MUST wear a collar.

We’ve all heard stories about cats moving and getting lost. When you change your cat’s environment, you can’t predict all the possible dangers in a new setting. For example, doors or windows that don’t shut properly.

Having someone take care of your cat when you go away also puts your cat at risk because they don’t know all of your cat’s behaviors – for example, if they door dash.

What’s the Best Cat Collar?

Finding the right collar involves asking two questions.

1. Is it the right fit for your cat’s neck so it won’t get caught in anything (for example, their limb if they scratch)?
2. Will it stay on?

Does my cat need a breakaway collar?

A breakaway cat collar is one that has a buckle that will snap open when pulled hard enough. This is one of the safety features more cat owners look for in collar selection. While breakaway collars serve an important purpose (relieve people of the worry their cat is in danger of the collar getting caught somewhere), a problem arises when the collar is too sensitive and falls off if the cat scratches. If a cat owner has to reapply a collar often, they may give up eventually.

During an introductory process, it’s important to watch the sensitivity of a breakaway collar.

If you opt for a breakaway collar you should do a testing period indoors first to ensure it stays on. My cat Jones wears a breakaway collar, and it’s never come off.

Stay away from elastic collars.

Elastic stretch cat collars have a piece of elastic in them that allows them to stretch. Though they may seem like a good idea, they are actually quite unsafe. In a study done to determine the percentage of cats still wearing collars after a 6 month period, all the participating cats who got their collars stuck on an object were wearing elastic stretch collars. The study found that these types of collars were most likely to stretch out and become loose, making them more likely to get caught on other objects.

Select a collar that supports a tracking device.

While it’s important to select a safe collar (one that won’t get caught in anything), the best way to keep your cat safe is with a tracking device. A tracking device gives your cat the protection that, in an emergency, you can locate them. If your cat’s collar falls off too easily, not only do they lose their ID, they also lose their tracker.

How to Fit Your Cat for a Collar

To ensure your cat is as safe as possible while wearing their collar, you want to make sure their collar has been properly fitted. A collar that is too tight will be uncomfortable and can put pressure on their sensitive neck area.

A collar that is too loose is more likely to come off, and it can also be dangerous. If it’s too loose, your cat could slip a leg through and get stuck. They could also get their bottom jaw stuck in it.

When selecting your cat’s collar size, you can measure around their neck with a flexible tape measure. If you don’t have a flexible tape measure, you can use a piece of string and cut it to the needed length, then measure the string with a ruler. You should be able to fit 2 fingers between your cat’s neck and their collar.

Don’t set it and forget it.

For your cat’s safety, it is important to check your cat’s collar on a regular basis to make sure it is still has proper fit and that the tracking device is securely attached.

Cat Collar Training Steps

While there are definitely some cats who will immediately accept wearing a collar, that is not always the case. If you have a cat who is uncomfortable wearing a collar and manages to always scratch it off, they CAN be trained to willingly accept it.

Follow the clicker training steps below for the best chance of success with your feline companion. The key is to take things slow and use positive reinforcement (i.e. treats)! There is also a video tutorial down below.

Phase 1

1. Create a large loop using one of three methods:
   1) The handle of a leash
   2) The clasp of a leash to create a slip. Be careful using this method – make sure your cat can always pull out and the loop won’t tighten.
   3) A collar loosened all the way (if your cat’s collar will loosen enough)
2. With food in your hand, draw your cat’s head through the loop. 
3. When your cat’s head is on the other side of the loop, click and feed them the treat with the loop resting on their back. Since both your hands are occupied, and you can’t hold the clicker, you can make a clicking sound with your mouth.
4. Continue to feed your cat as you remove the loop. Putting their head in something and taking it out are equally scary processes.
5. Once your cat is confidently following the food through the loop, switch to a finger target or target stick and stop using the food lure. 

Phase 2

Your cat should be well-versed in putting their head through the loop from Training Phase 1 before moving on to the next phase of training. If you’ve been using your cat’s leash handle thus far, you can switch to using the slip or loosened collar now that your cat is feeling more confident.

1. Present the loop to your cat as a cue and wait for them to put their head through. If they don’t do it independently, help them with the hand signal after one to two seconds. Repeat this process until your cat sees the loop as the signal and will automatically put their head through.
2. Once the looped leash is resting on your cat’s back, practice opening the clasp to release the loop. This will help your cat get comfortable with removing equipment.
3. Practice opening and closing the clasp resting on your cat’s back to get them comfortable with your hands behind their neck. If you aren’t comfortable using the slip for this, you can use a leash and pretend to “fasten” and unfasten” it around your cat’s neck.
4. Widen the distance between your hands to mimic the opening and closing of a collar on your cat’s neck. 
5. Now you’re ready to introduce your cat to their collar! Have them practice wearing it for prolonged periods to get comfortable with it.

Cat Collar Training Video Tutorial

Need further help with your cat collar training? Join the Cat School Classroom to access the step-by-step training videos!

Cat Collar FAQs

• What should I look for in a cat collar? A cat collar should be thin and lightweight. 3/8″ – 1/2″ width is best. You can easily find adjustable cat collars at your local pet store, or you can find places online to order a custom-length collar. A custom collar is nice because it is a bit less bulky than an adjustable one.We do NOT recommend elastic collars.
• Should I microchip my cat if they already wear a collar? Yes! Though collars are a great form of quick identification should a stranger come across your kitty, a microchip adds an extra level of loss-prevention. For example, if your cat manages to slip out of their collar, they’d still have a microchip they can be identified by.
• Does my cat need to wear a collar if they are already microchipped? Yes! Microchips are great and we definitely advocate for them, but they require a person to take your cat to a veterinarian or animal shelter that has a chip scanner. If your cat wears a collar with up-to-date ID tags, a person can quickly and easily identify your cat and give you a call.
• Does my indoor cat need to wear a collar? Yes! As mentioned in the article, indoor cats can accidentally slip outside and become lost. If you decide not to put a collar on your indoor cat at all times, you should at least have them wear one in the following circumstances:
  • Unexpected visitors come to your home (e.g., a repair person)
  • You’re taking your cat to the vet
  • You’re taking a trip or moving
  • A house- or pet-sitter comes over to care for them
  • They are doing fire alarm testing in your apartment building
• Does my outdoor cat need to wear a collar? Yes! If your outdoor cat is wearing a collar, they will be less likely to be identified as a stray. If a neighbor sees your cat has a collar, they will know your cat has a home.It is not uncommon for outdoor cats to have multiple homes that feed them because neighbors see the cat and think they are a stray. Eventually your cat may even stop coming home because they’re getting cared for (or even brought inside) somewhere else. A collar will help prevent that.We also recommend putting a bell on an outdoor cat’s collar to alert any prey animals of your cat’s presence.(If you have an outdoor cat, we also recommend reconsidering their situation. Outdoor cats are more prone to injuries, sickness, and death. They can still enjoy the wonder of the outdoor world on a harness and leash, which ensures a safer experience and allows for great bonding between you and your feline companion.)
• When should my cat start wearing a collar? Cats can begin wearing collars at any age. Though it’s typically easier to train a kitten than an adult cat or senior cat, it’s never too late.If you have a new kitten, we recommend beginning your collar training as soon as possible. For safety reasons, just make sure your kitten only wears their collar under supervision, as they might not be strong enough to detach a breakaway buckle on their own if they were to get snagged on something. 

Resources:

Lord, Linda K. Evaluation of collars and microchips for visual and permanent identification of pet cats.

The post Cat Collar Training: How and Why to Do It appeared first on Cat School.

• Which are the easiest tricks?
• Which trick should I teach first?
• Is there a logical order to teaching my cat tricks?

Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered! Below are 5 tricks to teach your cat that will get you both started out on the right paw. The idea is start with the basic, fundamental skills, as these will serve as building blocks from which you can teach more complicated skills and tricks later on.

We will be using clicker training principles and techniques for all skills mentioned.

Disclosure: Cat School may receive commissions from affiliate links included in this article.

1. Target Stick Training

A target stick is a long, lightweight stick with a small ball on the end that is usually foldable or extendable. The Cat School target stick even has a clicker as well. Target stick training has several purposes, but the most common reason to use a target stick is so you can lead your cat from one point to another.

1. With your cat slightly distracted or a few steps away from you, place a treat on the floor.
2. Point to the treat with the target stick. When your cat approaches the target stick to find the treat, click and place another treat down close by.
3. Now PRETEND to put a treat down. When your cat approaches the stick, click and then place a treat down right in front of them.
4. Do several training sessions and repetitions of this.

Your cat will quickly learn that approaching the target stick and even touching it with their nose means they get a reward. Once they’ve realized that, you can begin to raise the stick and use it to lead your cat around. This is a simple trick that can be fun too!

2. Ping Pong Kitty

Ping Pong Kitty is an attention game where you practice teaching your cat to return to you after moving away and getting distracted by food. It’s good exercise for your cat because it keeps them moving, and it will also help lay the foundation for future skills such as recall training.

1. Place a treat on the floor a few inches away from you. Have additional treats in your hand (or your treat pouch if your cat gets distracted by treats in your hand).
2. Wait for your cat to eat the treat and turn back to you. Feed them another treat as a reward for attending to you.
3. Repeat the previous steps by placing treats down at different spots and reinforcing your cat’s attention after they return to you.
4. Practice in different rooms and with different rewards.

Once your cat seems pretty confident with the above steps, you can begin to incorporate the clicker:

1. Toss a treat away from you. As soon as your cat returns to you or makes eye contact, click, and toss a treat in the opposite direction. 
2. Repeat the previous step several times gradually increasing the distance your cat goes.
3. Practice tossing the treat at various angles away from you. 
4. Repeat the training in different rooms in your house.

3. Sitting on a “Parking Spot”

One of the most valuable tricks to teach your cat is to go to a mat on command where they learn to stay. This “parking spot” behavior can help with many things, especially when working with multiple cats and preventing problem behaviors. 

1. Work in a narrow space such as a hallway or doorway. Place a big blanket down so that it intersects your cat’s path when you toss a treat away. Click and reward your cat for placing four paws on the blanket. Practice until your cat is very comfortable stepping on the blanket after retrieving their treat. 
2. Repeat Step 1 while gradually making the blanket smaller. Your cat should barely notice the change in the blanket. If your cat doesn’t fully step on the blanket, click for two paws touching the blanket but use the treat to guide them further towards you.
3. Aim for five correct responses in a row before making the blanket smaller.
4. Always reward your cat for sitting on the blanket.

Start moving the blanket’s location and encourage your feline friend to seek it out. Don’t move it too far away from the original training location at first, but you’ll eventually want to move it around to different rooms of your house as your cat catches on. Then you’ll be able to use the blanket or mat to direct your cat where you want them to go.

4. Carrier Training

Whether your goal is to lower your cat’s stress level on route to the vet or to get your cat outside in a backpack, cat carrier training should be a big focus for all cat owners. Positive reinforcement is key for successful carrier training!

1. Set up your equipment so it is as easy as possible for your cat to get in. If you are working with an extendable backpack, have it fully extended with all doors open. If you use a plastic kennel-style carrier, I recommend removing the top. The goal is to make it easy for your cat to get in.
2. Scatter treats in and around the carrier to encourage your cat to explore it. If your cat likes to play, use their favorite toy to make the carrier a fun place for them to go.
3. Keep your carrier out so your cat can go in it independently. Drop some treats (or toys) inside throughout the day to encourage your cat to pass by and go inside.
4. If you catch your cat going in on their own or even just popping your cat’s head inside, get excited and praise them. Give them a treat inside the carrier.

The above steps give a general overview of how to get started with carrier training your cat. For a full step-by-step guide from start to finish and access to assistance from Cat School teacher Julie, we recommend enrolling in Cat School.)

5. Nail Trimming

Clipping a cat’s nails is a reality for most indoor cats, yet it is also one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish. Nail trims have the potential to be extremely stressful for your cat, so the goal is to make it as positive of an experience as possible. The first step is showing your cat that the nail clippers are a tool associated with a tasty treat.

1. Bring the clippers out first, as soon as your cat notices them, present the delicious food.
2. As soon as you stop feeding, immediately put the clippers away.
3. Wait a few seconds and repeat the process one or two more times.
4. If you have time, try to do two short training sessions per day.

Once your cat has begun to associate the nail trimmers with positive experiences, you can begin to do the same with handling their paws, extending their claws, touching their paws with the clipper, and eventually clipping their nails.

These training steps give a general overview of how to get started trimming your cat’s nails using positive reinforcement. For full step-by-step guide through the whole process, including access to Cat School teacher Julie for assistance, we recommend enrolling in Cat School.) 

Cat training is a wonderful way to meaningfully interact and engage with your furry friend, and these 5 tricks to teach your cat will help lay the ground work for all your future training and bonding.

In fact, the 5 behaviors and skills outlined in this article are a part of Grade 1 in Cat School, along with other fun skills such as paw target a cup, harness training, jumping on and off a chair, brushing, and sit. If you’re looking for more, be sure to join us over in the Cat School Community!

The post 5 Tricks to Teach Your Cat: Cat Training Basics appeared first on Cat School.

Whether you’re looking to correct problem behavior, teach some obedience skills, or train your cat to learn fun tricks, cat training is an enriching, rewarding, and fun activity the two of you can enjoy together.

 Disclosure: Cat School may receive commissions from affiliate links included in this article.

Reasons Why Cat Training is Important

Contrary to popular belief, cats do require mental and physical enrichment. If not given proper stimulation, cats can become bored, which then leads to problems such as destructive behavior, weight gain, depression, and other health issues. Training requires your cat to problem solve while also increasing their movement, which makes it an excellent form of both mental and physical exercise.

Training with your cat will also help to strengthen the bond the two of you share. It gives you a fun activity to do together, and it builds trust. As you work with your cat, you’ll get a deeper understanding of their personality, their body language, and how their mind works. This understanding will build a closer relationship and be helpful in other areas of your cat’s life as well.

Last but not least, training your cat can eliminate undesirable or problem behaviors. As mentioned, bored cats can become destructive, so if this is something your cat struggles with, training can help! You can also use clicker training to correct problem behavior such as unwanted scratching, biting, and counter surfing.

Before You Start Training Your Cat

While it is easy to get started clicker training with your cat, there is a little bit of prep work to do first!

Get the necessary cat training tools.

There are just a couple things you’ll need to begin your cat training journey. The basic training materials include:

• A clicker and target stick – These two important tools come together in our Cat School Clicker Training Kit.
• Treats – You’ll need a treat your cat is willing to work for. This will be different for every cat. Your kitty might prefer dry kibble, freeze dried treats, squeezable treats, or wet food. You might have to try out a few different options to find the right treat for your cat.
• Cat School membership – The Cat School curriculum is the most comprehensive resource for clicker training cats, accessible right from your home. Whether you want to teach your cat practical skills, tricks, or understand how to use the clicker to solve problem behaviors, we’ve got you covered. You’ll be able to ask questions, earn badges for your accomplishments and get feedback from the teacher, an applied animal behaviorist. Students who purchase our Cat School Clicker Training Kit get one month for free!

If you’d like to go the extra mile and get all the materials you’ll eventually need, here are a few other recommended items:

• Small stacking cups – used for training a variety of skills, including high five, ringing a bell, etc.
• Yoga blocks – also used for a variety of training skills
• Treat pouch – to hold your treats and give you easy access during training sessions
• Mat – used for a variety of training skills, such as “stay” and “place” (Cat School Teacher Julie uses a laptop sleeve)

Decide what you’d like to train your cat to do.

The training possibilities with your cat are endless. This means you’ll never run out of things to do, but it also means it can be a bit overwhelming at first. With so many options of behaviors to work on, where do you start?

To help keep you and your kitty on track right from the beginning, it’s important to decide what kind of behaviors you’d like to start with. What are your goals? Are you wanting to fix an unwanted behavior, work on practical skills, or learn fun tricks? Making this choice doesn’t mean you can’t expand into other areas eventually. It just gives you a solid starting point and prevents you from trying to go in too many directions too soon.

9 Cat Training Tips

Alright, so you’ve gotten the recommended tools and materials and you’ve chosen your training path. It’s time to get started!

1. Start with something easy.

As with anything new, it’s important to start with the basics first. As tempting as it may be to jump right into training your cat to jump through a hoop, chances are that would end in frustration for both of you. Start with some simple skills to show your cat that training is fun and easy.

Teaching your cat that the “click” means they get a treat is the first step of clicker training. Once your cat understands the click, you may want to try teaching them to sit. Target training is also a good, beginner skill. By starting with these foundation skills, you will be well prepared to progress onto more advanced behaviors.

2. Keep the training sessions short.

It can be hard to keep a cat’s attention when they are new to training. Shorter sessions will keep your cat focused, and prevent them from losing interest or getting frustrated.

When your cat is first beginning, we recommend starting with 3-5 minute sessions once or twice a day. Short but frequent and consistent training sessions will be way more effective than longer ones. For example, having two to three 5 minute training sessions in a day is typically better than one 15 minute session.

As your cat advances, you can increase the length of your training sessions. If possible, try to end your session on a positive note before your cat loses interest.

3. Eliminate any distractions.

Pick a quiet area of your home for your cat training sessions – someplace with as few distractions as possible. Family members, other pets, and noises can be quite distracting, and your cat may not be able to focus.

If you have other pets, close them off in another room of the house so you and your cat can focus only on each other and the training. While there are strategies to train multiple cats at once, it’s best to start off working with just one cat at a time.

4. Reward immediately and consistently.

The clicker takes a snap shot of the correct behavior and let’s your cat know which behavior earned the reward. For clicker training to work properly, it’s essential to click right at the precise moment your cat performs the desired behavior. Because the click is a promise of a reward, it’s necessary always to give your cat a treat after you click. Behavior that gets rewarded gets repeated, so once your cat knows what behavior is earning treats, they will start to offer that behavior making it easy for you to add a signal down the road.

5. Find the right reward.

There is no magical, universal training treat. Just as with humans, different cats have different treat preferences. Some may prefer dry treats or kibble, while others prefer wet food or squeezable treats. It’s good to have multiple treats that your cat will work for.

You may also find that your cat is willing to perform easy behaviors for one type of treat, but that they require a higher-value treat for more difficult behaviors. A high value treat doesn’t necessarily mean a more expensive treat. It is just a treat your cat sees as being special.

Again, this will be different for every cat, but typically it will be something they don’t get to have on a very regular basis. For example, if your cat only eats wet food for their regular meals, they may see dry food as something extra special!

6. Don’t punish the bad behavior.

As a general rule, cats don’t respond well to punishment. Punishing your cat can lead to stress and anxiety, and it can damage the sense of trust you’re building. Some cats will even view punishment as a reward – negative attention is attention, after all!

Clicker training is all about positive reinforcement. The idea is always to reward the desired behaviors. When your cat engages in a negative behavior, you should try to redirect or distract your cat rather than punish. Better yet, figure out why your cat is doing that behavior and try to prevent it or teach them an alternative one. For example, if your cat is scratching the couch, the goal is to teach them to scratch a more appropriate option.

7. Be consistent with your cues.

To avoid confusion, always use the same voice commands and hand signals for the behavior you are working on. Be sure that anyone else who trains with your cat also knows the correct commands and signals.

8. Train at the right time.

Training requires a lot of focus from your cat, so you will want to be strategic about when you do your training sessions. After a nap or first thing in the morning is usually a good time, as your cat will be rested and ready for an activity. Right before mealtimes are great too because your cat will be more willing to work for their treat rewards if they’re a bit hungry. If your cat tends to be active at bedtime, you can engage in a training session with them before you go to sleep to help tire them out too.

9. Involve others

If you have other members of your household, it is beneficial to include them in your cat’s training process. This is especially important if you’re working on training out any unwanted behaviors. All members of the household should know what the training method and goal is so they can also correctly and consistently address the bad behavior when it comes up.

Involving others in the training also helps to build your cat’s socialization skills.

Obedience skills

Obedience skills are a natural place to start. These include commands such as “sit,” coming when called, “stay,” “drop it,” target training, eye contact, etc. Many of the basic obedience skills are used as building blocks for future skills.

Target

Target training involves teaching your cat to touch an object with a specific part of their body for a reward. For example, getting your cat to touch the end of a target stick with their nose.

Using the target stick, you can:

1. Have a clear signal to move your cat from one point to another
2. Guide your cat willingly into a carrier or backpack
3. Teach fun tricks such as jumping over your arms or legs
4. Help a shy cat overcome their fear of strangers. You can use the target as an icebreaker with strangers by providing a constructive way to interact
5. Tire your cat out before bed. Grab the device and get your cat moving around the room like an agility course

Check out this target training article for more information, or watch the video below:

Sit

Teaching your cat to sit is quite easy and doesn’t usually take much time at all. All you have to do is capture your cat’s “sit” by clicking and rewarding whenever they do it naturally. Pair it with a hand signal and voice cue, and eventually your cat will learn to do it on command.

Check out this video for a tutorial:

Coming when called

Teaching your cat to come when called, also known as recall, is a useful skill. Not only is it nice when your cat comes when you call their name, it can also come in handy if your cat were to ever slip out of your house. Basically, you just need to use treats to entice your cat to come when you call their name and always reward when it happens. 

Check out this video for a tutorial:

Problem Behaviors

If your cat has a problem with things like biting, scratching, or counter surfing, don’t worry! You can correct your cat’s behavior with proper training.

Biting

The first step to correcting biting behavior is to figure out why it’s happening as different situations will require different treatment plan. If your cat is playing rough and biting during playtime, try to keep them calm by interrupting play sessions before your cat gets too overstimulated. This strategy is no different than interrupting wrestling matches with dogs at the dog park and asking them to do some sits and stays to take a breather from play. The goal is never to punish the behavior, but instead prevent it from occurring in the first place.

Biting can also occur when your cat is bored and not getting enough mental or physical activity. Provide them with the means to act on their predatory instincts with toys they can chase, bite, and catch. Engaging in training sessions can help curb the biting behavior by teaching your cat self-control.

Furniture scratching

Scratching is an instinctual and natural behavior, that is important for your cat. If your cat is scratching your couch, the best way to correct this behavior is to provide them with plenty of other equally or more appealing scratching surfaces and use positive reinforcement to encourage them to make the correct choice.

Place the scratchers in various areas of your home, and also beside the piece of furniture they tend to gravitate towards and make them as enticing as possible, for example, with catnip and using your clicker to reward your cat.

Cover your furniture so you don’t need to get frustrated with your cat during the training process. Fortunately, today, it’s so much easier to find beautiful couch covers to protect furniture and make your home more cat-friendly,

Counter surfing

If your cat tends to jump up on your kitchen counter tops and that’s not something you’d like, you can discourage this behavior in several ways. Here are a few suggestions for eliminating counter surfing:

• Keep food and other tempting things off the countertops; finding snacks on the counter will reinforce your cat’s jumping.
• Provide your cat with a nearby alternative “parking spot,” for example, a cat tree or high shelves from which they can be near you in the kitchen.
• Make this new parking spot a fun place where your cat finds their favourite treats and toys.
• Using clicker training, reward your cat for going to the new parking spot and teach them to sit there, for example, by training your cat to sit on a mat
• If your cat finds nothing exciting on the counter and their new parking spot is a source of treats and attention, they should start to choose the new spot over the counter. 

Tricks

There are SO many fun tricks you can teach your cat. Trick training is a great way to engage with your cat and strengthen your relationship. Many of the tricks require prerequisite skills like target training or sit, so be sure your cat has mastered those skills first.

Spin

To teach “spin” you’ll need to use either a target stick or your finger to lead your cat around in a tight circle. Pair this behavior with the “spin” command, a click as the trick as performed, and reward with a treat! 

Check out this video tutorial:

Jump

You can teach your cat to jump up onto objects on command by using the target stick to lead your cat. Just as with “spin,” you’ll want to combine with a voice command and then click and reward when executed successfully.

You can use the target stick to lead your cat to jump over obstacles as well, such as your legs or your arms. Eventually you can even try teaching your cat to jump through your arms like in this tutorial video:

High five

Nobody can resist a cute kitty who high-fives! The training process for this trick has a few steps involving cups and sticky notes, so be sure to check out this tutorial video:

Cat Training FAQs

What if my cat isn’t food motivated?

If your cat isn’t willing to work for treats, it could be that you haven’t found the right treat yet! Test out some different treat options to find one that your cat deems worthy and give your cat a chance to get used the new food; some cats are scared to try anything new.

Your cat’s feeding schedule is also a big part of the equation. If your cat free feeds (meaning they have a bowl of food available at all times), they won’t usually be very food motivated because they can just snack whenever they want. Adjusting your cat’s feeding schedule from free-feeding to planned, portioned meals will make a big difference in their willingness to work for treats! 

What if I have multiple cats?

It is possible to train multiple cats at a time! It is a bit more to manage though, so if possible, it’s recommended to start with one cat at a time. Training multiple cats simultaneously requires some prerequisite skills such as mat and/or chair training, as well as distractions such as food puzzles and/or snuffle mats.

We have a section in our online Cat School Course about training multiple cats!

Which behavior should I start with?

You should start with a new behavior that’s easy, such as target training or “sit.” Knowing how and when to build on your skills can be tricky though, which is why we have a step-by-step training roadmap to follow in our online Cat School Course! It will guide you through the training process in a logical progression, eliminating any guess work on your part as to where to start and where to go next.

What kind of treats should I use?

As mentioned, there is no magical, universal training treat. Each cat will have different preferences, and different treats will work best for different situations. Check out this video on training treats for a more in-depth explanation:

Can older cats be trained?

Yes! Kittens and adult cats are all capable of training and learning new behaviors. Many think training is only possible with a kitten, but that’s absolutely not true. In fact, kittens will have their own set of training challenges. There is really no age limit to training!

Can cats be harness and leash trained?

Absolutely! Harness and leash training is an excellent way to let your cat experience the excitement and enrichment of the outdoor world in a safe and controlled way. If you are interested in leash training your cat, we recommend our harness kit. We also have a leash walking course included with Cat School membership! 

You can find the answers to more cat training FAQs here.

The post How to Train a Cat: The Ultimate Cat Training Guide appeared first on Cat School.

Whether you’re looking to correct bad behavior, teach some obedience skills, or train your cat to learn fun tricks, training is excellent enrichment for your cat’s mind, and a rewarding, and fun activity the two of you can enjoy together for years to come!

Disclosure: Cat School may receive commissions from affiliate links included in this article.

What is clicker training for cats?

Clicker training is based on positive reinforcement training by marking your pet’s desirable behavior and then rewarding it. This method gets its name because it uses a small, hand-held tool called a “clicker” which makes a clicking noise.

When your cat performs the desired behavior, you press the button on the clicker, and follow up the click with a food reward, such as a favorite cat treat or piece of kibble. Your cat will quickly learn that a the clicking sound equals a treat. Once they come to that realization, they will be willing to work and perform for you!

10 Reasons to Start Cat Clicker Training

Not only is it possible to clicker train a cat, it’s also a fun way to spend time and bond with your kitty. Plus, cats are perfect candidates for teaching fun new tricks because of their size and natural athleticism. Try getting a 50 pound golden retriever to sit on your back or jump through your arms, and you’ll start to see the appeal of working with our perfectly-sized feline friends.

Cat training with a clicker also helps you better communicate with your cat, eliminating any confusion in the training process. You are able to use the sound of the click to capture the exact moment your cat performs the desired behavior so they know exactly what you want them to do. In contrast to using your voice, the clicking noise is a distinct sound.

Besides just being fun, there are several practical benefits to cat clicker training:

1. Clicker training increases your cat’s physical activity.

It’s no secret that many indoor cats don’t get enough exercise. Clicker training is an easy way to get your cat up and moving. After some basic target stick training, you’ll be able to point to the top of your cat tree or scratching post to encourage your cat to jump up. As soon as they jump, click and toss a small treat across the room.

By teaching your cat to jump on, off, and over objects, you can eventually work towards using the target stick to guide them around a cat agility course for even more exercise!

2. Clicker training a cat works their brain.

Cats need to exercise their minds the same way we humans do. Training is an excellent form of mental stimulation, as it requires them to problem solve in a way they don’t normally have the opportunity to. Teaching a new trick will challenge your cat’s mind!

3. It will help your cat sleep better.

We all sleep better after a hard day at work. The same can be said for cats! If your cat tends to be hyper at the end of the day, try engaging in a training session before bed. It will actually help wind them down.

Training in the evening will also give them a bedtime snack and tire them out so they will be ready for a restful sleep. A peacefully resting kitty means a more peaceful night’s sleep for you too!

4. Clicker training cats helps overcome boredom.

Despite what many may think, cats do require both mental and physical stimulation. A bored cat can quickly become an overweight, depressed, or even destructive one.

Cat clicker training provides your cat with a fun and engaging activity. They will also appreciate the extra attention and enrichment. 

5. You can use clicker training to teach your cat practical behaviors.

While all the high-fiving and arm jumping is fun and cute and makes for great exercise, you can also use clicker training to teach your cat more practical skills such as getting into their carrier, sitting and waiting at a designated spot while you prepare their meal, harness and leash training, and more! As long as you can break down these skills into easy steps for your cat to learn, you can teach an extensive repertoire of skills.

6. It helps strengthens the cat-human bond.

Clicker training gives you and your cat a fun and enriching activity to do together, which will only help strengthen the bond between you and build even more trust. Because clicker training is founded on positive reinforcement principals, your cat will always associate their training sessions with good things. They will then have more positive associations with you too!

Training together will change the dynamic of your relationship from roommates to teammates as you work towards a common goal. Watch your furry team member get smarter while you become a better trainer, and the two of you learn how to better communicate with one another.

7. Clicker training a cat can help solve problem behavior.

Got a counter-surfer or door-dasher on your hands? You can use clicker training methods to change that unwanted behavior! It’s a matter of redirecting the bad behavior, encouraging the good behavior, and teaching your cat what you want them to do instead. In the case of counter-surfing and door-dashing, this usually means training your cat to stay at a “parking spot” while the door opens or while you are cooking.

8. You can use clicker training to entertain friends and show your cat that strangers can be fun!

Showing off your cat tricks to friends and family is fun and will get your cat interacting with new people in a positive way. Plus, giving fist bumps to friends will melt everyone’s hearts. 

If your cat is fearful of friends that come over, clicker training is an excellent ice breaker to help them learn that strangers also come with tasty treats.

9. Clicker training cats helps them overcome fears and builds confidence.

You can use your cat’s favorite treat to reward and encourage them to try new things or overcome a fear. Taking them to the vet or trying to get your cat comfortable in a new environment? Use treats and your clicker, and your cat will begin to make positive associations with these previously scary or negative things.

Clicker training allows you to introduce your cat to new challenges slowly and respectfully, building their confidence one click/treat at a time.

10. Clicker training will make your cat happier.

A cat who gets plenty of mental and physical exercise and enrichment is a happy cat. As mentioned, clicker training is an excellent form of both exercise and enrichment, and it can be used to increase your cat’s socialization skills and build their confidence.

Watch your cat’s behavior change as they purr through their training sessions and become a happy, well-adjusted kitty. The time you spend learning together will be the highlight of you and your cat’s day.

Sold on the cat clicker training idea but aren’t sure where to start? Check out our Ultimate Cat Training Guide!

The post 10 Reasons to Start Clicker Training a Cat appeared first on Cat School.

A survey I did on Instagram revealed that only 15% of people are brushing their cat’s teeth. More people expressed an interest in it but didn’t know where to start.

Brushing your pet’s teeth takes training and patience, which is why we’ve got some training tips for you to help make the process as easy as possible. Let’s first take a look at why you should be brushing your cat’s teeth…

*Please note: Brushing a cat’s teeth is not a replacement for proper veterinary dental care. Some cats are more prone to dental diseases and will need extra care.

 Disclosure: Cat School may receive commissions from affiliate links included in this article.

Why Brushing a Cat’s Teeth is Important

Did you know veterinarians recommend brushing your cat’s teeth on a daily basis? Without regular brushing, your cat will develop bad breath. Plaque will also start building up on your cat’s teeth, which will eventually lead to gingivitis.

If left untreated, the built up plaque will eventually become tartar, and the gingivitis may progress to the more serious and irreversible periodontal disease. These conditions are painful, will ultimately lead to tooth loss, and can even contribute to other health issues.

To avoid painful dental issues and expensive dental procedures and veterinary bills later on down the road, you should brush your cat’s teeth on a regular basis.

My Personal Experience

Last year, my cat Jones had his teeth professionally cleaned under anesthesia. After his dental cleaning, I set a goal to brush his teeth regularly to reduce the frequency of this procedure.

For several months, I worked on touching his face gently so he would allow me to open his mouth. Progress was slow, and I didn’t want to delay brushing his teeth by having to wait until he was comfortable with me holding his face.

Although many cat care professionals will mention “tough love” (i.e., do it, and the cat will get over it), I know this strategy doesn’t work with my cat. If I put Jones in a scenario that makes him uncomfortable, he becomes suspicious and anxious about my actions and consequently avoids me. Restraining him is not an option either.

I suspect the same is true for other cats and cat owners as well, which is why I’ve put together some training tips for you.

How to Brush a Cat’s Teeth

No one has ever promised that brushing a cat’s teeth would be easy. Understand that the process will take time. You will have to build up to your cat allowing you to fully brush their teeth. That being said, it is well worth the effort.

In my case, knowing that Jones loved the toothbrush and toothpaste (coconut oil), I needed to figure out a way I could brush his teeth without having to hold his head. If your cat also won’t allow you to touch their face or mouth, you can try the voluntary teeth brushing method that I’ve used and outlined below:

Step 1: Get pet toothpaste and a pet toothbrush.

It’s important to get a toothpaste that is safe for cats. Human toothpaste contains toxic ingredients, so it should never be used. You can even find cat toothpaste that is flavored to make it more appealing to your cat – like chicken flavor, for example.

You’ll also need a cat toothbrush that is small and has either soft bristles or is made of rubber.

Step 2: Let your cat cat lick the toothpaste.

Start by putting a dab of toothpaste on your finger and letting your cat lick it off. Once your cat will accept the toothpaste from your finger, you can put it on the toothbrush and let your cat lick it from there.

This is how I started with Jones, hoping that the oral benefits would happen regardless of the actual brushing.

Step 3: Let your cat gnaw on the toothbrush.

Hopefully your cat will eventually go from licking the toothbrush to gnawing or chewing on it. That’s a good thing! Your cat’s teeth will be cleaned some as they chew on it, without you even having to do much.

Step 4: Start brushing.

As your cat gets more comfortable with chewing on the toothbrush and having it in their mouth, you can start trying to glide it back and forth – beginning to actually brush.

Start with just a couple swipes. You can brush for small increments of time at first and eventually work up to more swipes and longer brushing sessions.

If your cat won’t accept the toothbrush, you can use a “finger toothbrush.” This just means using your finger to slide across your cat’s teeth. Though not as effective as an actual toothbrush, it’s better than nothing. The goal would still be to work towards brushing with the toothbrush.

Step 5: Incorporate the cat clicker.

Depending on how your cat progresses with the previous 4 steps, you may or may not have to use the clicker for your cat teeth brushing training sessions.

With Jones, he naturally starting gnawing on the toothbrush. The next time he did that, I started to glide the brush back and forth across his teeth. However, the other side of his mouth didn’t happen naturally, so I used the clicker to indicate that opening his mouth was the desired behavior.

I placed the toothbrush along his molars, and anytime he opened his mouth, I clicked. His reward was a few seconds of licking the toothbrush. I continued in this way to get him used to interacting with the toothbrush and accept the brushing motion.

Success!

At our most recent veterinary appointment, there was good news. “His teeth look great,” our veterinarian said. “I’ve been brushing them!” I proudly exclaimed.

I hope that by using the voluntary teeth brushing method outlined above that you and your cat will see the same success.

Of course, if you run into any trouble or need help with the process, I would be happy to guide you through brushing your cat’s teeth over in Cat School!

Cat Teeth Brushing FAQs

• Do you need to brush your cat’s teeth?
  YES! Just like with humans, teeth brushing is important for our pets. Veterinarians agree: Pet tooth brushing is the gold standard for preventative oral health care.
  
• Can I use human toothpaste to brush my cat’s teeth?
  NO! Human toothpaste is toxic to cats. You should only use toothpaste intended for cats specifically.
  
• What toothpaste do you recommend?
  Pet stores carry many varieties of toothpaste created to encourage cats to cooperate. Because coconut oil is known to boost oral health in cats (and because my cat loves it), it was a natural choice for me. Other recommendations include Virbac Enzymatic Toothpaste.
  
• What toothbrush do you recommend?
  Because of the size of a cat’s mouth, a smaller toothbrush is better. Many of the brushes sold at pet stores are round to increase the area of the mouth that the toothbrush contacts.
  
  My first choice for a cat toothbrush is the brand Mind Up. They have a variety of tiny toothbrushes ideal for a cat’s mouth.
  
• How often should you brush?
  Ideally, once a day. The consistency will not only improve your cat’s oral hygiene but also help improve your cat’s response to the training.
  
• Do I need to brush my cat’s teeth if I feed dry food?
  Yes. Although some data suggests the size of kibble does make a difference in plaque removal, in my opinion, the other health consequences of feeding a kibble diet outweigh the possible benefit.
  
  A less processed diet combined with teeth brushing would be my recommended choice. Keep in mind there are foods, such as raw bones, that are more aligned with a cat’s natural diet and also help with cleaning teeth.
  
• If my cat’s teeth are already in bad condition, will brushing fix it?
  If your cat already has tartar buildup, you need to see your veterinarian to have your cat’s teeth properly assessed and cleaned under anesthesia before starting a home cleaning program. After the dentistry, you can begin teeth cleaning to reduce the need for future dental procedures. It’s never too late to get started!
  
• If I have an older cat, is it too late to start toothbrush training?
  Nope! It’s never too late. Adult cats and kittens alike can all be trained to accept teeth brushings.

Cat Teeth Brushing Video Training Tutorial

P.S. I have not abandoned the work on teaching Jones to allow me to hold his face. The method outlined in this article is a way for you to get started. Once your cat is happily running for teeth cleaning time, you can decide if you want to introduce some gentle handling to stabilize your cat’s head, pull back their lips, and apply more pressure on the toothbrush.

The post A Step-by-Step Guide to Brushing A Cat’s Teeth appeared first on Cat School.