Training cats: A discussion about reasons and methods for training with Allison Hunter-Frederick, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant and Trainer

Today's guest is Allison Hunter-Frederick. She is a certified cat behavior consultant and trainer located in Lincoln, NE, and owner of Allison Helps Cats.

On the podcast, Allison talks about whether the type of cat relates to trainability. She also shares some of the most asked questions she has received about cat training and reasons people have for wanting to train a cat.

In the second segment of the podcast, Allison discusses strategies for training, including having a positive approach and preparing for setbacks.

https://allisonhelpscats.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

This is the Hissing Feline Podcast, a weekly program that is about everything cats. The Kissing Feline features experts and other cat aficionados who share their knowledge and perspectives about dealing with felines. From strays and ferals to adoption, health, and cat psychology. We hope the topics give you helpful and interesting insight into the world of cats. Now, here is the host of the Hitsing Feline, Clark Freer.

SPEAKER_01 0:34

I'm pleased to have Allison Hunter Frederick join me again on the Hitsing Feline. Allison is a certified cat behavior consultant and trainer located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and she's the owner of Allison Helps Cats. Allison, thank you for being my guest again on today's podcast.

SPEAKER_03 0:51

Thank you for having me again.

SPEAKER_01 0:53

When you were on the podcast a few months ago, we discussed cat behavior. A closely related topic is cat training, which is the focus of today's show. Your website includes the statement sometimes we all need a little help or a lot of help with our cats. I'm guessing training is a big part of that statement.

SPEAKER_03 1:14

A lot of people who contact me has far as behavior. Uh part of how I help them with the behavior is with training. And sometimes people just contact me because they want help with just different types of training at the uh itself.

SPEAKER_01 1:28

Mm-hmm. Now the big question is, can cats really be trained?

SPEAKER_03 1:33

Well, yes, absolutely. They can learn manners, cooperative care, skills and tricks, nose work, pattern games, harness work, agility, therapy, they all kinds of training. And all four of my cats have been trained in all of those things. And I have also helped cat owners train their cats in some of those things, whether because they want help with behavior, or they just call me because they wanted help with that particular type of training. And I've also trained a variety of shelter cats uh in both practical and fun training.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

Several years ago, we lived in uh another state, and we went to a uh theme park, and at the time, I don't think they have it anymore, but at the time they had a feature where it had dogs that were trained, and I we watched it and I thought, well, that's that's amazing. And then they had a bunch of cats that were trained. They were running and doing things on command and climbing on ropes and doing all sorts of things. We were really amazed. So those types of things are possible then.

SPEAKER_03 2:39

Yes, as though the training that you would have seen there, that's probably their huge focus, and they're spending hours and hours on it, they're getting the right type of cats for it. Or they're allowing flexibility of maybe the cats won't do the uh trick or the behavior or the skill that they wanted them to do, and it's okay because people like cats and like watching them anyway. Uh at home, uh, we might not be able to do quite as much fancy stuff, but there's still the things that we can do for practical or fun reasons.

SPEAKER_01 3:10

Does the type of cat relate to trainability?

SPEAKER_03 3:13

Breed sometimes can. Uh, there are breeds that are known for being more active or more curious, more trainable uh overall. Synians, Siamese, Burmes, Bombay, Bengals, mancreens. I'm sure there's ones I'm not mentioning. I have not worked with purebred cats much. So I can't really say, you know, this cat's easier, I mean this breed is easier, this breed is harder. In my own experience, I have had a few clients who have bangles. Uh, and bangles are, you know, they're pretty not too far removed from if they were living out in the wild. So bangles have a huge amount of energy, a huge uh drive to be doing things. And so training is a great outline outlet for those. Beyond that, I would say I look more at the individual cat, I look at their personality, I look at their health, I look at their motivation, their trust level, the environment. Uh uh just for me, in my experience, I find that the timid cats, the impatient cats, the cats who still are learning to trust people, those cats are probably going to take longer. You may not go as far with them. They may not be your cats that you see out, you know, in the public doing tricks and entertaining people. Cats that are restless, playful, understimulated, or kind of bored. Those cats I often find do really well, and those may be more the ones that are the type that will end up being able to be shown.

SPEAKER_01 4:47

Does age have an effect on training?

SPEAKER_03 4:49

Cats of any age can be trained. Um obviously, you know, just like with people, the the younger you start learning something, your brain is easier. It's easier to learn something, and so you can learn it quicker or you can practice and get better at it and um you have more patience for it, all that kind of thing. Cats of any age can be trained. I do think starting when they're young is really great. Kittens can be challenging though, because they have so much energy and they have very little focus. But they can learn simple skills. I have learned I have trained kittens to sit, to tolerate male trans, to touch, to do basic agility. I know people who have trained kittens to do other things, other skills. Adult cats, of course, would be great for training, uh, because training training gives mental exercise and it looks for energy, and adults have more focus as uh than kittens. So in some ways they're easier than kittens, in other ways kittens want to learn everything, and so in that way kittens are easier. Uh senior cats can be trained too, but they may need shorter sessions, slower steps, rewards that fit their health. Because when you get senior cats, you often are talking about cats that have health issues or are like food motivated because of health issues, or just kind of getting used to they've you know, I've eaten that. So some senior cats may be less food motivated, have more health issues, I think it's that, or they may be more content in their routines. And so it may be harder to train them. But you still can. I have trained senior cats to do many things that younger cats can do. Uh they may not learn as many things and they may not learn it as quickly, and they need more accommodations.

SPEAKER_01 6:39

Humans are pretty good about getting set in their ways when they get older. Do cats do the same type of thing? I know they're pretty habitual. They they like things the way they're used to being. Do you have any issues with training or do they pretty much break out of maybe a uh a habit or a a way of life to uh to cooperate with training?

SPEAKER_03 6:58

Well, thinking of my own cats, they're a su you know, they like their routines and they know when they're going to get their meals, they know when to expect lap time. They also kind of have gotten used to and bored of some things. There's lots of toys that no longer interest them, but they're all still food motivated. So if I bring out the food and start a training session, they're there.

SPEAKER_01 7:23

What are some of the most uh asked questions you receive about cat training?

SPEAKER_03 7:27

Well, most cat owners contact me for behavior uh reasons or enrichment, and under that training becomes part, you know, training becomes part of that plan. If I'm contacted specifically for training and it's not because the cat is driving the person crazy with a behavior, uh it could be to help with manners. They you know they want them to sit or to lay off with a counter or that kind of thing. Uh I've also been helped to um contacted to help with uh cooperative care, getting them ready to go to a bet, so learning how to use the carrier or learning how to be handled by a bet or learning how to take medication. I've also been contacted as far as harness training or therapy work. And sometimes I just get people who, hey, I want to teach my cat tricks. Out of all those, I would say the most commonly asked questions are probably carrier training because they're getting their they want to get their cat to a vet and they're running the or they're getting ready to move. I have had several people who contacted me because they're going to be moving out of state and now suddenly they need their cat to be able to go in a cat carrier, go in a harness, be able to be moved, uh, you know, travel for a long distance. Uh, and then also therapy work uh and that one would be because my uh one of my cats and I do therapy work and so people know that and they contact me for things.

SPEAKER_01 8:59

Are there things that you do to prepare a cat to be trained? Uh is there a process, maybe an introductory type uh session with the cat? Obviously, you you talked earlier about knowing the personality of the cat, maybe understanding a little bit about its history and those types of things. Is there something you do at the be at the beginning of that that will get the cat used to the idea that somebody's gonna teach me how to do something?

SPEAKER_03 9:23

I don't know if there's something specific to a specific cat. I are you thinking of cats that I haven't, you know, that I would be new to that cat? Yes. With them, I want to get to know them first and them to just get comfortable with by being around them, trusting me. If I visit a client or an adopter and I want to get to know their cat, I will bring some toys and I'll bring some food to kind of get an idea of well, what this cat this cat like. So once I figure out all those things, then uh if I want to start training, you know, I'm gonna pick one simple thing that I want to do with them. Often with a cat I don't know is just getting them to touch my finger or touch a target stick. I've already kind of been hanging out with them and offering them things, so I figured out what they like. If it's a treat, I then, you know, I've often figured out what is their favorite treat, because I've given them a variety of treats. If it's a toy, I've given them a variety of toys. And some cats uh just like attention. And so sometimes I figured out, okay, just giving them a stroke on their chin or a stroke on their head, that's going to get them to do something for me. You know, that's kind of what I do when I'm at the shelter or if I'm visiting somebody. If um I was going to be helping someone else with training, I would be making sure they get their supplies together ahead of time. So have the treats, have their um target stick, or decide how they're gonna do a click or marking that behavior. Then, you know, it depends on what they want to train them, you know, what what they're gonna be training them. Maybe they're training them to go into the carrier. Well, then obviously you need the carrier. Or maybe they just want to uh teach them how to get used to a brush. I've had people contact me like that, so then they need to have a brush ready. Uh it's always good to have a quiet space. Best time to train in the shelter is on a day when the public isn't coming in, or again, you know, the off hours. Uh, if I'm going somewhere else, I always, you know, let's find a quiet space away from every away from the noise, away from distractions, and you know, pick a time when the cat is interested. If the cat's sleeping, it's gonna let the cat sleep, unless I think the cat's sleeping out of wardom and then waking the cat up to do to hang out with me and then do some training might actually be a good idea.

SPEAKER_01 11:51

We're going to talk after the break about maybe strategies for training. And uh, you mentioned the uh importance of patience, those types of things. I think those are those are really important to consider, and we're gonna talk about that after the break. You're listening to the Hissing Feline podcast with my guest Allison Hutter Frederick, a certified cat behavior consultant and trainer. Please stay with us for the second segment of today's show.

SPEAKER_02 12:23

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SPEAKER_01 13:04

You're listening to the Hissing Feline podcast. Joining me today is Allison Hutter Frederick, a certified cat behavior consultant and trainer located in Lincoln, Nebraska. Training requires not just jumping in and saying, I hope the cat will do what I'd like it to do, but it requires really specific strategies for training. Would you share some of those uh with the listeners today?

SPEAKER_03 13:31

So yeah, you always want to set the cat up for success, which means you know you want to think about what is your goal, and then you want to figure out the small steps for getting to that goal. For example, if you want to train your cat to go into a carrier, you can't just expect the cat's going to walk into the carrier. They don't come ready-made knowing how to do everything. They don't have a script that says do this, like a doll or something like that might have. So you have to actually figure out what are those steps that it's gonna what steps uh will it take to get them to know to do that what I want them to do. So for the carrier, uh, if the cat approaches, if they sniff, if they put the paw in, if they put two paws in, if they go part way in, these are all steps. Some cats might go through those steps much quicker, some might go through them slower, but you kind of have to have those steps in your head, uh, and then reward those steps um so that the cat knows, okay, I did good, and to keep doing this. You also need to watch the cat's body language. A cat who is leaning in, taking food, blinking, exploring, returning to the session to do stuff is probably still comfortable and interested. A cat who stops eating, turns away, freezes, crouches, leaves, avoids the area, they're going to need an easier step, a better reward. Or a break. Actually, I'd probably start with a break. Figure out what did they learn, what didn't they learn, where are we at, what can we change. Um, you also have to keep in mind that positive training is what works best. And positive training isn't about forcing the cat to obey. It's about helping the cat learn what works. So you don't scold or spray or grab or push. Those aren't teaching a cat what to do. It's just getting impatient with the cat. And the cat's gonna get confused by that, frustrated by that. You need to reward what you see and what you want to see. So if they're approaching the carrier, reward it. If they're not approaching the carrier, give some time. If it's still not working, then you have to rethink about okay, how am I doing this? You know, do I need a better treat? Do I need are there too many distractions going on? Do I need a shorter session? Do I need a smaller step? Do I need to give a better cue? You also need to remember the setbacks are normal. Cats are gonna have off days, just like people. So some days you might just go, that's okay. You took a step towards the carrier treat, right on. Let's go hang out and just snuffle together. Or let me let you go and have your own time, whatever's the best thing. Uh, and if there is a setback, you're gonna, you know, go back to an easier step, shorter the session, lower the distractions, increase the reward, give the cat more choice. You're always thinking about what is the best way to set this cat up for success. And sometimes the best training session is ending when the cat feels safe, even if it's been just a really, really short session. Let's end it when this cat has done something we want, everybody's feeling good.

SPEAKER_01 16:33

And then they don't associate impatience with doing the things that they should in the training session, and I'm guessing it would make them more willing to think the next day that the training's gonna be okay again because uh because the owner has been very patient and considerate.

SPEAKER_03 16:52

Well, and you know, I gave strategies, but there's a whole list of things that we should bring to it as far as just how we approach it with our personality, and that is like being patient, being calm, being curious because you know, what is the cat telling me by what's happening here? Being consistent, being flexible, all those kind of things help with uh cat training and help the cat feel safe and have and also you know the the more positive feelings you bring to it, the more you're going to enjoy it too. And if both of you are enjoying it, it's going to go better and last longer. So, and I also would say uh a sense of humor. You know, sometimes the cat is gonna walk away, or sometimes they're going to do something that is really cool, but it wasn't the thing you were trying to train. Or sometimes they might accidentally invent new behavior or knock over something, or I, you know, who knows, cats can do lots of things and you just laugh and go with the foot.

SPEAKER_01 17:49

Are there mistakes that people make when training a cat? Maybe they've got a preconceived notion of how easy it is, or that they're just they're just gonna do these things?

SPEAKER_03 18:00

Yeah, there's lots of mistakes that people can make. And I actually have a um flyer where I have here's the do's and here's the don'ts. And uh some of them are kind of covered, but I think it's worth kind of addressing again because it's so important to bring the right experiences to training. So a common mistake can be expecting too much. Cat should go into the carrier as soon as the carrier is brought out. You know, that might happen with a kitten, but adult cats are gonna have preconceived notions about that carrier, and so that may not work. The cat may run away. Um, and so the cat will need baby steps. Another mistake is training too long. Uh, if you spend 15 minutes trying to do carrier training, the cat's probably gonna end up in the other end of the room because it's bored or it's done. Even if you started out doing well, not using reward, the cat values. So many people will say, Oh my cat, you know, we bought this at the store and we use it all the time and that's the thing we use. And you have that that may be kind of like h humdrum to the cat. They may not really care about it. You have to find things that the cat really, really wants, especially when you're teaching new behaviors. Those um average treats are okay if they got the behavior down, but if you're teaching something new, you need to bring it all the best treats. Um, they have more body language. So the cat might be saying I'm done or I'm uncomfortable, but if I keep going. And then, you know, like I said, expecting too much. And so that goes along with they might not reward small successes. If the cat goes towards the carrier and the cat has not been, isn't has not been going into a carrier, but they go towards the carrier, that's huge. Let's reward it.

SPEAKER_01 19:40

Oh, sure.

SPEAKER_03 19:41

Uh, and the flip of that is uh you know, we talked about positive training and rewards. The flip of that is how a lot of people use punishment if you know they scold or they yell or they get irritated or they spray or they grab or they force, they pick the cat up and they shove it at the cat in the carrier. And that might work in the moment, uh, or spraying to get the cat off the counter. And that might work in the moment, but it's not teaching the cat what you want. It's not teaching in a positive way, and in the long term, that's going to break trust and it's not gonna teach what you want. And I would also say another mistake is training only when you really need something, you know, something has become stressful or urgent. My cat needs to go to the vet today. Okay, let's teach her how to carry a train, and that is not gonna happen. My cat needs to take medication, let's train them today. That's not gonna happen. I need the cat from this part of the house to the other part of the house without picking them up. That's not gonna happen in one training session. So you have to start training ahead. Think of the things that you might want the cat to do. Think of some fun things you can do with the cat too to get them used to training. Uh you asked me earlier about when I first worked with the cat. When I first worked with the cat, I said I do touch, but I also, if I do anything else, it's things like twirl or sit because those are easy things and fun things to teach. So I I have, you know, I wouldn't owners should do some fun type of things, some really easy things, and then start doing some of the harder things and make sure you got that those harder things broken down in the steps and you're doing them before you need.

SPEAKER_01 21:12

This has been uh really helpful today, Allison. It really takes a lot to train a cat, and and people need to be prepared with patience. It's gonna take some time. And then having a positive approach, as you say, is really uh crucial. I want to thank today's guest, Allison Hunter Frederick, owner of Allison Helps Cats, located in Lincoln, Nebraska. Allison is a certified cat behavior consultant and trainer. Thank you very much for being on the show again. This is uh very good material, and I I know that the listeners will benefit from your discussion of cat training today. Welcome. Tell your friends about the Hissing Feed Line podcast and leave a review where you listen to the show. Also let me know about topics you want to hear on the podcast and questions you have about cat topics. The podcast email address is the hissing feedline at DurachoCatmedia.com. Derecho is spelled D-R-E-C-H-O. Be sure to join me next week for another episode of the Hissing Feeline. Until then, remember to keep hurrying.

SPEAKER_00 22:19

Content on the Hissing Feeling Podcast is for information and entertainment purposes only. And it's not intended to provide medical, veterinary, or legal advice. Please consult your veterinarian and local and state authorities before dealing with feral and stray cats. Opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests, and not necessarily those of Duracho Cat Media LLC. References to products or services do not imply an endorsement. The Hissing Feline podcast is a production of Duracho Cat Media LLC and has been blessed by our rescue cats, Bridget and Maddie. All content is used with permission or under fair use.