how can i get my cat to come to me when i shout him?

[miffy053]

My cat is 4 this year and i am training him with a clicker adn my voice and treats. And my cat will sit and stay but for some reason just cant grasp how to come when called ? So if any of you know any good tips please tell me.

Thanks

Christy

x.x.x.x.x.x

[heathfield]

4 is kind of old for any cat to be trained - it'll be pretty set in its ways by now. And it's reckoned that Siamese are the only members of the cat family that seem amenable to being trained in the same way you would train a dog.

Remember the saying..."Dogs have owners, cats have servants"!

[miffy053]

No your definatly wrong by saying that you cant train a cat like a dog when my cat was 3 i trained him to sit and stay ! and a cat that acts in a show was not trained untill he was 5 ! And cats are easier to train than dogs. especially kittens .Most proffeesional dog and horse trainers start from training cats as you can learn a lot .

[drgnrdr]

When you say come the cat has to know that is it always GOOD that comes of it, and that YOU are not going to do something the CAT perceives as bad, cat perception not yours. Only say come when you are going to give them a "jackpot" ( at least 3 small treats, we are treating not FEEDING them)of treats. Now if the cat thinks "come" is not such a good word already you may have to change the word, like "front" "with me", "here"

I always train ON LEASH this way they can't get into their head to leave if they feel like it, and make it inviting like a run backwards "here" happy voice. When they get to you, click and treat when they do it consistently then click on the way to you, then sort of half way, then 3/4 of the way then 1/4 of the way, just make sure they ARE coming to you, if they run the other way and you click you just rewarded run away, or avoid me. WATCH what you click. Do not try this with distractions yet, first teach them what "here" means, then gradually intro distractions. I don't have much time, to give you my whole speech, but, I Hope that helps a bit...~/:\~

[miffy053]

Hello thanks DRGNDAR i will keep trying this .He just seems to toally ignoreme when i try he will run off or just ignore me and stare into space even with a treat. He just sits there with no intrest. I cant make him relate come to any word becasue he wont come to me in the first place so i dont have any actuion to relate a word to.

Thanks x.x.x.x.x.x

[drgnrdr]

If you are saying "come" and he is just sitting there you are teaching him "come" means sit there and ignore me, you can not add the english word UNTIL they are doing the action, if he is IN THE ACT of sitting there and you say "come"..."come""COME" he is learning to ignore it, if you say it over and over, look at it from his perspective, We talk all the time radio and TV has constant words coming, they filter what they don't understand out and ignore, when they hear a sound or word they recognize because we have said it over and over and given them something good, then they start to figure """MMMM everytime she says COOKIE I get a biscuit..mmm I shoud pay attention everytime she says that.." Maybe "Come" needs to be changed to "here" and get out the HIGH value treats, like chicken or Tuna, put it at the nose and let them smell it to get interested in it, then say their "name" and start to walk backwards, IF they follow you and move towards you, say "here", and after a few steps, click and treat. Keep repeating this but only for about 4 times, then stop, let them want more, but just let it be until a couple of hours then try again. My cats have always come to a whistle ( substituted a whistle for the "come" command), like dogs, I taught them this, anywhere in the house they would come running, always got something good and I NEVER did anything bad to them when I called them, I would go get them or wait for them to walk by and scoop them up for bad stufff like bath or doc visit, or nail trim, if I needed to do anything bad I would have them called and wait for about 5 mintues then take them..etc...Never let them associate "come" with bad stuff. You pick a word and stick to that word, be consistent, and rewarding, cats are pretty smart, they'll get the ideal as long as there is something in it for them.

[willowman]

Sorry, but it's a well known fact that dogs come when you call, cats take a message and get back to you sometime.

Also don't forget that in ancient times cats were worshipped as gods, and they haven't forgotten this.

We own a boarding cattery and we often tell owners that for an intelligent animal a cat can be very thick sometimes. But we love them all.

[miffy053]

thnk u everyone i am now teaching miffy (my cat) and he seems to be responding a little more than useuall ! hopefully getin another cat soon so will start training her from a kitten

thanks

x.x.x.x.x.

[drgnrdr]

keep it up miffy, I trained my cats to do all kinds of things, you can train one, it takes allot more patience and something that motivates them. Glad it is working for you, I try to help where I can.

My cat always came to me when I called, unless one was stuck somewhere, then they would meow to tell me "I'm here I just can't respond at the moment, open the closet door and I will". I had one cat always getting into the linen closet or bedroom closet, laundry area, and I would have to seek him out, I taught them to meow on cue, and I could always find them. ~/:\~