The Key To Training

Training cats (and other animals) is made much easier by finding a treat that the individual likes.

Anyone who has seen dolphins completing acrobatic stunts for their trainers has probably noticed that after a trick, the performer gets a fish.

Food rewards are highly attractive to cats, too, provided you find one that your cat likes. Cats are known for their fussiness so some experimentation is often required to find just the right reward.

Fortunately grocery and pet stores have many kinds to choose from. Experiment. Any that your cat doesn't like might be dropped off at the local humane society--staffers there will make good use of them.

Some cats turn their noses up at store-bought rewards, and for those guys you should experiment with human food items. We once had a wonderful black manx cat that our son named Midnight. She was a sweetheart but didn't like commercially available treats. After some experimentation, we discovered that she craved small pieces of plain white bread.

In my experience, every cat likes some type of treat; it's just a matter of finding out what turns it on. Once you have accomplished this, training her or him to claw an approved surface and nothing else becomes relatively easy.