#cat training

[justcatposts]

This is amazing

(Source)

[westdogcraft]

A picnic and ghost town adventure with my good girl this weekend

[daily-cats-post]

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[strangebiology]

Contrafreeloading is the willingness of animals to work for food when equivalent food is freely available. This behavior is observed in labo

I like how this study says that "six laboratory cats failed to contrafreeload."

So...putting that double negative together (and recognizing the sample size of 17 isn't amazing), you can say "science suggests some cats are literally freeloaders." (OK, and I'll acknowledge that the human-cultural context of "freeloading" and the animal-training context aren't exactly identical.)

(Bonus picture of Thunder, who does this for treats)

Although I'm curious now. In the study, they provided freely available food and puzzles in the same room, and cats tended toward the freely available food. But can you extrapolate that this means they are happier overall with freely available food? Maybe the puzzle is best for supplementary, special treats. Bijou only gets her Meow Mix Irresistible Soft Treats when she does tricks, and she'll do them even though her food and water bowls are full. Especially during "crazy time" when she has high energy. (Zoomies, swatting at my leg if I don't pay attention to her, almost always in the mornings and evenings.) She'll only do 5-10 tricks before walking away, which I understand is the norm for cats. (I have not tried simply filling the bowl with Irresistibles to see if she goes for that.)

Consider this human anecdote regarding rewards for engaging activities vs. freely available rewards:

My dad wants to hike up a mountain and see a view. When I suggested to him some hikes via AllTrails, he said, "I don't want to hike up that mountain, because I know there is a way to drive up it." He could choose un-drivable trails, but he doesn't feel accomplished if he knows there was an easier way. He seeks to summit undriveable mountains.

[nicolaskvalentine]

Training him to walk is going so well.

A couple weeks of training and he's starting to get the hang of it. Little steps at a time though still skitterish and wary of things such as strangers and cars so only taking him out every now and then later at night when it's quieter.

[randominteresting]

Jump training for cats!

[triangle-dog]

Anybody have training or management tips for keeping cats off of kitchen counters?

Just moved into a new place and there's no way to keep the kitchen off limits. With F's worsening allergies (suspected MCAS) I'd very much rather keep the cat (and whatever residues he may have gotten into) away from food prep areas and objects as much as possible. We've had reasonable success in the past through the 'remove cat every time cat appears' method, but that still involves him getting on the counter before being removed.

[naamahdarling]

Today's work was manners, when taking treats, at which they are both TERRIBLE; Juniper has a great deal of interest in running water and the sink so I have been desensitizing her to being petted with wet hands and having water dripped on her, and she's doing great; they both got introduced to the brush which they will absolutely need sooner rather than later, and they did well with that; and they both got practice in having their bodies touched, their limbs moved, and their paws, eyes, ears, and mouths checked, at which they are very good.

I allow my cats a lot of bodily autonomy, but they must be taught to tolerate veterinary care and professional grooming without fear.

So, overall, they don't know their names or any commands or anything, but there are still many things I can work with them on which don't require that sort of thing. They are very clearly still in that wonderfully malleable phase where their reactions to things can be easily influenced. I want to give them every advantage so they can live a fear-free, courageous life.