Cat Tricks: Clicker train your cat to go to their bed, or a mat.

[@angeliquevanhee7505]

Started 2 days ago and our cat picks us so quickly. Thx for the tutorial.

[@pbny212]

I like how dense your cat’s coat is.

[@NancyKRick]

I'm a brand new cat owner. I've had Clementine for about 2 1/2 weeks. She's SUPER food motivated so it's been pretty easy getting her to sit on a mat. This is so fun and a neat way for us to bond. Stay is next. Thanks for these tutorials!!

[@faseeha3365]

I like your cat very much

[@helgalind3739]

Could you make a video about how to teach your cat the basic like sit and down?

[@CatSchool]

If you go to the website: www.catschool.co you can take a free course and teach your cat to Sit on cue, and lots of other fun behaviours.

[@yiying93]

Hi Julie! Thanks for posting all these great tutorials. I’ve been having lots of fun clicker training with my cat! I’m having some difficulty teaching her to go to a mat. She always comes back to me for more treats, but she doesn’t seem to like putting her paws on the mat and would go around the mat to get closer to me. Any suggestions for how to move forward?

[@CatSchool]

Cats can be sensitive about putting their paws on objects. I would try to put some treats on the mat to see if you can get her more comfortable touching it. Once she starts to see that the mat predicts treats and that it's not scary, you should be able to make better progress. You can also experiment with different mats and see if she feels more comfortable putting her paws on something else.

[@yiying93]

Cat School Thank you! I’ll try that!

[@chloechan2623]

I'd love to start working on this with my cat, but he only responds to wet food. Is there a way I can do this with wet food as I can't throw it?

[@CatSchool]

After you click, put a bit of wet food in a bowl that's a few feet away from the mat. Let me know if that doesn't make sense.

[@CatSchool]

Yes - you can have a little bowl at one end and after you click walk over and put a drop of the wet food in the bowl.

[@amarinswierdsma4355]

My kitten also prefers wet food and has now acquired a love for chicken. You might try feeding her bits of chicken or fish to use as a treat instead.

[@annawoell1831]

I’m sure you may get asked this frequently - sorry if you have shared the info before! What treats do you typically use and how many do you give during one training session? 😊

[@CatSchool]

I have a free 7-day course on the website: www.catschool.co where I answer those questions. Check it out!

[@louaikadari8179]

The right age for training

[@CatSchool]

Cats of any age can benefit from training.

[@newmiziri]

Hello 'we have many video on training cat or dog some not been show how days or how long time need ,i m not all same in you case number of days. thx

[@louaikadari8179]

What is the first training to start with

[@powerplayer5541]

How long do you train each step before moving on to the next step?

[@CatSchool]

You want your cat to get 3-5 in a row correctly before moving to the next step. Start a new training session by reviewing the levels (give your cat a warm-up). Try to keep the training fun and easy. It's about the journey, not the goal!

[@zoer.7964]

Hi! I have trouble getting the cat to sit on the mat... He got the cue to go to the mat quite quickly, even from different directions. So then, I tried lifting the treat to guide him to sit down on the mat, and wait for that moment to click. But that only confused him, and he stopped going on the mat... How can I introduce sitting in the right place? Thank you so much!

[@XMiso2]

i think you need to teach your cat how to sit beforehand

[@ladonnakinney5813]

This is awesome. I never knew you could use a clicker with a cat too. I have a rescue kitty. She was a feral so she never had any training but I bought her a cardboard cat scratcher and put it on a small rug. She started going on her mat anytime she got in trouble or thought she was in trouble. We started calling it her time out bed lol. I just thought it was amazing she did it all on her own but we still have a issue with her not allowing anyone to pick her up. That worries me when it comes time to crate her to,go to the vet. Any videos or tips for that? We've even tried using a leash but she goes limp

[@alexandraturner5795]

Can you do a video on how to get your cat to sit on your lap?x

[@CatSchool]

I will add it to the list :)

[@saludgalindo1544]

What can I do if my cat stays on the mat really well. But when I’m serving her dinner, it’s almost imposible for her to stay on the mat once she bows is dinner time?

[@CatCarina]

I think this would be so useful for my cats to learn - particularly as they look like they will be food grabbers and door dashers - so thank you! A question - how do you teach Jones to *go* to his mat when it's not close to you? I can see how he learns to come to the mat, but when I point to things across the room my cats don't understand what it means - I have to actually lead them with a treat, finger or something? Do you just have to teach them that mat/bed is something to sit on, and for them to learn the verbal cue, ie what 'bed' means? Sorry if this is a stupid question!

[@CatSchool]

Hi Carina - It depends what your goal is. I don't leave the mat out. When I bring it out my cat automatically knows to go on it. If you want the cat to go a spot that's permanent that you cue from further away, it would be more work. Start close to the mat and use the finger cue or verbal cue. Then you would practice cueing him from further away. The example I presented might be useful for someone who doesn't want their cat on the counter, so they reinforce their cat for going on this mat while they are cooking - they bring the mat out specifically at that time. The example, I think you are asking about sounds similar to what we would train dogs to do, like for instance to go to their bed when the doorbell rings. If this is your goal, you may find some guidance by searching for some clicker training videos for dogs.

[@CatCarina]

I think the first thing we need to learn is for him to stay on his mat while I'm cooking, so I'll stick with that for the moment, and keep the mat for then, and other times when I want him to stay quiet and good while I'm doing something that looks interesting! But it would be useful to be able to 'send' him somewhere to stay for a while, so I'll look into the dog training videos for 'go to your bed' when there's someone at the door. I think that's probably a lot more ambitious and way in the future, but we're loving all we're learning with your Cat School!

[@CatSchool]

Sounds like a purrfect plan!

[@MyfroggystuffFan234]

How can you train your cat good because I want to train my cat to and I can not do that I need help doing it my cat is white

[@um6112]

👍❤

[@maggieabercrombie8152]

I have two cats and was planning on training them both. Does your cat school cover training both at once or do I have to train them separately? Also, should I give them each their own unique training mat or is it okay to have identical mats (crocheting them myself, so just wondering if changing the color scheme or shape would be important).

[@CatSchool]

I would start by teaching each cat this behaviour separately. I think it's ok if the mats are identical, but when you get to the point where you can work them in the same room together, make sure each one has their own 'parking spot' - a separate zone. Reinforce them for staying in their zone so when you are working with one cat, the other cat is in their parking spot.

[@maggieabercrombie8152]

Cat School thank you! We'll see if this works!

[@sixro]

Hi, is this the same of the "stay" command?

[@CatSchool]

No, although I do use it to work on stay, I also teach stay on other objects, for example, like a chair. The mat is a foundation behaviour for lots of tricks.

[@StraightZzzStudent]

Do they get rewards for the rest of their lives for staying on the mat /in their beds? What's the incentive for them to continue after training !

[@CatSchool]

It depends what context you are using it for. For example, if you asked your cat to go to a mat when you opened the door to prevent door dashing, you would give your cat a treat each and every time. Usually the mat only comes out for training and in that case, yes, it is always paired with treats.

[@StraightZzzStudent]

Cat School I guess I was asking if we used a cat bed instead of a mat.....using this mat training to prepare them for going to "bed" on command. Is that awarded with a treat each time? When do you wean them off the treat for things like hi-fives and hugs

[@CatSchool]

​@@StraightZzzStudent Hi Robyn - I'm not sure what you mean by going to bed. I don't ask the cat to do something without releasing them, so in that case, we are always in training mode. I wouldn't ask my cat to go to bed for the night. Asking when your cat shouldn't get rewards is like your boss saying when is Robyn going to come to work and stop expecting a paycheque :) Students work to get A's in school. People work to earn money. Food is your cat's reward for hard work.

[@StraightZzzStudent]

Cat School I'm only referencing your title. It says "their bed".

[@CatSchool]

​@@StraightZzzStudent I'm not sure I'm understanding your question. You can train your cat to stay on a mat or a bed, but I'm using it in the context of preventing door dashing, helping with counter-surfing, or for training multiple cats to stay at a parking spot. They are short term applications and it doesn't matter if you use a bed or a mat. Please let me know if you need more clarification.

[@louaikadari8179]

What is the reward do you give ?

[@CatSchool]

I give a variety of treats to keep it interesting. A lot of the time I use freeze-dried chicken pieces.

[@louaikadari8179]

@@CatSchool can i use Crocs

[@MyfroggystuffFan234]

And it a girl