Cat Training

[Randy_K]

A friend of ours in Switzerland, Helena, has been reading up on cat training and decided to try it out on her Ruddy Abyssinian Faramir. The book Helena is using is titled "Here Kitty Kitty" by Catherine Crawmer

Helena sent pictures of the training. She says Faramir purrs all the time during the training - he loves the extra attention - and she says he's been more cuddly recently.

Using a clicker as a signal, she tells Faramir to return to a specific location (in this case it's a washcloth):


Faramir jumps from one chair to another through a hoop

Isn't he beautiful?


Waving bye-bye


Shaking hands


Walking out to the center of a plank and sitting up


Pretty amazing, huh? Faramir has even put on a show for the neighbors.

[sirrahbed]

WW! Is it only Aby's that has been through this training as far as you know? Seems it would have to be a really intelligent cat and/or one who really thrives on attention and pleasing.

The only successful training I have accomplished is one command: COME EAT!! They are all GREAT at that one.

OHH, That Faramir is gorgeous isn't he?? So graceful and regal.

[Randy_K]

Helena's mate Rolf has been working with their Platinum Burmese Brumli (according to Helena it means "noisy" in Czech because he purrs so loud). Rolf hasn't been as successful with Brumli as Helena has been with Faramir. Faramir is four years old and Brumli is six. Perhaps age is another element along with intelligence?

[Randy_K]

I have to admit that our Peaches is only trained to recognize a cork being pulled out of a wine bottle...

[krazyaboutkatz]

Wow! What an intelligent cat. Mine know the words dinner time, treats, which they can't have any more, and birds.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Wow!! I thought that it was impossible to learn tricks to a cat !!

[catmandu]

JJJ3,thinks that when he opens in Vegas,as the Singing Cat,that Faramir,would make a great opening act,and then he,and HH Edwina,could have him,sing back up!

[Barbara]

In Burma at the Inle lake, they have that monastery where cats are trained and jump through hoops. And in San Diego Sea World there are cats in one of the shows who do similar things. I suppose you can teach cats things that are already part of their play repertoire and I suppose they must be younger cats.

And I would bet that Abys learn quicker than some others.

Faramir, you rock

[Vio&Juni]

Faramir is gorgeous!

[jenluckenbach]

WOW

A regular circus cat.

that is fantastic !!!!

[NoahsMommy]

How neat!!!

I know I could train Micah to do that stuff, he thrives on attention. Hmm....I may look into that book. Faramir should get some sort of treats/toys for the promoting of the book.

I trained Noah and Noel to give me thier paws if I say "Paw" and offer my hand for one of my psych courses. Noel learned really, really quickly because she's more into treats and food than Noah. It was pretty neat.

Faramir, you're gorgeous!!

[hdeneise]

I guess it was last fall ('03) my husband and I took the skin-kid to one of those little circuses that they set up in town (he was afraid of the clowns and it was a huge ordeal....) and they had an entire cat act. They stood on back legs and rode little balls, they had a series of little (3" x 3" maybe) posts set up at different heights several feet apart and the cats would jump through hoops, etc. They even raised one fat persian up to the top of the tent on a platform and it jumped onto a red velvet pillow. I nearly fainted!! I thought the trained cats were the most impressive part of the show.

[Randy_K]

After Helena reviewed this post I have a few corrections: Brumli is 13 not six years old... he looks and acts so much younger!

Helena tells me she is primarily using a German-language book titled "Clickertraining - (mehr als) Spaß für Katzen" [Clicker Training (more than) Fun for Cats] from Laser Birgit. She now has Faramir doing flips. More pictures to come...