Adiestra a tu gato

by John Bradshaw, Sara Ellis, Sonia Tanco (Translator)

¿Quién ha dicho que a los gatos no se los puede adiestrar? La guía definitiva para mejorar la vida de tu gato ¡y la tuya! Muchas personas dan por hecho que un gato no puede adiestrarse. Pero el especialista en zoología John Bradshaw y la veterinaria experta en gatos Sarah Ellis nos demuestran lo contrario en este útil y divertido libro. Adiestra a tu gato es la guía definitiva para los amantes de los gatos, llena de consejos prácticos y ejercicios que mejorarán la convivencia con tu mascota y te ayudarán a que tu gato y tú seáis más felices.

«Una premisa sumamente interesante.» The New York Times. «No creo que haya un libro más completo o científico sobre gatos que demuestre mejor cómo piensa un felino.» The Times. «Tengo que reconocer la labor de Bradshaw y Ellis: una vez entiendes los conceptos básicos del adiestramiento felino, su método funciona a la perfección.» Publishers Weekly.

Genres: Nonfiction, Cats, Animals, Science, Audiobook, Self Help, Reference

358 pages, Paperback

First published August 4, 2016

About the author

John Bradshaw is Foundation Director of the Anthrozoology Institute at the University of Bristol. He lives in Southampton, England.

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I AM NOW A CAT TRAINING GOD!!!!!

[Niki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stay in the garden, come when called, allow nail trimmings, take pills, go willingly into the cat carrier - this book is a handy arsenal of tools for training the weird alien creatures I cohabitat with. Some of the guide is just too much to undertake (unless you are more patient than I am), but the insight into cat behaviour was just as (if not more) valuable than the training itself. Understanding "why" my cats do what they do, and how I have trained them (mostly inadvertently) to do these things has been eye opening. Highly recommended for fellow cat people.

Note: Wonderful British narrator on audiobook version makes cat training sound extra sophisticated.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

these people have way too much time on their hands. but my boyfriend said he'd bake me a cake if I taught my cat to sit, so I'm in it.

[Wayne]

This book contained a lot of methods for training through conditioning and desensitization broken down into small steps. Once you understand the method, it's easy to predict how to apply it to other tasks/situations you need your cats cooperation in, and so it gets a little repetitive in its examples.

The training sessions are short and should be done when the cat is relaxed.

Key skills:
1. Reward spontaneous observation and exploration
2. Gentle systematic desensitization and counterconditioning
3. Luring
4. Marking a behavior
5. Touch-release-reward
6. Teaching relaxation
7. Collecting a cat's scent
8. Maintaining a taught behavior (Continuous reinforcement vs intermittent reinforcement)
9. Finish a training session early with a signal

Another cat trainer I've heard speak says to finish training sessions while things are going well and before the cats gets frustrated. Then give them a jackpot reward. This keeps the sessions fun and trains the cat to look forward to them. That's the battle in a nutshell, convincing cats through rewards that they want to participate in training activities.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was all right, but it focused mostly on training your cat to do things, whereas I am primarily interested in training them not to do things (e.g. climb the screen of the back door, climb the shower curtain, climb my leg while I am preparing their food, jump on the table during dinner, gnaw on each other, etc.). Given that every cat I know hates vet visits anyway, I'm not sure I'd spend my time on the twenty (!) step procedure for getting your cat to tolerate the carrier. Some of the training tips that apply to my own situations are rather obvious. (When you use the scratching post in my house, you get treats!) Overall, I'd recommend one of the authors' earlier books, Cat Sense instead, unless you are seeking to modify your cat's behavior in some specific way.

[Susanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book in hopes of gaining a better understanding of my cats and how to train them out of bad behaviors. I heard the authors interviewed on the radio and the book sounded great. Unfortunately the book is not what I expected. I wanted a "how to" reference book or training manual; instead this book is meant to be read in its entirety, more like a psychology book. I tried to use the table of contents to pick and choose some chapters I thought might be useful to me, and I tried to use the index to find pertinent tips, but it was not possible to use the book effectively in this way. I don't have the patience to spend eight hours reading a while book on cat psychology, so this was not the book for me.

[Charty · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF.

On my first try I got about a third of the way through before I had to return it, and got back on the library hold list. Second time I skimmed through the first section again to refresh my memory and made it through half before I gave up.

The pros: solid information on cat behavior (why cats do the things they do) and how owners can use that knowledge to their advantage in training their cats.

The cons: overly long, repetitive information, that is much too dry. The presentation of the information is just too labored for any but the most diehard behavioral junkie or desperate cat owner trying to resolve specific problems. Once the book moves into the last half be prepared for very detailed training plans.

The neutral: If you have a specific problem, I.e. my cat doesn’t like going in the carrier this book has got your back with a detailed plan to address that very problem. But it’s so lengthy I can see it turning off many people because we are ALL looking for easy solutions to our problems and in some ways it is easy: small steps, ample rewards and persistence will get you there, but for the average reader the minutiae of it could turn people off before they even can pick through it to see it’s not that terrible.

I wanted to finish this and I wanted to like it more than I did. Any information that can get out and help people develop better relationships with these fascinating creatures is great. Cats are so cool! I just think ultimately this was a missed opportunity to find a better way to couch the dry bits of training in a more accessible way.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I appreciate the wisdom and research put into this book, I am not inclined to annoy our cats with several of the training exercises suggested. One is 15 years old and quite set in her ways, the other is 4 and playful. Perhaps he could be trained but I would have to sequester the older cat somewhere for such training, which is not likely to happen.

** More recent assessment: although I agree with my earlier review, we did use some of these techniques for socializing two new kittens with an older cat, and the gradual contact approach, duly modified, seems to have worked, as all 3 are now socializing in peculiar, amusing and usually effective ways. This will therefore still be a reference text, even when we modify what the authors suggest.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

proud MILF (man I love felines)

[tysobiemozesz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dużo przydatnych informacji, których zapewne nigdy nie wcielę w życie.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+ stars

The author's premise is novel (and surprisingly believable): cats *are* trainable. And coming from that vantage point, the methodology is not rocket science. Effectiveness is built on a strong relationship of trust along with lots of good ole reinforcement over long periods of time. Hence some of the wordiness and repetition. Not all sections of the book applied to our situation, but the remainder was helpful. I also appreciated the various insights into a cat's perspective of the world, their expectations, social habits.

I'm thinking our family will not invest the amount of time in our cat for stellar results. Still, this book provides a helpful groundwork.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Must every book about felines begin with the domestication since ancient Egypt? The second author had a delightful interview on Fresh Air but this book is just operant conditioning 101 applied to cat scenarios. It's boring and repetitive. Most annoying is the constant comparison of cats to dogs. Not necessary and off topic.

[Prima Seadiva · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Audiobook read by the author.
I found this book to be fairly interesting.
The author definitely believes that cats are trainable, sets out various behaviors and how to encourage or discourage. Most use the reward method whether food, attention or play. His discussions of cat behavior were useful as well. For some tasks he goes into much detail maybe too much. The most important aspect may be the ability of the cat owner to be consistent and patient.
On reading I found I had used some of the author's methods. The confirmation was good and there was other information. These methods are very similar to dog training but taking cat psyches into account. I think it disproves the notion that cats are so independent they can't be trained.

For the last year, due to her health issues, I have been fostering my daughter's cat and will continue as needed. He came to me already rather well behaved and very affable in nature thanks to her work. He actually likes daily teeth brushing (!) and grooming. He is not fond of nail trimming but will agreeably tolerate.

I have worked with him a bit more so he has the opportunity to spend some time safely outside when I am home.
Yes, you can train your cat to stay in the garden, come when called, learn to stay off countertops. Still not crazy about the carrier but doesn't resist and is fine at the vet. He still doesn't like harness and leash much but I haven't worked on much either.
I think those who are not home much, have timid or fearful cats will have a bit more work to gain trust and confidence as well as obedience but if you work with your cat I think you can see results.

Lemur says yes give it a try. You and your cat will be pleased.

https://flic.kr/p/2hbCPJE

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Downloaded from my state library in audio form. Helpful information. But very dry. It's a little involved for anyone who wants to have a pet cat. Too much psychology of how to understand a cat. My opinion--who wants to? That is the wonder of pets. They can't be understood, just loved. :)

[Alice Persons · Rating 3 out of 5]

I frankly don't have the patience for trying to teach my two cats much of what the book recommends. I think it's worth reading for the insights into cat behavior. I've had cats for more than 50 years. I've read quite a few books about cats and feline issues. The techniques the authors use to introduce cats to each other are ones I use myself. I have a 4 month old kitten and may try some of the book's tips on acclimating a cat to a carrier. Luckily, this kitten is very friendly and confident (he came from a shelter at 3 months old, with no information on his early life or parents). I recommend this book to cat owners who would like to understand their cats better.

[Traci]

Did Not Finish

I tried. I really tried to get through this because I want to be able to take our cat to the vet without drama or drugs. I want to be able to cut her nails myself. I want to get inside her head more and make her life as full as she deserves.

But this book isn't helping me - it's putting me to sleep. Sigh.

Back to the drawing board.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, the librarian and I had a jolly good laugh when I collected my reserved copy. Was this fiction? Well no of course it wasn't fiction. Sadly this book didn't quite hit the spot for me... there were quite a few nice bits and pieces (although few new, especially if you've read Bradshaw's recent solo work on the cat) but I was shocked to find myself thinking, uncharacteristically and rudely, "Get a life!" The training aspects were described in continuous prose and at some length, with a few bits of jargon that reminded me a little too much of Mr Gove etc eg 'key skill 3'. In other words, in such a way as to make it difficult for someone to follow them to the letter, which the book stresses is pretty important.

If someone is trying to solve a significant behavioural problem then all this is fair enough but the book isn't about those. I do take the point that the very process of working with your cat can be pleasurable and increase the bond but this didn't seem quite fun enough. I was also faintly disturbed by a lot of suggestions which I felt could push prospective cat owners into buying rather than adopting a rescue cat or kitten.

It was a worthy endeavour which didn't quite come off for me. It is a good idea to help humans understand where their cat might be coming from, and that a careful approach which takes account of this might mean that you could, for example, have less trouble getting your cat into a carrier to go to the vet. I couldn't help feeling that the only people who would put much of this into practice are those who are very nervous about having a pet in the first place.

[enricocioni · Rating 5 out of 5]

All cat owners should own a copy of this book--your cat will thank you! The basic idea is to teach your cat not to be stressed about potentially stressful things--e.g. combing, being put in a carrier, having to share a home with another pet or a baby, etc.

Our cat has rather long fur that tends to clump in places, but she used to hate being combed--no matter what type of comb we used, no matter how short we made our sessions. She would emit these little outraged shrieks at each passing of the comb, then after about thirty seconds she'd stand up on her paws and run away--or she'd try to scratch or bite--despite otherwise being one of the friendliest, mellowest cat we know. Reading Bradshaw and Ellis's book changed that: we used their method for getting cats to create positive associations with things they don't like, and now our cat absolutely loves being combed--no more shrieks, no more bites or scratches--she'll even stretch and roll around as we comb her, making it possible to cover a wider area of fur!

Admittedly, we still haven't tried getting her to like the carrier, but the principle is the same as with the combing, so we're optimistic.

[Gabby · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, my rating isn’t so much on the techniques outlined in the book as much as the content and structure. Though, I will agree with another review that pointed out that it would have been useful to include more ideas for getting your cat to NOT do things.

I felt the chapters were too long and some of the info was repetitious. There were sections that didn’t apply to me — like if you have kids — that should have been broken into their own chapters for those of us that could have just skipped it, so instead I had to skim that section. Also, there was a chapter on introducing cats to each other. While valuable info, it wasn’t something I felt should be in a book about training a cat. To me, that’s Cats 101. So, unfortunately, I did skim many sections of this book to pick out actual training info.

I cannot speak to the techniques, as those take time to implement and see results from, but there were a few ones I will try with my cats. You might find it useful as well, but you’ll have to slog through some sections to find the nuggets.

[Seppe Hazenbosch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Het boek heeft naar mijn mening geen enkele meerwaarde. Behalve dat het langdradig en onaantrekkelijk is geschreven zijn alle onderwerpen die worden aangehaald te specifiek. Ik verwachtte een algemene kijk op het controleren van het gedrag van mijn kat, maar eigenlijk gaat het slechts in een hoofdstuk hierover en snijden de andere hoofdstukken zeer specifieke onderwerpen aan als: een baby in huis halen, een tweede kat in huis halen, een hond in huis halen, etc... Op zich ook waardevolle onderwerpen, maar daarvoor zou het boek eerder als gids moeten worden samengesteld dan als boek dat je leest van A tot Z.

Dus: niet de moeite om te lezen. Er zijn veel betere kattenboeken op de markt zoals bv. I Love Happy Cats.

[Jenny Skinner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book extremely dry and boring to read. I had the same problem with his Dog Sense. After a while I skipped his parts and went straight to her training bits, which seemed easy to follow. I have yet put any into action but I might. A friend gave me Don't Shoot The Dog for different perspective. That author has a whole series on clicker training for cats I am going to check out. However, I think it is awesome that a book like this even exists.

[Robert Albright Jr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really excellent book if you are a cat owner. The tips and techniques described will help owners of all cats to understand the way their cats react to the world around them. We recently introduced a new kitten to our house, and the transition went exceptionally well, due to the advice provided in this book. Other very important topics cover coexisting with dogs and babies, and training to reduce the anxiety involved with trips to the Vet.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too complicated. And I don't have the free time to spend on all the mini-steps needed.

[Amanda Del Brocco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like this provided very simple steps as building blocks to teaching your cat things. Unfortunately, I have not implemented any of them- though this is not the fault of the book or the authors.

[Stephanie Sherwood miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received some good advice for training, but a lot of the book was redundant. Could have been much shorter and to the point.

[Earl Grey Tea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book has helped me better understand my cats and why they act the way they do. Why does our Persian named Ggoma chase her wand toys so enthusiastically for the first thirty seconds and then lays down on her side expecting the toy to remain within her reach? Turns out, cats are sprinters, not marathon runners. Chasing down a small prey is done in short bursts and is not an endurance event.

In this book John Bradshaw provides scientific information about cats and their history, while Sarah Ellis focuses on training exercise for owners to use. I found the way that these two aspects of knowledge were paired together very well. Bradshaw was able to provide a scientific base of information about cats that was then leverage by Ellis with practical activities. The way each author presented their information helps reinforce what was said by the other author.

I want our cats to have happy lives and from what I learned in this book, I believe that I can apply these concepts to how I interact with our furballs. However, I found that the number of steps recommended by Ms. Ellis to get your cat comfortable with getting into a pet carrier and taken to the vet's office mildly preposterous. Unfortunately, with a busy modern schedule, I don't have the time to go through every tiny step presented multiple times until our cats are comfortable and ready to proceed to the next step. I believe the concepts that the author presents are solid and with time and dedication one can coach their cat to be calm during the medical check ups. However, for people with lots of other things going on in their lives, that level commitment for cat transportation education is not particularly practical.

If one day I were to win the lotto and set up my own cat sanctuary in the country side, I will definitely have a copy of this book on my shelf and will follow all the advice presented to make sure that my cats have the calmest and most satisfactory lives they possible could have. If I should expire in some freak accident in the near future, I hope to come back as one of Ms. Ellis' felines.

For cat lovers who may not be that knowledgeable about dexterous companions, this book will give you a lot of a great advice to help you improve your daily interactions with your cats. If you find that your life is already busy, it probably won't be feasible to follow the authors' instructions to the T.

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I found this book fascinating, especially the beginning chapters about the domestication of cats. So interesting. I think I need to read Cat Sense to get more of that. As for the training part, it seems like it will be very helpful. Our kittens are at the very beginning stages of socialization since they were feral. I am hoping to use some of these techniques and training methods to help us all have a better relationship and place them in permanent homes. Being so far away from most of the training situations described in this book makes it seem so daunting and time-consuming to try these methods. However, what have I got to lose? If my cats turned out like the cats these people have trained I would be very happy, not to mention we would have a pretty nice relationship.

I really liked it, but it got a little repetitive (which probably couldn't have been avoided since each behavior is taught in basically the same way). I skimmed through sections that didn't pertain to my situation. There is also not much good advice for discouraging behaviors like jumping up on the table. They basically advocate ignoring any behavior you don't like, but my cats aren't trying to get my attention. Having been feral just a few weeks ago, they would probably love it if I never paid any mind to them at all!

One thing these authors do not mention is how to work with young children training cats. I think I'll have to train my kids how to train the kitties.

[Yvonne Hop · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got my first cat and I thought: what better than to read this book?

Let me start by saying that half of it was pretty useful. It gave me insights in cat behavior and where it comes from. I especially like the parts where they talk about why certain behavior is embedded in a cat and what you can do to make him feel comfortable about it.

What I disliked most is the constant repetition in the book. Long story short: whatever you want to teach your cat, approach him in steps, reward him after every step. Don't train for too long and repeat the training every day. So about halfway in the book it felt to me like I was reading the same thing over and over again, explaining each time why you should do it that way. Maybe for some people this works, but for me it felt very repetative and started to annoy me.

And then the cat came. Maybe he is just a little angel but I didn't need any of the steps. He gets in and out of the carrier without any problems, he loves the vet and he doesn't care about treats or rewards. So for me, about 60% of this book wasn't relevant. I think it probably will be for others, just not for me.

Also, the writing in 2 parts makes it even more repetative. I would have liked it when the training and explaining about the behavior was more intertwined, instead of talking a bit about the training in the behavior part, and the other way around. Not a great book, can be helpful but most of all it's not really an easy read.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from a friend, after I trained my cat to "sit." I thought it would be very insightful and helpful in training my new Bengal kitten to be on a harness and burn some of the excessive energy she has pent up while I'm at work all day. . . and, it was. The main message here is that in order to train a cat you have to be patient, persistent, consistent, and have a lot of treats to feed them. I have yet to train my kitten to do anything else, although she seems to be pretty resilient to me because I've already had her on car rides for an hour at a time and had her wearing a harness for several days and visiting my parents cat and two dogs (although their second cat, a female, and her are NOT friends).

I think I will try to put to use some more of the tips and tricks from the book, specifically - placing puzzle feeders around my apartment, a cat sensory box, and maybe a small pool (when supervised) for her since she likes water.

What I did not like about this book was how long it was. I think I would have given it four or five stars if it was about 100 pages shorter. It started to get very repetitive and I felt like I was reading the same tips and tricks again and again. Additionally, I got my cat a "relaxation" blanket . . . and she does not seem to like it at all. Sigh.

[Claire Binkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

While dog has the reputation of being man's best friend, the cat has been diligent pest control for millennia. (And my kitties have become some of my best friends! They sleep with me almost always. ^_^)

The reason I did not give this text a fifth star is that I had to mark what each chapter in the endnotes was to keep myself from getting confused. And when I have to write in my books anything, that diminishes my opinion a little bit. (This is my own copy so I could do such a thing. It isn't like I have been renewing it ad infinitum.)

This book has taught me how to make both of my queens come to me when called, provided I also ask them to come when I use their names, which is a vital difference. I mean, not just "Cora! Tilly!" but "Cora! Come here!" or "Commere Tilly!" because if I just screamed their names they would stare at me like hi Claire how are you and continue on their way like cats are notorious for doing. I have evidence of all instances listed happening.

So I thought this work was worthwhile to look through. It took me five months to read, yes, but it was important to get though.