Clicker Training for Cats

by Karen Pryor

Train a cat? Yes, you can! Clicker training, the new way of communicating with animals,is quick and easy for you - and it's fun for your cat. Clicker training can improve your cat's health, activity and attitude toward life. It can make your cat happier and more affectionate. In the easy-to-read beginner's guide, Karen Pryor, the world's leading clicker training expert, tells you how to teach your * to come when called
* to play without biting or scratching
* to stay off the table
* to get along with dogs
* to walk outside on a leash
* to do cute tricks and games! All with a click and a treat!

Genres: Cats, Nonfiction, Animals, Psychology, Reference

85 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Karen Pryor was an American author who specialized in behavioral psychology and marine mammal biology. She was the founder and proponent of clicker training. She was formerly a Marine Mammal Commissioner to the U.S. government.

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now my cat obeys my every demand.


Ok, most of my demands.


Sometimes.


If she feels like it.


But still...

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part, this was a great little book! I appreciate that it is a slim volume; this makes reading it less intimidating and time-consuming, and hopefully more appealing for folks considering cat training books. I also liked Karen Pryor's tone and method of writing: it was conversational and easy to understand. This book isn't "technical," and the marketing for beginners was appropriate; the information would be accessible for newbies. The information in the book was well organized into chapters and then subheadings that made logical sense. Pryor wrote of standard, useful behaviors, fun tricks, and addressing more problematic behaviors, as well as the basics of clicker training and its benefits. Pryor also included many examples/anecdotes of her own cats, which were interesting and relevant. One annoyance with this book was its many typos, but I still valued the majority of the instruction the manual provided. A few of the training instructions caused me to pause, however; they were not what I would have expected Pryor to teach, nor what I would feel comfortable doing. For example, Pryor advocates for what I believe is negative reinforcement (or perhaps positive punishment which becomes negative reinforcement) when teaching a cat to accept handling and husbandry behaviors. Pryor instructs pet parents to hold onto their cats' paws until the cat relaxes, and to then remove their hands. Pryor says that the cat will learn that relaxing will remove the human's hands (the aversive). Why not instead teach the cat using positive reinforcement? For example, human lightly taps paw, cat gets delicious treat? And so on, building up to where the cat feels comfortable having its paws held and even wants to have its paws held because it associates the act with delicious treats (or something else reinforcing). Pryor also confused my a bit when discussing working with two cats that did not get along. She instructed pet parents to click and treat the cat for eye contact with the pet parent. While it is true that eye contact with the pet parent makes it less likely that the cat will, at that specific moment, exhibit aggression towards the other cat, will it change how the cat feels about the other cat? There can be a classical (counter) conditioning effect happening with the operant conditioning of eye contact, but it may not happen as quickly or effectively as, say, clicking and treating for looking at the other cat (which I have been taught to do regarding my dog and its triggers of strange people and dogs), which aims to associate the trigger's presence with delicious food (as opposed to eye contact with delicious food), at least as a first step until the animal no longer is anxious, stressed, or aggressive in the presence of the trigger, and then other behaviors can be asked for and reinforced with operant conditioning. This book is a bit older (and I might even be reading on older edition), so perhaps then some of my concerns with this book have been revised in any newer editions, or if not, perhaps Karen Pryor has revised her approach to these issues in her current training and writing projects. While I do have concerns regarding the situations I described above, fortunately I am fluent enough in animal behavior and training so that I would not take Pryor's advice in those two circumstances, and aside from those sections, I was able to enjoy and learn from this book.

[Cyndie Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the help of this book I seriously have found clicker training my cat even easier than clicker training a dog. You don't have to hold a leash at the same time - that is unless you go to the chapter that teaches you how to clicker train your cat to walk on a leash! Lots of helpful hints for how training sessions might differ from those with a dog as well as specific hints as to how clicker training can be leveraged for particular behavioral concerns. Also shares just some really neat tricks cats can learn to do to make you ooh and aww. Above all, this book was an easy, short read that got straight to the point, which as a mom of young kids, an energetic cat, in the middle of a pandemic was *very useful*. Highly recommend personally and as a veterinarian will be recommending to my clients.

[Katrine Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read with a lot of tips I may never put into action but I do respect the safety of training your cat to come when called. You never know when quick action may he needed! I can see clicker training working for this if nothing else. My two kittens are pretty food oriented particularly the baby girl, the only thing holding them back is their handler!

[Alice Chau-Ginguene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pioneer book on clicker training for cats. It is very short book written a while ago but great for beginner to get the concept of clicker training. There are some other more detailed books these days but this one is still a very clear, short, simple book for beginners if someone wants to start clicker training.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait to start

Just got new kittens and this seems like such a great positive way to train them. Found this book recommend in The Inner Life Of Cats.

[Erica Villagomez-Cloutier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had some great methods on how to clicker train cats. I’ve had a couple of practice sessions with my cats, but I need to be more consistent.

[matty creen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's ok.

It could have been summed up in a few pages and may be more fitting for a little pamphlet at your local Petsmart.

[Laura Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this! Very helpful. My kitten is already learning to “place” and come when I call her and it’s only been 3 days!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

After I try this with a cat I'll update my review

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book after reading Pryor's book, "Don't Shoot the Dog", which was also really great. I haven't really had the time to invest going all out with clicker training our cats, but the little I've done has worked beautifully. It really teaches how important associations and habit are in determining behavior for both animals and humans. The best part about clicker training pets is how mentally stimulating it is for them (and for you because you have to be so creative in your methods for teaching them new things). I would definitely recommend this book to cat owners, or even for people who just want a brief overview of how clicker training works.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Clicker Training for Dogs and seeing that there was a version for cats, my interest was piqued. Seriously? Training cats to do things? On command? Well, I'm planning to give it a shot. Basil already knows that if she's on our bed making noise at night, *psst, psst* means "lay down and get settled," and she does it pretty reliably. If I can get her to shut up between my walking through the door after work and my feeding her dinner, I might have to up this to 5 stars...

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of good information, though also lots of grammatical errors or typos. I got some great ideas for things to work on with my cat, but I was hoping for more. Definitely a great read for someone that is unfamiliar with clicker training and has a desire to train their cat not just party tricks, but ways to make living together easier. It left me feeling motivated and looking for Phillip so I could teach him a new trick.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent ideas. Just waiting for the clicker I ordered to come in the mail and then Sprout and I are ready to have some training fun! Really, Karen Pryor really seems to know what she's talking about. She started as a dolphin trainer and has trained dolphins, dogs, cats, horses and more with the clicker training method. All positive reinforcement. No punishment. Just ignore behaviors you don't want and reward those you do want.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

After taking classes on Behavior Modification & Clicker Training at the Cornell Shelter Medicine Conference, I picked up this book and a few others on clicker training for cats.
This book offers a direct, practical approach to training, and I found it very informative.
Now I just need to make the time to put what I learned into practice. :)

[Moorhead Public Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, cats can be trained. I taught my cat to wave using methods I learned in this book. Cats are naughty when they get bored and training gives them the mental stimulus they need (not to mention a bunch of treats!)

Reviewed by: Meg

[Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very approachable book on cat clicker training. I would have liked to see more structured content like in a "how-to" book. There is an appendix at the end with a basic one page summary of the content.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read , short....now I just have to put it into practice!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great concepts here. we are definately going to give it a go with our two new additions!!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am SO going to do this!

[Boris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some fair ideas, but the general idea here is more about shaping from spontaneity rather than shaping. I like the other clicker book's approach better.

[Jela Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

It does give you some basic ideas of how to start clicker training. However, I wish it also went into explaining how to do tricks such as sit, paw, or sit with the cat.

[Jennifer]

Loved this easy to read and understand book. With this book as our guide, we have trained our cats and they enjoy doing tricks to get what they want. They are more active now and appear happier. This has helped get our cats out of places they shouldn't be as well.