**A Fact - In the first few cat training sessions you might not get results

• Don't give up on your cats if they seem unresponsive at first.
• Trust the technique and just give it even a few minutes a day.
• Cat training aids - important to know what to use and how

The Secret of Cat Training is that you really have to commit.

I know it's easy to give up after your cat just doesn't seem interested, but remember this is all about communication. So give it some more time... all this really means is that your cat doesn't understand the game yet. Here comes the trust part - your pet cat WILL understand the game, better and better with each passing click.

You can check out some of my cat training videos to better understand.

In fact, a cat training session that only yielded a few 'target hits' and 'clicks' is never the less another step in the right direction...

If you're thinking:"My cat will NOT connect with my training tone"
or things go through your head like:"It's the second session we go over this, how can my cat STILL not understand me??" AHHH... RELAX.

Remember, cat training using a clicker is probably a whole new experience for both you and your cats. But...

You have the advantage of knowing exactly what you want from your cat - your cat does not... So it's all up to you to understand their temperament, their body language and try fine tune your communication skills to build a strong rewarding relationship with your pet cat during cat training sessions (and after).

This takes a bit of dedication I'm sure all of us are willing to give to our cats.

Who doesn't wish to spend more time interacting with their pet cats?

Very busy people also need not to forget, we're talking about a few minutes a day (even every other day - for really busy people...). We usually play with, or feed our cats... maybe sometimes take them outside or to the Vet. Now you will have a whole new game!

Interaction and training your pet cat is vital to many things:

• More pet interaction is a great solution to many cat behavior problems.
• You and your pet cat/s can form a relationship you never knew possible.
• The right mutual process will pay off tremendously for the happiness of your cats and your own.
• For general safety or in case of emergency – you say 'come', you want your cat to rush immediately home.

So at first, polishing your clicker timing skills and picking the right treats for the right cat you own are things you're going to learn with experience. The most important thing to remember is stay patient, use the tools and try to have short cat training session with your cat every-day (or as much as fits your schedule).

The best thing for your cat before a cat training session, is to be active and hungry. That's why when I first started training sessions with my cats, I completely stopped giving them (Sammi and Isla) dry food. Instead I gave them a training session with wet or good treats they love (it has to be something they LOVE.. unless they're really hungry!), and depends how much they ate during training session, I mix back maybe ½ a cup of dry food back into their plates for later.

Find out how I found what my cats favorite treats were at the training log I'll soon be posting on Sammi and Isla's Blog.

A few times after you train your cat to touch the target; of course while clicking and giving him treats after every time, you might think the your cat totally 'got it' and knows what he/her is supposed to do. Some cats really catch on fast, but my point is just – don't get frustrated if your cat seems like he doesn't want to act on your command.

Even getting a few clicks at the right time with your pet cat are big invisible steps forward - your cat associates the clicks with his/her good and wanted behavior. When you first get your cat to touch the target and you give the reward, it's easy to get frustrated when your cat gets confused the second time around.

If you just follow through patiently there is really no reason you won't be seeing results. With Sammi I saw results within the second session.

You need to understand that good results with cat training, doesn't necessarely mean a new trick learned. Especially when you start, it's good to keep a 'clicker training log' (which I'm in the process of creating for all of us) to see how much progress you're really making. You'll see, if you persist with the program, like me - you'll be jumping up and down happily when suddenly something 'click' with your cat.

Something will 'click' between you and your cats on a personal level as well.

I hope this helped you understand how it feels to start clicker training your cat. I started with Karen Pryors invaluable guide, and after that, I went on to the Complete Cat Training, for more tricks after the basics... But the basics are the most important thing to learn, So I recommend to start with Karen first.

For more Cat Training Issues

Feel free to browse around some of these great articles, and when you're ready to start training - you can start where I did.

Cat Behavior Training Made Simple
Cat behavior training can be a lot of a fun. You really just need to educate yourself a bit so you can effectively communicate to your cat the behavior pattern you're looking for. The most basic element of cat behavior training is... read more

What you need to know about Cat Aggression
Aggression is in your cats nature: behaviors like stalking, chasing, leaping, pouncing, swatting, and biting are all common displays, and are always a major component of any play session. Usually, our cats play and just have fun but sometimes it gets very aggressive. A cat that uses its claws to hurt is no fun to the owner or another cat... read more

Cat Litter Box Training
If you get your cat from a shelter or another home, it probably has been trained by it's mother. But kittens that aren't so lucky come to you before that. What you do at first is simply let the cat get know the area of the box. Put your cats feet into the litter. I had to go through a few kinds of litter, to find the best one for my two cats. It happends to be the 'Scented Fresh Step scoopables' - but not all cats like a different scent of their own...read more

Or maybe you prefer...

Cat Potty Training - The First Steps
It is important to understand how cats think before teaching them basic tasks. They are able to learn, but must be trained. Cats respond well to training when a reward is offered as an incentive. They also appreciate praise. While they tend to have a short attention span, a cat training session can be effective in 5 or 10 minute increments... read more

Cat Toilet Training
When we are considering getting ourselves a cat, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the litter box. As a cat owner, I've often asked myself if there was any way I could easily and quickly train my cat to use the potty. And not just any potty, but the one WE ALL use. Let me narrow down some reasons why we should really get into that cat potty training fever... read more

Cat Training for Your Intractable Cat
Cats are almost always depicted as loners, the lords of their realm, snobbish and downright stubborn. This is a type of animal that is quite proud, going their own way and rarely following orders. Think Garfield...read more

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