Place your cat on an elevated surface, such as a table. It may assist you if the cat¡¯s back is to a wall. Allow kitty to get a good whiff of your bribe. When the cat shows interest, slowly raise the morsel (you may place the goodie in a teaspoon or between your fingers) along an invisible line from the cat¡¯s nose to a point between its ears. Don¡¯t raise the treat too quickly or too high over the cat¡¯s ears. Say the cat¡¯s name, the command ¡°sit,¡± and then click the clicker while presenting the reward when kitty does what you want. Now, praise your smart cat, and pet her.
If the cat isn¡¯t following the treat, either your kitty isn¡¯t hungry, you¡¯re waving the treat too high above the cat or that goodie doesn¡¯t smell good enough.
Repeat these training sessions often enough and eventually your cat will sit at your feet whenever he or she is in the mood for a treat. Don¡¯t overdo compliance, or you¡¯ll have a cat who is training you. Ask friends and relatives to command your cat to ¡°sit¡± for a treat. Soon, Kitty will be more outgoing, and more interested in ¡°sitting¡± for your guest, hoping for the possibility.
Excerpts taken from the article "Train Your Cat, Too" by Steve Dale in the Fall 1998 Issue of Pet Life Magazine
