For example, I like to train mine to accept me providing scritches (petting) with my feet and for them to be equally comfortable with using foot as hand
For example, I like to train mine to accept me providing scritches (petting) with my feet and for them to be equally comfortable with using foot as hand
Fetch: grab the toy if they play with it and it ends up close by, use verbal reinforcement
Names: the cats recognize everyone’s name in the hous thanks to reinforcement learning
Locations: the cats know where I’m going and can beat me there because I tell them where I’m going, sounds like reinforcement learning again?
Activities: set phrases like “let’s go”, “come on”, “let’s get some food”, “jump up”, etc, all by reinforcement training.
Paw-touching: slowly touch more and more often, for longer, until nail clipping is a breeze. Hmm… Might be reinforcement training again.
To end bad behaviors, hiss, it’s a built-in “no” for cats.
Oh and I forgot, a big one, I engage the cats if they show interest in my task.
When cooking they can smell safe things, if I’m working on tech i have a very large screw and bolt for them to play with/try out instead of my small ones.
Cats are social and want to be included, if you give them the option to do “parallel play” I think it will improve what people see as problem behaviors that are really just begging to be included.