This is a guest blog by Leeann, the Safari Ranger at Pet Camp Cat Safari
Cats are notorious for being insubordinate, untrainable and, at worst, stupid. Of course, those of us here at Pet Camp Cat Safari and those of you with cats at home know how smart cats really are. Working with cats everyday at Pet Camp Cat Safari, we are privy to the inside workings of cat behavior and understand what makes them tick, which obviously helps when training cats. We not only get to observe our own cats, but we get to watch and study your cat in a different environment. Trust me when I say it is extremely fascinating. Those of us here at Cat Safari are self-proclaimed “cat nerds.”
Here are some facts about cats that may shed some light on training cats:
❯Scientist are very interested in the cat and studying cat behavior.
They have concluded that of all mammals, a cat’s brain has the memory and emotional mapping most comparable to our own. Cats use tools, figure out mazes and puzzle boxes, and display long term memories, especially those involving the cat being slighted and or disparaged in any way. A cat will indeed hold a grudge.
❯The basic tenant of cat behavior or “cat disobedience” as the critics might say, boils down to one very important evolutionary truth.
Cats are not pack animals. Cats can live in groups but they don’t need to. For pack animals such as dogs and humans, living and functioning as a group is a necessity for survival. There are obvious and essential rules and guidelines to living in a pack and learning to follow them is crucial for both the individual and the group. From an evolutionary perspective cats have not evolved to pay attention to rules or social cues. There is no need for a cats to comply with anyone’s wishes but its own.
❯The bottom line is that cats do obey, they do listen, they will do tricks and they will come when called … if they want to.
Cats are intelligent, emotional and thinking creatures. It is up to us to find a way to reach each furry feline companion and engage them enough that they want to do these things. That’s the key!
Do you or anyone you know have a cat that has been trained to do tricks? Let us know. We love hearing your feedback.
Thanks for reading!