Need Some Advice With Teaching My Two Cats To Sit?

[saleri]

Hello,

So today decided to continue with my two cat's training. Tuxedo, Lilo, is 12 months old, orange, Sawyer, tabby is 10 month old.

At this point they both recognize when their names are called.

Decided to try today. Bought some temptations since at this point neither are that excited by regular treats, but were super excited when I bought some temptations for them. First time they had them in months. https://photos.app.goo.gl/Z2tU39CEMTxdHcHP9


So I tried it out with both of them, and for the first day was pretty happy with the results.

Lilo: https://photos.app.goo.gl/13HG3HvaYGbHp9PC6

Sawyer: https://photos.app.goo.gl/iQfc4K1TJZYqfVRw5

I wasn't consistent with the commands, and I aim to be better tomorrow, but I do have some concerns. Based of the video you can see that the cats frequently are sitting regardless and it's tricky to tell if they're sitting because I tell them to, or because they just feel like it. I guess it's a low effort trick for them to do and also hard to tell if they're actually doing it. And it can be tricky to get them to stand again.

Also a bit concerned that I've to give them essentially 10 temptations per practice, and that's 20 calories of temptations every day.

Anyone got any thoughts?

 

[abyeb]

I taught my Charlie to sit on command by holding a treat in front of his face, and moving it back and forth slowly, while saying "sit". I'd heard that this technique will make cats sit automatically, and it seemed to work for Charlie. When he sat, I said "good sit!" and gave him a treat.

When you're training your cats, you don't need to worry about if they're sitting because you're telling them to, at first. When you're doing a training session, if they sit when you're telling them to sit, reward them. That way, they'll eventually make the connection and realize, "ok, when the human tells me to sit, and I sit, I get a treat."

 

[saleri]

I taught my Charlie to sit on command by holding a treat in front of his face, and moving it back and forth slowly, while saying "sit". I'd heard that this technique will make cats sit automatically, and it seemed to work for Charlie. When he sat, I said "good sit!" and gave him a treat.

When you're training your cats, you don't need to worry about if they're sitting because you're telling them to, at first. When you're doing a training session, if they sit when you're telling them to sit, reward them. That way, they'll eventually make the connection and realize, "ok, when the human tells me to sit, and I sit, I get a treat."

Yeah I'm trying to do the same thing, but both kittens are lunging at my hand so it's a bit tricky. Okay got it thanks!

 

[CatsAreTheBest]

Yeah I'm trying to do the same thing, but both kittens are lunging at my hand so it's a bit tricky. Okay got it thanks!

Same thing happened to me .My cat was way more interested in getting the treat out of my hand that sitting.

 

[Animal Freak]

I hold the treat slightly over their head so they have to sit to follow it. Never heard of the moving it back and forth method, but training them wasn't really planned. I just sort of did it.

It doesn't matter if they're doing it because you tell them to. At first they don't know what you're telling them to do anyway. In fact, a dog trainer I started watching on YouTube said that you shouldn't add a command until the dog is likely to do what you want. Of course, dogs and cats are different, but training is pretty similar.

 

[saleri]

I hold the treat slightly over their head so they have to sit to follow it. Never heard of the moving it back and forth method, but training them wasn't really planned. I just sort of did it.

It doesn't matter if they're doing it because you tell them to. At first they don't know what you're telling them to do anyway. In fact, a dog trainer I started watching on YouTube said that you shouldn't add a command until the dog is likely to do what you want. Of course, dogs and cats are different, but training is pretty similar.

Fair points, today was the first day so I was more playing around, will follow a more strict path next time.

 

[saleri]

Just curious how often do you guys train your cats? I think once a day would be too much since that's just too many of those temptations in their body even if I just give them 15 calories a day. Thinking of doing it once a day?

Also when I start should I just say sit, and not their name and sit?

 

[Animal Freak]

I do a training session with my three cats and my dog once a day, and once with my dog and one of my cats. It depends on the cat how often and how long you can train.

As far as calories go, Temptations are pretty low and you can always adjust the amount they get at meal time. Also, there are freeze dried treats such as PureBites. I don't know how many calories they are, but they're 100% real meat so they should be healthier. And all four of my animals love them, even more than Temptations.

I'm not sure it matters if you say their name. I don't know about your cats, but mine do what they want whether I say their name or not. In reality, they follow hand gestures better than voice commands anyway. You could say their name just in case they decide to actually listen and act when they hear their name and not when they hear the other's.

 

[saleri]

I do a training session with my three cats and my dog once a day, and once with my dog and one of my cats. It depends on the cat how often and how long you can train.

As far as calories go, Temptations are pretty low and you can always adjust the amount they get at meal time. Also, there are freeze dried treats such as PureBites. I don't know how many calories they are, but they're 100% real meat so they should be healthier. And all four of my animals love them, even more than Temptations.

I'm not sure it matters if you say their name. I don't know about your cats, but mine do what they want whether I say their name or not. In reality, they follow hand gestures better than voice commands anyway. You could say their name just in case they decide to actually listen and act when they hear their name and not when they hear the other's.

Okay. I could probably train them for a long time since they seem to really like temptations.

Neither eats so much so if I give them 10 temptations that's probably at least 10% of their daily diet right there.

They aren't really interested in freeze dried treats anymore sadly.

Got it thanks.