How To Train A Cat

How To Train A Cat FARM HOME Miscellaneous 26-3-21 Cats are the most under-appreciated animals on earth, says Catherine Crawmer, West Sand Lake, New York, who has been training every kind of cat - from house cats to lions - for 25 years. A professional animal trainer, Crawmer is also publisher of American Animal Trainer Magazine. She produces videos, conducts animal training seminars, and now she's written a book. Crawmer says the old adage that cats are "too independent" to train is so ingrained in the minds of people that they just don't try to train them, or, if they do, they're set up for failure. Most people expect their cats to do just two things: 1. Use a litter box, and 2. Come when they're called ù sometimes. "Cats can be trained to do anything a dog can do," Crawmer says. "However, cats have their own motivations, so the methods that work with dogs generally don't work for cats. The reward, or reinforcement, can be anything the cat enjoys and doesn't necessarily have to be food." She says use of a "bridge" - a noise or action that tells the cat the reward is coming soon - is imperative to getting cats to perform. Crawmer's book contains everything she's learned about training cats and detailed instructions to help you communicate with and train your own feline. Using these methods, she teaches cats to sit, lie down, stand up, walk on a leash, jump over obstacles, go through a tunnel, pop over a 6- ft. high scaling wall, and much more. "The training possibilities available for cats are limited only by the owner's imagination," she says. "If you are inclined to spend time working with your cat, it can learn even complex routines. It's fun to train a cat," she says. Crawmer's book, "Here Kitty, Kitty!", sells for $29.95 plus $4.95 for shipping and handling. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Catherine J. Crawmer, Box 370, West Sand Lake, N.Y. 12196 (ph 518 479-3018; fax: 810 314-0961; E-mail: crawmer1@aol.com; Website: www.cattrainingbook.com or www.animaltrainermagazine.com ).

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