Turns Out You Can Teach an Old Cat New Tricks.
Believe it or not, cats can be trained. In fact, new research shows that even older cats that seem to be in tune with their lifestyle can be trained too.
The study, led by Dr. Laurie Kogan of Colorado State University and published in Animals magazine , involved 100 cats from a shelter who underwent so-called “clicker training.” You can see one of the study co-authors, Cheryl Colus, DVM,explain the process in the video below . Regardless of the cat’s age, gender or shyness, about 80% of cats were susceptible to the most basic learning (touching the nose, as in the video), and almost 30% could be taught something more difficult, like sitting on it. replica.
The results of the study show that almost any cat can be trained, regardless of whether it is older or just very wayward. Colus tells Zazie Todd, Ph.D. at Companion Animal Psychology, exercise is likely to help cats cope with stressful environments like shelters:
“… even if the cat appears scared at first, many can still be trained, and social interaction can really help the cat adapt positively to the shelter environment.”
The same can probably be said about the new home. So don’t think it’s too late to train your cat. All it takes is a little dedication and practice.