When training your cat, an understanding of operant conditioning is helpful, so you are aware of what it is that you are actually doing.  Essentially, operant conditioning is the basis of all animal training and all behaviors of just about everything.  Operant Conditioning experimentation was pioneered by Edward Thorndike, John Watson, and B. F. Skinner. Us humans are even subject to the laws of operant conditioning.  We got to work because we are paid.  The behavior of going to work is reinforced because we receive money, so we keep going.  We touch a hotplate and get burned.  We have received pain which is a negative reaction so therefore we won’t repeat the behavior. There are 4 basic fundamental laws of operant conditioning that effect the strengthening or weakening of a behavior.

• Positive Reinforcement
• Negative Reinforcement
• Positive Punishment
• Negative Punishment

Positive & Negative

In the field of behavior psychology when it applies to training, the ‘Positive’ in the Positive Reinforcement and Positive Punishment refers to the application or addition of something on our part. We are adding something.  For example – giving a morsel of food (we are adding food) – give a pat (we are adding our affection) – we praise the cat (we are speaking, using our voice) – we give the cat a little tap (we are adding our hand) – we give a click with a clicker (we are adding a sound) Essentially, we are adding something to the cat’s enivonment. With the ‘Negative’ in the Negative Reinforcement and Negative Punishment, we are taking something away from the cat’s environment. – we remove the cat bowl (we area taking it away) – we remove the cat litter (we are taking it away) – we ignore the cat (we are taking away our attention.

Reinforcement & Punishment

This is a little more easy to understand.  Essentially if we add or remove a stimulus that increases or strengthens a behavior, that is reinforcement. – give the cat a treat for sitting (positive reinforcement) – we  begin removing the litter box so the cat will go in the toilet (negative reinforcement) If we add or remove a stimulus that reduces or weakens a behavior, that is punishment. – we tap the cat on the bottom for scratching the furniture (positive punishment) – we stop playing with our cat instantly as soon as it bites us (negative punishment) Once you understand these concepts,  it is really quite simple to begin training your cat, or in turn, reduce and eliminate undesirable behaviors.

Operant conditioning and reinforcers Skinner, long associated with Harvard, invented a device called the operant conditioning apparatus; its informal name is the Skinner box.   Read more…

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If you want to teach your cat basic obedience commands like, sit, come etc, you can use similar techniques used to training dogs.  You see, cats usually won’t do anything, unless there is some incentive for them.  Prodding and poking the cat to try and force it into position just won’t work with them.  What you will need to do is condition them to do certain behaviors.  Very similar to how your cat probably now responds at meal time reacting to the opening of the cat food.

Why Train My Cat?

Well, there may be times when you would like your cat to stay inside the house when the door is being opened by someone and not rush out, so a simple stay or sit could alleviate that problem.  Not only that, but the training is fun for you and your cat and strengthens your bond with them.

Where do you start?

To do this type of training, will require some treats and a device called a clicker.   A clicker is a  small device that makes a clicking sound.  You will be clicking the clicker and giving the cat a food treat.  This is commonly referred to as the click and treat.  As soon as you click, you treat.  Very soon, the cat associates the sound of the click with the a food reward.  A way to test if that is happening is to move away from the cat and then click, if they move towards you, it is quite likely they are now associating the click with a food reward. You should use very small pieces of food the cat likes, tuna, cheese and make the portions small.  We don’t want to fill them up during the training. Each training session should only be about 5-10 minutes so as not to bore the cat.  Also, try to restrict each session to just one command.

The Sit

With your clicker in hand, and your treats at the ready, take a small treat and move it over the cat’s eyeline so she has to look up.  What you want is for them to move their head back, then plant it’s bottom on the ground.  If the cat trys to jump up and take the food, don’t let it.   As soon as the cat’s bottom hits the ground, click the clicker and give the cat the treat.  Repeat this until every time you are moving your hand over their head, they sit.  Now start saying ‘SIT’ when you are moving your hand over their head.  The will eventually start responding to the ‘SIT’ command.  Then try not having the food in the hand, moving your hand over their head and saying ‘SIT’, click then treat.  Then, you can phase out the hand movement all together and just use ‘SIT’.  Make sure every time you click, you treat.

The Come

This one is pretty easy to train.  Move a little way away from the cat and lure them with a treat.  As they move towards you, click and treat, move around the house, not too far away from the cat, but just far enough away so they have to move to get the treat.  Now start saying ‘COME’ and luring then click and treat.  Increase the distance you want your cat to travel to get the click and treat.  Try doing this with another person, each armed with the clicker and treats.Sit across the room from each other and call the cat, as the cat moves to one person, they click and treat.  The other person then calls ‘COME’ and clicks and treats when the cat gets to them.  This really reinforces the ‘COME’

The Stay

Stand in front of your cat.  Hold our your hand and say ‘STAY’.  Take one step backwards, then one step forwards back to the cat.  Then click and treat.  If the cat moves before you get back, make your step backwards and forwards much quicker.  Then increase your distance to two steps backwards then forwards back to the cat.  Making sure, you click, when you get back to the cat.  The click always ends the command.  Eventually increase the size of distance between you and the cat.

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