Mary Allen
Not only can you teach your cat tricks with clickers, but the method is also suitable for counteracting behavioral problems. Patience and positive conditioning are important.
Certain behavioral problems can actually be “clicked away”. Finally, during clicker training, the cat learns new behaviors through Pavlovian conditioning. In the same way, the combination of command, stimulus, and reward can also be used to detrain incorrect behavior or replace it with the correct behavior.
Clicker Training Against Boredom
Under-challenged cats in particular can learn to steer their behavior in positive directions through clicker training. If the cat has gotten used to scratching the sofa, tearing up curtains, or otherwise causing discord out of boredom, it sometimes helps to challenge it with tricks and “brain teasers”. For example, if you teach the boring velvet paw tricks such as giving a paw using clicker training, this means that you are dealing intensively with the cat and are challenging it. If the cat is no longer bored, it will also show less unwanted disruptive behavior.
Train Behavioral Problems
If your cat shows severe behavioral problems, depending on the severity of the symptoms, you should consult a veterinarian first. Aggression, skittishness, or uncleanliness can also be signs of illness. If the cat suffers from severe behavioral problems, the doctor may refer you to an animal therapist. In milder cases, however, such behaviors can also be trained off at home. This is where clicker training comes in handy.
If you reward the cat with clicks and treats for showing the “right” behavior, this often leads to quick success. For example, a skittish cat can learn to use a carrier or be more easily handled. However, whether the training is also suitable for your house tiger as a corrective measure in cat training depends on the character of the animal and its willingness to learn. In case of doubt, a decision must be made individually on a case-by-case basis.