to ask can you train a cat, has anyone ever tried and if not why not?

[PittTheMiddleOneNoOneMentions]

I was looking at these cute little kittens and thinking how young they looked.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_litter_tray/2955143-So-who-got-a-new-kitten-recently-Lets-see-then

Cats seem quite bright generally and I was wondering why it is that you can't take a young one and train it like a dog?

Is it that Cat PR (" We are independent so you can fuck off if you think I'm going to do what you say) is so strong that no one ever tries?

Didn't they used to train lions for the circus? How come you can't get a cat to "sit" or "come for a walk"?

Disclaimer: I have never owned a cat as I expect is obvious!

It is very difficult to train cats to do tricks (as they just aren't interested) but some cats can be trained to behave and react to certain words etc.

Our cats are house cats. If we say their names they come, if we say bedtime they get into their beds, shake keys and say outside they wieght by the door, if we use their names and talk to them they meow back and loads of other things.

My husband works from home, if we are out for a long day we arrange my in laws (who adore cats but can't have one, so any excuse) to come and spend time with them and we constantly communicate with them. We cuddle them all the time, talk to them and we have both learnt some cat 'sign language'. They are also pedigree and I have heard this helps.

Because they're bastards

They train you

I think cats are above that sort of thing.

@Anecdoche

Like this one

www.amazon.co.uk/Happy-Hugs-Cardboard-Scratch-Catnip/dp/B00A69BDAQ?tag=mumsnetforum-21

Also have you tried playing games with th cat around the existing scratcher? Like play with some feathers around the post so to get the feathers they get the post? Might help them to realise the post feels nice!

@Guepe amazing

@hellejuice91 what breed do you have?

Are you insane op? Cats are psychopaths. Ours are anyway

If I had to make a human comparison, I would say that dogs are toddlers and cats are teenagers.
Thus, cats are more likely to understand, but will either give you attitude or ignore you.

I remember reading about the woman who trained all the soap pets. She said dogs would do it for a kind word and a pat. She said cats wouldn't do anything unless they got paid and they wanted to know how much up front

I've come to the conclusion that most understand, but whether or not they choose to play along depends very much on what is in it for them!

Love this!

We had a ginger moggie that would sit on command, run up and down the hall jumping over obstacles etc. He also used to sit and come when called. So yes they can be trained

You own a dog, a cat owns you. You can get them to use a litter tray but that is about all.

I think if you want to train a cat the breed you are looking for is a dog

Mine would come running on command (when called by his name) and was otherwise really, really food driven. That cat would do anything in exchange for tuna, provided you could get him to understand what he was meant to do for it. So I suspect he would have been trainable, but really, he was mostly just insanely spoiled.

Sadly, he died last year at the ripe old age of twenty. I was still at school when I got him. Man, I miss that cat!

Ours has trained me to get up when he's clawing the bed, then he jumps up & nicks my spot.

I picked it up in no time at all.

I have a Maine coon and I taught her how to use the toilet! I used something called a Litter Qwitter and she took to it surprisingly well!

Cats aren't interested in pleasing you. They understand, but they don't care. We've trained ours to play fetch (and it's very cute when she brings a toy for you to throw), because fetch is fun for her. We are completely failing to train her not to scratch the furniture. She knows she gets a reward for scratching her post, so she'll do that, but she hasn't stopped going for the furniture.

My auntie's cats are/were clever. One would give you a paw when asked and peed/pooped in the toilet ... didn't flush though.

My old cat would come to a whistle, I could whistle at the door when I wanted him in and he would always come running. I think he associated it with food.
I find cats tend to do the training, they quickly get you doing what they want.