She’s so clever!
Just before we got Lexi I ordered the Karen Pryor book about clicker training for cats. Knowing that Ocicats are highly intelligent and eager to learn I bought it more for me, so I could learn how to train a cat. Not much point getting it for Lexi as, clever though she is, she can’t read…..yet! The basis is very easy, you get a clicker (I’m currently using an empty mini stapler) and use it to teach the cat that a click earns a treat.
So far we’ve had a handful of sessions and she now comes to me when I call and follows a target around the room for clicks and treats. Today I thought I’d jump ahead a bit and see if I could get her to sit on command and it was a total doddle! I held a tiny piece of ham in my clenched fist just behind her head and as she automatically dropped her haunches down to see what I’d got I clicked and gave her the ham. Less than 5 attempts later she was sitting on command. I wonder how long it’d take to teach her to do the dusting……….. 