How I Trained My Cat

My cat loves to sniff around and mark territory

I have trained my cat to do two things: come when called and go outside on a leash. Here's how.

1. Create a cue.
Most cats will come when they hear the sound of a can opener, since they associate the sound with a reward. I cued this cue with a whistle. I repeat the whistle every time before opening the can. I also use the whistle before giving my cat any special treat. She now associates the whistle with an upcoming reward and comes to me most of the time. Additionally, I want my cat to get rid of bugs that make their way into my house, so I created a different cue for hunting. I call out, "look, look look" in a high voice and the cat immediately goes to where I am and looks for bugs to catch.

2. Use successive approximations for shaping behaviors
Read this article in the New York Times on how to train a cat to walk on a leash. It works. The author first rewarded the cat for putting on the leash. Then the cat was rewarded for traveling a bit inside and then outside. That's what I did. The whole process took a few weeks. I don't lead my cat like one would walk a dog. I just let her sniff around and go where she wants to go. The hardest thing is finding an area free of canines and cars.