Letters to the Editor
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Re:Training Cats
Felines are eminently trainable, they just need different cues. I have trained my cat Sneakers to do tricks that astound most dog owners. Dogs rely on verbal commands, the tone and sound of the command gives away what the owner expects. Most cats don't listen to verbal cues, so use physical cues instead. Sneakers knows that there are different cues for each trick, some of the cues look similar, for instance lay down, and speak gestures are similar, so sometimes he gets them confused. But I have actually trained him to beg, speak, roll over (each direction), lay down (each direction), jump up, shake hands, gimme five, and high five. I'm currently working on getting him to fetch, heel, and tolerate a leash, so that I can take him outside.
One book that I highly recommend for cat owners who are having problems is "Is My Cat Crazy" by John C. Wright Jr. He is an animal behaviorist who admirably explains a lot of feline behaviors, symptoms of problems (e.g. urinating outside the litter box), and offers solutions. You'll have a much better understanding of your cat after reading his book. Unfortunately, it's currently out of print, but I think you can find copies on the book websites.