Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 2: Preparing to call your cat
• Part 2 of 2: Call your cat
• Tips

Contrary to what is always said, it is possible to train a cat! One way to train your cat is to teach her to come when you call her. Fortunately, cats usually learn this pretty quickly, so it shouldn't be long for your cat to consistently come when you call. With a little patience and lots of rewards, you should eventually be able to summon your cat from all over the house and have her run (or stroll) over to it.

To step

Part 1 of 2: Preparing to call your cat

1. Know the benefits of calling your cat. There are many benefits if your cat comes to you when you call her. For example, you can call her when it's time to play or eat. You can also call your cat if you don't know where she is in the house. Plus, if your cat comes when you call her, you can make sure she's there when you leave the house.
   • If your cat is sometimes indoors and sometimes outdoors, it is helpful to be able to call her when she needs to come in.
   • It can also be helpful if you can call your cat when it's time to go to the vet. Your cat may not see a visit to the vet as a pleasant experience, so it may take a little longer for her to come to you when it comes time to go to your appointment.
   • Since cats are intelligent by nature, it is a great mental exercise for her to learn to come when called.
2. Choose a reward. While positive reinforcement (verbal praise, petting) is an important part of successful training, the most important thing about training your cat to come when called is an attractive reward. The most attractive reward for her will probably be treats such as tuna, chicken pieces or sardines. You can also buy cat treats from the pet store.
   • Keep several candies on hand. When you reward her, you can vary which food you reward her with so she doesn't expect the same reward every time.
   • Catnip is no good reward. Your cat's cravings for catnip will likely go away if she gets it more than once a week, so it's better to choose a treat that attracts her consistently.
   • Whatever type of food you choose as a reward, only use it when you call her. It is better if your cat only associates that tasty reward with responding to your call and not other commands and verbal cues.
   • Playtime can also be an attractive reward.
3. Decide which command to use to call your cat. You can use any verbal command you want. A common command that cat owners use is "Here, kitty kitty." You can also use the words "come" or "treat". The verbal command shouldn't be something you already use, like her name.
   • You can also use different pitch. Cats usually respond to a shrill voice, as their prey also often makes shrill noises in the wild.
   • If you're not the only person in the house who will be calling your cat, make sure everyone uses the same verbal command and pitch to call her.
   • If your cat is deaf or hard of hearing, you will need to use other methods to get her attention, such as visual cues - flashing a light or using a laser pointer (available at any pet store). Deaf or hard-of-hearing cats respond to vibrations in the floor, so you can bump or stomp the floor to call your cat.

Part 2 of 2: Call your cat

1. Decide when to call your cat. A good time to practice calling your cat is around dinner time. Your cat will probably already be hungry, which will make the training process easier and faster. Plus, she will already be used to going to the kitchen (or where you keep her food bowl), so you don't call her to a room that is unfamiliar to her when you start her workout.
   • Another benefit of calling her normal meal time is that she already knows when she will get her food. This will make the first workout easier because you are not doing something completely new to her.
   • If you choose to reward her with extra play, you can practice calling her when it is close to her scheduled play time.
   • If the kitchen and her play area have a lot of distractions, consider calling your cat to a quiet room where there aren't many distractions to keep her from coming to you.
2. Call your cat. When you are in the room where you want her to come to you, shout the command in a high-pitched voice. If you call her when it's time to eat, make sure to give the verbal command before you open a can of food or a bag of food. You want to make sure your cat is coming because she heard your verbal command, not because of the noises of food preparation.
   • Reward her immediately when she comes to you, be it with the treat or with extra play time. Extra positive reinforcement through petting and praise is also helpful.
   • Even if you call her around dinnertime, it's still important to give her the treat as a reward, and not just the regular food.
   • If you call her around playtime, say the verbal command without shaking a toy that is making noise.
   • It may take a week or so for her to start coming to you consistently when you call her.
3. Increase the challenge of calling your cat. Once your cat consistently comes to her play area or feeding area when you call her, make it more difficult. For example, if someone else is in the house, you can practice calling her back and forth between you and that other person. In this challenge, each person must reward her for responding appropriately to the calling.
   • If your cat lives indoors and out, you can also practice calling her in when she's outside. This is more practical when she is relatively close to the house so that she can hear you.
   • Practice calling her from every room in your house. Eventually she will learn how to get to you from anywhere in the house.

Tips

• As with many training exercises, it is easier to train a small kitten than an adult cat. When your cat is an adult, it may take a little longer for her to understand that she is being called.
• Practice calling several times a day. Calling her on her regular feeding times will help you exercise more often per day.
• Also reward her if it takes a long time for her to respond to your calls. She may choose to take a long time to come to you (which can be frustrating), but it's still important to reward her when she finally decides to respond to your call.
• If your cat seems unresponsive because she can't hear you, take her to the vet to have her hearing tested.
• Your cat may not come when you call her because she is shy or anxious. Consider talking to your vet or an animal behaviorist about how you can help your cat overcome her fear or shyness.