Are training inconsistencies making your cats negative behaviors stronger? Short answer is yes.

There are pervasive myths that cats cannot be trained. Myths that training takes away their independence. That you can only train a kitten, because older cats can’t learn new things. This could not be further from the truth. In fact, whether we intend it or not cats are always learning and so are we!

Cats are incredibly intelligent.

They receive sensory input constantly and they make a decision on how to act on it. Your cat will learn that the behaviors they do, make you respond in a certain way. We do this as well. It’s a very subtle process and you may not even notice that it’s taking place.

For example, your cat walks onto your computer. Initially they may do this because it’s warm. You don’t want them to damage the keyboard, so you pick your cat up and remove them. Your cat learns that they can get attention from you if they walk onto your keyboard. You may talk to them, even if it’s a scolding tone, and you touch them as you pick them up. They may continue to do this to get attention from you because they find you talking and touching them reinforcing.

When we talk about positive reinforcement training, we think of clicker training or actively working on a task. Sit, click, treat. But operant conditioning doesn’t always stop when the session is over. Treats are not the only reinforcer for your cat.

Attention is a huge reinforcer for cats. The basis of operant conditioning through positive reinforcement is that if the cat is given some type of reinforcement (attention, treats, petting, toys are a few) after they perform a behavior, the likelihood of the behavior happening again increases.

When your cat realizes that a certain behavior gets them attention, they will continue to do that behavior so they are reinforced again. This isn’t initiated by you, but continues because the cat is being rewarded with something they like—your attention.

They may have tried rubbing against you, head butting, or even meowing and those behaviors may have been ignored if you were focused on finishing that work deadline. If those behaviors are ignored, your cat may try other things to get attention and they may not be as appropriate. Walking across the keyboard, knocking things off of the table, or jumping somewhere they aren’t allowed are a few.

These are behaviors that typically get our attention quickly. Your cat can start to learn that if they do that, you will pay attention to them quicker than the cute behaviors like rubbing against us to solicit petting.

Here’s where it gets difficult to break the cycle. Intermittent reinforcement. This means that they are only reinforced for a behavior some of the time. As it turns out, animals can find intermittent reinforcement even more reinforcing than if they get reinforced every time.

Have you ever been to a casino and gambled?

You don’t get a payout every time that you play, but you continue to play the game because eventually you will get either a small payout or the jackpot! It’s the unknown that keeps us going.

It’s the same with the cat and computer situation, along with many other attention getting behaviors. Your cat walks onto the keyboard. Sometimes, we are just checking social media and we carefully place them on the floor. That’s a small payout. They received a brief social interaction. Other times, you are pressed for a work deadline and you’re not as patient. On the third time your cat has jumped on your keyboard, maybe you lose your patience and scold them as you whisk them off. It may seem counter-intuitive, but that is the jackpot. Your response is quick, you talked to them and you picked them up.

It’s a similar game to your cat waking you up in the morning. Some mornings you shoo your cat away. Other times they are persistent enough that in exasperation, you get up and feed them their breakfast to stop them from meowing. Unfortunately, our inconsistent behaviors like this make the cat even more likely to keep jumping on the keyboard and to wake us up in the morning.

How to get results

There are three elements of training that need to be implemented for success:

1. Consistency

2. Timing and Reinforcement

3. Management

Consistency

You will need to commit to training and consistently stick with your plan to prevent reinforcing intermittently, which you now know will increase the undesirable behavior.

Timing and Reinforcement

Timing is everything in training. Good, fast timing will help your cat to understand they’ve done the correct behavior. Pay attention to your cat’s subtle signs for attention. Reward for the behaviors that you want to see. If your cat is quietly snuggling next to you, reach over and pet them and talk to them. If you’re training them on an alternative behavior, make sure you reward them with praise and a treat as soon as they do the correct behavior.

Management

Know when to train vs manage. The difference is that if you know you’re too busy to train in that moment, then get ahead of the issue by giving your cat something to keep them busy. Puzzle toys are a great way to entertain your cat. We also love the Petronics Mousr which has an all day play setting. Sometimes it’s best to set them up with a toy and shut them out of the room you’re working in. If you feel like you’re going to become frustrated, this is likely the best option.

If you have any questions about how to turn a negative behavior into a better alternative, feel free to reach out to me at tori@spacecatacademy.com