Kitty Does Tricks?

Is it possible to actually teach a cat to do certain tricks, like a dog can? I'm not talking about specifically "like a dog can" tricks that are only associated with dogs such as fetching or rolling over. But little tricks that are unique to cats, and can be taught to them? I doubt that my current cat would be up for it, since she's over ten years old and has been getting lazier in the past year or so, but I'm looking to get a kitten once I finally settle down and have both the time and money to handle a younger cat, and I'd love to be able to teach her (or him) a few interesting tricks.

 

I think teaching a kitten would be the way to go! Older cats seem against it or just too set in their ways. Some cats have zero interest, Sassy is an incredibly UN-interestable cat. Dusty on the other hand will get into anything and everything and cause trouble so I wonder if I could trick him into learning something.
What kind of tricks are you thinking about teaching? Hopefully the kitten will like treats and you can find its favorite flavor through trial and error. I wanted to teach Dusty how to flip a light switch, we have those push ones that are long and he could manage it. Then I realized what's the purpose of a cat who can turn on the light switch, he doesn't even need lights!

 

Yeah, older cats tend to get too lazy to want to perform tricks Even when I motivate mine with a treat, she just looks at me in a bored way as if to say, "Oh, please. A treat is so not worth performing humiliating tasks over." Your cat Dusty sounds like he would be good to test it out with, though! How old is he, by the way? He's still got a bit of his kitten temperament, at least, if he's still getting into all sorts of trouble!

I have absolutely no idea what sort of trick I'd try to teach them, since I don't know what sort of tricks cats could (or would be willing to) do. Turning the light switch on sounds interesting! I want to try to teach a cat how to flush the toilet xD For some reason, the thought amuses me. But I doubt that most cats would want to do it, since I've rarely met a cat who isn't opposed to water and would scratch and claw you to get away from it.

 

I don't think Sassy would have performed tricks even if we tried to teach her as a kitten. She just has no interest in it! Haha, your cat sounds like a typical feline, above all our petty human interests. Dusty is 3, he'll be 4 on April 5th. And I think Dusty will always be this way, I can't imagine him being lazy and not causing some sort of trouble.

I can only think of basic ones that a dog could be taught, like sit or shake. We have these intelligent creatures and nothing to teach them! Haha, flushing the toilet could be handy, but what if the cat goes nuts with it and you wake up to them playing with toilet and running your water bill up! As long as you keep the lid down, it should be okay. Dusty likes watching the toilet flush from his seat on the divider, and has even drank from the toilet

 

Oh yes, Licorice is definitely "above" pretty much everything we do. It's so funny, because she acts as if she's all high and mighty and can't be bothered to deal with us. And then she'll be begging for attention and expecting it, as if we're being given this great and wonderful gift that she will actually tolerate us petting her for a few moments Dusty sounds adorable - he must be one of those "kitten at heart" kind of cats xD

I have the same problem when trying to think of tricks - I automatically am stuck on the normal dog tricks. I doubt I could teach any cat to roll over - much less to stay, or heel! Cats have a habit of never letting you tell them where to go or where not to go, in my experiences with them. And oh, I didn't think of the possible troubles teaching a cat to flush the toilet. Licorice does the same thing - she'll drink out of the toilet! Every time we catch her, though, it's like she knows she's not supposed to do it, because she runs away whenever we see her doing it

 

Haha, that's funny that she believes her attention to you should be considered special! I could imagine her just sitting around watching you guys and being so aloof the whole time. Neither of our current two act that way, but some of ours in the past have. More like "trouble at heart," since he's been acting more silly for the past week.

I think dogs just stole all the good tricks and cats were fine with it. They weren't going to do them anyway! They should get rid of that habit because then stuff wouldn't get knocked over if Dusty would not go where I tell him not to go! Luckily for us he's only drank from the toilet twice and when we scolded him, he became agitated at us per usual. Hahaha, that's funny that she runs away! I be she does know and she's doing it still just to prove she can!

 

Yep, you sure can.

Hey, you train them to use the kitty litter box, right? Cats tend to be harder to train to do things for treats, but it *is* possible.

 

Yes, it's very possible! Of course it depends on the cat. How intelligent they are, if they care enough to learn a trick from you, etc. I had a cat once who would do a weird jump into the air, landing in my arms, if I made the right hand movement. It was an accident that I taught him, but it was neat! The only thing my cat does now is come running if I shake the treat container. It's something, right?

 

That's so cool that you taught your cat that, blurinoctober! I'm hoping that I'll be able to at least teach one cat I get sometime in my lifetime some sort of trick xD