Interview: Marilyn Krieger, the Cat Coach, about clicker training cats

Marilyn shakes hands with Sudan.

Olivia knows how to close the door!

Marilyn, you are the Cat Coach. What does that mean?
I am a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant. I help people solve their cat behavior problems through positive methods, including clicker training, environmental management, education and positive reinforcement.

What kinds of problems do people experience with their cats?
Inappropriate elimination, scratching furniture, aggression ...

Aggression to other cats or people?
Both!

And you can fix all these problems with clicker training?
Clicker training is one tool or technique, not necessarily the whole solution, depending upon the problem.

Cats are often considered 'untrainable' animals. Why does clicker training work so well with them?
Clicker training works well with all animals. Cats, actually, are very trainable. They respond to the same principles of operant conditioning that works with all animals, and even people. They intentionally repeat behaviors because of positive consequences or rewards.

What are the most popular tricks or behaviors you teach?
Sit and stay, and shake hands are popular. Then there are things you can train as alternative behaviors. For instance, some people don't like their cats to 'counter surf', so we teach the cats to stand on a stool instead.

What are your favorite treats for cats?
Personally, I give my cats Whole Life Pet Treats made of dehydrated, organic chicken. Whatever your cat likes will work. If you feed your cat dry food, the treat will can be a piece of dry food. If you feed wet food, a lick from a spoon of canned cat food.

One thing, do not free-feed your cat. You want the cat to be a little hungry for training so they're motivated. Also, cats need jobs. In the wild, hunting for survival is their job. Domestic cats need a challenge. They want to earn their food.

What are some of the unusual behaviors you have taught cats?
My own cats can:

Open their carriers, enter, and close the door behind them
Find my keys using the sound locator (which I can't hear)
Fetch
Jump through hoops
Carry things
Close doors

The behaviors should be in the natural realm of the cat's world. I don't force them to do anything unnatural. That's why you won't see me teaching a cat to walk a tightrope.

When people start clicker training their cats, how does it affect their relationship?
This is an important aspect of clicker training. Many times when people turn to me it's a last ditch effort. The owner has lost trust in the cat - the bond is broken. Then they start clicker training and when they see how responsive the cat is, it changes the relationship. Sometimes the cat's trust is damaged. Maybe he had been punished. In that case, clicker training restores his trust in the human.

Have you ever worked with feral cats?
Yes. Feral cats have a lot of fear issues. In fact, the sound of the clicker can be frightening to them. When working with feral cats you may want to put the clicker inside of a sock so the sound is muffled, or click a ball point pen.

So how would someone go about clicker training their cat?
First, you need to 'charge the clicker'. All that means is you're associating the sound of the clicker with a treat. So you click and then toss the cat a treat. Do that 5-8 times so the cat understands everytime he hears the click, a treat will follow.

The next step would be target training. Using something like a chopstick as a target you would hold the chopstick around nose level to the cat, about an inch from her nose. When she touches it with her nose, click and treat. If she doesn't touch it, or touches it with another part of her body, don't click. After about ten correctly performed repetitions you can introduce a verbal cue, for instance, say 'touch' as you lower the chopstick in front of her face.

The third basic behavior you'll teach is to stand on an area - a placemat works well. Gradually train the cat to stand on the mat by clicking and treating each time she is closer to the goal of standing with all four feet on the mat. Later you can teach the cat to stand on a stool.

By this time, you've got clicking down and the cat understands it. You can teach 'sit' first. Use the chopstick, or your finger above your cat's head, to attract your cat's attention. When she reaches up, her bottom will naturally go down. Click the instant her bottom touches the floor, and then treat. Keep practicing, shaping the behavior, until she's got it.

Marilyn, I've really enjoyed talking to you. I'm sorry it doesn't come across in my interview how funny you are! I'm sure your clients and their cats enjoy learning how to clicker train from you. Marilyn is located in the Palo Alto area south of San Francisco, CA.

If anyone wants to learn more about clicker training cats, they can visit Marilyn's website: www.thecatcoach.com