You may find it difficult to know how to raise a cat and even more how to teach it to approach you when you call it by name, but believe me, it’s not that complicated if you use the right stimuli to motivate your feline to learn.
The two things that give the most pleasure to the felines are food and love, so you only need to know how to use them to always train with positive reinforcement and for your pet to associate your name with a pleasant experience.
- Cats are very intelligent animals and learn easily.
- So if you keep reading this Animal Expert article on how to show your cat’s name.
- You’ll probably get it sooner or later.
To show your cat the name, you must first choose it correctly. Keep in mind that the name you choose should be simple, short, and not have more than one word to make learning easier. In addition, it must also be an easy name for the feline to associate properly and cannot resemble any other training order that has taught it, so there is no possibility of being confused.
It is recommended to always call your cat the same way, without using diminutives and always with the same tone of voice, to make it easier to understand who refers to it.
It is normal to choose your cat’s name based on its physical characteristics or a specific personality trait, but in reality, as long as you follow the above rules, you can choose the name of your cat of your choice.
If you haven’t decided yet and are looking for a name for your cat, we leave you some elements that can help:
Although the vast majority of people think that cats cannot be trained, the truth is that they are very intelligent animals and that they learn very easily if they give them the right stimulus. They are fast like dogs, but what happens is that their independent, curious and detached character makes it harder to get their attention, but in reality we just need to find a way to motivate them, as a dog is taught to recognize your name.
When it comes to educating a cat, it is ideal to start doing so as soon as possible, especially in the first 6 months of life, when the feline has more learning capacity because it is in full socialization.
The stimuli cats love the most are food and love, so here’s what you’ll use to get their attention and show them your name. The food that will give him act as a “reward”, you should not give him daily, it must be a special whim that we know that he loves and that is irresistible to your pet, because thus learning will be much more effective.
The best time to show your cat’s name is when it’s most receptive, that is, when you see that you don’t get distracted playing with something alone or sitting after eating, without getting nervous, etc… because in those moments he does. Do not capture your interest and it will be impossible for you to carry out the training.
If your cat has not been properly socialized or has had a psychological problem, it may be more difficult to know its name, but any cat can do so if the right stimuli and motivations are used. Especially when you understand that after you’ve done something right, you give him a reward in the form of a gift.
As mentioned above, the key to showing your cat’s name is positive reinforcement, so the first thing you need to do to start training is to choose the appetizing treats you’ll use as a reward.
He then begins by calling the cat by name, uttering it clearly at a distance of less than 50 centimeters and in a soft, affectionate tone to associate his name with something nice. This is very important, because we need to get our cat to associate this sound with fun, positive and fun situations to do what he wants and come to you when you call it.
Then, if you’ve managed to get your feline’s attention and have her look at you, give him the reward in the form of a treat. If you haven’t looked at yourself, don’t give him anything, so you’ll know you’ll only get your reward if you pay attention.
If, in addition to looking at you, your cat came up to you when you called it by name, you must give it in addition to treats, caresses and treats, which are another of the most positive stimuli to understand that we are happy. your behavior. Thus, little by little, the animal will associate the sound of your name with experiences that are pleasurable. On the other hand, if he looks at you but doesn’t come near you, come a little closer to remind him of what awaits you as a reward.
It’s important to know that 3 or 4 times an hour you do this exercise, just don’t bother the feline and spread the message. What you can do is teach your cat the name every day and enjoy any pleasant moment, such as when you put food on the plate, to call it by name and thus further reinforce that word.
As we see the cat learn his name, we can get closer and closer to calling him, and if he comes to us, then we have to reward him with treats and treats to make him understand that he did well. Otherwise, it should not be rewarded and you should continue to try with patience and perseverance, but always be careful not to tire the animal.
Negative stimuli are much more effective than positive ones in cats, so a single negative can end up with a lot of positive exercises, so it’s important that you don’t use your name to call you in vain or at a negative time, because for example, you have to scold it for something.
All you’ll get to call him to come when we have to scold him is for the feline to think that we have deceived him, not only by not rewarding him with a treat, but also by scolding him. So the next time you do the same thing, your pet will think, “I’m not going because I don’t want to be scolded.” If you have to scold the cat for something, it’s best to approach and use a different body language and tone of voice to know how to differentiate them.
Keep in mind that all members of your family should use the same name to call your feline and reward it in the same way as you, with food and a lot of love. Don’t worry because each person’s tone of voice is different, because cats know how to perfectly distinguish specific sounds, so you can recognize each of your voices without any problem.
So teaching your cat your name can do a lot of things, such as calling you when you’re not home and hiding, warning you of any danger or domestic accident, calling you when you’re running away from home or just. to let you know that you already have your food ready on the plate or when you want to interact with it with your toys. What we assure you is that this exercise will strengthen your bond and improve your relationship.
If you would like to read similar articles on how to show your name to your cat, we recommend that you visit our Basic Education section.