Guide to a Well-Behaved Cat
Maggitti
1993
So along with diet books, books about holding creative meetings, or books on parenting a teenager, this cat training book will join the ranks of other books that I classify as nonfiction pipe dreams. (It really needs its own subject heading.) Again, we have an expert patiently explaining how to make a cat “sit”. I attempted the “sit” technique with my cat and was treated to a condescending look followed by a hiss. Of course, later while trying to read, said cat decided it was time for lots of petting and affection. I readily admit that I am manipulated by my cats and there is no hope for me.
Yet another pipe dream is dead in the water.
Mary
0
There IS no mischief-proof environment!
I think some prisons qualify, or OMH places.
Did Barron’s publish a lot of books like this? I am only familiar with the study prep books they love to over charge for.
Get it through your heads, people! Cats don’t need to be trained, they need to be obeyed!
Sorry about that…my cat hit “post” before I could stop her!
Muffin? So someone actually opens their door and calls “Muuuffinn! Come on Muffin! Time for dinner!”
I try getting my cats to sit when the insist on standing in front of the computer monitor. They often then oblige me by sitting on the mouse and/or keyboard.
Ah, that answers the question I was going to ask, which would have been “why would you even want your cat to sit?” My cat does not need urging to sit, especially when I am reading the newspaper with my morning coffee on weekends. He usually then lies down on it, ensuring that I cannot read anything at all. I would find a more useful command to be something like “go away” — I had a shelter dog who had clearly been in a household with children, because he obeyed this command quickly and cheerfully. So far the cat has had no reaction to such a request.
To quote Data fro ST:NG–“Unlike a canine, a cat will not respond to verbal commands.”
My daughter has trained a cat to come when she makes a chewing noise. He then proceeds to get as close to the food as possible and squeak (he doesn’t meow) until she shares….now that I’ve typed it out, I think he’s trained her.