happy cat day: Fun with shaping
How do you celebrate National Cat Day? At Karen Pryor Academy (KPA), we celebrate by teaching our cats new behaviors, of course! Cats can be trained easily with shaping, the process of using a series of gradual steps to build toward a final behavior. With shaping, you can teach a cat any behavior that the cat is physically capable of doing, from sitting, spinning, and stationing on a mat to riding on a skateboard!
“A skateboard?” you ask in disbelief. In this video, KPA Certified Training Partner (CTP) Jennifer Mauger uses shaping to teach her cat Doron to ride a skateboard. Jennifer rewards Doron for looking at the skateboard, approaching the skateboard, touching the skateboard lightly with one paw, and, finally, bearing weight on the skateboard with one paw so that the skateboard begins to move. In only two sessions, Doron has learned to skateboard!
Jennifer says, “Although my mechanics were off, I love the way this boy works! Training cats is so much fun!”
What behaviors can you teach your cat with shaping? For more inspiration and tips on training your cat, check out Karen Pryor Academy’s Train Your Cat course!
Save 20% This Month!
Your cat is enormously smart! Unlock their potential with our online course, Train Your Cat. Use coupon code TYD2025 and save $39!
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