It’s a common misconception among cat owners that their feline companions can’t be trained because they aren’t “food motivated.” This often stems from a misunderstanding of animal behavior and how rewards work. However, cats, like all animals, are driven by a set of core motivators, with food being just one of them. The other key motivators include the desire to avoid harm, reproduce, acquire resources, and avoid negative experiences. Cats that seem uninterested in treats can still be successfully trained by addressing a few key factors: overfeeding outside of training sessions, using unappealing treats, or a lack of understanding in clicker training principles.
Why Might Your Cat Be Picky With Treats?
Stop Free-Feeding Your Cat
Free-feeding, where a cat has constant access to food, can significantly hinder training efforts. This practice not only impacts your cat’s health and your bond but also diminishes their food motivation. When training with food rewards, it’s crucial to control when your cat eats. Transitioning from free-feeding to a scheduled mealtime is highly recommended. For instance, feeding your cat 3-4 times a day, every 6-8 hours, can strategically position training sessions before meals, thereby increasing their appetite and eagerness for rewards. If a strict schedule is difficult due to work commitments, automatic feeders for both kibble and wet food are available. It’s important to ensure your cat consumes adequate food during this transition, as cats are not metabolically designed to rely heavily on fat stores, and their livers can be easily overwhelmed.
Consider Switching to a Wet or Raw Diet
Commercial kibble is often enriched with strong flavors and scents to entice cats, which can sometimes be as rewarding as a treat itself. Switching to a more natural, moisture-rich diet of wet or raw food can enhance your cat’s overall health and increase the perceived value of kibble or traditional treats. A cat’s digestive system is not optimally designed for kibble, and a species-appropriate diet can lead to significant improvements in their well-being.
Avoid Creating Negative Associations With Treats
Counterconditioning is a powerful training method that helps cats develop positive associations with activities they might find unpleasant, such as nail trimming or being placed in a carrier. This technique involves rewarding the cat with treats after an undesirable experience. The goal is for the cat to anticipate a positive outcome (a treat) following a neutral or slightly negative event, transforming a “scary” experience into a positive one.
However, improper application of counterconditioning can backfire. Offering treats as a distraction during a bad experience, or using them to lure a cat into a stressful situation, can lead to the cat associating the treats with something negative. If this has happened, it’s best to introduce new treats and restart counterconditioning correctly, ensuring the reward follows the experience, not precedes it.
What Can You Offer a Cat That Doesn’t Like Typical Treats?
Explore Higher-Value Treats
While food is a universal motivator, the “value” of food varies. Just as some people crave chocolate more than cauliflower, cats have their preferred delicacies. Identifying what your cat goes wild for is key. For example, switching to a raw diet can make even standard kibble or treats more appealing. When training for more complex tasks, consider using highly palatable treats like freeze-dried chicken, which are small, low in calories, and made from a single ingredient. It’s important to be mindful of treat quantity to prevent weight gain, breaking them into small, snack-sized pieces.
Experiment With Different Treat Textures
Sometimes, the appeal of a treat lies in its texture rather than its flavor. Some cats are drawn to raw meat, while others prefer lickable treats. Offering a variety of textures can help you discover what truly captures your cat’s attention and motivates them during training.
How Can You Train a Cat That’s Not Primarily Food Motivated?
Break Treats into Smaller Pieces
A cat’s stomach is quite small, roughly the size of a walnut. Using regular-sized treats can quickly fill them up, diminishing the reinforcing power of the rewards. Breaking treats into tiny, bite-sized pieces allows for more training repetitions and keeps your cat engaged for longer periods.
Ensure the Clicker is Properly “Charged”
While food-related issues can complicate training, a common mistake is an improperly “charged” clicker. This refers to the clicker’s association with a positive reward. To effectively use clicker training, ensure the click sound is consistently paired with a high-value treat immediately after the click. This process helps your cat understand that the click signals an impending reward, making the training process more effective.
