98 © T. Atkinson, 2018. Practical Feline Behaviour (T. Atkinson)
7. Learning, Training and Behaviour
Not all feline behaviour is innate or governed purely by instinct, much of an individual
cat’s behaviour develops via learning. So, to better understand feline behaviour it is
necessary to understand how cats learn and how what they learn can influence their
actions and their relationship with us.
There is a common misconception that cats cannot be trained, but any animal
capable of learning is also capable of being trained. How animals learn is very much
the same regardless of species; however, what they are capable of learning and the
most effective ways of training can vary greatly because of species-specific differences
in physiology, cognition and ‘natural’ behaviour. There are without doubt some sim-
ilarities in dog and cat training but if we attempt to train a cat in exactly the same
way as we would a dog and expect a cat to behave in the same way as a dog, we are
much less likely to be successful than if we tailor our expectations and training meth-
ods especially for cats.
Why Train Cats?
Training can help in many ways to improve the cat–owner relationship (Fig. 7.1). Not
only can it provide owners with some element of control over their pet’s behaviour and
help to prevent some behaviour problems, it can also improve the general welfare of
pet cats by increasing mental enrichment and stimulation and help them to cope better
with life as a pet in a human household (Bradshaw and Ellis, 2016). The treatment of
behaviour problems can also involve some training or manipulation of learning.
Learning Theory
Learning theory is the overall term used to describe the various ways in which learn-
ing takes place.
Habituation
Fear and defensive behaviour is a normal response to novel or unidentified stimuli,
but if an animal were to continue to react fearfully to frequently occurring stimuli
that prove to be harmless the result would be sensory overload, leading to increased
stress and reduced welfare. Habituation, one of the simplest forms of learning, is the
process whereby the animal becomes accustomed to and learns to ignore everyday
non-threatening sights, sounds and smells.
