Is it possible to teach a cat to speak? How to teach a cat to talk? Rules for teaching animals human speech. Decoding cat language

It is believed that cats cannot pronounce individual words like people, because their speech apparatus is not designed for articulation. This is not entirely true. However, those who are interested in the answer to the question of how to teach a cat to speak humanly should keep in mind that training a pet will take a lot of time and patience. Of course, this does not mean at all that he will actually start chatting like a parrot. However, the sounds it makes will no longer be limited to a simple “meow” and can be identified with human language.

How to teach a cat to speak - instructions

Owners who would like to learn how to teach a cat to talk should start training with their pets from a very early age of 2 weeks. Kittens have a more flexible and pliable mouthparts. It is impossible to teach an adult animal articulate speech.

It is better to work with a cat in a separate room, without strangers.

First of all, study your pet’s behavior, watch him to understand how he expresses his feelings and what sounds he makes. Try to correlate the shades of pronunciation with the words you are familiar with. All observations must be recorded in a special diary-dictionary.

Next, you need to start working on consolidating the acquired knowledge. For example, teach your cat to react to certain words: meat, milk, good, etc. Praise him every time he says something similar to them, reward him with something tasty.

Don't try to significantly increase your word count in a short time - it's impossible. Do not scold or hit the cat if you cannot achieve some results.

Do not try to force your pet to exercise. This is guaranteed to negate all learning gains. It is better to work with a cat in a separate room, without strangers, this will help the animal and you to concentrate properly on the task at hand.

Instructions

Start raising your pet from infancy. It is extremely difficult to train an adult, while kids are still able to adapt and accept your attempts to teach them this or that. Speech training is no exception. In addition, males are more amenable to training, they are more capricious and independent, and their oral apparatus is not so flexible and is more difficult to change.

Listen to your pet's natural. Notice how he meows. Each expresses their feelings, emotions and desires in their own way. By putting all the richness of a cat's language into one "Meow", you are making a mistake, since in fact it is much richer and different for each individual. Find “words” in your pet’s meows that resemble something from our speech.

Start working with the vocabulary items you find. Suppose a particular sound made by a kitten reminds you of the word "meat." As soon as you hear it, repeat the word “meat” and praise your baby. Reinforcement is an important stage of work. Play the reverse game: say the word “meat”. If the kitten responds with the desired sound, praise it. It is extremely important to be observant at this step because the sounds that cats make are usually associated with a specific situation. The word “meat” is pronounced immediately at the moment when the appearance of the corresponding sound seems most likely. This way you will increase the likelihood of quickly consolidating the lesson.

Don't expand your word count until you've mastered one. Be consistent and patient. Only after making sure that the first lesson is thoroughly consolidated, begin to expand your vocabulary. At the same time, do not forget about constant repetitions.

Don't be too demanding. You can't teach a cat to say the word "meat" the way we are used to hearing it. Remember how difficult it is to understand a person speaking with an accent. Your pet will also pronounce “words” a little differently. And here everything depends only on your mood. If you believe that your cat can say the word "meat", then you will be able to hear it.

Be careful when displaying your pet's talents in front of guests. Make sure that they are understanding people and do not expect miracles from the cat. All animals are extremely vulnerable and cannot stand being laughed at. If there are skeptics in the company who may simply burst out laughing at the demonstration of your joint efforts with her, then it is better to refrain from public speaking and “talk” with the cat in private.

Helpful advice

Exercise only when your cat is in the mood for it. Cats are one of the most willful animals, and if they don't want something, you will never force them to do it.

Independence is a character trait of many cats, but not all. Some representatives of the cat family enjoy contact with humans, but things are not always so smooth. It is possible to accustom a cat to being handled, but not in all cases; it all depends solely on the animal. When accustoming your fluffy to your hands, do not go against his will, otherwise you will not succeed, no matter how hard you try.

Instructions

Cats love tasty food, so work through his stomach. Feed your kitty delicious foods: and canned cat food, although they are not recognized as healthy, they really like them. After eating, the cat's mood clearly improves, he begins to feel sleepy and agrees to sit in his arms.

Lead your fluffy on “affectionate topics.” Animals love to listen to people, this makes them smarter and more supportive, and most importantly they understand that contact with people brings a lot of pleasure. Speak softly and not too loudly, and watch the cat squint and perhaps come to your arms.

Never hit an animal, kitties are vindictive and they are unlikely to forget that they were harmed. After this, it will be impossible to establish friendly and trusting relationships. And every time you try to pick up the cat, you will feel the action of the sharp claws that the fluffy one will probably put into your skin. The maximum punishment for a pet is a light slap with a newspaper, but not on the body, but a few centimeters near the nose.

When the cat understands that you are a friend, he will not only begin to come to you for food, but will also show true love, which many animals are capable of, not just dogs. If this does not happen, leave the fluffy alone; if he wants, he will come on his own, but if not, then nothing can be done about it. Cats are different, just like people.

Video on the topic

Many pet owners are constantly trying to teach their pets something new, for example, a dog - to bring slippers for the owner, a hamster - to participate in running competitions, and a cat - to talk. Many may say that teaching a cat to talk is stupid and useless. Although, if you take this seriously and put maximum effort and patience into training, the animal can really speak.

Instructions

You can teach a cat to talk only at the age of several weeks to a year, i.e. only in her “childhood”. It is useless to train a pet older than one year.

To teach a cat to talk, it should be isolated from all others in the house. They can confuse the student and interfere with his knowledge of human speech. In this regard, owners who have only one cat are more fortunate.

First, it is recommended to teach your cat to pronounce at least one word. Moreover, it must be related to food, for example, the word “meat”. It is always necessary to pronounce it in front of a kitten, i.e. immediately at the time of the meal and before it.

The selected word must be repeated to the kitten for an hour each time before feeding it. You can pick up the cat and repeat in its ear: “Meat, meat, meat.” The animal should be taught the chosen word over the course of a year, pronouncing it a huge number of times every day.

You should not impose your will on your pet. If a kitten does not want to be trained and is categorically against any contact with a person, you should not torture the animal with forced training. Let the cat prove itself in whatever it wants.

Video on the topic

Helpful advice

When choosing a word that you plan to teach your cat, you should listen carefully to the sounds that your pet most often pronounces. Over time, real human words can be formed from these sounds. For example, if your cat often says “meow, meow,” it’s easy to teach her to say the word “meat.” If she purrs more often, saying “ur, mur,” you can try to teach her the word “eat.”

Each cat is individual and has its own character. Whether it's a stray kitten or a fluffy and purebred homebody. Cats can show their affection in completely different ways. How to teach your pet to be handled?

Instructions

So, first you need to learn one rule, very sensitive creatures. You should begin to get used to it gradually and not intrusively. If your pet jumped out of your hands for the first time, it’s okay. Don't forcefully hold a cat in your arms and wait for it to scratch you.

You need to accustom your cat to being handled. To begin with, just start petting her or scratching her behind the ear. Then try to lure it with something (for example, a piece of sausage) closer to your palms. As soon as the pet approaches, you should not immediately nervously grab it in your arms and hold it near you. You need to make sure that you are distracted or forgotten for a while while she is near your palms.

It should be noted that it is easier to accustom a small kitten to being handled than an adult cat. For an adult cat, you will need to be a little patient.

If your pet shows signs of attention to you, then this is already good. For example, a cat may lie in the same bed with you or sit on the same couch with you. Affection and love from your pet should be encouraged.

You also need to understand that not every cat likes to be touched. Then you should resort to more serious measures. For example, you can purchase a special cat spray with a high content of pheromones at any pet store. By spraying your palms with this spray, you will notice how the cat itself will reach out to you. But you should not resort to this method very often, as the cat may become addicted and develop a reflex to this medicine. Subsequently, it will be difficult for you to wean your cat off this medicine. You can also use special catnip.

Cats are very touchy creatures. If you have ever offended your pet, it is unlikely that he will just jump into your arms. You need to treat your cat more carefully and sensitively. If you give your cat love, joy and affection, then over time the cat will return the same to you. Therefore, do not despair if your pet does not get used to your hands in the first month.

Helpful advice

You should not be too persistent in following the cat and putting it in your arms, because later it will be afraid of you.

It is noteworthy that the cat was the very last wild animal that man made his friend. In order for her to get used to your hands, you need to be patient and not focus too much of your attention on it.

Instructions

Cats are very perceptive and sensitive creatures. You should accustom her to holding hands slowly, without imposing your company. If she jumps out of your hands, do not hold her. Give her time to understand that you can be trusted.

Accustom your animal to handling in several stages. First, scratch behind the ear, lightly stroking with light movements. Then you can lure her with food she likes. As soon as the cat approaches, do not immediately grab it in your arms. Don't make sudden movements; keep your palms close while she eats.

Be patient. The younger the cat, the more likely it is to be more affectionate. They get used to it most quickly in up to 8 months. They should see and feel you as a possible friend. However, you will need patience and a lot of knowledge about the habits of these interesting animals for you to become friends.

Reward your cat for the attention it gives you. If you notice that she begins to sit down or lie down next to you more often, then do something nice for her. Play by tying a bow on a rope or treat them to something tasty.

Don't offend her. Cats have the ability to remember the offense inflicted by the owner. If you have unfairly offended your ward, do everything to earn her forgiveness. Otherwise, she will diligently avoid your hands and stop jumping onto your lap, preferring privacy.

Don't despair if your ward has difficulty getting used to being held. Representatives of some breeds generally do not like the touch of human hands. Give this cat time. The more caring and trusting your attitude, the faster she will understand that you are pleased when she is closer to you. For example, cats of the Siberian breed are very capricious. But they are so smart and understand their owner that after a few years of living together, you will forget that you tried to accustom her to your hands.

note

You can use mint or pheromone sprays to attract the animal, but do not overuse it.

Helpful advice

Many cats love to be scratched with a special brush.

Sources:

• How to accustom a Scottish wayward kitten to your hands???

Transforming an outdoor cat into an indoor cat requires a lot of patience. The main difficulties that can be encountered in such cases are the cat’s poor health, its fearfulness or, conversely, excessive impudence, improper socialization, inappropriate behavior, etc.

Instructions

First of all, take her to a veterinary clinic and ask her to be examined. If the animal has any diseases, it is necessary to begin treatment as quickly as possible. Otherwise, it will be too difficult to re-educate. For example, a sick animal may not let you approach it, be afraid of touching, constantly hide or behave aggressively, etc.

Arrange your home so that it has everything you need. At first, it is worth keeping the animal in one room, gradually giving it access to other parts of the house so that it quickly gets used to its new home. Provide trays, a bowl for water and food. Be sure to purchase a scratching post and teach your cat to use it. It is also advisable to buy a comfortable house so that the animal can hide in it if necessary. When your cat understands that she has her own corner in your home, it will be easier for her to get used to her new home and to you.

Don't be intrusive. If your cat doesn't want to play with you or avoids petting you, leave her alone. Pamper the animal little by little: give it tasty food, interesting toys, etc. But don’t overdo it, otherwise the cat will understand that it can manipulate you, and its behavior will worsen. Never hit an animal, even if it behaves inappropriately. Instead, show your love. Talk to the animal quietly and gently.

Punish your cat correctly. No need to scream, it's better to hiss like a cat. Trust me, it will really work. If the cat does something wrong, such as stealing food from the table, cats cannot stand the smell of it.

Sources:

• street cats

Choosing a kitten is a responsible step. When entering the house, a new family member must follow a number of rules. A competent approach in this matter will help maintain peace in the family and protect the pet from stress in case of failure to comply.

You will need

• - dry terry towel,
• - disinfectants,
• - bowls for food,
• - scratching post.

Instructions

Decide on the type of food: either ready-made food or regular food. Among the ready-made feeds there are liquid and dry. Carefully study the composition, for what age it is intended, dosage and feeding frequency. Some veterinarians recommend feeding your kitten baby food. Cats' digestion is extremely sensitive. Remember that if you plan to sterilize the animal in the future, you will still have to switch to special ready-made food.

Keep food bowls clean. Food should be fresh, at room temperature. Provide drinking water separately. Teach your kitten to eat by the hour, at least 4-5 times a day. Subsequently, the animal itself will learn to control the amount of food consumed and determine its own degree of saturation.

Find a place for the litter box where the kitten will go to the toilet. In the first 1.5-2 weeks, monitor the animal. Provide a place for the kitten to go to the toilet. If he went the wrong way, wet a cotton pad, put it in the tray, put the kitten in the tray. And so on every time until a habit is established. Thoroughly disinfect the place where your pet went to the toilet, but do not use too strong odors, otherwise the animal will continue exactly where it should not be done.

Buy a special scratching post. Place it in the place where the animal most often tries to sharpen its claws. You can use special products in the form of sprays that will stop you from sharpening your claws in the wrong places. Trim your animal's nails regularly, either on your own or at a clinic.

Remove outdoor shoes, as some animals, due to their specific smell, can mark them as their territory, or simply ruin their appearance.

Video on the topic

note

Monitor how the animal digests food in the first days of its stay in the house. This makes it easier to adjust the cat’s diet and choose the right type. It is not recommended to suddenly switch from regular food to ready-made food, since the digestive system is extremely sensitive, the animal may get sick or die. The sooner you decide on food, the better for your pet.

Helpful advice

When toilet training, be as patient as possible. Purebred animals are easy to train. The mother cat carries the baby into the litter box herself. You will have to tinker with a yard pet, but the results will appear a little later, from 2 to 4 weeks.

According to statistics, there are more than half a million stray cats around the world. Some compassionate people take care of the needs of these animals, regularly feeding them, while others decide to take drastic steps, trying to tame street cats.

Should you tame an outdoor cat?

It is not so easy to train an outdoor cat to live indoors! This carries with it some danger. Here you need to clearly understand what kind of cat a person is taming: a domestic cat, recently abandoned by its owner, or a street cat, which has lived in freedom all its youth.

The fact is that the first one will easily take root in a new place and fall in love with its new owner, but as for an exclusively street cat, taming it is not an easy task! In any case, the decision remains with those who decided to take such a drastic step.

What to do to tame a street cat?

It all depends on how old the street animal is. For example, if you pick it up before 10 weeks of age, you can tame it in just one week. The situation is worse with an adult: it can take several months for such a cat to get used to a person. Sometimes such cats are not tamed at all! In any case, in order to tame a wild animal, you will need to stock up on enormous patience.

Hearty lunch. The very first step in taming a wild cat will, of course, be feeding it. There is no need to overfeed an animal that is accustomed to malnutrition in the wild. It is best to divide your meals into three hourly meals.

Treatment. It is necessary to take the street cat to a veterinary hospital to administer antihelminthic drugs. The doctor will examine the animal, determine its condition, identify diseases that it picked up in the wild, and recommend appropriate treatment. When taming an outdoor cat, you need to be prepared to spend a lot of money on its treatment.

Moral preparation. You need to understand that a once stray animal will have to live in completely limited conditions for it and get used to new rules. Unfortunately, in most cases this does not give any positive results.

In any case, you need to be mentally prepared for the fact that the cat will begin to hide in the corners of the house, and when it sees a person approaching it, it will begin to behave aggressively. This is understandable: street animals almost always retain their wild habits and habits. Their hunting instinct is highly developed. Moreover, they have an increased desire to reproduce. This also needs to be taken into account.

Do not place a cat in a cage or other confined space! She may take this for a trap, then it will definitely be impossible to tame her. There is no need to react negatively to an animal’s aggression; it cannot begin to trust a person so quickly. A wild cat should be taught to use the toilet, careful feeding and good manners gradually. In the first days of a street cat’s life in a new place, you should not try to pet it; it is better to demonstrate your affection with a gentle voice.

What to do if the cat is not tamed?

If all else fails, the cat should be released into the wild. There is no need to be too upset, because this is still a cat from the street! On the contrary, we should be glad that there is now one more cured and well-groomed pet in the wild.

Often we first get furry pets, and then suddenly discover that we find ourselves in the role of pets, and the cat feels like the rightful owner of the apartment. To prevent problems of this kind from arising, the kitten must be raised correctly.

First of all, the pet needs a name. This is not a tribute to fashion or tradition, but a completely useful action necessary for raising an animal. The kitten should be called by name when you pet or feed it. When you punish an animal, you cannot name its name, because in this case the kitten will consider its name to be a dirty word associated with punishment.

When your pet relieves itself in the wrong place or sharpens its claws on furniture, it must be punished immediately. The key word here is immediate, because cats have short memories. As time passes, the kitten will no longer be able to associate its punishment with the offense. You should not punish the animal by physical violence or throwing a slipper: compare your size and the size of the kitten.

Now imagine that a giant slipper is flying at you. It is best to splash water on the troublemaker or perform some loud action, such as dropping the keys on the floor, clapping your hands loudly, etc. A flick on the nose is an acceptable punishment, although this may be somewhat painful for the kitten.

There is no need to indulge the kitten in all its whims just because it is cute and fluffy. Decide what you will not allow the animal to do, and stand your ground to the end.

If the kitten begs while the family is sitting at the table, then feeding time should be moved half an hour earlier than the family dinner. Of course, you should not feed the animal from your table. If the cat does not eat his food, then there is no need to rush to offer him other various foods. It's entirely possible that he's just being capricious. Wait a day or two. If the kitten still does not touch the food, then replace the food.

Sometimes our pets start acting up. Without punishing him, how can you accustom him to the word “impossible”, so that he understands?

Don’t rush to use sneakers or other “sticks”; everything can be solved with “carrots”. Cats, like dogs and many other animals, are very smart. For starters, don't clean up the mess your pet makes. He must clearly understand why he is being punished. Take your cat, preferably by the withers, and place it near the crime scene. There is no need to hit, just poke your nose into the soil from under a flower or torn wallpaper. Nerve endings are located on their nose and with these actions you are already causing discomfort to the cat. When showing her her sins, repeat the word “impossible” loudly. A couple of minutes will be enough. Then you can release the “prisoner”.

After about five minutes, if the cat did not come to this place, give her a treat. This will cheer her up a little. After a while, you can take the cat again and do the same actions with the word “impossible.” You can repeat these manipulations several times. The cat will remember that the word “no” is associated with discomfort and pain. Next time, if you see your cat close to taking turns, just say “no”. I'm sure she'll get it right!

Don't think that everything will work out the first time. Even people need to repeat it several times, let alone for cats.

Important! If you hit a cat, especially on the tailbone, it will start shitting anywhere. You can damage her kidneys even if you don't punish her as much.

Your attention to your pet plays an important role. Play with him and communicate with him more often, so she will not have a reason to play with extraneous things. If she scratches wallpaper or a sofa, I advise you to buy a scratching post. I understand that this is expensive, but a cat is like a small child that requires care.

Despite the similarity in the structure of vital organs and systems, humans are significantly different from animals. First of all, this concerns intelligence and the presence of developed speech. And although mammals do not have the necessary anatomical tools, some of them can be trained to imitate simple words. Representatives of the cat family including. The article is devoted to how to teach a cat to speak and how to get him to practice.

Speech refers to the way people communicate using complex linguistic structures. An obligatory moment of its formation is human society. For a child to learn to speak, he needs to be around talking people.

Scientists still disagree about the origins of language. According to one of the leading versions, words arose during the period when ancestors picked up the first tool. The palms, which were the main communication tool, were occupied, and people had to invent a new method of communication.

Anatomical background

For intelligible articulation, a speech apparatus is necessary. When pronouncing words, the diaphragm, larynx, lungs, nasal cavity, bronchi, epiglottis, trachea, small uvula, pharynx, palate, lower jaw, teeth, tongue and velum are involved.

The following organs play a major role in articulate speech:

1. Diaphragm. During the conversation, you need to supply air to the ligaments in portions, which helps to separate words into syllables. Otherwise, an inarticulate scream will come out of your mouth. This is possible thanks to the muscular septum.
2. Larynx. In humans it is lower than in apes. This position of the organ makes it possible to clearly pronounce sounds used in phonetics.

In addition, a wide spinal canal is needed, through which impulses will flow from the brain to the respiratory organs. The more spacious it is, the more neurons capable of receiving information.

In children under 3 years of age, the larynx is located high, just like in chimpanzees. Then it lowers, which allows the baby to fully master the sound side of speech.

Why don't animals talk?

Representatives of the fauna cannot maintain a conversation for several reasons. In addition to the fact that they do not have such a need, there are also physiological obstacles:

1. Pronouncing words clearly requires a well-functioning organ system. In mammals it is not provided.
2. The ability to speak and understand language is formed as a person develops logical and associative thinking skills. Animals do not have such talents.

One of the important human qualities is the ability to invent new terms. In the communicative practice of animals, this occurs only among especially gifted monkeys who use sign language.

Features of communication in the animal world

There are many nonverbal communication methods in the animal kingdom. Each species speaks its own language, which is a simple system of signals.

Table 1. Signal system

There are also less common methods of communication - the bioelectromagnetic fields of the Nile elephant, high-frequency signals in dolphins, echolocation in bats.

Animal sounds

Evolving, each species invented its own sound signals. Some of them are understandable to all representatives of the animal world. For example, in many languages, hissing means dissatisfaction, and a trumpet call means a call for mating. But in most cases, the sound code is understood exclusively by related species. For example, the meaning of a horse's neighing is clear to another horse, but does not carry a semantic load for a cat.

Sound arsenal:

• frog - 6;
• chicken - 13;
• cat - 16;
• rooster - 15;
• dolphin - 32;
• fox - 36;
• monkey - 40;
• tit - 90;
• raven - 300.

These numbers do not mean the number of letters, but the number of sound combinations used by animals.

Even the fish are not silent. According to recent research, they use sound signals to transmit information, and also sneeze, cough and wheeze.

In some species, such as vervet monkeys, phonetic signals have a wide associative range. For many predators they have an individual sound code. The alarm call that announces the approach of an eagle is different from that of a leopard.

What animals imitate human speech?

Science knows of many cases of successful imitation of human speech by representatives of the animal kingdom. Birds turned out to be the most trainable.

Animals that can imitate human speech:

1. Feathered. Some species of parrots can remember and pronounce about a thousand words. Crows show good results. They are considered even more talented than exotic cockatiels.
2. Monkey. Due to their physiology, they can pronounce 5 vowel sounds. However, in imitation of speech they are significantly inferior to birds. So far, the trainers have only managed to achieve an imitation of the speech of a one-year-old child.
3. Dolphins and seals. Particularly gifted individuals can imitate simple words and even small phrases while exhaling.
4. Elephants. In a zoo in South Korea lives Kosik, who can clearly pronounce 5 words.
5. Cats. These furry creatures can do more than just meow. Masi from Azerbaijan gained worldwide fame for learning to pronounce more than 10 words.

Imitation of human speech and communication are different concepts. The exception is the parrot Alex. As part of Dr. Irene Pepperberg's research, he demonstrated the ability to perform basic analysis and logical reasoning using simple verbal structures.

Social animals are considered much more talkative than solitary ones. Although felines do not live in communities, they can still be taught a few human words.

Feline sonic baggage

The communication arsenal of cats is quite diverse. When pets want to express any emotion, they use the following techniques:

• meow;
• purring;
• snort;
• nagging;
• squealing;
• hiss;
• teeth chattering;
• grunt;

Depending on the emotional state, they can increase or decrease the intensity of the signal.

Table 2. Key messages

Undomesticated cats do not meow in their natural habitat. Only kittens are endowed with this ability.

Decoding cat language

The main reasons that prompt a pet to enter into a dialogue with its owner are boredom, hunger, fear, pain, a request to open the door and the joy of meeting.

Table 3. Sound combinations

Considering the sounds available in the arsenal of furry pets and the manner of their pronunciation, you can try to teach them simple words. It is desirable that they contain sibilant consonants and the letter “M”.

General training rules

Not all cats can imitate human speech. The learning process is long and requires maximum endurance and patience on the part of the owner. Before you begin training, you should familiarize yourself with the following rules:

1. It is better to train males. Females are less amenable to training.
2. You can only train kittens up to 1 year old. It is useless to train adults.
3. Before each lesson, it is necessary to isolate your pet from other animals and eliminate any irritating or distracting factors.
4. Lessons should be held on a full, but not full, stomach.
5. Spend at least 6 months studying one word. It must be repeated every time before feeding. It is desirable that it be associated with food, such as “meat”.
6. Do not exhaust your pets with long training sessions. Cats are stubborn creatures and will never learn under force. If imitating human speech is not interesting, they will never learn to speak.

It is important to listen to what sounds the animal makes most often. If it’s “meow”, it’s advisable to start learning the word “meat”; if it’s “murrr”, perhaps the cat will learn to pronounce “eat”.

Step-by-step instruction

The most famous talking cat in the world is the Azerbaijani Masi. He is able to pronounce several dozen words both in Russian and in his “native” language. The pet's vocabulary includes such etiquette expressions as “thank you” and “goodbye.”

Table 4. Teaching a cat to talk

Before you start training, you need to arm yourself with patience and be confident that the pet living next to you is unique. Without these components it is impossible to achieve success in such a complex process.

Video - Talking cat

Cats can be trained and this is not news to you, but many owners are tormented by the question “How?” How to make this “striped face” perform tricks and understand commands? First, forget the word “force”; training a cat, like training a dog, is a team effort that brings pleasure to the animal and its owner. Are you wondering how to teach your cat commands? Have you noticed the talent for performing in your “fluffy little thing”? 10 minutes of theory and you are ready to practice.

Naturally, training cats is a more difficult and painstaking process compared to training dogs. Dogs enjoy following commands, service and approval from their owner; cats appreciate other benefits - praise, rewards, and their own positive emotions. Also, in the “cat world” there are no usual gradations - easy or difficult to train; two pets of the same breed can be completely different in terms of training.

On a pleasant note, even if your little purr is a “champion in phlegmatism,” you will still be able to teach him tricks, but it’s unlikely to teach him functional commands. The main principle is that in order to teach a cat commands, it is necessary to create the illusion of play; the pet will not do what it does not like - this applies to all mustachioed and tabby cats. Take a closer look at your pet’s behavior, habits, leisure time and preferences; you can’t put a strict collar and leash on a cat, you will have to find “weaknesses” and use them.

Functional commands such as sit, come to me or lie down are a more difficult task. Cats with the character of companions cope well with training - constantly looking into the eyes of the owner and begging for an approving nod of their head.

Important! The cat doesn't work, the cat plays - you can't force it, but you can negotiate!

Read also: Two cats in the house: make peace, make peace and don’t fight anymore

Where to start training a cat

Catching and praising requires some attention from the owner, but the method is still simple. Many owners don’t even think that the cat remembers more than 50 human words and fills the potential field of activity with “unpresentable” or useless commands like “Kys-kys”, “Scat” or “I went to work.”

So, the most quickly remembered command is “Eat!” and 80% of “average” cats know it. The animal builds a logical connection - he heard “Eat!”, ran to the bowl, received lunch, and positive emotions, in turn, reinforce the conditioned reflex. Using the same principle, a cat is taught the command “Sleep!” – the pet is comfortably laid down, stroked and cherished, repeating the command. In the future, the cat goes to the bed on command and does not interfere with vacuuming or receiving guests, while both the owner is happy and the pet experiences positive emotions.

Observing the animal's daily behavior, you will notice what captivates the cat - jumping into boxes, riding on its back, jumping over "chasms", running on its claws or any other non-standard behavior. The cat follows commands in response to the sound it hears and the tone of its voice. Take care of the “blanks” of voice commands in advance - the meaning of the word is not important, the main thing is that it is short and sonorous “Atas!” – jump into the box, “Hello!” – somersault, “Face!” – attack of a hand or toy.

When you see the desired action, give the command during or after execution and praise the animal as if the command was executed. Repeat “catching” until the cat develops a logical connection and a conditioned reflex. Always keep “sweets” with you and reinforce the reflex with food rewards. Almost all commands for cats are tricks. The audience will not judge you for a piece of meat, and you will not have standards or judges assessing the quality of performance.

Read also: How to make friends between a cat and a dog?

Teaching a cat functional commands

Functional commands mean performing a natural action or adopting a certain posture upon orders from a trainer. During classes, punishment, severity, and monotony are contraindicated. Be sure to take breaks between hikes and break up your activities with catches and games. Conduct training at home, the pet feels more confident in its own territory.

Note! The success of training depends on the cat's ability to concentrate. Kittens get tired quickly, while young and temperamental adult cats fully absorb long-term exercise.

Remember that you can come up with a voice command yourself; the article uses “dog names” for convenience. Praise and generously reward your pet for the slightest success, but at the same time, an incorrectly executed command should not be rewarded. Further, training methods, instead of treats, you can use a toy or other stimulus that the pet likes.

Command "Sit"

Raise a piece of treat above your pet's face and use your free hand to stroke its back with slight pressure in the croup area. Place the treat behind your pet's head and the cat will instinctively sit down.

Command "Give me a paw"

Hold the treat in your fist and let your cat sniff your hand. Wait until the animal tries all the methods and tries to get the treat with its paw. With your free hand, hold the paw placed on your fist and say the command loudly, immediately give the reward. In the future, with proper practice, on the command give a paw, the cat will raise the limb into the air without support and, as it were, “wave its palm.”

Team "Serve"

Let your cat sniff the treat and slowly raise your hand from the nose upward. The pet will reach for a tasty morsel and stand on its hind legs, say the command and give the treat. Didn't work the first time? – Repeat, but do not give away the treat until you achieve the desired position.

How to teach a cat to talk? Zoologists believe that animals cannot master human language due to the fact that the speech apparatus of animals is structured completely differently. However, many people know that, for example, parrots are quite good at pronouncing sounds similar to human speech. Usually this requires long and hard work and considerable patience from the owner. Can cats, like birds, learn to imitate human sounds? Let's try to understand this issue.

Cat language

To understand how to teach a cat to talk, you need to study the language of furry pets. After all, they are capable of more than just meowing. Zoologists identify about 16 different cat sounds. Just a few of them can be cited:

1. Purring. This sound is an expression of pleasure. The cat also purrs when greeting its owner or communicating with its cubs.
2. Screams. Animals make such sounds when they are in heat and ready to mate.
3. Snorting, rumbling, hissing. These sounds are a manifestation of aggression.

How to teach a cat to speak like a human? When teaching speech, it is necessary to rely on the sounds that your pet most often makes. Through long training, you can transform meowing and purring into sounds that resemble words. So, for example, “meow” can be converted into “meat”, and “mur” - into “eat”. It is necessary to identify sounds in your pet’s speech that are similar to human words and work on their pronunciation.

Sometimes you can hear cats making sounds on their own that are very similar to human speech. The owner should be alarmed if this happens involuntarily and is not the result of training. This usually indicates fear or extreme dissatisfaction of the animal. An example of such sounds can be heard in the video below.

At what age should you start classes?

You need to start learning from infancy. You can start training as early as 2-3 weeks. It is better to teach the male to talk. Cats are wired differently, and it is difficult for them to imitate human words. In addition, female pets are less amenable to training.

Is it possible to teach a cat to talk as an adult? This is very difficult to do, and in most cases almost impossible. After one year of age, animals have great difficulty mastering new skills. Therefore, it is better not to delay learning speech.

Training rules

How to teach a cat to talk in a short time? In order for training to progress successfully, you need to follow some rules:

1. If you have several kittens living in your house, then it is better to isolate the animal during training. During training, the trained pet must be alone with the owner. Nothing should distract him.
2. Initially, the animal is taught only one word. Training should be done during feeding. For example, the word "meat" must be repeated several times when the kitten eats. Such classes should be carried out until the baby remembers the word and begins to reproduce it.
3. The word you teach your kitten should be repeated as often as possible throughout the day.
4. If your pet tries to imitate this word, you should definitely reward it with a tasty treat.
5. You can teach a cat a new word only after he has completely mastered the previous one.

Don't be too demanding of your animal. After all, a cat will never learn to pronounce words as clearly as a person. The pet will only imitate the sounds of speech, but at the same time reproduce them “with an accent.”

In the video below you can hear the animals talking. The cat says the phrase: “Open to me.”

There is also no need to rush to demonstrate your cat’s talents to guests. In the presence of many people, animals often become confused and embarrassed. This can negate all learning gains.

Can all cats talk?

How to teach a cat to talk if he shows no interest in human words? Under no circumstances should a pet be forced to learn speech. Cats are capricious creatures, and forcing them can only cause them to react negatively. Classes make sense only if the animal shows interest in them.

Not all animals are able to imitate sounds. Many cats are simply not interested in human speech. If the pet does not respond to words over the course of several lessons, then training should be stopped. It is possible that your pet will show its abilities in something else.