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The Trainable Cat: A Practical Guide to Making Life Happier for You and Your Cat Hardcover – September 13, 2016

by John Bradshaw (Author), Sarah Ellis (Author)

40 customer reviews

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The idea of training rarely crosses cat owners' minds, and we often assume that cats can't and don't need to be trained. But in The Trainable Cat, bestselling anthrozoologist John Bradshaw and cat expert Sarah Ellis show that not only can cats be trained, but they absolutely must be in order to strengthen the bond between pet and owner, reduce their anxiety, and maximize their happiness.

Twenty-first-century urban life can be taxing for cats who historically have been wild and solitary hunters, hostile to change and turmoil. Cats today are forced to live within the confines of cramped city apartments, in the company of unfamiliar people and other animals, and to travel in compact cat carriers. Such living conditions can create scared and angry cats—cats who spend hours hiding under the bed, abruptly bite their owners, or urinate in their houses when new pets are introduced—leaving owners scratched and disheartened.

But a great deal of pet-owner discord can easily be prevented by simply training our cats. Once we understand our beloved pet's journey from wild predator to domesticated animal, we can train them to overcome their natural inhibitions, fears, and anxieties.

Full of training tips and exercises for nearly every scenario—from introducing your cat to a new baby to helping cats deal with visits to the vet—The Trainable Cat is the essential bible for cat owners and lovers.

The Trainable Cat: A Practical Guide to Making Life Happier for You and Your Cat

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Julie Hecht, MSc, author of the Dog Spies blog on Scientific American
“Typically, your cat doesn't care what you read. This is not one of those times. Cats around the world would be ecstatic to learn that you are not one of those people saying 'cats can't be trained.' John Bradshaw and Sarah Ellis are experts in feline behavior, and together they bring clarity to a vastly misunderstood topic. Cat training can help cats lead happier lives alongside the people who love them. And it's fun! Read this book. Your cat will thank you.”

Miranda K. Workman, clinical assistant professor, animal behavior, ecology, and conservation, Canisius College
“John and Sarah have demystified cat training, making it accessible to all cat lovers—from professionals to owners alike. Clear instructions for training along with real-life anecdotes expose the amazing potential of our domestic cats. This is a must read for all cat lovers who are interested in providing the best life possible while building a deeply trusting partnership with their feline companions. This book has the potential to save lives!”

New York Times Book Review
“Interesting premise.... The goal here is not to get your cat ready for the Big Apple Circus, but to make it easy for you to get your cat to do all the things many cats resist: swallow a pill, go to the vet, take a bath, or stop trying to disembowel your new cat.... My favorite tip is this: To get a cat used to a new home, you take some white cotton gloves and basically feel up your cat, then rub the gloves all over the furnishing. Smelling her own scent, the cat will believe she's been there before and calm down. This is genius.”

Hal Herzog, author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It's So Hard to Think Straight About Animals
“Do you want your cat to come when you call it, stop destroying the furniture or killing birds, and enjoy taking a walk on a leash? Then this is the book for you. By integrating established principles of animal learning with the latest in feline science, The Trainable Cat will enrich the lives of cats and their owners.”

Steve Dale, Certified Animal Behavior Consultant and author of The Good Cat!
“You can train a cat to do just about anything a dog can do, except a cat may do it better! John Bradshaw and Sarah Ellis illustrate how cats are trainable, but, more importantly, the authors bust long-held myths about cats and cat behavior along the way. As a result, both experienced stronger bonds with their purring pals.”

Ilona Rodan, DVM, board certified feline specialist and coauthor of Feline Behavioral Health and Welfare
“The Trainable Cat breaks down the myth that cats cannot be trained. Not only can they be trained but training improves cats' quality of life. This book should be required reading for all cat lovers, including all veterinary professionals who work with cats. The Trainable Cat will change how you think about cats, improving relationships and preventing behavior problems.”

Mikel Delgado, certified cat behavior consultant, scientist, and blogger
“I love this book! We often greatly underestimate the capabilities of our pet cats, and The Trainable Cat is a thorough yet completely accessible resounding YES in response to the question: Can you train a cat? Training can not only solve behavior problems, but it strengthens the bond between a cat and their humans. This book will enhance the welfare of cats everywhere, and change how we think about what cats can do.”

Jacqueline Munera, certified cat behavior consultant and cocreator of What is my cat saying? Cat communication 101
“Finally, a comprehensive look at how operant training can be used to benefit our feline friends by preventing or modifying behaviors that we humans find upsetting. Bonus, it's really fun too!”

Ingrid Johnson, certified cat behavior consultant, Fundamentally Feline
“Fantastic! The Trainable Cat is an accessible resource for cat parents and professionals alike. The authors debunk common myths and misconceptions about cats and their trainability, all while equipping trainers with the knowledge they'll need to overcome challenges relating to rewards, motivation, and individual learning styles. I will definitely recommend this book to my clients!”

About the Author

John Bradshaw is the foundation director of the Anthrozoology Institute at the University of Bristol and the author of the New York Times bestsellers Cat Sense and Dog Sense. He lives in Southampton, England.

Sarah Ellis is a feline behavior specialist at the charity International Cat Care and a visiting fellow at the University of Lincoln. She lives in Wiltshire, England.

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Product details

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Basic Books; 1 edition (September 13, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0465050905
ISBN-13: 978-0465050901
Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.1 x 9.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #41,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Pets & Animal Care > Cats > Training
- #98 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Zoology
- #267 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Fauna

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Top customer reviews

Life changer for you and your cat

BySoFion October 12, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Update - 1 month of training and my cat...:
- sits
- jumps
- comes
- goes to any place I point out
...on comand.
We keep making videos and share them with friends who are struck in disbelief "in general already, and about YOUR cat especially".

How?:
I tried to apply everything the author explained and also followed her recommendation of using a target stick with clicker (Karen Pryor Clicker Training Terry Ryan Clik Stik for Pet Training https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CDRJ3FG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_0NwjybY8QCCKK)

Original Review:
First and foremost, as this lately starts to irritate me here on Amazon: I did NOT receive this book for free for an "honest" review.
Me and my cat:
I am the owner of one 6 year old tabby cat with quite a bold (some might even say "evil" lol) character. My primary goal was to spend quality time with him and perhaps teach him a trick or two that I could show off to guests, lol. Only while reading the book I realized how achievable and useful training of my cat may be as we all have to administer medications here or there, or need to get the cat to the vet, and many more little situations.
Background:
I listened to an interview with the author, a scientist with a PhD in cat behavior, on the radio (NPR) and found that everything she explained made a lot of sense to me. Hence, the mediocre ratings on Amazon did not concern me as much as they usually would.
The Book:
Pros: I learned incredibly much about my cat through this book. I cannot count the times I thought "this is so obvious, why did I never think about it (this way) before". The author provides just the right amount of science to me without aiming to make me a PhD in cat behavior myself. I personally like to understand things a bit deeper, learn about the how's and why's, rather than someone telling me "Just do it. Here is step A.". Additionally, with this deeper understanding I felt the author equipped me with the knowledge and flexibility to adjust to my cat's (very special, lol, or not?) personality. This book comes with a plethora of very useful, relevant tips that made me very excited during reading (better me than the cat), so that I could not wait to start trying those things out. And, besides all explanations and tips, it will give you many, very clear, very simple step-by-step instructions broken down in achievable mini goals for any cat.
Cons: It is not really a Con of this book as such, but this book is clearly not for you if you dislike reading a book in general and rather prefer pictures, illustrations, or solely simple statements. You really do not need to be a rocket scientist at all by any means but it will be more pleasurable for you if you bring a bit of intellectual curiosity into the game.
I hope this helped.

22 comments 59 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

When my cat started coming inside when I called, I just had to write a review.

ByVTNerdon November 8, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I have to say this book is great. One thing I would say about reading it is to read the first 3-4 chapters serially, and then choose the topics that are of interest to you from there on out. The "key skills" are the most important, as well as understanding some basics about cat psychology. The rest of the book are examples about how to put those skills to use, and how the authors organize the training activities from there.

The results are not instant, and I would encourage the other reviewers to be patient and keep training their cats. Although, they're pretty quick. I bought the book when it came out, and I've been training my cats for two months. Granted, my cats are fairly good natured to begin with, and I was really looking for one thing in particular... To train my indoor/outdoor cats to come inside at night when I called.

I was inspired to write this review when I called my cat Juniper in tonight, calling "Juniper -- come here! come here!" which is here command to come, and.... She ran at lightening speed across the yard and into the house to get her treat. I couldn't be happier. It's taken a couple months, but, that kind of result is just amazing.

There's other things I'd like to train them, and also one of my cats is not food motivated at all which is making training somewhat difficult, but, I'm slowly learning what rewards he does respond to and I'm certain I can have success if I'm able to figure out the training method that works best for him.

11 comment 13 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Like I said, this isn't about teaching your cat tricks!

ByLeslie Logaron November 17, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This is NOT about teaching tricks to your cat. This is the most detailed analysis on cat behavior and how to condition or recondition your cat to all the obstacles that appear during a cats life life; like adding a new cat, adding a dog, the carrier, driving in the vehicle, etc.

I have been working with cats and an owner for over 40+ years. I also work very closely with a volunteer non-profit cat organization, I have access to all the members for questions and solving problems, YET I HAVE NEVER obtained this level of psychological assessment and training from any of these sources including ALL the vets I have encountered throughout these years.

This has been the most valuable resource to date. I was also able to find the audio book version (11 hours) through my local library. I have listened to this multiple times. The book has been a quick way to jump to the chapter and the specific instructions in writing to refresh my memory. If you are a cat fancier or just want to get through our everyday challenges with the cat, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU. I highly recommend this book. Like I said, this isn't about teaching your cat tricks.

It's a lot of data, but so well worth it. ENJOY

0Comment 19 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

We love this book!

ByCLon March 8, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

We love this book! This book is indispensable for anyone who truly loves and wishes to understand the feline consciousness. We have four cats and this volume has allowed us to better understand how our beloved companions think and respond to the world around them. We had checked the book out originally from our local library but loved it so much that we ordered our own copy for our home. We highly recommend this book.

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

helpful

Bysueon January 31, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Has some useful tips but focuses more on cats that go outside than I need and is a bit redundant. It reads like a series of articles.

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

A must ready for cat lovers like us.

ByJohn Markuson February 24, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

We've always had cats around and this book has given us some great advice, good stories and a better knowledge of the Canine family with we love dearly.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Very Useful

ByAmazon Customeron February 26, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I learned so much, even though I've lived with cats for decades. This is a great resource for learning how to raise a happy cat, whether you are a new owner of a kitten, or you are a lifelong cat owner of more senior cats.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

A guide for improving human-feline relationships.

ByScott W. Lucason April 30, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Incredible insights into cat psychology. We always suspected that these clever furballs had more going on internally, and this book shows how we can better accommodate each other. Bravo!

0CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNo

Most recent customer reviews

I don't recommend it.

I was so looking forward to reading this book, as I have two formerly feral cats. I thought the book was needlessly wordy. I don't recommend it.

Published 16 days ago by Sharon Osmond

Good for a laugh

Bought this for my girlfriend as a long-con joke. She's 100 pages in and still doesn't understand that cats aren't trainable lol

Published 1 month ago by T. Seymour

Five Stars

great

Published 3 months ago by Marjorie Hobbins

i love it meow

I love learning new things about how to make my kitty happier, Bradshaws amazing

Published 4 months ago by kellyantonia11

Five Stars

A very informative and entertaining book on cats.

Published 5 months ago by Rudan Bettelheim

Yes, you can!

I've trained my cat! Great book. Very helpful

Published 5 months ago by Amy

Just ok

I bought this book after hearing the author interviewed on radio, but I'm finding it difficult to stick with.Read more

Published 5 months ago by Tweedy

It seemed like work to get to the heart of the matter

I read a bit but gave the book awat. It seemed like work to get to the heart of the matter.

Published 5 months ago by J. A. Donahoe

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