TEACHING TRICKS TO CATS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 84, 8 April 1905, Page 11

TEACHING TRICKS TO CATS.

The education of animals is becoming quite a science- Performing dogs, monkeys, horses, elephants, seals, and various other creatures, arc to be seen at many places of entertainment, each frgsh comer displaying more and niore proficiency. Without attempting to teach the elaborate tricks performed in public, there are doubtless many cat lovers who would like to train their pets to go through a few simple and amusing ones. Cats are so tractable that they are excellent subjects, par- ; ticnlarly'if their schooling is commenced in kittenhood. One most successful trainer of dogs ! and cats states that he trains the anii mals by kindness and patience. In his j opinion they reason tip to ;i certain point sufficiently to understand what they are wr/.ted to do. Anyone who j loves animals, and understands them, l and has the gift of showing the so-called ! dumb creatures that he or she is in sym- ! patby and friendship with them, will : quickly teach them. As with indivii duals, there are intelligent and also j stupid cats. On no account does it do !to chastise a cat whilst attempting to ' teach it, or it will never learn. Cat? i are capricious, and must be coaxed all ; the time, for if: you let a cat kno-w that ' you are trying to make it do a thing :it absolutely declines- Flattery and kindness and patience are the main ; factors. j A cat will readily learn to jump i through a hoop, at almost any height from the ground. The jumping powers !of tlie oat are astonishing. At lirst i< ; can be taught to leap through the arm: i ivhen held out in front of a person. Tc i commence with, the arms are held low down near the ground, and gradualh raised "till the cat will take the jumr J when the teacher is standing erect j After this has boon mastered, a hooj can be held in the same way. first loti j down, and then raised. Two "hoops cai next be iteed. one held in each hand, ai first almost touching each other, am after the cat is accustomed to them gradually extending the distance. Thi: makes a pretty trick, as the cat jump: I most gracefully. Another variation o j the hoop trick is to cover the centre o the hoop with tissue paper- If this i: j tvpll oiled, so as to make it nearb I transparent, the cat will learn all th> J more quickly to take headers througl • it. i A pretty feat is walking the tight ! rope—not at all a difficult one, if som ] tempting morsel is at first held at th end of the rope furthest from tho cat i A simple trick is lhat of begging, or sit • ting up on the hind legs. Many cat ! will learn thi? on their own account, i ; there is a dog in the house that sits ur. If the cat has to bo taught it must b : placed against the wall, and held by th | hands in position for a few times, al | v.=aj-s receiving some little luxury after I wards as a reward. Some cats win b ! taught to stand and walk on the fron I legs, tvith the hind legs in the air. Th j animals seem to derive much pleasur from the performance of tricks, for dut ing the process they can usually b heard purring. It is advisable to giv them their lessons before, and not jus after, their mea.ls, for they are apt t' get sleepy after feeding, or. at any rate not lo be so eager to gain the tit-bi ( which they soon know will be given as : I reward.