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Pamela Cummins's avatar

The late Merlin would jump up, come, walk, and high five when I spoke these words. Getting him to sit was impossible until I told him that Bix (my niece’s former cat) would sit for Cynthia. He sat right down!

Rhiannon learned from him. Add four more cats and there’s only so much time. They all do high five for treats, although Boudicca gives me a hard time.

I like the idea of giving rubs instead of treats. Time to do some training…

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Scott Colby's avatar

Hi Pamela! This made me laugh out loud—Merlin sitting only after hearing that Bix would sit for Cynthia is peak cat behavior 😹 I love that Rhiannon learned from him, too. And yes, once you’ve got a full feline crew, training becomes a whole group project!

High fives all around (even the stubborn ones like Boudicca 🐾😉), and I’m totally with you—rubs and praise can be just as rewarding as treats. Thanks so much for sharing your training adventures. I’m inspired now to try a group high-five session with Niko and Milo!

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Pamela Cummins's avatar

Let us know how it goes!

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Minding Mittens by K. Colitti's avatar

I’ve successfully clicker-trained my senior cat and have written about it here on Substack. It was a very positive experience for us both. https://open.substack.com/pub/katiacolittimindingmittens/p/can-you-teach-an-old-cat-new-tricks?r=1o5jkh&utm_medium=ios

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Scott Colby's avatar

That’s amazing! I love hearing about senior cats thriving with clicker training—it really shows how much enrichment and bonding it can bring at any age. I just read your article and it was so well done—thank you for sharing it here! Always great to connect with fellow cat writers on Substack 🐾💛

Let’s keep spreading the feline wisdom!

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