Cats are intelligent, lively by nature, fond of playing, and highly curious. They show great interest in insects, balls of yarn, strings, paper balls, and wind-blown leaves, often fiddling with and playing with these things. Usually, under the owner’s teasing, cats can instinctively perform various interesting actions such as rolling over, lying on their backs with limbs up, and standing upright.

　　However, training cats to perform more complex actions is much more difficult than training dogs. This is because cats have strong independence and an exceptionally stubborn character, unwilling to be controlled. Cats insist on doing what they like even if the owner forbids it, and they often resist when forced to do what they dislike. Additionally, cats are naturally alert and can become frightened by strong light and being watched by many people, making it difficult to perform in public.

　　There are many methods to train cats, but the commonly used basic methods roughly include the following:

　　1. Coercion

　　Coercion refers to the use of mechanical stimulation and threatening commands to force the cat to complete an action accurately and smoothly. For example, when training a cat to lie down, the trainer issues the "lie down" command while physically pushing the cat over to force it to lie down. After repeating this several times, the cat quickly develops a conditioned reflex to lie down.

　　2. Inducement

　　Inducement is the use of tasty food and the trainer's movements to induce the cat to perform an action. For example, at the same time issuing the "come" command, the trainer waves a piece of food the cat likes in front of it but does not let it eat, stepping back while repeatedly giving the "come" command. In this way, the cat will be lured by the food and follow over, quickly forming a conditioned reflex. The inducement method is most suitable for kittens.

　　3. Reward

　　Reward refers to measures taken to reinforce the cat's correct actions or consolidate initially formed conditioned reflexes. Reward methods include food, affection, and praise. Reward and coercion must be combined to be effective. At the beginning, every time the cat is forced to perform the correct action, it should be immediately rewarded. As training progresses, rewards are given after completing more complex actions. This fully utilizes the effectiveness of rewards.

　　4. Punishment

　　Punishment is used to stop the cat's incorrect actions or abnormal behaviors, including scolding and lightly tapping the head or neck area. The severity of punishment should be determined according to specific circumstances and the cat’s temperament. The head should not be heavily hit nor the tail forcibly pulled to avoid excessive fright. The use of punishment should be minimized during training to prevent the cat from developing fear and aversion to training.