How to make your cat “come”when called
- Talk to your cat as much as you can. Encourage her to come to you, and regularly pet her and brush her. Bonding is very important, cat massage, play and generally being on good terms with your cat is important.
2. Pick a special snack that she likes. It must be different to her regular food and only used for this (don't give it to her at any other time until she's mastered this). Make certain it is nutritious. I suggest a dry, crunchy snack that is also good for the teeth. There are plenty on the market.
3. Pick a special word, such as "snack" or "treat." It must be a word she will associate only with the special snack. This is known as creating an "anchor" (a trigger).
4. Use your special word during her next snack time. In her presence, place one piece of the food in her empty dish and say the special word.
5. Say the word again (and be sure to say it in the same way as before) after she eats the first piece. Place another piece of the food in her dish and say the special word again.
6. Walk away. If she is giving you "I am really starving" cries, say your word again and give her one more piece. Then walk out of the room.
7. Repeat the procedure after about 4 minutes
8. Follow this procedure for the next several days.
10. If you've done the above steps right, and you've done the bonding exercises in the training manual, your cat should now be associating affection from you with the special word. Now you can use the word and she should come AND each time she sees or hears you nearby she will be more affectionate because she's reminded of all the affection you've given her in the past.
Don't forget, it is to be a small snack, not a small bowl of dry food. Otherwise, your cat will gain unwanted weight. Be patient and follow the above exactly otherwise you will confuse your cat. Use the special word daily, not only when you want to find the cat for a trip to the vet or when it is bath time. On those occasions, give her the snack and try to allow a few minutes before following through on your hidden motive.
Another little secret is that if you can whistle, most cats will respond. Usually, a very loud high-pitched whistle (as if to say, "Here, boy"),like you whistle for a dog repeated over and over until the cat comes to you is very effective. Eventually, your cat will come after only 1 or 2 whistles. However, again this is based on a strong bond being in place.
It's important to note that the bond is most important then your cat will WANT to come to you whenever you give it the chance. This is why some people find that if they want her to come to them, or sit on their lap, all they have to is pat their leg with
