Cats are thought of as self-sufficient, making them a good fit for people who work longer hours or live in smaller homes. But because of this pervasive belief that cats are independent, it is a common misconception that cats cannot be trained or do not need training. Many times if a cat has a behavioral problem, owners will accept it as a cat being a cat and make no effort to correct the issue. More often than not cats will be surrendered to shelters instead of addressing a behavior problem. It is not only possible to train cats, but it can be beneficial to both cat and owner. Training can help to solve behavior problems that are not always fun to live with, increase your bond with your cat, and help increase mental stimulation and enrichment making a happier cat (resulting in less future behavior problems!)
An innate behavior occurs when an animal exhibits instinctive behavior, such as a cat chasing something moving quickly across the floor like a mouse. These are built in behaviors.
A learned behavior, on the other hand, is either a change to existing behavior or the creation of a new behavior. Cats learn from a number of different sources. They can learn from other cats. Kittens will engage in similar behaviors to learn behaviors that can contribute to greater survival and success. Group behaviors, or allelomimetic behaviors, are when two or more animals engage in a behavior at the same time. Animals in a social group will follow one another’s example, such as when littermates investigate a new area together.
Observational learning is when animals learn by watching one another. They do not need to engage in the behavior to learn from one another. Cats are notorious for learning this way, hence the saying copy cat. They can learn both what to do, such as meow for a treat, and what not to do, such as jump in the sink and get wet.
Cats also learn how to develop hunting skills through play, as well as communication with one another. This is one way they can learn physical limitations and how rough to play with another.
Single, traumatic experiences can result in lifelong phobias in a phenomena known as single event learning. This commonly occurs between 4 and 11 months of age, but can occur at any time if the event is influential enough. For example, a loud buzzer from the dryer while a kitten is sitting on or near it could cause the kitten never to go near the dryer again. These behavioral issues can be resolved through desensitization and counter conditioning.