While you may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, don’t count your older cat out. While training a cat is never an easy task, even older felines can learn new tricks, wipe out bad behaviors, or develop new habits with a little patience. New training methods are making it even easier to train older cats, no matter what they’ve experienced.

Litter Training

If you rescued an older cat who is not housebroken, you will definitely need to spend some time on litter training. Start with a regular litter box first, and reward the cat every time they successfully use the box. If they make a mistake, don’t over correct them. The key to getting through to an older animal is patience and repetition. If possible, move the mess into the litter box while your cat is present and praise them when you put it in the box. If you are consistent, they will eventually pick it up.

Changing the type of litter box you use can also be difficult for your older cat. Many people are switching to newer litter boxes that handle waste more effectively, but older cats may have problems making the transition. Phase in the new litter box gradually and reward them when they use the new one. They will eventually make the connection and overcome their fear.

Positive Reinforcement

Many people believe cats are impossible to train because they have no desire to please. While there is some truth to this statement, there is a way to get through to your cat. Positive reinforcement can be used with great success to train any cat, even older ones. You may need to use food as a reward for your positive reinforcement training, instead of pats or scratches.

Clicker training is very effective with cats and can be used to teach them complicated tasks. The basic premise of clicker training is that each time the cat does something that you ask them to, you "click," praise and reward. The click lets them know that the action they just performed was the right one. This is very useful for cats that are continually in motion. This way they’ll understand that you are rewarding them for sitting down, and not for scratching their ear.

Scratching Behaviors

Cats love to scratch and may even need to scratch. Whether it’s you or the antique sofa, cat scratches are never much fun. You can use positive reinforcement to transfer this energy into "good" scratching. Set up a scratching post near the area where your cat typically scratches. When they go to scratch the couch, gently tell them no and direct them to the scratching post. Praise them effusively. They will quickly pick up on what you want, but you may need to reinforce this lesson from time to time.

Patience

Older animals are not necessarily harder to train. It just takes a little longer to undo years of bad training or neglect. Older animals may also need more off-time to digest the lesson they just learned. Set time aside after a training session for fun, *by supplying toys that your cat enjoys.*(link) They’ll begin to associate training time with fun time and you’ll be able to get more out of them with each lesson.

Posted by Brad.