Download ArticleDownload ArticleThis article was co-authored by Brian Bourquin, DVM. Brian Bourquin, better known as “Dr. B” to his clients, is a Veterinarian and the Owner of Boston Veterinary Clinic, a pet health care and veterinary clinic with three locations, South End/Bay Village, the Seaport, and Brookline, Massachusetts. Boston Veterinary Clinic specializes in primary veterinary care, including wellness and preventative care, sick and emergency care, soft-tissue surgery, dentistry. The clinic also provides specialty services in behavior, nutrition, and alternative pain management therapies using acupuncture, and therapeutic laser treatments. Boston Veterinary Clinic is an AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) accredited hospital and Boston’s first Fear Free Certified Clinic. Brian has over 19 years of veterinary experience and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University.
There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
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Cats are independent creatures and getting one inside if she doesn't want to come in is the bane of many a cat owner's life. In reality, if you haven't trained your cat to come in, she will only respond to your call if it suits her to do so. A better way of ensuring success is to plan ahead and train your cat to come on cue. This is not as fanciful as it sounds because cats are as trainable as dogs, it's just they have a shorter attention span and need more motivation than praise alone.
Steps
Use food to get your cat back inside.[1] Only let the cat out when she is hungry. Take food away several hours beforehand so that she is partially focused on when the next meal is going to arrive.- This way when you need her back inside, if she refuses to answer to her name try shaking the box of cat biscuits. When she comes running, be sure to reward her with food.
Call your cat’s name.[2] Obvious of course, but if your cat doesn't respond in the first 30 seconds, she's either out of ear shot or not wanting to come in.- If this is the case, don't let your voice betray your frustration. Instead, shut the door and do something else for 5 minutes, and then try again.
- A cat that is hiding may change her mind and be there the next time you call, once she realizes the open door is not permanent.
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Search for your cat.[3] If it's important to get the cat inside and you can't see her, go and look. If it's raining or the cat is fearful, she may hide under a bush and refuse to move.- If she is hiding from danger, or merely keeping dry, she is unlikely to run off and you can pick her up to carry her indoors.
Do not vent your frustration at your cat. When the cat is ready to come in and she appears after hours of calling, don't vent your frustration on her.- If you tell her she's a naughty girl for leading you a merry dance, or give her a gentle smack, she will associate coming inside with punishment. This will discourage her next time, and a vicious circle is established.
- If you are angry about how long she kept you waiting, or because you were worried, just walk away. At least this way she does not learn an aversion to coming inside.
- Cats don't respond to punishment. Positive reinforcement is much more effective.[4]
Never chase your cat. On a similar note, never indulge in a game of chase to catch her. If she runs away, don't go chasing after her.- This only reinforces her decision to flee, and very few people can outrun a cat, especially if she decides to go up a tree.
- The next time she sees you she will pre-emptively run and by chasing, you have taught her to run away rather than come to you.
Consider what has changed in your cat’s life. First things first. If your cat used to come inside, but now she refuses to come home, ask yourself what has changed. Has something happened, such as the arrival of a new dog, to make her feel insecure when inside?- Take a look at her body language. Does she stroll around with her tail up, rubbing her head against furniture in a confident manner?
- Or does she skulk close to the ground, her head twitching from side to side on the look-out for danger? The latter indicates that she is scared about something she might encounter.
- If you fix this problem then the likelihood is that she will come home willingly once more.
Understand that if a cat feels threatened, she will be less likely to spend time at home. If your cat doesn't feel safe, then she will prefer to remain outside and only come in when driven there by hunger. Take a look around you and try to see things from your cat's perspective.- Does she get chased by another cat when she comes in? Can she cross from the door to a favorite sleeping place without having to pass a noisy washing machine?
- It doesn't take much to frighten a cat, so your aim is to eliminate the scary, and make the home as safe and welcoming as possible.[5]
Consider whether or not your cat is neutered. Unneutered cats are more likely to roam,[6] tom cats especially so. A tom has a strong hormonal drive to patrol his territory to secure it from intruders.
Find a food that motivates your cat. The key to training is finding a food that motivates your cat. Every cat is a sucker for at least one particular food, be it a flake of tuna, chicken, ham, prawns or even steak.- You need to find out what food is the "must have" treat for your cat, the food that she will do anything for. This may take a bit of experimentation, offering different morsels until you hit upon the one she really perks up for.
- This food is going to be the treat you use as motivation.
Decide on the cue that you want your cat to respond to. It might be her name, or a command such as "come" or "here", or it could be a clicker. The general idea is to get the cat to associate that command, or a "click" with getting her must-have treat.[9]- Start off by "clicking" each time you put her food down. Clickers are small handheld gadgets that make a loud "click" when you press down on the trigger. They are widely used in dog training, and are equally suitable for cats.
- Next, keep a supply of treats in a container in your pocket. When you are relaxing, for example watching TV, place a treat on your finger tips and hold within the cat's reach. Eventually she will stroll over for the treat. At the very moment she takes the treat, "click".
- Think of this as taking a photo of the good behavior. The importance of clicking at the exact moment she takes the treat is to strengthen her association between clicks and treats.
- Reinforce these first lessons by being consistent. Take every opportunity to get her to associate food with clicks. Teach her that clicks mean treats.
Begin making your cat work for her treats. Now she has learned that clicks mean treats, start making her work for the treat a little. Click when she is in a different room, and when she comes running, give her a treat and a click. Then several more clicks and treats so that she considers the trip it worthwhile.- At this stage, you may want to try letting her out when you has an empty stomach. Initially, let her out of the door, and immediately click. When she comes for a treat, click again.
- Each time, let her wander a little further away before you click. The aim is that eventually, no matter where she is she will come to the click.
Keep training sessions short.[10] Cats will not concentrate for more than 5 to 10 minutes at a time, and it takes repeated exposure to a command and reward system in order to train a cat.- Try to keep each session short, 5 minutes or less, and repeat the sessions 2 – 4 times each day.[11]
- If during a session the cat is looking around and not focusing on you or the treat, stop the session, and resume at the next allotted time.
Expert Q&A
Tips
- Cats do not respond to punishment, be it verbal or physical. They need positive rather than negative motivation.Thanks
- When you start training don't expect a quick response. Remember, training is your idea, not the cat's, and she has to be motivated and want to learn. This takes time.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://petfbi.org/i-lost-a-cat/tips-to-lure-a-cat-back-home-2/
- ↑ https://www.science.org/content/article/does-your-cat-know-its-name-here-s-how-find-out
- ↑ https://www.petmd.com/cat/care/guide-finding-lost-cat
- ↑ Brian Bourquin, DVM. Veterinarian. Expert Interview. 31 January 2020.
- ↑ https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/home-sweet-home-how-bring-outside-cat-indoors
- ↑ https://www.cats.org.uk/cats-blog/why-should-i-neuter-my-cat
- ↑ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/low-cost-spayneuter-programs
- ↑ https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-immunodeficiency-virus
- ↑ https://www.cathealth.com/cat-care/training/2222-clicker-training-for-cats-come-when-called
- ↑ Brian Bourquin, DVM. Veterinarian. Expert Interview. 31 January 2020.
- ↑ https://www.adventurecats.org/backcountry-basics/teach-your-cat-to-come-when-called/
- https://www.adventurecats.org/backcountry-basics/how-to-clicker-train-a-cat/
- http://www.clickertraining.com/node/2061
- https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care
- https://www.lovetoknowpets.com/cats/how-to-train-your-cat-to-come-when-called-to
About This Article
If getting your cat to come inside is a chore, try to be patient and use food as an incentive. If your cat doesn’t come when you call it, close the door and try again in 5 minutes. This shows your cat that it has a limited opportunity to come inside, and it might come when you open the door again. If it still doesn’t come, try offering it its favorite food. Never chase your cat, since this will make it more likely to run away. When you eventually get your cat inside, don’t yell or show your frustration, since this will make it less likely to come inside in the future. For more tips, including how to train your cat to come inside using a clicker, read on!
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