Cat Agility Training

Feline agility training is similar to canine agility training and requires your pet to maneuver through an obstacle course in the correct order within a specified amount of time. Awards are given to the cat that goes through the course in the shortest time and in the correct order.

Feline Agility Competitions

Cat shows are organized throughout the world and feline agility competitions are enjoying vast popularity at such shows. These competitions were first organized in 2004 by the Cat Fancier’s Association (CFA) and cat agility is a timed competitive event in which cats are guided by their owners around an agility course and graded on coordination, speed, physical condition, intelligence and training.

Types of Agility Competitions:

  • Basic Level for beginners.
  • Advanced Level 1 for intermediate competitors 
  • Advanced Level 2 for seasoned competitors

Are Cats Easy to Train?

Cats are intelligent and can be well trained. They can be enticed or cajoled to maneuver through 6 to 14 obstacles. They are willing to follow a feather or toy through the course and can thus be guided in the correct order by their owners. However unlike dogs, they don’t obey orders. You have to praise and pamper them into going around the course.

Training your Cat

It’s essential that your pet and you share a good bond to enjoy any success. Cats can be quite astounding as they exhibit their coordination and speed. Male cats are more easily distracted than female cats and Persian cats are reluctant to complete more than a couple of courses.

Most cats require lots of preparation but, after they have practiced a few times, they know what is expected and don’t need the feather or toy to guide them through the course. Once they figure out how to move around the course, they love it and are eager to repeat the experience.

Is It Possible to Train Your Pet at Home?

It’s possible to train your cat at home. All you need to do is play with him every day. If you train your pet with patience, affection and respect, you will discover that he is more cooperative than cats are thought to be. You can create a course by using the furniture in your house to guide your cat through, up, across and around it. If you wish, you can also purchase obstacles from a vendor and design courses using these obstacles, keeping your pet’s physical condition in mind.

By training your cat at home, you can build up his stamina and he can progress to a higher level of the competition. This can also improve the bond that’s shared by your pet and yourself.

Unlike dog agility competitions where only pedigreed animals take part, cat agility competitions are open to all cat breeds. Training for cat agility can prove to be a lot of fun and also help keep your pet in optimum health.

 

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