Diary of a Cat Mom

How to Train a Cat with Commands | Patience, Consistency & Trust | Ep. 113

By Dagmar Gatell — Creator & Host of Diary of a Cat Mom Season 1 Episode 113

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0:00 | 3:21

Can you really train a cat?

Many people believe cats cannot be trained, but I've discovered that they absolutely can—just not the way we often expect.

In this episode of the Diary of a Cat Mom podcast, I share how one of my cats taught me that training isn't about control. It's about building trust, creating routines, and being patient enough to let learning happen over time.

By using simple commands, positive reinforcement, and consistent consequences, my cat slowly learned when it was time to come inside from the backyard. More importantly, I learned that changing my own expectations was just as important as teaching her.

If you've ever wondered whether your cat can learn commands, this episode is for you.

What You'll Learn In This Cat Podcast Episode

  • Why cats can learn simple commands
  • How positive reinforcement builds trust
  • Why consistency matters more than perfection
  • How consequences can create predictable routines
  • Why patience is often the biggest lesson for cat moms

Timestamps & Chapters

  • 00:00 Can you really train a cat?
  • 00:23 Why I wanted my cat to respond to commands
  • 00:56 Teaching the "Come" command with treats
  • 01:41 Building routines with "inside" and "outside"
  • 02:26 My biggest realization about patience
  • 03:03 The lesson my cat taught me

This is where I’ve gathered everything that supports me and my cats:
https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

About the Diary of a Cat Mom Podcast

Diary of a Cat Mom is a personal cat podcast created by Dagmar Gatell, sharing real moments from life with cats. Everything shared comes from lived experience as a cat mom and is not intended as professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and for health concerns, it’s always best to consult your trusted veterinarian.

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SPEAKER_00

Diary of a cat ma how to train a cat with commands and consequences. Welcome to Diary of a Cat Mum. Did you ever try to train a cat to do things? I train my cats that they respond to me because in case of an emergency, I want that they listen to me and that they follow commands so if we have to evacuate, if there is danger around the corner and they need to come to me, they will. One time I had a little girl cat and she liked to come with me into the backyard. And was great because I know she enjoyed being in the sun and being underneath the trees and in the bushes. But when it was time to come inside, she didn't want to. And I didn't want to leave her outside in the backyard alone with the predators. I didn't want to risk that she would get injured or I would lose her. So I I started doing commands with her. When she was outside and I wanted her to come inside, I called her name and I said come. And the first few times she didn't. So I came a little bit closer to her and was holding a treat and then she saw the treat and then she came. So after she understood she gets a treat, when I say come and she would come. Then I tried when we were outside for a while, I would go to the door and then call from the door. And she came without that I had a treat because now she was used to the word come. That didn't happen all the time that she followed. So whenever she didn't follow, and I say come, I would go and pick her up and say, not a good girl today. You have to go inside. And I would bring her inside. And when we went outside, I would say, okay, we are going outside now. We are enjoying the nice weather outside. So she got used to inside and outside. And she got used to the consequence of each. Whenever I went outside, I said, Come, let's go outside. But when it was time to go inside, I would stay at the door and say, come and then her name. And the first few times it was a hit and miss. It was not that I could count on it. And I could show myself getting frustrated over it because I wanted that she would enjoy the outside, but I didn't want to leave her outside because the the risk with the predators was too high that something could happen to her. So at this point I had the aha moment that it just takes time. There is a system behind that. Similar to a child, a cat needs reassurance and she needs consequences to learn that. So after we did that for a few weeks, it got better and better and better. Instead of getting impatient or frustrated, I totally focus on the process. Do you train your cat? How do you do that? I would love to hear what successes you had to train your cat. And please share in the comments. Thank you so much for joining me for this episode of Diary for Cat Mom. There's always another lesson, another story, another insight waiting to be shared right around the corner. Check out my next video above and join me for my next entry. Bye. Hi, we all the Cat Mom.