SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - You know dogs -- those tail-wagging, faithful, fun-loving, licking, bounding bundles of joy. And then there are cats. You know cats -- but not like the Humane Society's Margret Lenoir knows cats.
"A lot of people think you can't train cats, but it isn't true," Margret said.
If you don't believe her, just check out seven-year-old Mooshu. Cats learn tricks at a behavior course offered by the Humane Society called "clicker training".
"Find a food reward the cat will eat. When he hears the click, he knows he's going to get a treat. Whatever behavior in that exact moment is why he's getting the treat," Margret said.
It's training that would make Pavlov proud.
"I simply present the spoon, hold it still and click when he touches it with his nose, and then that's a promise so he gets his treat. It's great mental enrichment. It's good exercise too," Margret said.
That's not all Mooshu has been trained to do.
"He's learning how to wave when he sees the pen," Margret said.
Mooshu will stroll the catwalk for a little kibble.
"He'll also come when called now to his name," Margret said.
And Margret claims almost any pet can be clicker trained.
"Here we offer classes for dogs and cats, primarily in private lessons as well, both in home and in our classes," Margret said.
So no matter how finicky your feline, with a few treats and a little practice it will all suddenly just click in.
