Secondly all this training of cats would be an anathema to my wife, what she loves about cats is their independence,
lol - let me tell you that if my cats didnt want to do something, then they wont.
You ought to see some of the battles I have to get Zigs into his crate to go to the vets. He is extremely inventive. He always seems to know about half an hour before appt that its time to go hide. Several times he's pulled the kick boards off the bottom of the kitchen units and goes hide under there in the back corner where I literally don't have a cats in hell chance of getting him out.
However - Im not joking when I say they love doing things that would be classed as training. Birmans and Ragdolls are known for it - its in their breed.
You can see from my vid that Zac was only 16wks and he actually mostly taught himself to do it. He would bring me a toy and want me to throw - its a big game for them. Same when they go walkies - they love it and walk to heel with tail held high. You can tell the difference between a cat who is doing something of their own free will and one who isnt.
I certainly don't berate Ziggy when I say 'bring it back' and he drops the toy and comes running - I just assume he associates 'bring it back' with "drop it" and come for a head bump. They see it as play and always enjoy it - I wouldn't do so if I thought they didn't.
Zoe is so strong willed and also inventive.. try closing a door on her and she will figure out a way to open it. I have to barricade the back door each night or she will bust through the cat flap. She can move a 24x18 piece of wood, that is barricaded by a kitchen chair. Then she will flip the locked cat flap. She finds the barricade and locked cat flap so easy now so I have to weight the chair so that its too heavy to slide. Even then there's been times when shes somehow slid the wood out of the way, crept under the chair and then hooked the cat flap (or bust through it).
Seriously they are smart cats who generally figure things out and they do fully understand lots of words. Whether or not they obey is up to them... but usually they do, because they love to please their owner.. you treat it as a game and they love to play.
I think I said earlier in the thread I became hooked on Birmans after getting my first... you have to own one to appreciate that they do my nature have a different temperament. My mother doesnt like cats.. but even she loves my two - not because they are mine - but because they won her over in a way that none of my others could.
Birmans are people cats - they love company and IMHO it would be cruel to keep one and expect it to entertain itself all day - They dont like it - they love to interact. Every single report on their personality will state that they are extremely intelligent and love to play, love to figure out puzzles & love to be around humans... they follow me room to room, so walkies is just a natural progression for them.
Its in their genes. If I didnt interact with them like I do, then they wouldnt be such happy purry cats that they are.
/end Birman promo