You have no doubt heard of dog agility training. This is a popular pastime, sport, and competition among dog owners, who train their dogs to leap jumps, dash through canvas tunnels, run up and over an obstacle and so forth. But dogs aren't the only ones who can have fun with agility training!

 

Cat agility competitions are growing in popularity. Many cat shows now feature agility competitions on the side, where competitors try to best each other based on both points score and best overall time. Your cat loses points for skipping a jump, or for going through it wrong (not weaving through the weave poles, for example). 

 

Although cats are led through the agility course by their handler sporting a lure (like one of the popular "feather stick" cat toys), they still need to learn the course at home. You can't just lead a cat through an unfamiliar course of jumps and hoops! The lure is used more to keep the cat interested and guide it through the course. No cat can be forced through an agility course cold.

 

To set up your own agility course, it is helpful to have a separate room or basement. If you have an outdoor cat you could theoretically set the course up in the yard. But from a practical standpoint, the outdoors offers too many potential distractions to be a good training arena for most cats.

 

(Also, is it just me, or do cats resent us trying to pay attention to them when they are outside? It's always like "Aw MOM, can't you see I'm being a fierce hunter and stuff?")

 

The basic agility props can be made with a little bit of forethought and scouting. You can buy a hula hoop at the thrift store, Walmart, or a toy store. You can set up jumps using cardboard boxes and mailing tubes. Weave cones and poles can be made with simple tools and a trip to the hardware store.

 

Many cat agility experts recommend clicker training to teach your cat to run the course. Clicker training is a useful tool in general, and well worth teaching your cat in and of itself! From there it's just a matter of spending time playing with your cat, and encouraging it to run, leap, jump, and chase a toy. What could be better? 

 

Even if you never end up entering a competition, feline agility training is entertaining for both you and your cat, a fun way to spend time together, and great exercise for kitty, to boot!