Catch Jackson in action on TikTok @speaking_of_cats
Q. So Joshua, who is this learner of yours?
Jackson is a 8 year old medium haired cat! He is laid back, sweet, and loving but sometimes demanding, especially when it comes to treats and walks.
Q. What was your learner's first button?
It was “Treats”!
Q. How long did it take for them to press their first button?
About 2-3 days with us prompting him and about a week for him to press the button unprompted.
Q. What have the buttons revealed about your learner that you wouldn’t have known without the buttons?
That he is so much more loving than we ever thought. He was somewhat distant before the buttons but after them, it turns out he loves affection, hugs, pets, and kissing.
Q. What inspired you to do button teaching?
We taught Jackson how to do tricks such as “fist bump”, “spin” and “jump” pretty easily. Around the same time we saw videos of whataboutbunny, akittynamedwinter, and catmanjohn and figured Jackson could learn as well!
Q. What challenges have you faced with button teaching?
Getting him to use two words together consistently. Modeling, consistency and patience were key.
Q. What’s your funniest button moment?
The first time he used “Now” it was so demanding!
Q. What’s your most surprising button moment?
Genna thought that a button for the word “Kiss” would be a good idea but Josh wasn’t so sure and didn’t want to waste a button. When we finally added it we were shocked to find out Jackson loves kisses and it’s now his favorite word!
Q. What’s your favorite button moment?
The first time Jackson purposefully pressed love you.
Q. How have buttons changed your relationship with your learner?
It has made us more in tune with his needs and has strengthened our bonds significantly.
Q. What advice would you give to others who are interested in teaching their learners to use buttons?
Do your homework beforehand about how to train your learner and don’t give up too easily! It takes dedication to get to the point where you can speak with your learner.
Q. How did you go about teaching your learner to press their first button?
Jackson is a very “pawsy” cat - before the buttons came I taught him target training and would point to objects for him to touch. When they arrived I pointed at the button and he pressed it. After a day or two I would stand or sit near the button with treats in my hand but not point to the button. Jackson got a little frustrated that I wasn’t pointing and decided to press the button himself and so I rewarded him. From that point on he realized he didn’t need me to prompt and his learning took off.
Q. How did you address challenges you faced?
Looked on the HowTheyCanTalk forum or YouTube and TikTok videos of other learners! We also did a lot of pre-planning.