Silly problem with "Clicker" training

[PepsiChic]

First off a bit of info for Clicker training:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clicker_training

Clicker training is the process of training an animal using a conditioned reinforcer, which indicates to the animal ("marks") the precise behavior that was correct.

Im *trying* to use this on my cat, Gin.

Bit of background info: i found Gin and his brother Tonic (yes i named them both) when they were 4 months old abandoned by previous owners. After a year Tonic sadly got killed by a drunk driver. At the same time one of my two pet rabbits died. Gin took to become best friends with the remaining bunny, Benjamin. Gin and Benji get on like a house on fire. Play, sleep and live in the same room together.

Both are also trained. Benjamin is an outdoor rabbit during the summer and indoor in winter and spring, hes house trained, can push open and shut doors, does sit, jump up and down from things when asked and litter trained. Gin i also did some training with, he can do sit, stay and paw.

so now:
Gin will be 4 this year. I decided to do a little more with the training of benjamin, with the use of a clicker. However i noticed this made gin a tad jealous so i thought id do it with both. And at first it worked out well, Gin responded well and was well on the way to learning a "lie" comand.

But the thing is, he one day just decided he was bored of this game. I have no idea what it is, but when i get the clicker out, he takes it off me and keeps *clicking* it. He actually sits and puts his paw on it to make it click, and he'll do this for ages. If i try and take it off him hes runs away with it, i have to wait for him to get bored of this new trick before i can get it back.

Now im suppose to give him a treat when I click it, but um is this the same the other way around?! Apprently not giving them a treat when they hear the click sound is bad ebcause they stop associating it with good things. but if thats the case im going to keep running out of treats really soon!

Im not actually sure if my cat has just gone nuts for the noise or is intelligent enought o work out that clicking =treats so if he keeps clicking he might keep getting treats, minus the work...

any clues?

[twinkle]

LOL, that's the best story ever!!!! You most certainly have the most intelligent cat I ever heard of.

I have heard of dog training with the clicker, but never to cats. I didn't even know cats could be trained. So I cannot help you with your specific problem. But it must bedarned funny to hear your can clicking for her treats... how does the bunny take it, lol?

[PepsiChic]

bunny was learning it, but i dont do too much with him coz hes gettin on a bit with age.

my cats training i actually did with sign language to being with. I got the clicker because its easier for the rabbit, and suppose to be easier with the cat. But things like Holding my hand flat palm down is "sit" holding it palm up is "stand" (on all fours) also can point are objects and he'll go them, just small simple things like that is what he can do....apparently clicker training isnt easier!