# Cat pointing
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-pointing/807608
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [January 27, 2018, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-pointing/807608 "2018-01-27T22:09:54Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2018, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-pointing/807608/1 "2018-01-27T22:09:54Z")
I have 2 Siamese cats. A brother and sister pair. Of the 2 the male is more social. He is open to teaching. So…I taught him to touch my index finger with his paw. Now everytime I pass him he extends his paw and taps me anywhere that is close, usually my elbow or hand. If he is sitting on my lap he will reach up and touch my cheek or chin. This morning he woke me up by patting my closed eyelid. Have I created a monster?
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### Author:  [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2018, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-pointing/807608/2 "2018-01-27T22:15:47Z")
Yes. 😛 Soon he will get more forceful when he wants attention. Food, servant! _slap_
You have to be careful around cats… 😉
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### Author:  [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2018, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-pointing/807608/3 "2018-01-27T22:16:37Z")
Pics or we’re not having this conversation.
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### Author:  [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2018, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-pointing/807608/4 "2018-01-27T22:27:13Z")
I worked in a zoo training critters, and teaching kids to train critters during camp. We had to stop letting the campers train ANY forefoot behaviours with the goats. They just ended up trying all kinds of flaily punchy jumpy things. And when these goats weren’t in camp, they were in the petting zoo…!
You can fix your cat, though. You need to decide exactly what behaviour you’re going for - I suggest something a little bit weird, like his paw touching your extended pinkie, so he doesn’t immediately recognize your index finger doing other things as his target. Then any time he does it right, big fuss, delicious treats, attention - things he likes. Any time he does it wrong (wrong finger/body part, before you ask, etc) - ignore. No more games, no more treats, walk away and try again later.
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2018, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-pointing/807608/5 "2018-01-27T22:43:18Z")
Yep, I am doing the ignore wrong behaviours. I am waiting for the claw to be extended and blood letting to begin. I have a feeling that’s coming. I have also started teaching a type of fetch game. So I may be confusing him. I may have to rethink the whole training program.
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2018, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-pointing/807608/6 "2018-01-27T22:48:48Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#):
>
> Pics or we’re not having this conversation.
Have you ever had a cat cooperate at picture time? These 2 Siamese are especially non-compliant. The certainly wouldn’t do a trained behaviour for a camera. Not gonna happen.
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### Author:  [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2018, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-pointing/807608/7 "2018-01-28T02:41:31Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> I have 2 Siamese cats. A brother and sister pair. Of the 2 the male is more social. He is open to teaching. So…I taught him to touch my index finger with his paw. Now everytime I pass him he extends his paw and taps me anywhere that is close, usually my elbow or hand. If he is sitting on my lap he will reach up and touch my cheek or chin. This morning he woke me up by patting my closed eyelid. Have I created a monster?
It’s not like you’ve _taught_ your cats anything. Both my cats have figured out on their own that touching my face with their paws is the most efficient way to get my attention…
Now, getting them to abandon that habit might be a bit more tricky. The best way, in my experience, is literally blowing them off. Blow straight at them, preferably right in their face, whenever you feel they’re troubling you!
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2018, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-pointing/807608/8 "2018-01-28T03:09:48Z")
Oh, thank god. I was fairly sure I had taught him a trick that would backfire in my face ( literally).
No, really I have had several cats in my life. Rarely have I taught them anything. This particular cat is very aloof and snooty, so I was very surprised he learned it so quickly. I don’t think it came naturally to him. His sister would never lower herself to do it, I am sure.
I do think the face blowing might work. I will try it.
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### Author:  [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2018, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-pointing/807608/9 "2018-01-28T03:27:16Z")
Confusing title! [This](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Neighbours_Siamese.jpg) is what cat point coloration looks like; it is a mutation originating in Siamese cats that causes cooler areas of the skin to darken while warmer areas remain white.
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### Author:  [@Salem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salem)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2018, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-pointing/807608/10 "2018-01-28T03:34:20Z")
We had a cat - a great cat- who would perch on a half-wall across from a tall pantry upon which sat his bag of cat food. The walkway between the half-wall and pantry is one of the main walkways in the house, so there were plenty of times people passed him by. He would sit staring up at his food bag for hours. When someone would pass by, he would reach out and tap whatever body part he reached and as soon as he had your attention, he would look up at his food bag. For hours at a time. The cat, of course, was very well fed and was not in fact _starving to death_, although he would argue that fact- to anyone he could get to stop and listen.
Same cat would literally knock on the door when he wanted to come in. He would jump up on the porch railing and lean over to tap on the door’s window pane and meow. If you didn’t respond quickly enough, he’d go around to a window that’s above a bulkhead door and knock on that window. Miss that boy.
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2018, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-pointing/807608/11 "2018-01-28T03:38:28Z")
> [@DPRK](#):
>
> Confusing title! [This](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Neighbours_Siamese.jpg) is what cat point coloration looks like; it is a mutation originating in Siamese cats that causes cooler areas of the skin to darken while warmer areas remain white.
Because my cats are chocolate Point Siamese is the reason I called the thread by that title. Sorry if it steered you wrong.
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### Author:  [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2018, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-pointing/807608/12 "2018-01-28T06:08:53Z")
Maybe you could bring the ritual to a conclusion with a [fist bump](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRBFauWPFiA).
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2018, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-pointing/807608/13 "2018-01-28T07:38:41Z")
^^that is hilarious. I am kinda afraid to teach him any thing else, he seems to take it too seriously!
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### Author:  [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2018, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-pointing/807608/14 "2018-01-28T09:39:22Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#):
>
> Maybe you could bring the ritual to a conclusion with a [fist bump](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRBFauWPFiA).
This is what I was picturing. Ya gotta teach him the upward nod to go with the fist bump.
(Fist bump) with simultaneously giving the “what’s up” nod would make him the coolest kitty in the cave. At least the coolest kitty till the Kardashians are eaten by a pet tiger.😃