Does Age Affect Learning in Cats

Abstract

Currently, there is very little published research denoting the effect of age on learning in felines. This case study was conducted as a proof of concept, and we found there was a difference in learning between younger and older cats. A four and a half month old cat and an eight year old cat were trained for approximately nine months, excluding school breaks. Differences in learning speed and command interpretation were noted and compared. Major differences were found between the two cats, but we are unable to conclude whether the difference was age, personality, sex or some other unknown factor due to the small sample size. Based on the results of this study, we feel it is necessary to conduct more intensive research which would benefit veterinarians, shelter workers, and cat trainers.