For example, I like to train mine to accept me providing scritches (petting) with my feet and for them to be equally comfortable with using foot as hand
Oh and I forgot, a big one, I engage the cats if they show interest in my task.
When cooking they can smell safe things, if I'm working on tech i have a very large screw and bolt for them to play with/try out instead of my small ones.
Cats are social and want to be included, if you give them the option to do "parallel play" I think it will improve what people see as problem behaviors that are really just begging to be included.
I taught mine this cool trick where I’m holding him and he hears a slightly loud noise and then claws the ever loving shit out of me and leaves me deeply gouged and bleeding in several places. It’s a great trick.
We didn't so much teach this trick, as he learned it on his own, but we got an automatic feeder for him to help us with his diet. It feeds him 6x per day, and since we're no longer the ones giving him food, he has stopped begging us for food at all hours.
In any case, a few months ago, we noticed him in the dining room, staring at the grandfather clock. Then the clock chimed, and he ran over to the feeder and stared at it until a few seconds later, when it dispensed the food. He doesn't do this, except around feeding time.
So, it's just pavlovian: he's learned to associate the clock chime with the feeder, and has a general idea when feeding time is based on how hungry he is. Still, it's a neat party trick to tell guests we have a cat who can read a clock and tell time.
My cat can almost definitely tell time within about 2 minuts. At least for a specific time of day.
He gets canned food the same time every day, and will remind me I've yet to feed him at most 2 minuts after (unless he's asleep).
The only clocks I have in the house are digital, and none makes a sound. It takes him a few days to adjust moving to and form daylight savings time, and the change is gradual. He does this after changing apartments, so it's not some noise form the outside. I have no explanation other than he can tell time.
I leash/harness train mine. It's nice to be able to mostly walk them around outside like dogs. Also I train them to ride on my shoulders for transportation. That way when they get too lazy to walk back to the house or I need to carry them around for any other reason I can just plop them on my shoulders and they will ride there, keeping my hands free. My neighbors probably think I'm crazy.
Mine just jumps on my shoulders anytime I bend over anyway, but then she likes to slowly slide down when she wants to get off, and claws are not really fun when that happens
How did you do the second? My eldest hates being carried. My youngest doesn't like it either but he's still young enough to be trained to like it, I think.
Be sure you're supporting his back bunny-feet when you try. They feel safer knowing they can spring away, and are therefore less likely to struggle. Because cats. Also if they get away, they'll land better so they don't get scared for next time. If nothing else they'll be training you to be a fun springboard, so be sure to carry them to something good like their favorite level of the cat tree.
I started cradling him when he was just old enough to be adopted. Every time we crossed paths, I would say "Scoop!", scoop him up with a hand under his chest, roll him over backwards with my other hand on his butt, and lay him down on my arm like that. Then I'd scratch his tummy and give him kisses, then let him go after a little bit.
Two of my cats had upper respiratory infections as kittens, and I would spend a few minutes with them cradled in my arm while I scraped gunk out of their eyes and noses so they could see and breathe better, and giving them their medication.
By the time they were over their colds, they would just lay there quietly, patiently. They seem to like being held that way now.
My eldest cat often has a little discharge in the corner of his eyes. I'm having some limited success doing the same thing, just gently grooming his face with one hand, while scruffing him on his side or back with the other. He prefers wrestling to cuddling, though. He tolerates me touching his face only if I have my hand on the back of his neck. As soon as I let go, it's wrestling time again.
My cat has learned the opposite; when I put my foot out she grabs it and tries to fuck me up with rabbit kicks lol she doesn't use claws though so it's okay.
My cat has a vendetta against my feet too, but only when I'm wearing black socks. He's a black cat himself, so I feel like he thinks my feet are somehow kin or competition.
I used treats to teach my cat to come to me when I ring a bell.
She already knew the sound of a treat dropping on the hard floor so I would ring the bell and then drop the treat. Eventually I switched to just ringing the bell and she would come running.
As a kid, my mother taught ours to sit, shake, lie down, roll over, and to dance/stand (stand on 2 feet). It took a lot of training to get him to do it but it was sorta worth it. 🤷