How did you get your cat to respond like that? I always figured treats were just how you HAD to train animals, no way around it. This actually makes me question if I've been overcomplicating the whole thing with my dog.
My old cat Morris would only respond to a specific clicking sound I made with my tongue, paired with ear scratches. He wasn't food motivated at all, so treats were useless for training him. The key was finding what reward actually mattered to him, which for dogs could be a toy, praise, or just a good chase game. It's more about understanding what your specific animal values, not just following a standard method.