For my cat to learn that the sound of the can opener signals that it is time to eat is posing a problem since the can opener has been heard by her hundreds of times without it being followed by food. This exemplifies:

Question

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Latent inhibition occurs when a familiar stimulus takes longer to acquire meaning (as a signal or conditioned stimulus) than a new stimulus. The cat has heard the can opener many times without food, making it harder to associate it with food now.

For My Cat to Learn That the Sound of the Can