Cats are often perceived as untrainable, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Most cats can learn simple tricks, which not only serve practical purposes like coming when called but also act as a fun form of mental enrichment. Engaging in training sessions with your feline companion can significantly deepen your bond, as cats generally enjoy spending quality time with their owners. You might be surprised to learn that your cat is already trained in many ways through established routines, such as mealtime rituals or playtime schedules. Teaching tricks is simply a matter of introducing new, structured routines.
This guide will focus on three fundamental tricks: coming when called, sitting (and “sit pretty”), and giving a high five. These tricks are achievable for most cats and offer a rewarding experience for both pet and owner.
What You’ll Need for Training
To begin training your cat, ensure you have the following essentials:
- A Quiet Environment: Choose a comfortable, distraction-free space where both you and your cat can relax.
- High-Value Treats or Rewards: Select your cat’s absolute favorite treats – something special they don’t receive regularly. Options include small pieces of store-bought cat treats, freeze-dried chicken, low-sodium turkey, or even small bits of cooked chicken. If your cat isn’t highly food-motivated, a favorite toy, a laser pointer session, or a few moments of gentle petting can also serve as effective rewards. Be aware that training non-food-motivated cats might take a bit longer.
- Time Commitment: Allocate approximately 15 minutes for each training session. While actual training might be shorter, this buffer allows time to gather your cat and rewards.
- Optional: Clicker or Distinctive Sound: A clicker, a pen that clicks, or even a tongue click can be used as a marker signal to indicate the precise moment your cat performs the desired behavior.
Getting Started: The Foundation of Training
Before diving into specific tricks, it’s crucial to establish a positive training association.
- Introduce the Marker: Start with your cat, treats, and your chosen marker (clicker or sound) in your quiet training space. Click and immediately offer a treat once to ensure your cat is comfortable with the sound.
- Reward Attention: The first behavior to reward is simply your cat looking in your direction. The moment she glances at you, click and toss her a treat. Repeat this several times. It often takes just one session for cats to understand that paying attention to you leads to a click and a treat.
- Encourage Approach: Once your cat reliably offers you attention, start increasing the distance. As she approaches you, click and treat. Continue this as she moves around the room, clicking and rewarding her as she comes to you.
Trick 1: Come When Called
This is an incredibly useful trick that enhances safety and strengthens your feline friend’s responsiveness.
- Add the Verbal Cue: When your cat consistently comes to you for a click and treat, introduce a specific verbal cue. Avoid using her name, as you’ll likely use that to get her attention initially. Opt for a simple word like “Come” or “Here.” Say the cue just as she looks up after finishing a treat, and then click as she moves toward you.
- Increase Distance: Progress to calling your cat from different rooms or even when you are out of her sight. When she finds you, click and reward her.
- Fade the Marker: Once your cat reliably comes to you from various locations on cue, you can begin to phase out the clicker. Simply reward her with a treat, praise, or play whenever she responds to the verbal cue.
Trick 2: Sit and Sit Pretty
The “sit” command is a foundational trick that can lead to more advanced behaviors.
- Teaching “Sit”: Sit on the floor with your cat, or place her on a slightly elevated surface if that’s more comfortable for you. Hold a treat near her nose and slowly move it over her head towards her tail. As her head follows the treat upwards, she will naturally lower her rear end to sit. The moment her hindquarters touch the floor or surface, click and give her the treat, accompanied by praise. Keep these initial sessions short (just a few repetitions) to prevent boredom.
- Fading the Lure: Once your cat reliably sits when you use the verbal cue “Sit” and the hand motion, gradually reduce your reliance on the treat lure. Eventually, you should be able to cue “Sit” with just your voice.
- Teaching “Sit Pretty”: With your cat in a sit position, hold the treat slightly higher over her head than you did for the basic sit. This encourages her to lift her front paws off the ground and balance on her hind legs. As she achieves this “sit pretty” posture, say “Pretty,” click, and reward her. Again, keep these sessions brief.
Trick 3: High Five
This impressive trick is surprisingly easy to teach once your cat has mastered a basic “sit.”
- Paw Touch: Ensure you and your cat are at a similar eye level. Hold a treat in your hand, palm down, at her shoulder height. Wait for her to reach out a paw to touch your hand in an attempt to get the treat. The moment her paw touches your hand, click and give her the treat.
- No Treat in Hand: Once she consistently touches your hand for the treat, start holding the treat in your other hand. Offer your empty hand (where the treat was) at shoulder level. When she touches it with her paw, click and immediately give her the reward from your other hand.
- Introduce the Cue: When she reliably touches your empty hand, begin to offer your hand in a “high five” position (palm up). As she touches your palm, say your chosen cue, such as “High five!” Click and reward her. Gradually, you can phase out the clicker and simply reinforce the behavior with praise and treats when she responds to the verbal cue.
Key Training Tips for Success
- Keep Sessions Short and Sweet: Limit each training session to four to six repetitions of a trick. Two to three short sessions per day are far more effective than one long, potentially overwhelming session.
- Positive Reinforcement Only: Always use positive reinforcement. Never punish or scold your cat for incorrect attempts or lack of engagement. If she performs the trick incorrectly, simply ignore it and try again later. If she walks away, consider the session over and try again at another time.
- Patience is Paramount: Understand that every cat learns at their own pace. Some cats will master tricks in just a few sessions, while others may take much longer. Allow your cat the space and time she needs to learn without pressure.
- Enjoy the Process: View these training sessions as valuable bonding and playtime with your cat. The tricks themselves are a bonus; the primary goal is to strengthen your relationship. When you focus on enjoying the time together, both you and your cat will have a positive and rewarding experience, regardless of the outcome of each session.
This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.
