Have you been wanting to do something fun with your cat? Are the two of you tired of the same old games? If so, these fun and easy tricks to teach your cat are perfect for you. Yes, contrary to popular belief, cats can learn tricks just like dogs. While cats may not be the tail-wagging people-pleasers dogs are, they still enjoy a bit of praise, and of course, a tasty treat. Take a look at these easy tricks to teach your cat so you can show off to your family and friends.
The 10 Tricks to Teach Your Cat
1. Sit
One of the most common and useful tricks to teach your cat is to sit. You’ll also find it is one of the easiest tricks to teach your kitty. The sit trick is taught to cats in a similar way as with dogs. Treats and persistence will intrigue your kitty and make them successful.
- Use a treat and hold it close to your kitty’s face.
- Keeping the treat within a few inches of your cat’s face, lift the treat upward then back. Your cat should raise their head at this motion.
- By keeping the treat close to the nose, the cat should react by sitting (the cat could also turn instead. If this happens, try again until sitting happens).
- When you pull your hand back, say “sit”.
- If the cat sits, make sure to give the treat as a reward.
- Practice until your cat can do this without the treat being used as bait.
2. Come
The come command may seem simple, but that’s all according to the cat. If you have a kitty that is a bit naughty and is known for ignoring you, you’ll need to ensure they get a look at the treat reward involved. When you start, be near your cat so they can see what’s going on, then follow these steps.
- Call your cat’s name or use “kitty kitty” if you prefer.
- When the kitty comes to you, give them the reward.
- Your cat will catch on to the idea of receiving a reward when they come. Do this for a bit of time, then try introducing the element of surprise by offering them sometimes no reward, sometimes a huge reward, and sometimes something smaller or some pets.
3. Spin
While sit and come are more practical tricks, spin is a fun one. This trick is easy to learn if your cat can associate the command and the action. Treats should be used in the training process. However, some cats will advance past the treats and will simply follow your finger when performing this trick.
- Get your cat’s attention using a treat.
- Keep the treat at your cat’s eye level then move it in a slow, horizontal circle.
- Go slow so your cat has a chance to follow the treat. If you are too fast with your movements, your kitty will simply turn the other way trying to catch the treat.
- You can use your preferred verbal command while doing this, but “spin” is a great one. After a bit of practice, you can then try to pull your hand back farther to see if your cat can still do the action just by responding to your verbal command.
4. Fist Bump
Fist bumping is a cool trick to teach your cat, especially when you have friends or family around who will get a kick out of seeing it. Teaching this trick takes a bit of buildup. However, if you stay persistent, your kitty should get the hang of it.
- Put a few of your kitty’s favorite treats in a container they can get their mouth into. In most instances, your kitty will paw at the container hoping to get the treats out.
- When your cat touches the container, use a clicker then give your kitty a reward.
- Repeat these actions until your cat is in a routine, then start placing your hand over the container.
- When your cat bumps your hand instead of the container, click and offer them a reward while using the command you choose.
- Eventually, you’ll be able to remove the treat container and your kitty will only be fist-bumping your hand. Soon you’ll be able to show off your trick without hesitation.
5. High Five
Yes, a high five can be a bit like a fist bump, but we all know they are different. You’ll also find that how you teach this trick to your cat is different than a fist bump. Here’s how you do it.
- Get your kitty to sit in front of you (see, sitting can be useful with cats).
- Use a treat your cat enjoys and hold it out in front of you at your cat’s elbow or shoulder height.
- Your cat should reach the paw out to touch the treat. If, by chance, the cat simply moves the nose toward the treat, reset and try again.
- You can prompt your cat by pointing at or touching their paws, but the goal is for the cat to move the paw toward your hand with the treat.
- Reinforce any paw movement. Even if small, you can gradually increase your criteria or the height of the treat.
- When your cat’s paw touches the treat, give the kitty the treat as a reward while saying “high five.”
- Repeat this action until your cat has the hang of it.
6. Speak
Speak is a fun trick to teach your cat, but there can be issues associated with it. Cats can catch on to the fact that they get rewarded for meowing and instead of speaking when spoken to, they’ll try yelling at you simply to get a treat. The key to stopping the misuse of this cool cat trick is to ignore them when they are going overboard and simply yowling for rewards. This will help them learn that they will only get praised or given treats when they answer the command.
- Start by talking to your kitty. When the kitty meows in answer, say your chosen command and give them a treat.
- Repeat this action until your cat begins answering you each time you say the command.
- Only reward your kitty for speaking when they do it following the command.
7. Lie Down
Lie down is a trick that can help your cat learn more feats to amaze the family. Teaching your cat this one is simple if you’ve already taught them to sit.
- Get your cat into the sit command position.
- While having treats in hand, put your hand on the floor at your cat’s front paws.
- Once your cat’s attention is on your hand, slowly move your hand away.
- This should prompt your cat to follow the movement of your hand and lie down (if not, continue until this takes place).
- When your cat completes the lie-down, click if you use a clicker, say the command, and offer your kitty a treat.
8. Roll Over
Roll over is an easy and cute trick to teach your cat. If you have taught your kitty to lie down, you can use this to your advantage. However, it isn’t a necessity. Take a look.
- While your cat is lying down, sit down next to them.
- Use a favorite treat and hold it around an inch from your kitty’s nose.
- Move your hand to entice your cat to incline their head and follow the treat.
- Slowly move your hand so the cat rolls to their side following the treat.
- If the cat succeeds, give them the treat.
- Repeat this process several times until the cat is rolling over quickly to receive the treat. From there you can continue to get the cat to complete the roll over or stick with this action.
9. Hoop Jumping
Most likely, you’ve seen shows where big cats jump through hoops. This cool trick doesn’t have to be only for them, though. House cats can be showstoppers too. This trick can be used for more than just hoop jumping. You can use the same training for other obstacles like cat tunnels.
- Get a hula hoop and hold it out in front of your cat.
- Grab a treat and hold it in front of the hoop.
- Use the come command to get your kitty to walk through the hoop.
- When your kitty succeeds, use the command you prefer then give them the treat reward.
- Practice this for a bit. Once your cat is comfortable with it, you can slowly start to lift the hoop off the ground.
10. Stay
While it may not be a fancy trick, getting a cat to stay is a real accomplishment. Cats aren’t exactly known for doing what we want them to do, are they? If you want to convince your kitty to stay in a particular spot, try this training idea.
- Use “come” and “sit” to get your kitty on a chosen target like a mat or chair.
- To entice them to stay at the target and stay nearby, and continually give them treats while saying “sit.” This will make your cat want to sit on the target.
- Say “stay” and move a little bit away. If your cat does not move, give them the treat.
- Repeat this action until your cat starts to associate the reward with staying in the target, even if you move a little bit.
- Once your cat is staying on target, you can begin putting more distance between the two of you. If your cat stays in place, reward them.
- Once you know they grasped the idea, you can start introducing different spots to place the target each time, then begin moving farther back.
- If you can, start fading away the target by making it gradually smaller until the cat knows what “stay” means independently of having a target.
Conclusion
Yes, teaching your kitty tricks is fun, but it’s also easier than you think. These fun and easy tricks to teach your cat can help with bonding and make your relationship stronger. If you have a cat at home that loves doing new things, get started on these tricks. You’ll both have a great time doing it.
See also:
- Best Cat Treats (Healthy & Tasty) – Reviews & Top Picks
- How to Tell If Cats Are Bonded: Vet-Reviewed Signs to Look For
Featured Image Credit: Andriy Blokhin, Shutterstock
The 10 Tricks to Teach Your Cat
