3 Easy Tricks to Teach Your Cat

 She will most likely stop and sit. When her rear end touches the floor or surface, click and then give her the treat.  Tell her what a good cat she is! Repeat this a few times before ending the session. Sit training is a little more tedious for cats than coming when called, so keep sessions brief. When your cat consistently sits on the verbal cue, fade the click and simply reward her for a job well done.

Once your cat learns how to sit, sitting up, or sit pretty, is just a matter of raising the treat high enough over her head so that she has to sit on her hind legs to reach it. When she is already in a sit, say “Pretty,” as you offer the treat up high, click and give the treat when she accomplishes the trick. Again, keep sessions brief.

High Five

High five looks impressive, but it is actually an easy trick. As in teaching Sit, make sure you and your cat are on a similar eye level. Hold a treat in front of your cat at her shoulder level.  When she reaches out her paw and touches the hand holding the treat, click and then give her the treat. Eventually she will understand she must touch your hand before getting the treat. At that point, stop holding the treat in the hand you are offering her, and when she touches your hand,

 click and give he the treat with the other hand. When she is consistent with that, start offering your hand in the palm up (high five) position and give the verbal cue “High five!” When she touches your palm, click and give the reward. Eventually, as with the other tricks, you will be able to wean her off the clicker and just reinforce her for responding the cue.

A Few Tips

Repeat each trick only four to six times for each session. Doing brief sessions two or three times a day is much better than a longer session that leaves your cat bored.

Use positive reinforcement only with your cat. Never get mad or punish her for doing a trick improperly or not doing it at all. Ignore it when your cat does the trick incorrectly and try again. If she walks off, she has decided the session is over, so try again later or the next day.

Be patient. Some cats pick up tricks in a few sessions. Others take a much longer time. Give your cat space to learn in her own time, not yours.

Enjoy the journey as much as the results. Consider these sessions time to bond and play with your cat. That should be an end in itself. The tricks learned are a bonus. That way, both you and your cat will come away happy every time the two of you do a session, no matter how it goes.