Cats are intelligent animals that can be trained! If you find the right way to work with them, you can teach them wonders. Training your cat will help them be more social, less anxious and overall more content. Here is your “How to train a cat” guide with a few tips to get you started on the journey.
1. Come when called
Youtube user Howcast provided an excellent video on How to Train a Cat to Come When Called. They advise attracting your cat with a bag of their favorite treats as you’re calling their name. Then you should reward them when they come to you. Soon they will make the connection between their name and the tasty reward. Once they’ve progressed, you can start replacing the treats with praises and encouraging head scratches.
2. Sit
When teaching the cat to sit, you may want to include a hand signal as you give the verbal command. Stand in front of your cat with your treat and clicker, say “sit” in a calm and steady voice and hold your hand vertically in a stop sign. Every time your cat sits down when you do this, reward them with the treat and click the clicker.
3. High five
Teaching your cat to give you a high five is a lot simpler than it seems. Start encouraging their paw movements but treating them every time their paw moves off the ground. Then, wrap the treat in your fist and wait for them to try and grab it with their paw. When they do this, reward them. Gradually start lifting your hand higher and higher. Every time they touch your hand with their paw, reward them. Don’t forget to use the verbal command and say “hive five” or “shake paw” as you train them. Your kitty will soon learn that they should give you a high five whenever you extend your hand and say the magic word!
4. Other pawesome tricks
The list of amazing tricks your furry friend can learn is endless. You could teach them to ring a bell, lay down, roll over, swim, dance or jump. All you need is a cat, an idea, lots of patience, consistency and love! For some inspiration we dug out a few of Internet’s favorite cat sensations:
a) Catmantoo is a dog and cat trainer winning the internet over with his two amazing furry balls – Didga and Boomer. “Who say’s cats can’t learn… Didga, adopted from the shelter (and Boomer) are going to help me show that cats are smart and teachable as long as you use a specific positive ‘methodology’ (similar to the way marine animals are taught.)” – explains Robert aka Catmantoo. And his channel truly proves the point. The things Didga and Boomer can do are mind-blowing! They skateboard, swim, do trust falls, jump, kiss and, of course, like all cats, reward their hooman with some fursome mischief.
b) Kaiser the Amazing Bengal. We absolutely loved the YouTube video posted by NanaBorderCollie where Kaiser gives an outstanding performance competing against a Border Collie dog in a trick contest. This cat has mastered some really advanced tricks!
c) Kitty the cat. This cat can do numerous very advanced tricks. YouTuber Jacob Hollingsworth posted this amazing video of Kitty doing 20+ tricks.
d) The Savitsky cats are a Ukrainian group of cats who recently competed at the America’s Got Talent competition. They blew the judges away with their fursome tricks in this performance!