You may think cats are impossible to train, but you are only half right. While some cats prefer to live their lives free of obligations or chores of any kind, others like a little challenge – especially when it comes to treats.
If your cat falls into the latter category – and most cats do – there are a few tricks you can definitely teach her to do. As Robert Dollwet and his world record cat Didga prove in the video below, Cats can do a variety of them, from simply shaking hands to skateboarding:
In addition to some serious cat trick inspiration, this video has lots of great tips on the basics of cat training. If you want to teach your cat how to do cool things, you need to know this.
The basics of cat training
Raising a cat is a lot like train a dog– Above all, you need to be consistent and positive. Use these pointers to get the most out of your workouts:
- Be patient: Don’t try to teach your cat the whole trick at once – you’ll both get frustrated. Instead, break it down into small steps and work your way up.
- Make it worth it for your cat: Use really good treats as a reward. Wet food, canned or freeze-dried fish or those nasty little meat tubes works well for most cats. Unless yours is particularly food-motivated, having extra pets or playing time with a special toy could be a better motivator.
- Get a clicker: A mechanical clicker teaches your cat to expect a reward when they hear a certain sound. If they get a trick right, click the clicker, treat them to a treat, and praise them. Cat School on YouTube has a good video clicker training to get you started.
- Reward, not punish: Whether treats or toys, only give your cat its special reward during training so that it can associate a positive experience with a certain action. And never lose your temper – punishment will get you nowhere.
- Slow down: You may want to spend just five minutes a day exercising to keep your cat’s attention from wandering. Yes, that means it can take your cat months to master a trick. Limit your training sessions to a maximum of 15 minutes in order not to tire yourself.
- Be committed: The training process will take time and patience, so be ready to persevere if you are to be successful.
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Remember, you and your cat should enjoy exercising. If it feels like a chore or an impossible logic puzzle, take a step back and reconsider your strategy.
Tricks To Teach Your Cat
If you’re not sure what to teach your cat, here are some popular options to get started. (Work on tricks one at a time so your cat can master them completely before moving on to something else.)
- Harness and leash: Get your indoor cat used to a harness and leash so you can take him outside to explore.
- shake: Teach your cat to “shake” your hand.
- Name recognition: Teaching your cat to come when called is especially useful when slipping through an open door or window.
- Jump through a hoop: You can also replace the tire with your circled arms.
Every cat is different, but in general, the more motivated it is with food, toys, and / or affection the easier it is to train it. (Exercise is an especially good hobby for those of us with active, chaotic cats.) But some cats don’t really care about rewards of any kind, which makes training very difficult. You know your cat best – don’t be afraid to give up if your cat needs more time and patience than you are willing to give.
This article was originally published on September 27, 2017 and was updated on June 4, 2021 with new links, updated information, and a new header photo. It has also been edited to reflect Lifehacker’s current style guidelines.
