A lot of people assume that tricks are something you can only teach a pooch, but the truth is that your cat is also very capable of learning the same things. In fact, a lot of people believe that cats are actually smarter than dogs.
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The only issue is getting your cat to listen to you and follow instruction, but once you’ve got that down, and you know how to reward with treats, then you should be well on your way to teaching your kitty plenty of fun tricks, like these.
Related: How to Litter Box Train Your Cat – We Have The Answers!
1. Sit
This is the most basic command that you can teach your cat. All you need to do is start with the cat’s favorite treat in hand above his or her head, then move your hand back towards the tail. This will encourage your cat to move back into the sitting position. You can repeat the word sit, and offer the reward when the trick is complete.
2. Up
If your cat has mastered the “sit” command, you should be able to move her quite easily into the “up” position. All you need to do is hold the treat high above her head, repeating the word. Once she stands on her hind-legs, offer a delicious treat and some praise
3. Fetch
We often consider fetch to be a game for dogs, but some cats really enjoy playing fetch too! Cats are hunters by nature and they love chasing after toys. The only real trick is getting your kitty to leave the toy so that you can throw it again. Simply throw the toy a short distance in front of you, and once your cat retrieves it, gently go and get it from his mouth and go back to the throw position. Repeat until your cat understands that when you have the toy, you can throw it for him.
4. High Five
This is a really fun trick to teach your kitty. Just like with the sitting trick, simply hold a morsel of food above your cat’s head, and when he or she reaches for it, touch her paw to your hand and say “High five” before giving her the treat.
5. Wave
Similar to high-five, and super cute too, when your cat is in the sitting position, hold a treat above her head. When she reaches out with her paw to grab it, simply say “Wave” and reward her with the treat. You’ll have to repeat this process a lot before your cat starts to associate the word “Wave” with the action, but it’s worth the patience.
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Oops – I’ve always been one of those people who thought you could only teach tricks to dogs. Thanks for opening my eyes to all the tricks cats can learn.
I had no idea cats could do tricks. My mother in law’s cats are old now, so it might be too late, but it will be fun to try.
These are such cute ideas! I have dogs, but I would love to meet and play with a cat who could give high fives!
I really had no idea that you Katrina can’t like that. I have a lot of friends with cats and I think it would be fun to train them to do some of these tricks.
Oops – I’ve always been one of those people who thought you could only teach tricks to dogs. Thanks for opening my eyes to all the tricks cats can learn.
I had no idea cats could do tricks. My mother in law’s cats are old now, so it might be too late, but it will be fun to try.
These are such cute ideas! I have dogs, but I would love to meet and play with a cat who could give high fives!
I though only dogs can do tricks. It’s usually dogs that is more playful. It’s nice that cats can do tricks and play around too.
I never thought of training a cat. Usually they are so independent that you don’t think they’re trainable. I’ll have to try these with mine.
I love these ideas. I have two cats, and they do know how to sit. Sometimes one of them will fetch, but she has to be in the mood.
I have never tried teaching my cats tricks. I think it would be fun to teach them to wave or high five.
I really had no idea that you Katrina can’t like that. I have a lot of friends with cats and I think it would be fun to train them to do some of these tricks.
I though only dogs can do tricks. It’s usually dogs that is more playful. It’s nice that cats can do tricks and play around too.
I never thought of training a cat. Usually they are so independent that you don’t think they’re trainable. I’ll have to try these with mine.
When I went to the state fair there was an animal show where cats were highly trained. I couldn’t believe my eyes how smart they are!
I have both cat and dog currently. I have always identified myself as a cat person and absolutely think that cats are smarter than dogs!
I never really thought about teaching our cats to do tricks! It would be fun to try to get them to do these things. We just adopted two cats but they don’t seem particularly food-driven, so I’ll have to see if I can actually use treats as an incentive.
I love these ideas. I have two cats, and they do know how to sit. Sometimes one of them will fetch, but she has to be in the mood.
I have never tried teaching my cats tricks. I think it would be fun to teach them to wave or high five.
I lvoe the idea of teaching tricks to a cat. My kids want to get a cat so Ill be saving thsi post for sure.
I haven’t thought of teaching any skill to my cat. I should give it a try.
When I went to the state fair there was an animal show where cats were highly trained. I couldn’t believe my eyes how smart they are!
I have both cat and dog currently. I have always identified myself as a cat person and absolutely think that cats are smarter than dogs!
I never really thought about teaching our cats to do tricks! It would be fun to try to get them to do these things. We just adopted two cats but they don’t seem particularly food-driven, so I’ll have to see if I can actually use treats as an incentive.
I lvoe the idea of teaching tricks to a cat. My kids want to get a cat so Ill be saving thsi post for sure.
I never thought to try to train a cat before. We have always had dogs so I am not too familiar with cats. My parents have cats and they love to play fetch with their cats.
I haven’t thought of teaching any skill to my cat. I should give it a try.
I never thought to try to train a cat before. We have always had dogs so I am not too familiar with cats. My parents have cats and they love to play fetch with their cats.
These are great tricks to teach your cat. Cats are very smart and can indeed learn tricks just as well as dogs. I love the idea of teaching the cat to wave and fetch which I would not have thought of for sure. Thanks for sharing these tricks for cats.
These are great tricks to teach your cat. Cats are very smart and can indeed learn tricks just as well as dogs. I love the idea of teaching the cat to wave and fetch which I would not have thought of for sure. Thanks for sharing these tricks for cats.
It would be so much fun to have a cat to train! My kids are dying for a cat but my husband is allergic. So sad!
It would be so much fun to have a cat to train! My kids are dying for a cat but my husband is allergic. So sad!
Interesting post. I have never thought you can train cats to do tricks. I know all they do is to stay cute, and of course, scratch furniture. I am going to try teaching my cats some tricks too.
Awe, I wish this post was around when we had cats! Don’t get me wrong, our cats were great, but this would have been so much fun to do with them.
Interesting post. I have never thought you can train cats to do tricks. I know all they do is to stay cute, and of course, scratch furniture. I am going to try teaching my cats some tricks too.
Awe, I wish this post was around when we had cats! Don’t get me wrong, our cats were great, but this would have been so much fun to do with them.
I only had my baby rescue cat for a year when I lost a leg and ended up in a wheelchair. Since then, the cat has learned stay, back, and up. She has always loved playing fetch with her toy mice. No treats were needed to teach her any of these commands.