Tricks For Kittens

Cats have a reputation for being aloof and unwilling to cooperate. The good news for cat lovers who watch in envy as trained dogs show off their tricks is that many cats can learn simple tricks too. Training cats depends on the same basic principles as training dogs:start young, be encouraging, reinforce success and practice frequently.

  1. Sit

    • To train a kitten to sit on command, lift a treat above the kitten's head and give the "sit" command firmly and clearly. In some cases, the kitten naturally sits in response to your upraised hand. In other cases you may need to gently press down on its rear end to give it the idea. As soon as it sits, feed him the treat and encourage it generously. Repeat this process until it associates the command with the action, then work on the trick again each day until the kitten responds consistently.

    Shake

    • Offer the kitten a treat and give the command "shake" while reaching out your own hand a few inches from the kitten's paw. Repeat the command and gesture a few times if the kitten does not initially understand how to respond, then gently reach out and hold the kitten's paw up in a handshake position. Reward the kitten with a treat and encouragement the moment it puts its paw in your hand. A variation of this trick is the "high five," when you raise your hand palm up and the cat slaps it paw in your palm.

    Roll Over

    • Offer the kitten a treat while giving the "roll over" command. Move your hand in a tight loop as you give the command. If you get the kitten's attention with the treat and slowly lead its gaze in a loop, it may simply roll over as it follows the motion of its own head. If not, gently roll the kitten over with one hand and immediately reinforce the action with a treat and encouragement. Keep repeating the process until the cat understands and obeys consistently.

    Jump

    • Hold a treat above the kitten's head and give the "jump" command while lifting the treat with a brisk upward motion. Repeat the command and gesture a few times while trying to use the treat to coax the cat into an upward leap. If the cat does not understand, start by rewarding it as soon as it lifts its front paws off the ground in an attempt to reach the treat. Slowly train it to rise higher and higher before rewarding it until it consistently leaps on command.