5 Basic Cat Tricks Even New Pet Owners Can Easily Teach

Cats are known to be independent and sometimes stubborn. Some thought that cats aren't fun to train because it can be hard. But like dog training, cat's can also be trained with easy but fun tricks that I'm sure will increase communication and bond with your precious cats! Training your cat requires lots of patience and repetition, but I assure you, it's worth it! It's also helpful for their mental stimulation and physical exercise (but of course depends on what trick you're teaching them!) Many cats even love training if done properly with patience and rewards!Before you start training your cat, you should consider that dogs and cats are very different! As they often say, dogs are childlike and loves following your commands with just a few kind words, but cats are often described more like teenagers who are more receptive with a pay-to-play basis! Cats will only participate in training tricks if the rewards seem worthwhile to them! But just like a puppy is easier to train than adult dogs, kittens by 4 months old are also easier to teach than adult cats that already got accustomed to a certain routine so a lot of patience will certainly be required for adult cats. Oh, and having a clicker will make some of these tricks a lot easier to teach and for your cats to pick up! Here are some easy tricks that you can try teaching your cats for starters:

Sit is one of the most basic tricks you can teach your cat and one of the most foundational tricks your kitties should learn first to learn other tricks easily. You can also use this trick before you feed them when they frenzy and meow at you too much just to calm them down first before feeding time. 

Follow these easy steps on how to teach sit:

• 01Give treat when your cat sits naturally – Whenever your cat sits naturally, click and give them a reward. Soon you’ll notice your cat is sitting to cue you that they want treats.
• 02Say the "sit" word – Add the word “sit” once you can predict that they're going to sit. Try luring them into position with a target wand or pointing signal. Click and reward as they sit.
• 03Repeat the process –  Eventually, using the clicker and treats, your cat will get the hang of it and even do sit when you told them to sit without the treats or the clicker.

This trick is one that you must teach your cat to sit first. As they sit, this trick will be easy for them to do and pick up.

Follow these easy steps on how to teach down:

• 01Start by putting your at in a "sit" position – This position will make it more easier for them to go down to their belly.
• 02Put a treat in your hand & slowly move it near your cat's paw – The treat will entice them to go down to their belly just to reach the treat.
• 03Add "down" word eventually  –  If they are already getting down to their belly a few times, you can add the word down as you put your hand with the treat on the ground and then click and treat as they successfully do it.
• 04Repeat the process– As you teach them over and over, they will do down eventually without the treat when they mastered it. Just be patient and get them used to the position and the command first.

This trick is easy because it comes naturally to most cats when they try to reach your hand, but this time they reach your hand into your palm. Make sure to trim your cats nails just incase they have long nails and might scratch you accidentally if they're too excited with the treat.

Follow these easy steps on how to teach high five:

• 01Put your cat in a sitting position – Yes, this can also work even when they're standing up. But isn't it a lot better to make them start at the easiest position to do the high five which is sit? Eventually they will get the hang of it.
• 02Hold your cat's favorite treat in a closed hand  – This will make them follow and reach for the treat in your hand and as soon as their paw leaves the ground to move towards your hand, mark their action with a clicker or the word ‘yes’, followed by the treat in your hand.
• 03Add the "high five"  word –  Your cat will eventually get used to raising their paw up to your hand. As you predict that gesture, say the word "high five" and then click as they successfully do it and give the treat. 
• 04Repeat the process– Get your cat to raise its paw as high as possible and to touch your open palm as you teach them over and over. The key is to get them used to it and they'll eventually even do it without the treat too!

Now this one's pretty tricky and much easier on cats that are not walking or following you too much. It is because you will command for them to stay at one place at quite a long time as they progress.

Follow these easy steps on how to teach stay:

• 01Start by putting your cat in a sitting position – It will be a lot easier for them to stay and wait if they are in a sitting position.
• 02Click and give the treat as they stay for a certain time – This will be rewarding a cat for doing nothing at a certain time but to sit and wait. 
• 03Repeat the process– Remember to click or use a release word like "okay", “done”, or a praise like good "girl/boy" before giving your cat the treat. You can move farther away little by little and increase the time of stay as they get used to it little by little.

Now this one would be like the continuation of high five but this time, you're going to shake their paws.

Follow these easy steps on how to teach shake:

• 01Start by putting your cat in a sitting position – Just like the other tricks, it's much easier to shake their paw while sitting.
• 02Hold a treat in your closed hand – The treat will entice them to follow your hand and come in contact with your hand or touch it with their paw like high five. But this time, it goes down in your palm. 
• 03Add "shake" word and shake their paw/s  –  When you predict them touching your hand with their paw, say the "shake" word and then shake their paws, clikc and treat.
• 04Repeat the process – As they get used to this, you can eventually remove the trick and do it without the treat. Just be patient with them as they get used to doing the trick.

Always remember that losing your patience and shouting and hitting your cat won't help at all! Perhaps it could make training them a lot harder than before and develop a fear or aggression in them. Just like dogs, a positive response can be helpful for your cat to continue doing what you teach them because they like the rewards and response they get. Always remember to not rush your cat! Your cat will not be trained after one or two sessions. Work with them patiently every day. You can repeat the trick 4-6 times for each session. Always praise them as the steps always emphasizes at the end because this will ensure the success for every trick! The key is to make training a positive experience for them! Your cat must enjoy the process but you also must enjoy too or you'll get frustrated eventually and get tired. When you feel frustrated or impatient, remember to stop and be mindful of your actions especially not shouting and hitting them! (No to animal abuse please!)Training your cat is actually showing love and attention to them and improving your communication with them. Makes it a lot easier for your cat to understand what you want for them to do. Every minute you spend with your cat is a minute they will love! And I'm sure, you'll come to enjoy the activity especially since it's bonding with your fur baby just as much! Enjoy the journey as much as the results!

Feel free to share this with your fellow pet owner friends who wants to learn these easy and adorable tricks! You can also leave a comment down below about your experiences in training your kitties and some tricks you would like to recommend as well, we would also love to read them!