How to teach your cat simple, but helpful, commands

By David Lessem

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

Cat treats
<br />Food
<br />Clicker
<br />Bell

Teach Your Cat to Sit

Step 1:
Place the cat on a table, or sit down in front of her.
Step 2:
Hold a treat just in front of and slightly above her nose.
Step 3:
Make sure the cat is paying attention to the treat. If she isn't, she might not be hungry. In that case, try again later.
Step 4:
Say "Sit," and raise the treat diagonally toward her until it is over her head.
Step 5:
Watch for the moment the cat sits down. As she follows the treat straight over her head, she will probably sit because it will help her look up at the treat dangling in the air.
Step 6:
Give her the treat the moment she sits down. Praise and pet her.
Step 7:
Do this several times a day for as long as it takes. Eventually, she will sit down when you give the command.

Teach Your Cat to Come

Step 1:
Ring a bell, click a clicker or use some other loud and easily recognizable sound when you are about to give your cat his meal. At the same time, call out "Come Fluffy!" or whatever your cat's name is.
Step 2:
Begin by using fixed meal times and fixed locations. Even if the cat does not come at the sound of his name and the bell, he will soon smell the food, figure out that it is dinner time and come running. In this way, he will learn to associate your command with food.
Step 3:
Start to vary things once your cat is used to coming to dinner at the sound of your command. Try calling him at other times of day, or from other locations. Give him special treats sometimes. Other times, just give your cat his usual food.
Step 4:
Try cutting out the bell once your cat gets used to coming every time you use it and call him. He should still come at the sound of your voice.

Tips & Warnings

As your cat gets better at following a command, stop giving him food every time. Instead, praise and pet him sometimes, and at other times, give him a treat.
<br />Cats are less eager to please than dogs. Sometimes, they just won't cooperate with training. Don't waste your energy fighting with the cat; try again later.

More Puppy Pages

How to Train a Cat Like a Dog

Instructions Things You’ll Need: Cat Treats Cat Food Cat Dishes Cat Toys Plastic and Metal Clicker Step 1: Study your cat's behavior to see what it does naturally, then reinforce that behavior with praise. Whenever action you'd like your cat to...

Instructions Things You’ll Need: Clicker trainer Rat treats Step 1: Sit down on a chair or the floor and spread your legs into a V-shape. Step 2: Place your rat on your left leg and hold a treat in your right hand above your right leg. This way if...

Instructions Step 1: Start simple with the "Come" command. To do this simply say, "Come" when you address them for everyday activities such as giving them their favorite toy or feeding them. Soon they will respond to the word "come" even when there is no...

Instructions Step 1: Learn about the clicker training device. It is just a small hand-held rectangular box with a metal strip that makes a click sound when you push and release it. When you pair it with treats like bits of cheese, hot dog, bread...

How to Use Verbal Markers for Dog Training

Instructions Step 1: Test your dogs response to a clicker before deciding to use it as your reliable marker. Some dogs are frightened by the sound of the clicking noise. If the dog is frightened by the noise he will associate it with a punishment instead...