Article Updated January 31, 2024

Tricks aren’t just for dogs! Training your kitten tricks is a great way to help socialize, burn energy, and bond with your cat. And just like dogs, cats are great at picking up tricks to show off.  Before you get started, make sure to have a treat or toy your kitten likes. You’ll also want to set sessions to be around 5 minutes total. Shorter, more frequent sessions will help keep your kitten from getting bored while encouraging learning through repetition. Here are four fun tricks that are sure to keep you and your kitten entertained! 

Sit Up

If your kitten already knows how to sit, “sit up” is an easy kitten trick to teach. If your cat is still struggling with sit, you’ll want to practice that first. You can do so by taking a smelly, interesting treat and placing it over your kitten’s nose. When they show interest, move the treat forward toward their bottom/tail. Your kitten will naturally sit in an attempt to follow the treat. From there, you can praise your kitten and reward them! 

After your kitten is sitting like a pro, you can move on to the next step. Have your kitten sit, and then place the enticing treat in front of their nose again. Then, move the treat upward. Your kitten will hop up a bit as they follow it. If your kitten stands up, have them sit again before retrying.

Once your kitten gets the hang of a trick, you can start adding in a phrase such as “sit up” every time you repeat the process. From there, start asking your kitten to “sit up” first, then treat and praise!

Give Paw

Another easy kitten trick to teach in multiple steps, “give paw” is a great way to get your kitten shaking your hand. Start with your kitten in a sitting position and show them the treat. Then, place the treat under your hand and place it near your kitten’s foot. Most curious kittens will begin to paw at your hand to try and get the treat. Reward them with the treat for this! 

After a few repetitions, place your other hand over the treat-containing one, palm up. When your kitten paws at the hand, immediately give them the treat and praise. Then, start offering only your open hand to them. Every time your kitten shows interest and paws at it, praise and reward. Finally, you can add the phrase “give paw” each time you do a repetition.

Fetch

Fetch is a slightly harder kitten trick to teach, and may only work if you have a cat that is very interested in toys. It’s best to work with a favorite stuffed ball or crinkle toy. Start by associating the toy with treats. Show them the toy, offer a treat, and then gently toss the toy nearby. If your kitten interacts with the toy, offer another treat. Encourage your kitten to continue playing with or picking up the toy. If your kitten picks the toy up in their mouth, praise and “exchange” the toy for another treat. 

Over time, most kittens will learn that bringing you the toy means getting a treat reward. From there, you can work on tossing the toy farther away. Don’t despair, however, if your kitten seems uninterested! This is definitely a trick that comes easier to some than others.

Spin

Last but not least, “spin” is a fun cat trick to show off to your friends — and easy to teach! With your cat standing, take a smelly, interesting treat and place it in front of their nose. Then, move the treat in a clockwise direction, giving your kitten time to follow the treat and move in a circle. Once they’ve completed a full spin, give the treat and some praise.

You can go in many different directions (literally) once your kitten gets the hang of it! Shake things up by teaching your kitten to spin in the other direction or increase the speed they spin. Be sure to start adding in the phrase “spin” once your kitten has the trick figured out.

Tricks are a great way to enrich your kitten’s life while learning some fun new things. Not only do they make great energy and brain busters, but they’re also a fun way to bond with your cat. Remember that all cats learn at a different pace, so it may take several sessions before your kitten gets the hang of a trick. But don’t despair! Calm, gentle repetition will have your cat showing off like a movie star in no time.

Interested in practicing more kitten training with your cat? Check out our post on clicker training! Or, visit the Video Tutorial section for a detailed video on the process.