There are lots of reasons you might want to teach your cat to sit, whether it’s so she’ll stop scratching the furniture or so you can grab her collar during an emergency evacuation. Here I am going to tell you how to train your cat to sit down. Teaching a cat to sit can be easier than you think, especially if you use these seven easy steps to show the cat how it’s done.
1) Get The Right Tools
You’ll need a few supplies before you get started, including a clicker and some treats. A clicker is a small, hand-held device that makes a noise when you press it. The sound is unique and attention-grabbing for your cat, which will help her associate the noise with the desired behavior. As for treats, choose something your cat loves and is willing to work for.
2) Hold Cat Close
The first step is to hold your cat close to you. You want it to be comfortable and not too far away from you. Put your hand on its back and give it a gentle push down. As it starts to sit, say the word “sit” in a firm, yet gentle voice. Reward them with a treat as soon as they are in the sitting position.
Praise them for good behavior, then release them from your grasp. Repeat this process every day until they learn how to stay seated when told to do so.
3) Do Short Sessions
Training sessions should be short, no more than five or ten minutes at a time. This is especially important with cats, who have shorter attention spans than dogs. Break the task into smaller goals, and praise your cat lavishly when it achieves them. To speed up the process, consider getting a toy or food that can be used as an incentive for when it does what you want them to do.
For example, if you want your cat to stay on the sofa while you vacuum, start by having it sit on the sofa for just one minute. Once it is able to do that without moving around too much, increase the time to two minutes. Reward it with treats or verbal praise as soon as it completes each step of the process – even if it takes weeks of training before it can finish the whole process.
4) Praise With Treats
The first step is to find a treat your cat really loves. Once you have their attention, hold the treat close to their nose and say “sit”. As they start to sit, give them the treat. It may take a few tries for them to catch on, but eventually, they will start sitting when they hear the word “sit”.
Be sure to praise them each time they do it correctly!
5) Give Cues
- Put your cat in a sitting position and give it a treat when it stays there for a few seconds.
- Once it gets good at that, start adding a verbal cue like “sit and stay” before you give the treat.
- If it starts getting up, put it back in the sitting position and try again.
- With enough practice, your cat will start to associate the verbal cue with the action and stay seated even when you don’t have a treat handy.
- As your cat gets better at following the command, you can start increasing the amount of time they have to stay seated before being rewarded.
6) Stick With It
- It’s important to be consistent when training your cat to sit. If you only give commands every once in a while, your cat won’t understand what you’re trying to teach them. So, make sure you give the command every time you want your cat to sit.
- Start by teaching your cat the command when it is already sitting down. This way, it’ll know exactly what you want it to do. Say the word “sit” in a firm, yet gentle voice.
- Once your cat is sitting, give them a treat as a reward. This will help reinforce the behavior and show your cat that it is doing what you want it to do.
7) Supervise Cats When Outdoors
It’s important to always supervise your cat when it is outdoor. This will help you to train it and keep it safe.
- Get a harness and leash for your cat. You can find these at most pet stores.
- Start by letting your cat get used to the harness and leash indoors. Put the harness on them and let them walk around the house with it on.
- Once they’re comfortable, take them outside for short periods of time, gradually increasing the amount of time they spend outdoors.
- While you’re outside, have your cat practice sitting down on command. Reward it with treats or praise when it does it correctly.
How to Train Your Cat to Sit in Your Lap, on Your Shoulder?
By following the same seven steps you can train your cat to sit on your lap, or on your shoulder, or wherever and whenever you want it to sit.
After following all these steps regularly, you will notice that your cat will start sitting down without causing any trouble.
