Everyone knows that cats are difficult to train, but with a little communication and a little subtlety, even a cat can be taught basic commands. It's a plus if your pet is predisposed to learning.
Give me your paw
To teach your pet this command, place a cat treat in your palm, hold it toward the cat, and say, "Give me your paw!" The cat should place its paw in your palm and receive its reward. If it doesn't, place its paw in your palm. This way, the pet will remember the connection between the actions: placing its paw in your palm and receiving food in return. Each time after a successful performance, in addition to the treat, pet and praise the cat so that the pet understands the connection.
"Come to me"
To teach this command, call your cat by name, adding the command, "Come!" If your cat doesn't come running right away, then go to where you're feeding your pet, call its name, and place the food in its bowl. It's important that your cat isn't full; it's best to do this after a walk or playtime. When your cat approaches the bowl and begins eating, call its name again. Don't forget to praise your cat every time it makes the right decisions regarding this command.
"Bring it"
Some cats will snatch something away just by giving it to their mouth, never to be found. To teach this command, throw a ball or toy and say, "Fetch!" It's a plus if this isn't a separate command, but part of a play session, and the ball or toy is the pet's favorite plaything. In any case, after the command, the cat should bring the ball or toy back to the owner. However, if it carries it away, don't reward it; treats are given only if the command is carried out correctly.
Say meow
You can teach your pet this command. Simply hold your cat's favorite treat in your palm, show it to her so she can smell it, and don't give it right away, only when she says "meow." This way, she'll begin to demand the treat, and at that moment, you should give her the command, "Say meow!" Over time, the command will precede the cat's "meow," and your pet will learn to wait before speaking.
Serve
If your cat likes to stand on its hind legs (some breeds even have a tendency to do so), you can teach it the "Serve" command. To do this, hold the food in your palm, show it to the cat by raising your hand slightly, and say, "Serve!" The cat will rise up on its hind legs. If this doesn't happen, use your other hand to help it lift its front legs slightly. Then reward the cat with a treat, pet it, and praise it.
"Place"
Teaching a cat this command is quite simple. Every pet has a favorite spot in the house—a house or a bed. The sequence of this command is to lure the cat to your spot with its favorite treat, place the treat on its spot, and say, "Place!" The cat should jump there and eat the treat. After a few such training sessions, you can preemptively place the treat in the house or on the bed and give the command again.
The Jump Trick
This trick isn't that difficult to perform. Start by placing a chair or hoop in front of your cat and giving the command, "Up!" Hold a treat in your hand, which will encourage your pet to perform the desired action. If this doesn't happen and your cat avoids the obstacle or doesn't do anything at all, then ensure that the chair or hoop is always in the cat's path (and the treat follows).
This way, mastering the trick will happen more quickly. Once your cat has mastered the hoop confidently, you can raise the hoop a little more with each new training session. This way, your cat will learn to jump through the hoop or onto a chair on command.
The key to training a cat is to avoid tiring it out with long sessions; 3-5 minutes is sufficient. Otherwise, your pet may show their temperament and refuse to obey a command. For successful training, it's important to consider your beloved four-legged friend's mood, so that training will be a joy for both cat and owner.
