Last Updated: 06/05/2025
Teach Your Cat To Sit
Wondering how to teach your cat to sit? Check out our tips and tricks to make the process easier for everyone from our vet team.
Author: Dr Teagan Lever BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 5 minutes - short read
Posted by
Dr Teagan Lever
When Teagan's not busy sharing her knowledge of all things pets as Pet Circle's resident vet, she is the human companion of two intense English staffies and a three-legged cat named Steve.
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Yes it is possible! With a little patience and the right incentives (usually tasty treats!), most cats are capable of being taught to sit and perform other basic tricks. Spending some time training your feline friends is a great way to keep their mind active and spend some quality time together.
Step 1
Grab a treat and get your cat's attention. Hold it a few centimetres above his head and move it slowly towards his tail. This should encourage him to enter the seated position, as soon as this happens let him eat the treat. Using a clicker immediately as your cat sits will also help communicate to him that this is the exact behaviour you are after. For more information about clicker training, check out Clicker Training 101.
Step 2
Practice, practice, practice. Repeat step one until your cat is consistently sitting when you bring out the treat, start to add the command 'sit' while you are luring your cat into the seated position. Make sure to keep your training sessions to no more than 10 minutes or so to keep your cat from getting bored or frustrated.
Once your cat has learned to sit, there are lots of other tricks you can try including high five, standing on the hind legs and even jumping through hoops. The sky is the limit!
