Cats are some of the most amazing, intelligent animals on earth. They're also some of the most stubborn. But that doesn't mean they can't be taught to do tricks on command. With a little patience and a lot of love, your kitty can be a world class performer in no time!

Steps:

1. Arrange training session before cat's regular mealtime. She should be a bit hungry. No need to starve the cat!
2. Have your cat's favorite treat on hand.
3. Show kitty the treat. Let her smell it.
4. Offer your hand that does not have the treat in it by holding it palm up, slightly cupped, in front of kitty's face just above her eye level. In search of the treat, your cat will instinctively put her paw in your hand.
5. Immediately reward with treat and say "Good girl (or boy)!"
6. Repeat three or four more times. Begin again either later that day or the next day.
7. Praise your cat!

Tips:

• Start training before cat's meal.
• Reward with a very, very small amount of food until cat performs trick on command.
• Cats have short attention spans, so don't try for more than 3 to 5 minutes a session.
• Have patience! It may take two days or more for your cat to learn this trick.
• Cats are independent creatures and don't train well. If you start them younger for any sort of training they will learn faster and become more responsive to you.

Warning:

• Avoid forcing the cat to learn a trick. If he's not interested, try again another day.
• Training may be somewhat stressful for your cat. Take your cat's temperament into consideration before attempting.
• Declawed cats have very sensitive paws, especially if they were declawed recently. If your cat is the sort of cat that freaks out if you get anywhere near its paws, you may wish to reconsider teaching it this particular trick.