Teach Your Cat to Spin: It’s Easy and Fun!

By Tonia Whilden

Move over Rover. Dogs aren’t the only tricksters in the house. Cats excel at learning tricks as well. Cats are HIGHLY intelligent animals. If you ask a cat, they will say they are more intelligent than their canine friends. Learning tricks is excellent mental stimulation for cats and it strengthens your bond. It’s also great to show off at social gatherings to impress your friends!

How to teach a cat to spin

Always use positive training methods when teaching tricks. Typically, food works best for most cats. If your cat doesn’t like food, use a favorite toy, or petting.
If using food, use their favorite treat (freeze dried treats work well), you can also use wet food on a spoon.
The best time to start is right before mealtime so they are hungry.
Get your cat’s attention with a treat. Holding a treat at their eye level, slowly move the treat around to the side of your cat toward their hind legs
Your cat will follow the treat, turning around in a circle. After your cat completes a full spin. Then, reward them with a treat and praise.
Repeat this 3-5 times. Once your cat consistently completes the circle, add in the command “spin.”
Now it’s time to remove the treat from the equation. Keep the treats nearby, or in your other hand. Do the same hand motion, this time without the treat and add in the command.
Repeat this process until your cat learns to spin after hearing the command.
Short training sessions are best for most cats. It’s best to stop before your cat gets bored or full.
Repetition is the key to your cat reliably performing this trick. Practice 3 times per day for a week.

Once your cat learns this trick you will both be hooked! You can teach them more tricks using the same basic technique. First lure with treat, then start saying the command, then fade out the treat and use a hand gesture. It’s as easy as that!

Some other fun and easy tricks: