Anyone Taught Their Cats To High Five?

saleri · Nov 1, 2018

So my two cats are consistently sitting when I tell them to that I want to move onto the next thing. Which is high five when I say so. I've watched videos on it and get the general idea. Of playing around with these two on it I have some questions for those that have taught their cats to high five.

I
I give temptations as treats for the cats, and they get very excited. So on my left hand I hold 5-10 temptations and on the right hand I give the treat as well as use to hold their paw.

I simply say high five, then hold one of their paws, I usually rotate it every time, and then give them a treat.

The thing is they get so excited for the treat that they go for my right hand at all times, and when I go to hold their paw they both lunge for the hand wanting a treat from it.

Should I change what I hold? Any other thoughts?

pipperoo · Nov 1, 2018

I've taught my cat to sit, high-five, shake a paw, patty-cake and kiss!
It sounds like you are doing everything right. My cat gets very excited by the treats too, so I really have to make sure that they are out of sight/sniffing range, which is hard!!
I would try to hold only one treat at a time, hidden in my left hand (or under my thigh if i'm sitting cross legged, or somewhere I could have quick access). I would give the command "high five", hold my right palm up, and I would hold her right leg with my left hand, and bring it up so that her paw pads touched my palm. Everytime they touched I would repeat "high five", then a treat.

Now I simply say "high-five" and hold up my palm. I am not sure if this is a thing, but my cat seems to be a bit more responsive to physical signals vs. verbal commands. So even though I say "kiss", I smooch my lips and that kind of does the trick. She gives me a little kiss, then a head bump. Its very sweet.
I think trying to teach two cats at a time would be a challenge, so I commend you!!!

saleri · Nov 1, 2018

pipperoo said:
I've taught my cat to sit, high-five, shake a paw, patty-cake and kiss!
It sounds like you are doing everything right. My cat gets very excited by the treats too, so I really have to make sure that they are out of sight/sniffing range, which is hard!!
I would try to hold only one treat at a time, hidden in my left hand (or under my thigh if i'm sitting cross legged, or somewhere I could have quick access). I would give the command "high five", hold my right palm up, and I would hold her right leg with my left hand, and bring it up so that her paw pads touched my palm. Everytime they touched I would repeat "high five", then a treat.

Now I simply say "high-five" and hold up my palm. I am not sure if this is a thing, but my cat seems to be a bit more responsive to physical signals vs. verbal commands. So even though I say "kiss", I smooch my lips and that kind of does the trick. She gives me a little kiss, then a head bump. Its very sweet.
I think trying to teach two cats at a time would be a challenge, so I commend you!!!

Okay got it. And I train them separately! Couldn't imagine doing both at the same time. Okay thanks!

danteshuman · Nov 1, 2018

How old do kittens have to be to learn high five? I got some minions I need to get adopted out in a month or so. Can a 7 week old kitten learn it? Or should I just focus on sit? (My resident cats know sit.)

Diana Faye · Nov 1, 2018

I started to teach one of my kittens to sit and high five. Then I got a 2nd one and it was just a disorganized mess, with the 2nd looking everywhere but at me (one eye doesn't help) and the other frantically "high fiving" and swiping treats.

When it was just one, I would hold the treat between thumb and pointer, with other fingers outstretched (like "OK" hand gesture). I'd hold it just out of reach repeating "high five," until he reached for my hand, and quickly gave it to him. For sit, I brought the treat closer to his face and a little over his head. This was my first time trying it and he took to it quickly, however he is also very quick to pick up "no," "get off the curtains," and "get off the table." The other one.... not so much hahaha.

For now, we're just working on "come" and "please for the love of god get off the table and stop trying to eat that plant!"

saleri · Nov 2, 2018

danteshuman said:
How old do kittens have to be to learn high five? I got some minions I need to get adopted out in a month or so. Can a 7 week old kitten learn it? Or should I just focus on sit? (My resident cats know sit.)

I would be really surprised, I imagine a kitten that young will have too much energy to stay around and focus.

m3rma1d · Dec 25, 2018

I've been in the process of teaching my 3 year old boy over the last month or so... Here he is doing it without a treat for one of the first times ever today:

And here's one with a treat because someone on Facebook wondered how the heck I taught him, and it was easier to just do a video demo than type it all up haha

He's the only one out of my 3 that I think can learn it... My 14 year old Geneva is an anxious mess and wouldn't be able to focus, and my 6 year old Talullah is waaaay too food obsessed to be able to focus. In fact when she hears me say "high five" she comes running because she knows it means treats for Alasdair which means treats to keep her occupied. :flail:

jcat · Dec 25, 2018

I used a clicker and treats to teach Mowgli to sit, (jump) up, down, and then "paw" (shake). The latter was easy because reaching out with his paw for a treat held just out of reach was natural behavior. "High five" was a cinch after he was consistently giving me his "paw" on command. All I had to do was hold my palm just above his eye level and repeat "high five" and click when he touched it so he knew that was the proper command.

You don't have to use a clicker - clicking with your tongue works, too.

danteshuman · Dec 25, 2018

I taught the kittens up or high ten. They sit up on their back paws and gently reach up to touch my fingers holding the treat with both paws (or sometimes one paw.) Really they just tap my fingers. The black kitten I was worried about I'm keeping. I now just say up instead of high five. I will work on sit next.

Anyone Taught Their Cats To High Five?

saleri

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pipperoo

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saleri

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danteshuman

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Diana Faye

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saleri

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m3rma1d

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jcat

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