Cats Can Learn Tricks, Too: Watch Misty Flawlessly Perform a Set of Feats in Viral TikTok

Chad Taylor
·2 min read
3
man teaching tabby cat to sit on his hind legs
man teaching tabby cat to sit on his hind legs

Courtesy of holly.gittins / TikTok

Dogs might hog the spotlight when it comes to pet tricks, but our cats may be every bit as inclined to learn a few fun feats. Plus, you may find it to be a rewarding bonding experience—just like this cat-and-brother team!

For proof, allow me to direct your attention to TikTok user Holly, @holly.gittins, and her absolute legend of a brother Luke, who one day looked at the family's cat, Misty, and thought, "I can make her better." And that's precisely what he did folks because, as the video shows, their adorable kitty now knows how to sit, spin, speak, and play dead.

I honestly don't know which is better: how into it Misty is as she goes through her tricks, or the look of total (and well deserved) pride on Luke's face at the end of the successful demonstration, which was posted back in September. The video has amassed more than 25.1 million views since then.

Cat training has a few subtle differences to training dogs, but the basics stay pretty much the same: positive reinforcement, patience, and repetition.

"The key to training any pet is to understand what motivates that pet," says Jenna Stregowski, RVT and Daily Paws' pet health and behavior editor. "Dogs are stereotypically food-motivated and eager to please. Cats are often food motivated, but they may be pickier about the reward."

RELATED: Austrian Cat Breaks World Record for Most Tricks in 60 Seconds

Cats are also more likely to work smarter rather than harder, and have been shown to buck the trend when it comes to willingness to work for food. This makes it even more important to make sure your cat is mentally engaged in the learning process, instead of expecting the treat to do all the heavy lifting for you.

Evidence? Another TikTok Holly posted three days after the original video. Instead of trying to learn backflips, Misty is skipping the exercise and going straight for the cat treats. She's a smart cat with no time for a middleman.

Want to try this at home on your own? Just be patient, gentle in your approach, and don't be surprised if your cat tries to turn on the charm for a few extra treats along the way.