How to teach your cat to run through a tunnel
Your cat runs through a tunnel on cue, starting short and scrunched, building to a full or curved tunnel.
- Difficulty
- Some practice
- Session
- 3 min
- To learn
- 5-10 sessions
You'll need
- clicker or a word like “yes”
- small soft treats
- target stick
- open-mesh collapsible tunnel or box tunnel
- a helper (optional)
Why it matters
Tunnels are easy and much loved, so they build confidence early. An open-mesh tunnel about 1.5 m long lets your cat see out and not hide inside.
Before you start
Play with a wand toy a few minutes, then train before a meal. Warm up with a hand target and one easy obstacle. Quiet room, doors closed, non-slip mats down.
Step by step
Scrunch it short
Squash the tunnel to 30 to 40 cm long. Drop a treat just inside the entrance. Click as your cat reaches in.
Move on when: Puts head in 5 times
Tip: Let your cat sniff the outside first.
Treat at three points
Tap a treat at the entrance, middle and exit. Click each point your cat reaches.
Move on when: Walks all the way through 8 out of 10 tries
Tip: Look through the far end so your cat sees your face and the target.
Target out the far end
Hold the target stick at the exit. Click as your cat comes out, treat on the far side.
Move on when: Comes through to the target 8 out of 10 tries
Tip: A helper may gently hold your cat at the entrance if it likes; never push.
Both ways
Repeat from the other end.
Move on when: Through from both ends 8 out of 10 tries
Tip: Toss the treat away from the exit to reset.
Stretch it
Lengthen the tunnel by 20 to 30 cm at a time until it is full length.
Move on when: Runs a full-length tunnel 4 out of 5 times
Tip: Go back to short if your cat pauses inside.
Add cue and curve
Say "Tunnel" and point into the entrance, then lead with the toy at the exit. Bend the tunnel into a gentle curve once straight is easy.
Move on when: Runs a curved tunnel on cue 4 out of 5 times
Tip: Fade the target to a point.
The cue
- Say
- “Tunnel”
- Hand signal
- Forward push of the open hand towards the entrance
If it isn't working
- Stops in the middle and settles
- Shorten the tunnel. Open mesh or windows make hiding less tempting. Reward at the exit with something better than a cosy tunnel.
- Goes round the outside
- Put the tunnel against a wall with a box on the other side so the entrance is the easy way. Shorten it.
- Scared of the rustle
- Leave the tunnel out flat for days with treats inside. Use a quieter box tunnel first.
Safety
Safety- Never push, pull or carry your cat on; if it won't go, make it easier.
- Weigh the tunnel down with sandbags or books outside the frame; it must not roll.
- Never chase or block the exit; your cat must always have a way out.
Mastered when
Runs a full-length curved tunnel on cue from either end, 4 out of 5 times
Video check: Film 3 cued tunnel runs, including at least one from each end
Variations
- Two tunnels in a row
- Tunnel then straight onto a jump
- Tunnel with a sharp U bend
Teach this first
Learn next
Sources
- Agility training for your cat (Cat Fanciers' Association)
- Agility obstacles (International Cat Agility Tournaments)
- Agility for cats: a cat behavior consultant answers what, why and how (Pet Professional Guild)
- Cat agility at home (Pam Johnson-Bennett, Cat Behavior Associates)
Written from these sources and checked against vet and trainer guidance. General guidance, not veterinary advice.
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