How to teach your cat to go to its mat

You'll need

• small mat, folded towel or cat bed
• small soft treats
• marker

Why it matters

A station gives your cat a job: go here and good things happen. It replaces problem behaviours: a cat on its mat isn't on the counter, at the door or under your feet. Raised station near kitchen is useful.

Before you start

Choose a mat you can move. Later you'll put it on a stool, by the door, in the car, and at the vet. Keep it for training only at first.

Step by step

1. 1

   Reward any interest

   Put the mat down near your cat. Mark and treat any look at it, then any step toward it, then a paw on it. Place each treat on the mat.

   Move on when: Cat puts a paw on the mat, 5 times in a session

   Tip: Placing treats on the mat makes the mat itself valuable.

2. 2

   All four paws on

   Wait for two paws, then all four. Mark when all four are on and drop 2 or 3 treats, one at a time, onto the mat.

   Move on when: All four paws on, 8 out of 10 times

   Tip: Use the target stick to guide your cat onto the mat if it gets stuck.

3. 3

   Reset and repeat

   After the treats, toss one treat off the mat so your cat steps off. Wait for it to come back on by itself. Mark and treat on the mat.

   Move on when: Returns to mat by itself in 5 seconds, 8 of 10 times

   Tip: The toss-off reset is the heart: it lets your cat choose the mat again.

4. 4

   Sit or lie down

   Wait for a sit or a down once your cat is on the mat. Reward the calmer position more generously.

   Move on when: Sits or lies on mat in 5 seconds, 8 of 10 times

   Tip: If your cat lies down, give a slow stream of treats; relaxing pays most.

5. 5

   Add the cue and distance

   Say 'mat' just as your cat heads for it. Over sessions, send it from 1 metre, then 2, then across the room.

   Move on when: Goes to mat on cue from 2 metres, 4 of 5 times

   Tip: Point at the mat as a hand signal while your cat learns.

6. 6

   Move the mat

   Put the mat on a stool by the kitchen, by the front door, or on a chair. Practise in each new spot.

   Move on when: Goes to the mat in 3 different locations on cue

   Tip: Each new spot needs a few easy reps first.

The cue

Say

“Mat (or Place)”

Hand signal

Point to the mat with an open hand

If it isn't working

Steps on and immediately off

Feed several treats in a row while your cat stays on, then reset. Build value before asking for duration.

Ignores the mat

Try a different texture, such as fleece or a cardboard scratcher pad. Raise it a little on a low stool; many cats prefer height.

Only goes when you're nearby

Add distance slowly, 30 cm at a time. Toss the reset treat further away so your cat practises coming back from a distance.

Mastered when

Goes to the mat from across the room on cue and sits or lies down, in 2 locations, 4 out of 5 times

Video check: Film a send to the mat from 2 metres away, ending in a sit or down.

Variations

• Raised station next to the kitchen counter.
• Mat in the carrier for travel.
• Mat at the vet as a familiar spot.

Teach this first

• Clicker training for cats: how to charge the clicker →
• How to teach your cat to follow a target stick →

Learn next

• How to teach your cat to wait →
• How to teach your cat to settle and relax on cue →
• Counter alternative: a step-by-step lesson for cats →