How to teach your cat to give a kiss (nose boop)
Your cat touches its nose to your cheek, chin or finger for a gentle 'kiss'; great for photos.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Session
- 3 min
- To learn
- 4-8 sessions
You'll need
- clicker or soft verbal marker
- small soft treats
Why it matters
Kiss moves the nose target onto your face, helping your cat feel easy with close contact and giving you a sweet greeting.
Before you start
Play with a wand toy, then train before a meal. Have 10 to 15 pea-sized treats ready. Use a soft word if a clicker startles your cat.
Step by step
Finger boop
Hold one finger 5 cm from your cat's nose. Mark and treat the nose touch.
Move on when: Touches the finger 8 out of 10 tries
Tip: This is your nose target with a finger instead of a stick.
Finger near your face
Hold the finger beside your cheek. Lean in so your cat is at the right height (cat on a sofa or table). Mark the touch.
Move on when: Touches the finger at your cheek 8 out of 10 tries
Tip: Keep your face relaxed and still. Do not lunge in.
Cheek only
Lower your finger away just as your cat reaches, so the nose lands on your cheek. Mark and treat.
Move on when: Nose lands on your cheek 6 out of 10 tries
Tip: No treat smell on your cheek is needed; patience works.
Add the cue
Say "Kiss" and tilt your cheek toward your cat. Mark the boop.
Move on when: Kisses on cue 4 out of 5 times
Tip: Treat from your hand, low and away from your face.
The cue
- Say
- “Kiss”
- Hand signal
- Tilt your cheek toward the cat and tap it once with a finger
If it isn't working
- Bites or licks the nose
- Mark faster, at first contact. Hand the treat away from your face.
- Backs away when you lean in
- Let your cat come to you. Sit still and hold the finger target where it can reach.
- Taps with a paw
- Hold your hands low and mark only nose contact. Practise paw tricks in a different session.
Safety
Safety- Teach only relaxed, friendly cats; never put your face near a tense or growling cat.
- Teach children to offer a finger, not a face.
Mastered when
Kisses your cheek on cue in 2 places, 4 out of 5 times
Video check: Film 3 cued kisses in a row
Variations
- Kiss a family member's hand
- Kiss a stuffed toy
- Boop a doorbell button
Teach this first
Learn next
Sources
- Click and laugh: fun cat tricks (Karen Pryor, clickertraining.com)
- Tips for clicker training your cat (Cats Protection)
Written from these sources and checked against vet and trainer guidance. General guidance, not veterinary advice.
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