How to teach your cat to touch objects with its nose

You'll need

• small soft treats
• marker
• sticky note, bottle cap or plastic lid
• a little tape

Why it matters

A target your cat touches anywhere lets you send it into a carrier, onto a scale, up a shelf, or across the room.

Before you start

Your cat should already touch your hand on cue. Play a few minutes first. Use a target that stands out against your floor.

Step by step

1. 1

   Stick it on your hand

   Put the sticky note on your palm or the flat of two fingers. Present your hand as you do for 'touch'. Mark and treat when the nose touches the note.

   Move on when: Nose touches the note, 8 out of 10 times

   Tip: Your cat already knows the hand, so this is an easy first win.

2. 2

   Slide it to your fingertips

   Over a few sessions, move the note so it sticks out past your fingertips. Mark only touches on the note itself.

   Move on when: Touches the note, not your skin, 8 out of 10 times

   Tip: If your cat touches your finger, mark only when the nose meets paper.

3. 3

   Hold it out

   Hold the note between two fingers, then on a pen or chopstick, so it is clearly separate from your hand.

   Move on when: Touches the held note within 3 seconds, 8 out of 10 times

   Tip: Offer it from the side, at nose height, the way you offer the hand target.

4. 4

   Put it on the floor

   Place the note on the floor 10 cm in front of your cat and take your hand away. Mark the touch and toss the treat a little away so your cat has to come back.

   Move on when: Touches the floor note with no hand nearby, 8/10 times

   Tip: Tossing the treat away resets your cat and keeps the session flowing.

5. 5

   Add distance and new places

   Stick the note on a chair leg, the side of a box, or a low step. Build from 30 cm to 1 metre away. Say 'boop' as your cat heads to it.

   Move on when: Touches the note 1 metre away in 3 places, 4/5 times

   Tip: Change only one thing at a time: a new place or more distance, never both.

6. 6

   Use it for real jobs

   Stick the note inside the carrier door, on the scale, or on a mat. Cue 'boop' and reward at the target.

   Move on when: Touches the note in one useful place on the first cue

   Tip: Keep spare notes in your training pouch so the target is always ready.

The cue

Say

“Boop”

Hand signal

Point to the target, then lower your hand

If it isn't working

Paws the note instead of nose

Mark a fraction earlier as the head moves in. Raise the note slightly so a nose touch beats a paw swipe.

Eats or chews the sticky note

Switch to a bottle cap or plastic lid taped down. Mark the light touch and treat away from the target.

Only touches when your hand is near

Go back a step: hold the note on a long pen, put it down for one try, then pick it up.

Stares at you instead of the target

Make it easier: put the target right in front of the nose for quick wins, then build distance in small jumps.

Mastered when

Goes to the target 1 metre away and touches it on cue in 3 rooms, 4 out of 5 times

Video check: Film yourself sticking the target on a new object and cueing 'boop' from 1 metre. Your cat walks over and touches it 3 times in a row.

Variations

• Teach two different targets (round lid and square note) for two different jobs.
• Use the target to teach a spin by moving it in a circle.

Teach this first

• How to teach your cat to touch your finger with its nose →

Learn next

• How to teach your cat to touch a spot with its paw →
• Carrier love: a step-by-step lesson for cats →
• Step on the scale: a step-by-step lesson for cats →
• How to teach your cat to spin in a circle →