How to teach your cat to spin in a circle
Your cat follows your hand in a full circle and returns facing you. Fun and fast to learn.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Session
- 3 min
- To learn
- 4-8 sessions
You'll need
- clicker or a word like “yes”
- small soft treats
- target stick (optional)
Why it matters
Spin is a fun, energetic trick that warms your cat up and is a good first step into hand signals.
Before you start
Play with a wand toy first. Train in a quiet room before a meal, when your cat is a little hungry. Have 10 to 15 pea-sized soft treats ready.
Step by step
Quarter turn
With your cat standing, hold a treat or target at its nose and move it slowly in a circle to the side at nose height. Click when the head and shoulders turn a quarter.
Move on when: Follows a quarter turn 8 out of 10 tries
Tip: Move slowly, like stirring honey. Fast hands lose the cat.
Half turn
Keep the lure moving until your cat faces the other way. Click.
Move on when: Half turn 8 out of 10 tries
Tip: Work on carpet so paws grip.
Full circle
Carry on round until your cat faces you again. Click and treat at the end.
Move on when: Full circle 8 out of 10 tries
Tip: Give the treat from the front hand so your cat ends facing you.
Empty hand
Do the same circle with an empty hand, then click and treat from your other hand.
Move on when: Spins after an empty hand 4 out of 5 times
Tip: Do three lured, then one empty. Slowly flip the ratio.
Shrink the signal
Make the circle smaller each session until a small loop of your finger above the cat starts the spin. Add "Spin" before the signal.
Move on when: Spins on small circle or word, 4 of 5 times
Tip: Teach only one direction for now. The other way comes later as its own trick.
The cue
- Say
- “Spin”
- Hand signal
- Small circle drawn in the air with one finger above the cat's head
If it isn't working
- Sits down instead of turning
- Keep the lure at nose height, not above the head; high hands ask for a sit. Start with your cat standing.
- Stops halfway
- Mark the half turn for a few tries, then ask for a bit more.
- Gets dizzy or bored after many spins
- Limit to 5 spins per session and mix with other tricks.
Safety
Safety- Practise on a non-slip surface. Hardwood floors can make cats slide.
- Count training treats in daily food to keep your cat at a healthy weight.
Mastered when
Spins on a small finger circle or the word, 4 out of 5 times, in 2 rooms
Video check: Film 3 spins in a row, no food in the signal hand
Variations
- Spin on a stool
- Two spins in a row
- Spin the other way (see Mirror tricks)
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.
Lesson · 3 min
How to teach your cat to sit pretty
From a sit, your cat lifts both front paws off the floor and balances upright on its haunches.
Lesson · 3 min
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.
Lesson · 3 min
How to teach your cat to head bump on cue
Your cat rubs its cheek on your offered hand on cue, turning a natural greeting into a named trick.
