How to teach your cat to find a treat under a cup
Your cat finds which of three upside-down cups hides a treat and shows you with a nose or paw touch.
- Difficulty
- Some practice
- Session
- 3 min
- To learn
- 5-10 sessions
You'll need
- 3 identical opaque plastic cups
- strong-smelling soft treats
- clicker or a word like “yes”
Why it matters
A scent game that uses your cat's nose and brain, not its joints, so it suits every age. It is also the base for scent discrimination games.
Before you start
Play a few minutes first, train in a quiet room before a meal. Have 30 to 50 tiny treats and a marker plan ready. Warm up with one easy trick.
Step by step
One cup, watched
Let your cat watch you put a treat under one cup. Click any sniff or paw on it, then lift the cup.
Move on when: Touches the cup 8 out of 10 tries
Tip: Lift it fast so the reward is the treat underneath.
Add the indication
Wait for a paw or nose touch before you lift.
Move on when: Clear touch before you lift, 8 out of 10 tries
Tip: Pick one: paw or nose. Paw is easier to see on video.
Two cups
Add an empty cup 20 cm away. Swap sides at random.
Move on when: Picks the right cup 8 out of 10 tries
Tip: If it picks wrong, lift the empty cup calmly, then try again.
Three cups
Add a third cup.
Move on when: Right cup 7 out of 10 tries
Tip: With every cup scented, your cat must smell from underneath.
Hide out of sight
Hide the treat while your cat cannot see, then bring it in.
Move on when: Right cup 7 out of 10 tries
Tip: Now it is a true nose game.
Add the cue
Say "Find it" as you put the cups down.
Move on when: Searches on cue
Tip: Say the cue once, then stay quiet while your cat searches.
The cue
- Say
- “Find it”
- Hand signal
- Open hand gestures over the cups
If it isn't working
- Knocks all the cups over
- Use heavier cups, or let it; then reward only a single paw touch before you lift.
- Guesses
- Go back to two cups and wider spacing. Use smellier treats.
- Loses interest
- Fewer reps; always end on a find.
Safety
Safety- Use cups your cat cannot get its head stuck in.
- Count treats in daily food.
Mastered when
Finds the treat under 1 of 3 cups, hidden out of sight, 7 out of 10 times
Video check: Film 5 searches in a row with cups shuffled out of view
Variations
- Shell game: slide the cups around in view
- Muffin tin with tennis balls
Teach this first
Learn next
Sources
- Click and laugh: fun cat tricks (Karen Pryor, clickertraining.com)
- Positive Reinforcement Training Educational Toolkit (FelineVMA)
- 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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