How to teach your cat to lie down

You'll need

• small soft treats or a lickable treat
• marker
• a soft mat or rug

Why it matters

Lying down is a relaxed position and the base for settling on a mat, staying calm at the vet, and grooming your cat's back and sides.

Before you start

Train on something soft and warm, like a rug or blanket. Cats rarely lie down on cold, hard floors. A tired cat after play learns down fastest.

Step by step

1. 1

   Start from a sit

   Ask for a sit. Hold a treat at your cat's nose and move it straight down to the floor, between its front paws, slowly.

   Move on when: Head follows treat to floor, 8 out of 10 times

   Tip: Mark and treat the head going down at first; it is part of the down.

2. 2

   Slide it forward

   Once the nose is at the floor, slowly slide the treat a few centimetres forward along the floor, away from the paws. Most cats will stretch out and lower their elbows. Mark the moment the elbows touch.

   Move on when: Elbows down within 5 seconds, 6 out of 10 times

   Tip: If your cat stands, the treat moved too far or fast; reset and slow down.

3. 3

   Capture downs too

   Throughout the day, when your cat lies down near you, quietly say 'down', mark and place a treat between its paws.

   Move on when: Captured 10 downs over a few days

   Tip: Capturing and luring together often works faster than either alone.

4. 4

   Fade the lure

   Make the same downward hand movement without a treat in that hand. Reward from the other hand.

   Move on when: Lies down for empty-hand signal, 8 out of 10 times

   Tip: Keep your hand low at first, then raise it slowly over many sessions.

5. 5

   Add the word

   Say 'down' once, then give the hand signal. Mark and reward.

   Move on when: Lies down on the word alone, 4 out of 5 times

   Tip: Use a different word from your 'get off the counter' cue; many use 'off'.

6. 6

   Add a short hold

   Wait 1 to 3 seconds in the down before marking. Treat between the paws so your cat stays low.

   Move on when: Holds the down for 3 seconds, 4 out of 5 times

   Tip: Placing treats low keeps your cat lying down; handing them up invites sitting.

The cue

Say

“Down”

Hand signal

Flat palm facing the floor, lowered toward the ground

If it isn't working

Pops up instead of lying down

Move the treat more slowly and less far forward. Reward partial downs, like one elbow, for a while.

Won't lie down anywhere I train

Use a soft blanket and train after a play session when your cat is tired. Capture downs while your cat naps nearby.

Swats at the treat

Use a lickable treat on a low spoon, or a treat under your flat palm on the floor; let your cat sniff while lowering.

Mastered when

Lies down on the verbal cue and holds for 3 seconds, in 2 rooms, 4 out of 5 times

Video check: Film a cued down from a sit, held for 3 seconds, on a rug in a new room.

Variations

• Down on a mat (see Go to your mat).
• Lie on one side, captured during relaxed moments, for grooming.

Teach this first

• How to teach your cat to sit →

Learn next

• How to teach your cat to go to its mat →
• How to teach your cat to settle and relax on cue →