If your cat is indoor/outdoor, it will be helpful to call her to come back inside. [2] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source Calling your cat is also beneficial when it is time to leave the house for her veterinary appointment. [3] X Research source Your cat may not view a trip to the veterinarian as a pleasant experience, so you may need to allow some extra time to get her come to you when it’s time to leave for her appointment. Because cats are naturally intelligent, teaching your cat to come to you when she is called is a great mental exercise for her. [4] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source

Keep multiple treats on hand. When you reward her, you can vary which food you reward her with so that she does not come to expect the same reward each time. [7] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source Catnip is not a good reward. Your cat’s desire for catnip would likely diminish if she receives it more than once a week, so it would be best to select a food treat that will consistently entice her. Whichever food reward you choose, use it only when you call her. It is preferable for your cat to associate that tasty reward with responding to your call and no other commands or verbal cues. [8] X Research source Playtime can also be an enticing reward. [9] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source

You can also use various tones of voice. Cats typically respond to a high-pitched tone of voice, since their prey usually makes high-pitched sounds in the wild. If you are not the only person in the house who would be calling your cat, make sure that everyone uses the same verbal cue and tone to call her. If your cat is deaf or hard of hearing, you will need to use some different methods to get her attention, such as visual cues– flicking a light on and off or using a laser pointer (available at your local pet store). Deaf or hearing-impaired cats also respond to vibrations in the floor, so you can thump or stomp of the floor to call your cat. [12] X Research source [13] X Research source

Another benefit to calling her at her regular feeding time is that she will already know what time to get her food. This will make the initial training easier because you will not be doing something that is completely unfamiliar to her. If you choose to reward with her extra play, then you can practice calling her when it’s getting close to her scheduled playtime. [15] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source If the kitchen and her play areas have a lot of distractions, consider calling your cat in a quiet room that doesn’t have any distractions that could keep her from coming to you. [16] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source

Reward her immediately when she comes to you, whether that is with the tasty treat or extra playtime. [18] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source Extra positive reinforcement through petting and verbal praise will also be helpful. Even if you are calling her at mealtime, it is still important to give her the tasty treat as a reward, rather than just feeding her the regular food. If you are calling her around playtime, say the verbal cue without shaking a toy that makes noise. It may take her a week or so before she starts to consistently come to you when you call her. [19] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source

If your cat is indoor/outdoor, you can also practice calling her back inside when she is outside. [21] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source This would be more practical when she is a relatively close distance to the house where she could hear you. Practice calling her from each of the rooms in your house. Eventually, she will learn how to come to you from wherever she is in your house. [22] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source