Shoulder Training Your Cat: The First Steps to Becoming the Best Uber
We often get asked how we trained the cats to sit or stand on our shoulders, and so we wanted to share some of that process with you! Keep in mind that some cats may prefer to stay in the backpack or walk themselves, and holding the weight of a cat on your shoulder can add difficulty to your adventures. Still, it’s hard to resist the urge to become your cat’s personal Uber driver if it means your adventures will go a bit smoother overall.
Just to get started, here are some general tips:
Select a sturdy backpack that has a flatter top
Wear clothes that don’t expose your shoulders (scarves and turtlenecks can also be helpful for first time training)
Make sure to pack treats
Train in quiet areas that aren’t too busy
Allow your cat to explore a bit first and then train
Keep the leash on the same side of your head that the cat is sitting
When your cat is on your shoulders, walk at a steady pace and on even ground
Practice repeatedly!
I’ll provide some further information about these tips at the very end, but here’s a bit of a walk through on how you might get your cat acquainted with your shoulders…
Getting Started
While it may look like Reinhardt is perched on my shoulder, the reality is that half of him is balancing on the backpack I’m wearing. There are times where he is capable of standing on someone’s shoulders if they are broader, but even then he often requires additional help to stay stable.
With this in mind, the first thing you’ll want to do is to ensure your cat is comfortable with your chosen cat backpack. Ideally you select a backpack that maintains its structure under pressure while also having a flatter top to give your cat more space to stand or sit. We currently use this backpack which works quite well but has starting to lose its shape after a few years.
Once you have a suitable backpack that satisfies your cat, you will want to find opportunities to get your cat on top of the backpack while you are wearing it. If you’ve taken your cat out for an adventure, I’d recommend letting them explore a bit first before shifting into training mode. Another thing to note is that this works best for cats who are already comfortable being picked up or held. If that’s not your cat, then you will need to try the second option.
Option 1 - Grab & Go Uber
When you’re ready to give it a try, make sure your backpack is zipped up so your cat can’t just hop inside, and then place your cat on top of the bag. This will provide the cat with only two options: stay on the backpack or jump off. If you adventure with someone else, it might also help if they position the cat for you as picking up a cat and flipping them over your shoulder takes some practice.
Depending on how you placed your cat, you may need to make some adjustments to be more comfortable. You also want to make sure sure to immediately follow up with some of their favourite treats. If they aren’t already, you will need to encourage them to face the same direction as you before letting them eat.
With each treat, try to coax them forward until they rest their paws on your shoulder. From here, continue to provide treats and then try taking a few steps forward; hopefully your cat attempts to stabilize rather than jumping down.
If your cat is constantly jumping down, don’t try to force them back up. You want to ensure that your cat recognizes your shoulders as a safe spot, and constantly forcing them to sit there will only do the opposite. Remember, you’re trying to become their go-to Uber driver and get that five star rating of approval!
As you get used to navigating with the extra weight and your cat becomes more open to being carried, you won’t have to keep the backpack zippered closed. Your cat may have less space to stand and will need to get creative with their paw placement, but this will also give them the option of lounging inside the backpack.
It may take several sessions before your cat is fully accepting of your shoulders or they may take to the idea immediately. Some cats may even reject it entirely. Either way, make sure you are paying attention to your cat’s reactions and act with patience.
Option 2 - Passenger Loading
If your cat isn’t fond of being picked up or you just want your cat to naturally jump on your shoulders, then you can also try this second method of training. It’s a bit more challenging and I really recommend wearing a long-sleeved shirt when first starting out. A suitable backpack and treats are also required for this.
For this method, you won’t be picking up your cat and instead you need to bait them onto your back while they are still on the ground.
You’ll want to start off crouched beside them because if you are standing it’s unlikely they’ll know what you want them to do even if you wave treats at shoulder level. Make sure you are in a stable position or else the sudden weight of your cat could cause you to tip over.
From a crouching position you can try to see if they’ll jump up for a reward. It doesn’t necessarily matter whether they jump from the front, side or from behind you, but try to be consistent. Include helpful cues like a voice command and tapping the backpack.
If they seem confused, you’ll need to let them eat a bit of the treat and then slowly lift the treat up and out of their reach. Your cat may lean against you for balance or even climb you during this step, but the ultimate goal is to get them to go from the ground onto the backpack. Once they achieve this, get them to position themselves on your shoulders and provide them with more treats along with verbal praise!
You’ll want to repeat the crouched jumps a few times and then start to stand up a bit more each time. Slowly they should understand that they want them to jump onto your back to receive a treat. At some point you’ll likely be standing in an awkward hunched position, but just bare with it until your cat is able to jump up when you are fully standing. Alternatively, you could just train your cat to jump on only when you’re crouched beside them!
To conclude…
I also mentioned a few general tips at the start of this post, and I’ll elaborate for some of those here. If you are a cat owner (and honestly even if you aren’t), I’m sure you are well aware that cats have claws. While you could totally do shoulder training while wearing a tank top, be prepared for accidental scratches. There are times when you may lose your footing, causing your cat to extend their claws in an attempt to rebalance. Small critters are also known to trigger cats into a frenzy and you may find yourself becoming a springboard.
When it comes to leash placement I always try to keep the leash on the same side of my head as the cat (i.e. if your cat chooses to perch on your left shoulder, make sure the leash is on the left side of your head). Doing this will help prevent you from getting tangled up but also protect your neck. As I’ve learned the hard way, keeping the leash on the opposite side makes you liable to your neck snapping forward or receiving a leash burn if your cat suddenly decides to exit the Uber.
If I’m being honest, we didn’t have any intentional training with Reinhardt to make him a shoulder cat as placing him on our shoulders was just something we did automatically as a way to progress more than 200m while hiking. In some ways you could say it developed out of laziness as I didn’t want to stop, take off the backpack, wait for Reinhardt to get in, and then put it back on. Perseus was a different story, and we had to use tons of treats to get him on board. Regardless, this also shows that building up expectations and familiarizing your cat with certain behaviours from an early age can be very beneficial!
And here’s the final word from Reinhardt: jkhu gggggggggggggggggggg
