Hilarious Kitten Plays Dead Every Time Owner Points Finger Gun: 'Lil Meows'

An adorable video of a cat playing dead when his owner points his finger at him and says "bang" has delighted viewers on TikTok, amassing more than 2.4 million views.

In the video, a man can be seen making a gun with his hand and pointing it at a ginger and white cat. When he says "bang," the cat repeatedly falls to the ground.

Posted by @_michellemaree_, the caption reads, "The lil meow gets me every time."

One user commented, "Please tell me how you trained him to do this!!!" while another wrote, "Love clicker training! Great job!"

Can You Train a Cat?

Many non-cat owners and cat owners alike might be inclined to immediately answer no. Cats are thought to be earlier in their domestication than dogs, meaning they are less obedient and inclined to training. However, that does not mean they are less intelligent, and with a bit of time and a lot of effort, you can train your cat to respond to basic commands.

As well as tricks, you can train your cat to use the litter box, not to scratch furniture and to tolerate being picked up.

Hill's Pet nutrition recommends remembering that cats do not understand punishment, and encouraging good behavior is much more efficient, in the form of praise and attention or a tasty treat.

Hill's suggest starting small, practicing one trick at a time. "Once your cat has mastered whatever you're working on, you can move on to the next training exercise," Hill's says.

What Is Clicker Training?

Clicker training is a positive reinforcement exercise that involves building a positive association with the sound of the clicker.

Begin by building a positive association with the sound of the clicker by using it every time you give your cat a treat. "This may take a few weeks," Hill's says, "but with consistency, your cat will begin to associate the click with the treat they enjoy. Make sure the treat is quick to feed so they get it immediately with the click."

Hill's says that you might be able to teach your cat how to sit using the clicker method.

"Using your clicker stick, raise it above and just behind your cat's head in a way that they will want to sit to keep their focus on the end of the stick. Once your cat sits, make the clicking sounds and reward. It also helps to add a verbal command with your clicking, such as "sit."

"Like any other step in your cat's training, consistency and repetition are crucial. With enough time, your cat will respond to the word "sit" with the action of sitting. Congratulations — you've trained your kitty to sit pretty!"

Newsweek reached out to @_michellemaree_ for comment.

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