Meowllo and welcome to Service Cat Monday. One of da things mommy hears most offen when tellin’ peeps ‘bout us is, “Service Cats? I’ve never heard of a cat being a service animal?” And then da next biggest question is, “What do they do?” Once mommy tells a few of da things we do fur her peeps jaws drop a bit; some in disbelief and some in awe. We’ve covered a lot of topics in this series, includin’ trainin’ tips dat every kitty could benefit from. So, ifin you’ve missed any of our postys, purrlease click on da links at da end of this post. As with all our educational postys, da followin’ will be written in human English. Purrlease leave your questions, comments or topics you would like covered in da comment section below. We’ll be discussin’ da last of da questions we’ve received today. So without further adieu, let’s get on with it.
When people hear that mommy passes out and that we help her in the shower, it probably conjures all kinds of pictures in ones head. We guess that based on the question mommy is asked. And our friends Shoko, Kali and awnty Jean of the Canadian Cats made certain to ask, “Just what can an average cat do to help you in the shower? How do they Move you?” For all of you that are new to our blog, let us back up a minute and explain what they’re talking about. See, mommy passes out. This happens for many different reasons, none the less it happens daily and often while she’s taking a shower. And it was Shad, mommys’ first ever Service Cat that trained herself and showed mommy what a kitty is capable of. You can read Shad’s story here and here. Please be aware the Shad posts were not educational training posts and are therefore written in cat speak. Anyways, the question remains, just what is it that the average cat can do to help an unconscious human? After all, the average cat weighs in at about 8 to 10 pounds and hates water.
As most of you know mommy has rather large kitties. She always has. Even Shad, who weighed in at 15 pounds, was considered large. And yes, at 15 pounds she was healthy and not considered overweight. Shad was amazing, and without her there might not be a me or sis Raena. But mommy did learn that some of the things we are trained to do require 2 cats; otherwise it’s just too hard on kitty. Now let’s get back to the shower and just what it is we do.
You are right, even 2 healthy 30 pound kitties can not pull or push a wet, naked, over 100 pound human out of a bathtub. We aren’t concerned with getting all of mommy out of the tub. The only concern is that she doesn’t drown. So all that’s necessary is to make sure her head is out of the water flow. To accomplish this we push mommys head and torso up over the edge of the tub. Stop imagining things and let me explain. This is exactly why 2 cats are needed. Each kitty gets under an arm and positions in the armpit and pushes at the same time thus moving the torso and head. On occasion, some kitty does have to grab a mouth full of hair and reposition mommys head to lay on or over the edge of the tub. We then get out and roll around on our towels and wait for mommy to come too. We don’t mind water. We’re trained from the beginning to be in and around both standing water and flowing water like a shower.
We, like Shad, are devoted to mommy. There is a special bond that exists between a Service Cat and their human handler. This is NOT among the first tasks we are trained to do as it is asking a lot of a kitty and bonding takes time. And for that reason we will not be posting the how to’s to train this task to your kitty. It is something that the new kitty starts learning from the resident kitty at this point, as Raena is already trying to help me help mommy. We do hope this has helped you understand a bit more just what a kitty is capable of. But remember, NEVER expect more of an animal than size, breed and species would dictate. The love and devotion Shad and mommy shared caused Shad to go above and beyond. Mommy knowing the kind of love and devotion she gives and elicits has allowed her to have that continued help from the cats who came after. Anyone can have that relationship and any kitty can be trained. But you must start with a solid foundation.
I’s a good helper aren’t I sissy?
Yes Raena, you’re a good helper and are gonna be a fine Service Cat. Anyways, we do hope we’ve helped you to understand a bit more of what we do. Fur those of ya’ dat read Shads’ story we hope you enjoy it, she is very much a pawrt of who we are today. Mommy wants me to remind ya’ dat cuz she be naked and we live alone of course, there will never be any fotos of us purrfurmin’ these duties. Mommy says she’s no pb bunny. We need to know what you all wanna hear next, so leave your questions in da comments. We’re gonna see ‘bout goin’ fur a stroll while da weather’s nice, so have a great day.
Do you (your cat) like water?
Is there something you would like to know how to train?
Till da next time………………………………..Be Blest!!!
Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses
Deztinee and RaenaBelle
Service Cats U.S. 