Dezi sits on scratcher

Blest Sunday: Preparing For the Future

Published on February 5, 2017 by Service Cats U.S.58 Comments

(It’s Caturday and mommy seems upset. She’s in and out and on the phone a lot. Finally she settles down and both girls check on her and offer purrs)

What’s goin’ on mommy? Why did you go up to mr. W’s house? Is Buddy okay?

No baby, nothing’s okay.

What happened mommy? Why were there so many peeps outside and all those big trucks with flashin’ lights?

Oh girls, mr. W died sometime last night. All those flashing lights were the ambulance, police, fire trucks and coroner. They came to take mr. W away for the last time.

Our furiend Buddy.

Where’s Buddy? What happened to Buddy mommy?

That’s what I was trying to find out girls.

He must’a been so scared with all that commotion and all those peeps. He’s not very furiendly to begin with. And loud noises really scare him. And he’s mean to peeps he knows, I’s can only ‘magine how he’d be with all those strangers.

Yes, Raena, you’re right about all those things. I’m upset, because they called our local pound to come and catch him and take him away. I know we can’t keep him, and he probably wouldn’t be able to be rehomed. But at least he could have been with someone familiar who cared about him at the end.

Did Buddy go to heaven with sis Lexi?

Yes baby, he did. They declared him feral cuz of the way he was acting and shot him. Sometimes I hate our town and these back water people and their attitudes towards animals. Mr. W’s family didn’t wanna bother with Buddy, and he hadn’t put anything in writing stating his wishes or naming a person to make those decisions. It’s so frustrating when people don’t think about their pets and what will happen to that pet if they die or can no longer take care of them. And of course, this all hit me pretty hard. I do have a plan in place for ya’ll, but the person that was supposed to take care of it, recently died as well. I’m having trouble finding someone to replace them. But don’t you girls worry about that, I’ll get it worked out.

Well then mommy, that just means you can’t leave us.

Me agrees with Raena mommy. You’ll just have to stay right here with us.

I want nothing more girls. We are so blest to have each other.

You got that right mommy. Me might hiss and growl at Raena every now and then, but me is glad she’s here. Pest or not, me does luv her.

Fanky fanks sissy. I’s luvs you too. We are a very blest furmily to have so much luvs.

Yep Raena, we are. And we have so many pawsum furiends. What happened with Buddy is pawful, but it happens every day. Ifin we could urge you to do one thing, it would be to make purrpurrations fur your furry furmily members befur it’s too late. We are all blest to have so much, but none of us are guaranteed a tomorrow. This discussion may not be the most pawpular, or cheeriest discussion you could have, but it’s one of the most luvvin’ conversations you can have. Whether you’ve spent one day or ten plus years with you furry furmily member, purrparin’ fur their future, whatever that might be, is just as luvvin’ and purrtant as puttin’ fresh food and water down every day.

On another note, would like say fank you to those who have donated to mommy’s dental fundraiser. We’re still a long ways from the goal, but we’re purrayin’ and believin’ that mommy can hold out till we can get enuff to at least get rid of the teeth causin’ so much pain and infection. We purray the infection doesn’t spread and get outta control befur that happens. Ifin you would like to help us, you can donate directly to our PayPal usin’ our email address: lexi.dezi@yahoo.com or by clickin’ here to donate thru the fundraiser.

We also wanna say fanky fank you all fur bein’ our furiends. Each day when we purray fur all of you, our hearts swell with joy. Just a few short years ago, we could have never ‘magined bein’ so blest with so many wonderful and caring furiends. We might not have anypawdy local that cares ‘bout us, but we do have all of you. Mommy says any time we don’t post on one of our regular days, there’s been an email or two from one or more of you checkin’ in on us.

That’s right Raena. We do have the bestest furiends in the universe. Each of us are blest. Sometimes ya’ just gotta stop a minute and see ‘em. So we’re remindin’ ya’ to take a minute today and everyday to give thanks fur the blessings in your lives. We’re also joinin’ the Kitties Blue fur Sunday Selfies. And don’t furget to join us tomorrow fur Service Cat Monday. We got some great questions to answer. Me almost furgot; after our last posty, somepawdy asked how high our ceilings are. We looked at the buildin’ plans and then mommy measured as good as she could cuz there was a little confusion ’bout the plans. Anyways, our ceiling’s be ’bout 12-14 feet high. Yep, Raena is a long tall kitty girl.

Till the next time………………………………………Be Blest!!!

Have you (your human) made preparations for your (you/pet) in the event they outlive you?

If so, is it in writing or a verbal agreement?

Do you think it’s important to have it in writing?

Dezi: Vibrant Blue

Raena: Navy Blue

Mommy A: Black

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Deztinee and RaenaBelle

Dezi lays in the wheelchair

Service Cats: When To Train: Before or After a Meal

Published on January 30, 2017 by Service Cats U.S.65 Comments

Hey, is anypawdy there? It’s Service Cat Monday, and guess who it’s all about? That’s right, Me, RaenaBelle.

RaenaBelle Mayce!!! Get off the catputer!!! Me’s writin’ the Service Cat posty. Even ifin it’s ‘bout you. Me wants to remind you all that ifin you’ve missed any of the posts in this series, you can click on the links at the bottom of this post. As with all our educational posts the following will be written in human English. Ifin you have any questions, purrlease leave them in the comments or you can send us an email at: lexi.dezi@yahoo.com. Our posts are not meant to be a training manual, but to entertain and educate; as training is all about repetition. We can cover in one post what might take weeks or even months of actual training time. Me thinks mes hit all the high points and disclaimers, so let’s get to it.

When we left off last, mommy was training Raena in the wheelchair. Now, it’s not all that important that we know how to turn on the wheelchair unless we’re going to drive it without mommy in it. Sis Lexi had that mastered. Me? Me prefers to drive from mommy’s lap. It’s much safer and me gets extra loving. That being said, mommy realizes that Raena is very smart, and just might be the next solo driver. But even if she isn’t, the reason mommy trains us on this is that the power button, horn and speed buttons are all very close to the joystick. On more than one occasion me has hit those buttons while driving; so mommy thinks it’s important for us to be comfortable with the beeping sounds so we don’t get scared and get hurt trying to escape. The joystick requires only the slightest push or pull to move the chair. So you can imagine the dangers of a 200 pound moving machine against a small kitty. Yes, even at our size, we are by comparison, small.

We did get another good question from our dear Weim brofur Da Phenny from the blog EasyWeimaraner. You know sweet Easy ran off to heaven like sis Lexi and Phenny, like Raena is full of piss and vinegar and needs a little training. He and his mommy asked if mommy recommends training before or after a meal. This is where it gets a bit tricky. Mommy prefers training after the meal because she doesn’t like to train with treats. So a full kitty/doggy isn’t constantly looking for treats and can easily focus. That being said, if you do want to use treats as a reward, mommy recommends training before the meal. But don’t forget to adjust the meal portion to account for any treats given. And keep the training session short. A hungry animal is going to be a bit more erratic and unfocused. Mommy likes to train about an hour or so after the meal. Kitty/doggy has bathed, the food has settled, they may even have had a little nap and are more focused and ready to pay attention. Another thing on treats, if you choose that option. Pick a treat that isn’t given at other times and is an absolute favorite. That treat should only be given during training sessions or when asking the animal to do a trained task. Hope that helps.

Anyways, every day for approximately fifteen minutes, mommy and Raena head to the wheelchair for a training session. Even me gets bored after the first few lessons and have taken to the bedroom for an afternoon nap during these times. Me can still hear them. Mommy gently and lovingly talking to Raena and telling her how proud she is and how smart Raena is. And me can hear the constant beep beep of the chairs power button. Occasionally me hears the annoying horn. Ya’ know those cars/trucks/vans that beep when they back up? Well that’s the horn on the wheelchair. It’s piercing for a poor kitty’s ears, but Raena doesn’t seem to be affected by it. She loves the horn button. Ever patient, mommy gently tells her no and redirects her paw to the power button. For those of you wondering why she isn’t hitting the joystick and making the chair move, mommy has learned to keep a close eye on where that paw lands, and has the speed turned to 0. Obviously the chair doesn’t move on 0. Just wait till Raena figures this out. MOL

So mommy’s still working with Raena on the power on and off thing. But Raena is getting better. Mommy thinks she likes the beeping of the horn so much that she doesn’t focus. But one day, it’ll click and the lessons will move forward. That’s how training works. So if you’re feeling frustrated and don’t think your training is working, stick with it. It is working and the worse thing you can do is give up.

Let me take you through one of Raena’s lessons. Mommy and Raena sit in the chair. Mommy adjusts Raena and sits her on her right leg closest to the control panel. She now tells Raena “Up”. That means to put her front paws on the arm of the chair. Raena’s really good at this part. Mommy supports Raena by firmly but gently holding her in place. Raena could easily jump down. Mommy’s grip is for support and protection, not forced submission. Mommy then places Raena’s paw on the power button on the control panel and says, “Push on” or “Push off”. Raena seems to be right pawed. Generally the first time, mommy has to gently push Raena’s paw down till she hears the beep. The remainder of the 15 minutes goes pretty much the same. With Raena occasionally getting excited and standing on the horn. When this happens, mommy gently pulls her paw away and says “No” and refocuses her (lots of hugs and praise about how smart she is). Throughout the session mommy gently praises Raena and gives her extra love. This is very important if you’re not using treats. If you are using treats, you would reward by giving a small treat each time you get the correct action/outcome. They wrap up a training session with lots of hugs and a good brushing.

Well we’re gonna wrap it up fur today. We hope we’ve offured you some insight into training in general and specifically a Service cat. Remember, if you have any questions, just let us know. We do hope to be further along in Raena’s training next week, but you’ll just have to tune in and see. We’ve got mommy’s helper that’s supposed to start today, so mommy’s gonna be busy training them. Hmmmmm Mommy seems to be doing a lot of training lately. MOL Wonder ifin she’s gonna train them to drive the chair? MOL Anyways, we hope you all have a pawsum day.

Till the next time…………………………………..Be Blest!!!

Dezi: Vibrant Blue

Raena: Navy Blue

Mommy A: Black

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Deztinee and RaenaBelle

Service Cats

What to look for Training Foundations Train Kitty to Massage

Smelling Disease Do You Need One Who Bears the Cost

Housing Laws and Exceptions Accommodations and Common Sense

When the Handler Dies Proper Training Methods Pt. 1 & Pt. 2

Easiest Task to Train Getting Kitty Ready for an Outing

Discipline: Stop Countersurfing Kitty Internal Disputes

Calling Emergency Help Just What Is Kitty Capable Of

Shad: Original Service Cat Harness or Vest Leash or Stroller

Dezi, the Wheelchair and the Chest Round and Round We Go

Tumble and Fall Response Raena Calls For Help

The Rest of the Story Raena and the Wheelchair Pt. 1

Hunt, Kill, Eat Your Breakfast

Published on January 27, 2017 by Service Cats U.S.31 Comments

(Raena zooms through the house letting out her signature hum each time her right paw hits the floor. She rounds the corner and leaps onto mommys lap purring so loudly, it’s almost mistaken for a growl. Her eyes dart from left to right and she catches a glimpse of Dezi in the distance.)

(Dezi rounds the corner and heads for her breakfast plate as Raena leaps from mommy’s lap with all 4 paws outstretched. She looks much like a flying squirrel <mommy’s not fast enough to catch this on camera, but continues to try>. She lands on the other side of Dezi and turns and zooms up the Liberty cat tree. Dezi hisses but Raena’s already out of reach. Dezi settles in to eat and Raena steps from ledge to ledge down the Liberty cat tree and walks back over to mommy and rubs her legs and looks up. Mommy reaches down and lifts Raena to her lap and gives her a kiss and says,) “Honey, you need to calm down and eat your brekky. See how nice sissy’s eating her brekky? That should be you too.”

Hey, is anypawdy out there? It’s me RaenaBelle.

(Dezi looks up from her plate) Raena, did you hear mommy? You need to come down here and eat your brekky. And that doesn’t mean play with mes tail.

I’s don’t wanna eat right now sissy. I’s not hunted and killed anythin’ yet.

We don’t have to hunt and kill our noms Raena, mommy purrvides us with great noms served up on silver platters.

I’s thought they were china, sissy?.

Oh Kittens, Raena!!! Me didn’t literally mean silver, altho’ mommy says our china plates do have silver edges. Me was just makin’ a point. That point was that you have all the food you need without ever liftin’ a paw.

I’s know sissy. But you know how much I’s like to hunt and kill befur every meal. But I’s lost mines new favorite prey.

Well, ifin ya’ didn’t take everythin’ to the kitchen where the black holes of the oven and furigerator live, you might not lose stuffs so fast.

Raena heads to the kitchen, nip nanner in tow.

Well sissy, I’s went fishin’ in the black hole under the oven last night, but mommy wouldn’t help me. All she had to do was move da oven and I’s coulda checked fur mines new favorite prey.

Mommy can’t move the oven silly. You know that. Do you want mommy to fall down again? Or pass out?

Of course not sissy. But she coulda just took that big pull out out and let me under there. I’s know fur sure there’s at least one silvervine stick, fluffy ball, mines awnty Ellen fishy, and somethin’ with feathers on it in that black hole. And maybe mines new favorite prey.

Well Raena, me suggests you find another new favorite prey. Least till the new helper comes to work. Cuz me doesn’t think mommy’s gonna be pullin’ out anythin’ or movin’ furniture any time soon. We got lots of great new toys fur Christmas. Pick one of them.

Ya’ know sissy, this is one of those educational moments. Attention all kittys’ slaves…

Raena!!!

Uh, yeah, me means “Attention all kittys’ pawrents.” Did you know that we kitties still have some wildness in us? Yep, even us gentle giant Ragdoll cats. Obesity is a real purroblem in house cats. That obesity can cause all kinds of health issues, that could have been avoided, or at least kept at bay fur many years. A kitty’s true nature is to hunt and kill befur we eat. Those of us furtunate enuff to have a furever home with luvvin’ pawrents, no longer have to do this. But just cuz we don’t have too, doesn’t mean the drive isn’t still there.

You know, we think D-I-E-T is a four letter word in our house, but we know it’s sometimes necessary. But there are other ways to keep kitty happy and healthy. Rigorous play not only serves to wear us out, but is also a good way to help us shed those extra pounds. It’s also a good way to entice us to dine on a schedule. With all of the infurmation available today, mommy has learned that kibble isn’t an optimal diet fur any kitty. And that kitties don’t really need food available 24/7. Even the tiger who stashes her kill, doesn’t munch off and on all day and night. That bein’ said, the kitties in mommy’s house have been eatin’ on a schedule fur years now, and I’s don’t know any different. Mommy says I’s need to insert the fact that as a kitten I’s get an extra meal or two each day to meet mine’s growin’ needs. Altho’ we’re not yet eatin’ the complete raw diet mommy would like us too, we do eat the next bestest thing, freeze dried raw. And befur each meal we have a little game of hunt and kill where we build up our appetite and satisfy those wild urgings. MOL

That was a great little lesson you purrsented Raena. Me’s kinda impurressed. You’re gonna have to get off mommy’s lap and close out the posty ifin you plan to #hunt, #kill and #eat this meownin’. Furst let’s link up with Rascal, Rocco and their co-hosts fur the weekly Pet Parade.

(Raena glimpses a sparrow outside and leaps from mommy’s lap and runs up the Liberty cat tree to get a better look)

Sissy!!! Did you see that birdy? Maybe I’s can hunt, ketch and kill him.

Shut it down furst Raena.

(Meowing from her perch on the tree) Oh yeah. Fanky fanks fur remindin’ me sissy. We hope you all have a pawsum weekend. We’ll be round to visit as soon as we can.

Till the next time……………………………………Be Blest!!!

Do you (your kitty) have any routines/habits you (your kitty) do(es) before each meal?

Do you (your kitty) like to play hunt, kill and eat?

Do you (your kitty) have a favorite prey toy?

Raena: Navy Blue

Dezi: Vibrant Blue

Luvs and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

RaenaBelle and Deztinee

Raena laying at mommy's feet taking a bath

Service Cats: Raena and the Wheelchair Pt. 1

Published on January 23, 2017 by Service Cats U.S.79 Comments

Meowllo and welcome to another Service Cat Monday. It’s a brand new year and mommy has brand new tasks to train Raena to purrfurm. As with all our educational service cat posts, the following will be in human English. Ifin you’ve missed any posts in this series, you can click on the linkys at the bottom of this post. And ifin you have any questions, or something specific you’d like us to cover, purrlease leave it in the comments or send us an email. Our training posts are not meant to be a step by step training guide as training is all about repetition. We do hope you find them entertaining, informative and helpful. There are many tasks that mommy hasn’t figgered out how to capture in fotos or videos, but we do try to post those we can. Remember, it’s just mommy and the two of us, and the duties we purrform are in respawnse to a problem mommy’s having so the camera is usually the last thing any of us are thinking about. So, let’s get to it.

As you know, mommy had plans to train Raena to drive the wheelchair when she got big enough to reach the joystick while sitting in mommy’s lap; but the batteries died on us and we had to wait to get them replaced. We have new batteries now, so Raena’s training commenced. Mommy was a little under the weather last week, but she wanted to at least get Raena comfortable with the chair. Now let me tell ya’, Raena’s pretty smart and catches on fairly quickly. We have several battery operated toys which she quickly learned to turn off and on by herself. And before the batteries in the wheelchair went out, she was turning the chair on and off and honking the horn without any training. Based on that you’d think Raena would be ready for the next step, right? Well, this is where that repetition comes in. Since the batteries died and the chair didn’t respond to her pushing the buttons, she lost interest. So she’s starting from the beginning again.

So mommy picked a day and after breakfast picked up Raena and took her to the wheelchair to sit down. Raena loves sitting in mommy’s lap, so there was absolutely no struggle. Mommy had already put a small bag of treats and a grooming brush in the pocket on the arm of the wheelchair. Me took up a viewing spot on the top of the Liberty cat tree. Me was safely out of the way, but could still see everything as it unfolded. Mommy got out the grooming brush and started brushing Raena and telling her how smart she was, and how proud of her mommy was. Then she moved into the cooing and love talk. Raena purred liked her life depended on it. Let me tell ya’, that girl has a motor box that can rumble the bed.

See? Raena’s favorite spot.

After what seemed like forever a few minutes mommy started repositioning Raena to one leg so she would be closer to the joystick. Once Raena released the tension in her body and continued her rumbling purr, mommy continued the praise and loving coos. Me could tell Raena was eating that up. Us Ragdolls really do love our peeps; and we’re no exception. We love our mommy like no other. Mommy then positioned Raenas front paws on the arm of the wheelchair. Mommy held her securely with one hand and continued brushing her fur with the other. Raena responded by rubbing her face and chin on the arm of the chair and the control panel. Mommy quietly and matter of factly told Raena to push the button. Raena continued to rub the control panel.

You can sort of see the control panel in this foto. The button

furthest from the joystick is the power button. The red button

is the horn. The 2 buttons closest to the joystick are the speed controls.

You can see how easy it is to push all those buttons and to get confused

and push the wrong button.

Mommy put the grooming brush away and slowly but firmly took Raena’s paw and placed it on the power button. Raena pulled her paw back and continued rubbing the joystick. Again, mommy took Raena’s paw and placed it on the power button and calmy told her to push the button. Raena stood up and by doing so pushed down on the power button. The chair beeped and Raena pulled her paw back, sat back down and looked up at mommy. Mommy smiled at her and gave her lots of praise for turning the chair on. Of course this was an accident and nothing Raena did on purpose, but it’s where training starts. Mommy repositioned Raena again, and placed her paw on the power button again. She then calmly told Raena to push the button again. Again, Raena pulled her paw back and looked up at mommy. Mommy placed Raena’s paw back on the power button and while telling her to push down, mommy gently pushed Raena’s paw down till the chair beeped again.

You can see the arm with the control panel and joystick.

Mommy had loosened her hold on Raena’s body and she wriggled loose and climbed up on the arm of the wheelchair. She pushed down on the power button and the horn. The chair beeped over and over again. Raena’s rumbling purr got louder and louder as mommy praised her for being so smart. Mommy gently pulled Raena off the arm and back onto her lap, leaving her front paws on the arm. Once again mommy placed Raena’s paw on the power button and gently pushed it down turning the chair off. With one last beep, the lesson was over. Raena was lavished with praise and love and me decided it was time to get in on a little of that meself. Mommy rewarded us both with lots of hugs and a few treats.

Another shot where you can clearly see the arm with the control panel.

And can see why mommy would need to hold us or offer some

support while we’re driving.

This whole training session lasted about 20 minutes, and would/will be repeated at least once a day every day till Raena is comfortable enough to turn the chair on by herself again. As we’ve said many times, training is all about repetition. We cats are very smart, and we want to learn. But if you’re not ready to commit to daily training sessions, we will never learn. And all training sessions should be fairly short. If kitty gets bored or frustrated, they won’t learn and could possibly try to avoid future sessions. It’s better to have a lot of small sessions as opposed to one really long one. Mommy believes in positive reinforcement and praise as the reward instead of food or treats.

Well, we’re gonna wrap it up fur today. As you read, it takes both mommy’s hands to train, so we don’t have any fotos of the actual session. This is what mommy’s trying to figger out. Since she’s the only one who can take fotos, how can she do it, without any free hands? MOL ‘Member, ifin you have any questions, let us know. And ifin you’ve missed any of the Service Cat series, click on the links below.

The purrfect ending to any training session.

Do you (your cat/dog/pet) have any battery operated toys?

If so, can you (your cat/dog/pet) turn them on and off yourself?

Till the next time………………………………………Be Blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Deztinee and RaenaBelle

Service Cats

What to look for Training Foundations Train Kitty to Massage

Smelling Disease Do You Need One Who Bears the Cost

Housing Laws and Exceptions Accommodations and Common Sense

When the Handler Dies Proper Training Methods Pt. 1 & Pt. 2

Easiest Task to Train Getting Kitty Ready for an Outing

Discipline: Stop Countersurfing Kitty Internal Disputes

Calling Emergency Help Just What Is Kitty Capable Of

Shad: Original Service Cat Harness or Vest Leash or Stroller

Dezi, the Wheelchair and the Chest Round and Round We Go

Tumble and Fall Response Raena Calls For Help

The Rest of the Story

Service Cats U.S.

I Audra, am the human behind Service Cats U.S. aka DezizWorld. I am disabled and use cats as service animals instead of dogs. They are just as capable and can perform duties other animals cannot. We started our online journey to bring awareness to the ability of cats and to help others understand the relationship between a service animal and their handler/person. We offer training tips and tricks that I have learned through the years along with other information on all things feline. We began this journey in 2014 with Lexi and Dezi. They have since gone on to heaven, but our journey continues. This blog is about our daily life from the kitty's point of view. I want this blog to be interactive and get to know all of you, so comment and visit often. I will also offer advice, training tips and education when possible. Copyright © 2014 - 2021 {Audra High via Deztinee High and RaenaBelle High} All Rights Reserved All personal content (story's, poetry, etc., videos and music) are the property of the human behind Deziz World, and may not be used, copied or otherwise re-published without prior written permission/consent from the author (A. High-the human behind Deziz World). We have an amazon.com wish list and a PayPal account if you would like to help/donate to us.

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