MeeeOW everypawdy, hope you all had a great weekend. It’s another miserable Monday and we ain’t da least bit miserable. Okay maybe a little, da lawn crew’s here and da hots have arrived. We’re all tryin’ to stay cool and me’s tryin’ to hide. Raena? She’s right at mommy’s side bein’ a great Service kitty in training. Anyways, are ya ready fur another educational posty ‘bout pickin’ and trainin’ Service Cats? As with all me’s educational postys this will be written in da human English fur translation purr-pusses. Ifin you missed me’s furst posty in this series, you can check it out here. We got some great questions and comments so we’ll try to answer them today. Ifin we didn’t answer your questions or you have more, purrlease leave them in da comments or use our contact us page to send us an email. Now let’s get on with it, shall we?
Last week we discussed how to pick a cat to train. We said that neither breed or sex matters. The most important thing to look for is a kitty that wants to be with you and is both outgoing and calm. Yes, that kitten/cat does exist. We also stated that you must be realistic in your expectations of the things a cat can do. While us kittys may be able to do things you might not expect, it shouldn’t be forced. In other words, don’t expect kitty to carry anything that weighs half their weight, much less more than them. The average weight of a healthy cat is between 8 to 12 pounds. That can vary from breed to breed, but do keep these numbers in mind when determining tasks for your kitty to perform. Remember, ALL TRAINING is based on kitty’s natural instincts. And, for the purpose of these posts we are focusing on a kitten of 6 to 8 weeks.
We were asked again, if Ragdoll cats are better suited to being Service cats. Our answer is still NO. Mommy has had and trained several Service cats and till me joined her, she had never had a Ragdoll. For mommy’s particular needs, Ragdolls are a good choice. This goes back to our first post and knowing what tasks you need performed and if a particular breed would be better suited to those tasks and your lifestyle.
The next big question we got was:
At what age can training begin?
Mommy says training begins the minute kitty comes home. You want kitty to perform tasks without fail. You need to develop a close bond with kitty. You’re going to want kitty to feel rewarded when they receive extra love and pats as opposed to treats. Mommy has a game she calls “Scent Me Up”. She rubs her cheeks and chin on kitty’s cheeks and chin. She often speaks softly while doing this. Mommy will say things like I love ____________(insert name), or ____________(insert name) is such a good kitty, this will also help kitty learn it’s name. Scenting is a natural behavior for kitties where they deposit their scent on whatever they’re rubbing; thereby owning/claiming that person or object as theirs. This is also one of the ways cats greet each other and treat their family members. Doing this brings you closer to kitty. Typically this behavior will cause kitty to respond in kind, purr and occasionally start kneading. The kneading behavior will be focused and become massaging as training progresses. You may or may not need kitty to perform massages for you, but this is a task that we perform for mommy several times a day.
When Raena stops playing and is ready to settle down, she often does so at mommy’s feet in front of the chair.
If you need kitty to perform massages, PLEASE, DO NOT DECLAW KITTY!!! We will tell you how to get kitty to retract their claws in a later post.
The “Scent Me Up” game should be repeated several times a day for about 1 to 3 minutes each time. Remember, kitty has a short attention span and doesn’t want to be held still for long periods of time. And the last thing you want to do is cause kitty to run from you when it’s time for training. At some point, kitty will start initiating “Scent Me up” themselves. At this point, kitty is well on their way to a very strong bond with you. Kittens respond at different times and mature differently so there’s no set age or time limit for when this happens. Mommy continues “Scent Me Up” throughout our entire life. Sis Lexi had a “Scent Me Up Session” her last day here with us; and me gets them everyday too. Training continues even after the goal is reached. Remember, Repetition is the name if the game.
Some of the tasks we perform for mommy are dialing 911, carrying the phone to her, massages, Driving the wheelchair, and alerting to a syncope incident. So our size and weight come into play to determine when training starts. Raena weighs less than 2 pounds, so asking her to carry a phone or even press the buttons is expecting too much. But mommy can start to focus her kneading, and she can watch me alert mommy to a Syncope incident and learn to do it herself. All animals can smell the changes in body chemistry that occur before Syncope, Seizures, Heart Attacks and many other medical conditions; but not all animals will alert to those changes. Because mommy passes out several times a day, Raena gets lots of exposure to the smell and actions me takes. She’s doing pretty good. She alerts 75% of the time. She’s still young and hasn’t been with us very long so we do expect that she will eventually be at a 100% alert rate before long. Once she alerts 100% of the time, we can officially say that she has been specifically trained for that particular task.
Mommy says to watch kitty closely. How do they play? Do they have a particular quirk? Even if you think it’s annoying, how can it be focused and turned into a usable task. Again, training is most effective when kitty’s nature is taken into consideration. If you’re going to need kitty to be around water often, then kitty needs to get baths early and often and/or be a water loving breed. That doesn’t mean you have to scrub kitty down all the time, but they must be comfortable getting wet and being dried off. If you need kitty to be in a noisy office or area, then you must expose kitty to that type of atmosphere often and at a young age. But remember, it’s always good to provide kitty with a quiet escape. Mommy can throw a towel over our stroller to give us that escape. We still have access to mommy but we can safely take a break from all the hubbub.
Me’s gonna wrap it up for now, this is a lot of infurmation to digest. The first step in training is the foundation and most important one. Without that bond, kitty will never be 100% accurate 100% of the time.
Are there any particular tasks you’re interested in?
Is there a task that you would like to know if kitty could perform?
Meowllo everypawdy, welcome to miserable Monday. It’s not miserable, we just like callin’ it that cuz it’s da end of da weekend. Anyways, you ask and we’re gonna tell. Today’s posty will be in the human English flavor so it can be translated and/or easily read by anybody as it’s one of me’s educational postys. We were asked many times while searchin’ for a new kitty just what qualities or traits would make a good Service kitty? Is there a particular breed that is predisposed to being good Service kitties? And we’ve been asked many times, “I already have a cat at home, can she be trained as a Service Cat for me/my child/etc.”. And we even had an application turned down by a rescue who didn’t want their kitties to be working cats. We don’t blame the rescue, we blame ignorance. But me will save that for part 2.
Now remember Service Animals are different than Therapy Animals, Companion Animals and Pets. For a complete description please see our Service Animal page in the menu tab or click here. And Please, DO NOT pass off your Therapy animal, Companion animal or Pet as a Service Animal. And remember, there are always exceptions to every rule. You are dealing with living, breathing, thinking sentient beings. The amount of time you spend with an animal will also play a role in their personality. Alright, let’s jump into this.
Let’s answer the last question first. Mommy believes any cat can be trained. So, if you already have a cat that you are bonded too, then YES, he/she can be trained as a Service Cat. The operative word is “Bonded”. A cat will be most closely bonded with it’s primary caregiver. If you don’t have a cat or aren’t bonded with the cat in your home then we do recommend getting a kitten. Kittens have very short attention spans, and see training as an adventure. We recommend adopting a kitten under the age of 8 months. For the purpose of this article we are going to focus on a young kitten between the ages of 6 to 8 weeks.
So, you’ve decided you need a Service animal and you want it to be a cat. Keep in mind cats are fairly small animals so there are limits to what they can do. Don’t expect your Service Cat to perform tasks contrary to their nature or size. Also keep in mind that the ADA doesn’t recognize them as Service Animals. For the full definition please see our Service Animal page. Okay, you’ve thought it over, looked into the laws (state/country and federal) and you’ve determined a cat is the right animal for your needs; where do you find one? Most likely you will have to train the kitten yourself, so decide what training method you want to use and Be Faithful with it. Training is repetition, day in and day out. You can find your Service Kitty in Training anywhere. Rescues, shelters, breeders and neighborhood strays are where you start. We do not recommend ferals or semi-ferals as too much training time is lost just getting kitty to trust humans.
Things to keep in mind when searching for your Service Cat:
How big will kitty be when he/she grows up?
Is kitty chatty or quiet?
Does kitty appear to be outgoing and confident or shy and withdrawn?
Will you need kitty to travel outside your home to perform his/her duties?
Does kitty have long fur or short?
If long, can you provide daily grooming?
Does kitty appear healthy? Get kitty checked by a VET ASAP after adopting!
Knowing a little about the breed of kitty will help answer some of these questions. Remember, breed profiles can tell you a lot, but kitty’s environment will also play a role in kitty’s personality. For instance, Oriental breeds like Siamese are known to be very vocal and slender. Persians, while beautiful, have very long fur that requires a lot of maintenance. The generic Tabby cat is known to be hardy with few health issues. So it’s best to check breed profiles before you start your physical search. Knowing what tasks you need kitty to perform will help determine which kitty would be right for you and fit into your home and lifestyle. A mixed kitty will exhibit some of the traits of it’s purebred ancestors, so use some common sense and choose the best fit for your needs. Or better yet, let kitty choose you.
We were asked if Ragdolls made better Service kitties than other breeds. The general answer is No. Sis Lexi was one of mommy’s best Service Cats and she wasn’t a Ragdoll at all. And mommy didn’t start her search looking for a Ragdoll, that’s just where we ended up. God had a plan and Raena is it. For the tasks mommy needs performed, Ragdolls do make an excellent choice because of our size and we are considered “soft pawed”. That means we don’t use our claws. Since one of the tasks mommy needs is massage, she says it’s nice to not have claws digging into her head and body. For those of you who are new to our blog, mommy has had several Service kitty’s thru’ the years. The first was Shad, a Persian, and then Devon the Himalayan, sis Lexi a Mau, Lucky, a Siamese mix, and Ransom, a Ragamuffin. Mommy says the best Service kitty is the kitty who wants to be with you.
So, you need kitty to accompany you outside the home. Look for a confident and outgoing kitty. By confident and outgoing we don’t mean the one that’s bouncing off the walls, but rather a kitty that seems to be interested in new things and curious but also enjoys quiet time with you. Altho’ you can train shy kitty to be outgoing and confident, it’s easier for most people to just start with one. A Service animal must be under the control of their handler at all times and may not disturb others while performing their tasks. So while kitty is in public there must be no excessive meowing, hissing, scratching, trying to escape, etc.. Kitty must also be leash trained and comfortable in their harness. We highly recommend a pet stroller if kitty needs to accompany you. Kitty stays safe but still has access to you. We are very capable of alerting mommy to a Syncope incident from inside the stroller.
Mommy is home with us 24 hours a day so she doesn’t really look for specifics cuz she knows that kitty will act a bit differently in our home than it does in a rescue, shelter or breeders house. And she has been training animals, specifically cats for many years. We Do Not recommend the hybrid breeds like Savannahs, Bengals, etc. for Service Cats. Altho’ they are very smart and easily trainable, generally people with disabilities don’t have the ability or space to properly take care of them. Sex isn’t important as your Service kitty should be spayed or neutered at the appropriate age. Kitty will also be required to be up to date on their vaccinations if they accompany you outside the home. And please inform the rescue, shelter or breeder that you intend to train kitty to be a Service cat.
ConCats, you’ve found the perfect kitty and brought he/she home. What in the world do you do now? Where do you start? Mommy calls this time “Bonding with Kitty” time. At 6 to 8 weeks, kitty is too small to really to do much; but during this time you can build a strong relationship with kitty and focus some of their natural behaviors that you will turn into tasks later. Mommy prefers a love reward system as opposed to treats simply because there are tasks we are required to perform where treats would be impossible to get to. And because unlike dogs, cats aren’t ruled by their tummies. This is why bonding is so important. Don’t get me wrong, mommy does employ treat training on occasion, but usually for those really complicated and detailed tasks.
Well me thinks me will wrap it up fur today and let ya’ digest all of this. We will cover the bonding process and turning instinct into tasks next time. If ya’ have any questions about what we’ve covered today or about choosing, training, or Service cats in general, leave them in the comments and we will get them answered in a following post.
On the newsy side, we have 2 pawsum digital cameras, thank you awnties; but the memory cards are full. Because of the nature of catputers and crashin’ mommy refuses to erase said cards because they contain fotos of sis Lexi. So until we can afford to buy more memory cards we won’t be posting any “new” fotos or videos. We hate this as much as you do cuz Raena is growin’ like a weed and we’re in the getting comfortable stage of our relationship. But alas, no money means no money and Raena has to go to da VET fur her furst round of kitty vacs this Furiday.
Do you have any questions about today’s posty?
Is there something you would like us to expand on?
MeeeeeOW weez been cwazy busy wound here da last few days so mommy just kuldn’t help me get a posty up yesfurday. Me told you Monday dat me has a give away comin’ up so mommy had lots of fotos to get in da puter and we luv this purroduct so much dat we didn’t want mommy to stop testin’ it. And mommy be on a mission to take a foto of sis Lexi everyday. Purroblem is dat sissy wants to do da same fing everyday so all da fotos look alike. But mommy sez dat’s okay cuz they all be of sissy sittin’ in hers lap. But enuff of ketchin’ ya’ up on what weez been duin’, cuz today be a Service cat twainin’ posty day.
Pull up a chair and let me tell ya’ a stowry.
In our last stowry sis Lexi had told ya’ dat me had finally gotten mommy safely into da pawdee box room. Sissy also told ya’ dat once dusn’t mean me be fully twained. Sumtimes she can sure be a downer, but she’s wight. Me wuld need to wepeat dat lots more times hopefully wiffout cwashin’ into da bafftub. And me needed to learn to dwive mommy down da hall and to da kitchen so she kuld make us our bwekky and hers coffee. Mommy sez by da time we head to da kitchen she be able to dwive. She still can’t walk, but she has use of hers awrms and hands; but finks it be a good idea dat we be twained cuz she just dusn’t know what da future holds. So da day me got mommy and me to da pawdee box room sis Lexi took over and got us to da kitchen. Me was still busy celebwatin’ meez success, and usin’ da big girls pawdee box. MOL
Foto fur da day 9/15/2015
So later dat day mommy got all set up fur a twainin’ session up da hall. Mommy had ‘cided dat tweat twainin’ purrobly wasn’t da way to go cuz we got too sidetwacked. Mommy isn’t fond of tweat twainin’ in general cuz havin’ a tweat on her all da time just isn’t pawsible and what we be learnin’ isn’t a twick to be purrfurmed like jumpin’ fwu a hoop. So anyways, mommy had put da tweats away and pawsitioned da chair at da edge of da pawdee box room headin’ out when she called to me. Of course me came runnin’ and jumped up in mommys lap. Me weally luvs meez mommy and wuld hang in hers lap all da time ifin me kuld. Mommy got me situated on hers wight leg and told me to turn on da movin’ chair. Me stawrted rubbin’ mommy and da awrm of da chair wiff meez head and purrin’ like a motor boat. Mommy caved and stawrted luvvin’ on me.
After a little luv fest me pawed at da power button and heard it beep several times. Mommy kuld see da wainbow of lights and told me to bite da joystick. Me bit down and da chair stawrted turnin’. Mommy had made sure da wheels was turned to make da chair veer to da wight and towards da hall. Me wasn’t sure we was posed to be turnin’ so me let go of da joystick and turned to look at mommy who weassured me dat everyfin’ was okay. Me we-pawsitioned and stepped all over da power awrm of da movin’ chair. Me finally settled in and mommy told me to push da joystick furward. Me gently pushed at da joystick and nuffin’ happened. Mommy twied to look wound meez head to see what was goin’ on, but me stood up and meez big paws purressed all da buttons on da power awrm. Me still had da joystick in meez mouff, and was pushin’ it furward. So yous guessed it, we bolted furward so fast me fawt meez head was spinnin’.
When we jolted furward me pushed da joystick even hawrder. And stead of stwaightenin’ out, da wheels kept turnin’. Wasn’t meez head spinnin’ after all; it was da room. MOL Let me tell ya’ sumfin’ ‘bout these movin’ chairs; they can turn all da way wound on a dime. So there we was turnin’ wound and wound and wound.
Lexi: Yep Dezi, frum minez seat in da livin’ room I’z fawt yawl wuz gunna burn a hole in da floor.
Oh sissy me too. Me finally got so dizzy me let go of da joystick and we came to a stop. Amazinly ‘nuff we was in almost da same pawsition as we stawrted out in. Even so, me was fwu dwivin’ fur da day. Me jumped outta mommys lap to a spinnin’ floor and “dwunkenly” wobbled off up da hall to da livin’ room to get me sum sis Lexi luvvin’. Me was stawrtin’ to fink sissy might be wight ‘bout it bein’ just luck dat me got mommy to da pawdee box room earlier. But me became more determined to purrove her wrong. Stay tuned fur da next epawsode of learnin’ to dwive.
Well it’s time fur anudder twainin’ stowry. And guess what? Me has a special surpwise fur ya’. Sis Lexi asked ifin she kuld tell it. Those of ya’ dat followed us on facebook know what a pawsum stowry teller sissy is so me told her she kuld tell a twainin’ stowry fwum hers purrspective. So take it away sissy.
Faynkz Dezi. Now az you awl know Dezi iz kwite comical but I gotta tell ya’, at da time I wuz wunderin’ ifin she wuz ebber gunna lern to drive da chair or ifin dat wuz awlwayz gunna be minez job. She didn’t awlwayz seem like da crizpezt cracker in da package. So mommy had used luv and nip and now she ‘cided to use treatz. Awlrite, I’z luv treatz. Maybe thiz konztant traynin’ wuz gunna be a good fing after awl. Mommy gave us boff a kupple treatz and then put da bag in da little pouch on da arm of da chair. So here we iz boff sittin’ in mommyz lap lickin’ our lipz and tayztin’ da lazt bit of treet and mommyz reddy too trayn. Well Dezi had udder ideaz and…Well it went sumpin’ like diz…
When mommy put da treat bag in da pouch Deziz eyez went wiv her. And az mommy adjuzted me on herz levt leg Dezi put herz head fru da side of da arm and stuck it into da pouch wiv da treat bag. So when mommy let go of me and turned herz tenshun too Dezi who wuz tryin’ too pull da treat bag up, I’z ‘cided too help her. Hmmmmm maybe diz kat aynt az dumb az she lookz, I’z fawt. Now ya’ gotta unnerstand at at time helpin’ meant dat I’z wuz tryin’ too push herz outta da way soz I kuld get a treat furzt. Aaaaw Come on, I’z da oldezt and I’z been here da longezt, AND I’ can drive da chair awlreddy. So I’z dezerve da furzt treat, rite? Rite!!! I’z habz grown up a lot sinz din and I’z lubz minez sissyfur Dezi bunchez now. But back din she wuz a real payn in minez pawz-teerier. Anywayz there we wuz each one of us mommyz legz tryin’ too get da treat bag and mommyz tryin’ too pull us away so Dezi can habz a traynin’ seshun. Dezi finally got a good hold on dat treat bag and wuz ay-bull too pull it up outta dat pouch. Well in da middle of awl diz skufflin’ we had pawed da power button sevral timez and had stood on da speed button cauzin’ it to go awl da way too top speed and down again over and over.
Az Dezi pulled thoze treatz up and pushed me back, herz big ole furry paw steadies its selff on da joystick pad. And az she did….Vroooooooooooooooom full speed ahead weez went. Da jolt furwerd cauzed us too get frown back in da chair. Weez only came too a full stop when we ran into da same chezt Dezi had run intoo afur. Dezi turned herz head so we kuld see eyez big az sawzerz and wiff da treat bag still hangin’ frum herz mouff she let out a growl. Now let me tell ya’ ‘bout Dezi and herz growlin’. She has what mommy and me call a fayke growl. It’s a mediun pitched grrrrrrrr dat she uses when mommy has to klean herz bloomerz or da rabbitz and squirrelz come up too da door. This wasn’t dat growl. She was usin’ diz low and loud Grrrrrrr dat sed she meant biznezz. I looked up at mommy who now had eyez big az sawzerz too; and mommy reached over and grabbed da bag of treatz frum Dezi and sed, “Alright girls, neither of ya’ are getting treats. Treats are for good girls and y’all are actin’ pretty ugly right now.” I knew dat tone and knew it meant we really wuzn’t getting’ anymore treatz. So I jumped down and Dezi followed behind me. Mommy parked da chair and hooked up da charger and declared lesson over.
Da next meownin’ when we all woke up Dezi and me gave mommy herz meownin’ get it in gear massage and rolled her to da chair. Az soon az mommys hiney-bo hit da seat, Dezi hopped over in herz lap and started meowin’. Mommy started to move Dezi over and told me to get in the chair cuz she really needed to go to da pawdee room asap. So I’z crouched to jump into mommyz lap in da chair, and Dezi bit down on da joystick and pushed. Da chair turned and took off like lightnin’. I’z took a small leap and landed back on da bed cuz da back of da chair was facin’ me and movin’ away fazt. Mommy started hollerin’, “Lexi, baby, are you okay?” I’z stood up awl startled and dizzy like when I’z heard a loud boom, and looked over towardz mommy, and she and Dezi wuz safely in da pawdee box room. They had hit da baff tub, but they wuz there and safe. I ran too them and Dezi wuz wigglin’ herz suthern belle little (huge) hiney bo and getting’ awl kinds of prayz and lubbin’. Dezi be awl ‘cited dat she had gotten mommy to da pawdee box room. Purrleaze, youz gotta do it more din once afur youz get to celebrayt like dat I’z told her. Youz know any kitty can habz a freak accident. When she can do it ebbertime wiffout runnin’ into ebberfing in da houze thenz when it’ll beez time fur celebraytin’. I’z hope youz awl enjoyed minez tellin’ of Deziz furzt success.
Fanks sissy. Meez turned out to be purretty smawrt don’t ya’ fink? Weez joinin’ Rascal and Rocco fur da Pet Pawade Blog Hop.
Today be a day we member cuz so many Americans lost their lives when da planes went cwashin’ into da towers. When terrorism reared it’s ugly head in our country and on our soil. America hadn’t known this kind of violence in a very long time. Our stweets and land had been safe fur many years. We haven’t had war on our soil since the Civil War. We send out fawts and purrayers to all those affected and salute all those who worked tirelessly to restore our great Country. We must always remember lest we be doomed to wepeat da past.
Service Cats U.S. 