Service Cat: What To Look For

Published on by Service Cats U.S.46 Comments

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.

 Dezi close up on arm of chair

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.

 Dezi in her work harness on cat ledge

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.

CFA Cat breed chart

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. 

 Raena on brown cat tree

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.

 Raena licks lips atop the Liberty Cat tree

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.

 Dezi and Raena together

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? 

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

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Dezi and RaenaBelle    

Blest Sunday: Happy Father’s Day

Published on by Service Cats U.S.37 Comments

Hey Ya’ll it’s RaenaBelle. I’s been watchin’ mommy and sis Dezi write on this big box by punchin’ these little keys and so I thought I’d give it a try. Mommy’s been really busy this weekend makin’ copies and doin’ paperwork. She says it has somethin’ to do with our lease and havin’ somewhere to live fur da next year. And there was some really loud booms yesfurday and late last night so sis Dezi made herself scarce. I didn’t understand why she ran off and I couldn’t find her anywhere. So hijackin’ this thing they call a blog seemed like da right thing to do. (Looks around for Dezi)

 

Raena atop the Liberty Cat Tree
Yep, I’s on da very tippy top. Mommy says dat’s Dezi’s spot, but I’s say, she wasn’t here.

 

Anyways, mommy and Dezi told me it was Sunday and dat meant church day. This is mines second church day with mommy and sis Dezi. I sure do like church. Mommy sings and really seems to enjoy herself. And she tells us dat we are really blest to have each other. Well let me tell you…nopawdy has to tell this kitty girl dat I’s blest.

 Raena!!! What are you doin’ on me’s bloggy? 

Dezi atop the Liberty Cat tree

This is me’s spot on da Cat tree.

 

 

Your bloggy? Mommy said it was Our bloggy. 

Oh yeah? Well do you see your name anywhere in da title? 

 Raena licking lips atop the Liberty cat tree

Now girls, let’s be nice. What have I told ya’ll about sharing?

 Sharin’ is carin’, and… (Raena cuts Dezi off and chimes in) 

 Sisfurs don’t fight. ‘Specially on Blest Sunday.

(Dezi says under her breath) Kiss up. (Dezi exhales and smiles) Well, RaenaBelle why don’t you tell everypawdy ‘bout our blessings this week then.

 Raena looks out the door from the Liberty cat tree

Fank you sis Dezi I would luvs to. You and mommy say we have lots of wonderful furiends who luvs us. And dat includes me even tho’ they haven’t knowed me very long. Dat’s a big ole blessin’. And I’s fur sure blest to have you and mommy. Ya’ll saved me and I’s luvs mines furever home and you and mommy very much. I’s luvs all da pawsum toys and cat trees we have and da yummy noms mommy gives us. I’s luvs dat nip and da vine too. Dat’s some good stuffs. By da way Dezi, how offen do we get dat stuffs? I could go fur some of dat every day.

 Raena in a heart on a clothes line saying Happy Father's day

Thanks Raena, you did a purretty good job. As fur da nip, no, we don’t get it every day ‘xcept what’s in da nip stuffed toys.

 Dezi in a frame with a tie saying Happy Father's Dat

Today isn’t just Blest Sunday tho’, it’s also Father’s Day. Of course you all know we don’t have an actual father. Mommy has to be our mommy and daddy, and let me tell ya’ she does a great job. But we do have some pawsum uncles and furiends and we would like to wish ya’ll and all da daddy’s out there a Happy Happy Father’s day. Father’s are those very special men dat decide to take pawrt in your life and luv you and purrtect and care fur you no matter what. They may be related by biology or not at all. But they are da stand up guys da you can always count on. Ifin there’s a special man in your life, be sure and tell him how much you luv and ‘purreciate him today and every day. Fur those of ya’ like us, dat only have one pawrent, let them know they’re doin’ a great job. We never know what da future holds, so don’t let a day go by without givin’ thanks fur da many blessings in your life.

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

Dezi = Blue  

Raena = Teal

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Dezi and Raena 

Dezi prepares for attack while Raena hovers between scratchers

That’s Close Enough

Published on by Service Cats U.S.49 Comments

It’s finally Furiday. Me thought you would never get here. It’s been a crazy week ‘round here, what with da weather takin’ another turn early in da week with storms a purrlenty and then heatin’ up like a sauna. One day mommy was sittin’ in her chair when me looked over at her and she was drippin’ wet. Sure ‘nuff she was soaked from her head to her toes. And nope wasn’t cuz she had just got outta da shower, it was ‘nuffun’ more than just plain sweat. See mommy has these things she calls purrsonal summers. And let me tell ya’ she was havin’ one of those right then.

 Raena looks up sweetly from the brown cat tree

Now we signed up fur this purrogram with da ‘lectric company a few yars back dat was ‘posed to save us some money. And so far it has. We’re not sure how it happens, but we have saved a few green papers since bein’ in this purrogram. In da summer our a/c will pre cool da place and then at 2 o’clock when da rates go up, da a/c raises it’s coolin’ temp to around 79 to 80 degrees till 7 o’clock when purrices drop again. And da ‘lectric company gave us this real cool digital purrogrammable thermostat. You know da kind, set it and furget it? Well dat’s ‘zactly what we did, till da other day when mommy just couldn’t stand it anymore.

 Dezi and Raena watch each other from a few inches apart

Dezi prepares for attack while Raena hovers between scratchers

(Come on over Raena…You’s fixin’ to meet me’s Whacky Paw up close and purrsonal.)

 

She got up and said she didn’t care what they was chargin’ purr kw, she wasn’t gonna be sweatin’ in her own home. So mommy got up and went over to da thermostat and there it was, set fur 65 degrees and heat. Yep, da a/c wasn’t on at all. Dat ole thermostat had done switched us to heat. And da actual tempurrture in da house was 86 degrees. No wonder mommy was sweatin’. She was havin’ a bit of heat stroke with her own purrsonal summer. Mommy pushed some buttons and furinally got da air to blowin’ and went and took a cold shower.

What fun dat was.

 Raena plays with the Cat Dancer

Raena kept tryin’ to jump up on da side of da tub with me, but there’s nuffin’ to actually grab onto and she’s just too little to reach. She can’t jump on top of anythin’ in da bathroom right now. She’s started usin’ da big girl pawdee boxes but you should see her; she makes a runnin’ jump to get into ‘em. And once she’s inside you wouldn’t be able to see her ifin you weren’t standin’ up over her. Mommy says she’s growin’ like a weed but me will believe it when she doesn’t have to run and jump into da pawdee box.

 Raena plays with the Cat Dancer

Raena plays with the Cat Dancer

There’s been a few really cool give aways goin’ on ‘round da blogosphere lately and me’s been tryin’ to win some so me would have some new things fur me’s new sisfur when she arrived. Well me won dat really cool PetSafe Flitter toy from Cody and couldn’t wait fur Raena to arrive so we could open it up and play with it. Me luvs da PetSafe toys so me just knew Raena would too. And me was right, we had a blast playin’ last night. Fanks fur havin’ dat pawsum give away Cody.

 Dezi and Raena play with the PetSafe Flitter toy

Dezi rolls on the nip mat while Raena plays with the PetSafe Flitter toy

(I’s sharin’ mines nip mat wiff sis Dezi awnty Ellen. I’s a good girl, mommy says so.)

 

Anyways, we’ve been getting’ some really good questions ‘bout trainin’ a Service cat. While we plan to write ‘bout Raena’s trainin’ as we’re doin’ it, we thought we’d give an overview of trainin’ and what to look fur when choosin’ a Service cat to train ifin ya’ll are interested.? The overview nor our training posts will be comprehensive and in no way are they meant to be a training manual. We post them fur entertainment and education. Anypawdy dat tells you there aren’t any oopsies while trainin’ a Service animal is lyin’. Granted, you don’t reward da oopsies cuz ya’ don’t want them repeated, but they happen none da less.

 Raena plays with the Cat Dancer

Well me’s gonna go fur now. Da sun is shinin’ and me hopes to go fur a stroll. Mommy says she has a lot to do to finish up our lease recert. papers, but me knows she has to take a break every now and then. Me thought you might enjoy seein’ some of da foto mommy’s been takin’ while Raena and me get used to each other. She found da Cat Dancer toy and seems to luv it as much as me does. And she even shared her new “made with love” nip blanky from awnty Ellen. And it’s Furiday, so me’s joinin’ Rascal and Rocco fur da Pet Parade.

Pet Parade banner new

One last thing befur ya’ ask, Raena and me are doin’ good. Me’s not ready to swap spit, lick butts and cuddle. Fur now me thinks nose touchin’ is close enough. Me will keep you all updated. 

 Dezi hanging out on top of the Liberty Cat tree

Would you be interested in an overview post about picking and training Service cats? 

Do you have any specific questions you would like answered?

Do you (your human) have purrsonal summers? If so how do you get relief?

Till da next time………………………………Be Blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Dezi and RaenaBelle  

Did Somebody Say Catnip?

Published on by Service Cats U.S.70 Comments

Oh meowllo. Me was just sittin’ here watchin’ Raena. Let me tell ya’ dat girl has more energy than da energizer bunny. Me knows me told ya’ dat befur, but it’s da truth. She just doesn’t stop. And me knows me’s posty is late, mommy says there’s so many fotos to edit and not enuff time in each day. Mommy did want me to address an email we got regardin’ Raena and da play pen. No, Raena does NOT live in da play pen. She weighed a pound and a half after spendin’ a week in our house and eatin’ some good groceries. She weighed much less when mommy picked her up. She was too tiny to get into da litter boxes and had spent her furst 6 weeks of life in a kitty crate, so even our small apartment was overwhelmin’ fur her. And so fur her purrtection and safety, mommy set up da play pen fur her. Me would never hurt her, but me wasn’t da happiest kitty girl in da world da day she arrived, and mommy had to go up and feed Buddy, so da play pen was da purrfect place fur her. As you can see by da bulk of da fotos, she’s got free reign of our house. We would like to thank you all fur supportin’ us and luvvin’ Raena.

 Dezi lays in floor and watches Raena

Dat bein’ said, Raena discovered Dougie last night. Me doesn’t think she’s figgered out what he is or dat she ain’t ever gonna be able to get to him. Me’s sure Dougie is hopin’ dat tank is kitten proof. Anyways, mommy’s been tryin’ really hard to get at least one foto of all her “fursts”, but she was laffin’ so hard at Raena pawin’ at Dougie’s tank dat she furgot to take a picture. Let me tell ya’ Raena’s a big camera ham. She luvs havin’ her foto taken. And speakin’ of fursts, mommy has always bought da new kitty a little mousey from da pet store. Several of da pet stores carry this itty bitty mousey dat says, “my first mouse” on it. Well, since we don’t have a pet store here and da one in Ardmore has a bug purroblem so we don’t shop there; then Raena didn’t get her “my first mousey”.

Dezi eats while Raena watches
Go play Raena, me’s eatin’.

As you all noticed she is a tiny little thing, so most of our toys are too big fur her. Now don’t get me wrong, she sure ‘nuff tries to play with them, but ifin she ever gets her mouth on somethin’, she can’t move it cuz it’s too big and heavy. So after watchin’ her play dat furst night, mommy sent an email to awnty Ellen of 15 and meowing askin’ her ifin she would make Raena a little toy of her own dat would be Raena sized. Well we received said package da other day, and OMC awnty Ellen sent some of da bestest made with luv toys; and she even made Raena her very own nip mat. Well, da general rule is dat kittens aren’t affected by catnip ‘til they’re ‘bout 6 months or older. So mommy planned to take a couple of fotos of da nip mat and then put it away fur Raena till after she has her big girl surgery.

 Raena bunny kicks her made with love chicken leg

Of course you all know there’s an exception to every rule. You know there are kittys out there dat don’t even like catnip. Can you believe dat? A kitty not likin’ catnip. Dat has to be a sacrilege of da kitty book of norms. Anyways, sure ‘nuff there are kittys dat never enjoy catnip. But let me tell ya’ dat ain’t RaenaBelle!!! As soon as mommy put dat nip mat down, Raena started goin’ nuts. She scooted ‘round and rolled ‘round till she found da openin’ where da nip be inserted and started droolin’. And then she found da toys and started bunny kickin’ like crazy. Oh me cats she looked so funny. She had those tiny legs just a goin’ to town and rubbin’ her cheeks all over dat toy.

 

Raena on her first nip mat

 Raena bunny kicks her made with love fish

Hey Dezi I thought you was gonna let me tell ‘bout mines new toys. Mommy said dat I could do da tellin’. 

Raena discovers cat nip in her made with lovs catnip mat
Hey Dezi, what’a this paw-mazin’ smell?

Well then get to tellin’ Raena, and don’t furget to say thank you.

Raena rolls around in her catnip mat
This is sooooooo good

 Okay. Well guess I oughtta start with dat fank you. Fank you awnty Ellen, I luvs mines new toys and dat nip mat is pawsum. I’s ‘posed to be too young to understand ‘bout this catnip stuffs but let me tell ya’, dat mat and those toys smelled better than mines dinner plate. And dat’s sayin’ somethin’. I got 2 fishys, a ball, a tube and a chicky leg. And I had a blast playin’ last night. Come to think of it, I’s gonna go play right now. Fanks again. Big RaenaBelle hugs comin’ your way.

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Yes, thank you awnty Ellen, those toys will keep her outta me’s fur, at least fur 5 minutes. Well me’s gonna go now and see what mischief me can find.

 Dezi starts down the cat tree

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

Do you (your kitty) like catnip?

Do you (your kitty) purrfur silvervine?

How old were you (your kitty) when you first noticed cat nip affected you?

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Dezi and RaenaBelle