Tag: #ServiceCats

Dezi checks out Raena in her new tiger harness

Chatting Cats: No Room in the Truck

Published on by Service Cats U.S.38 Comments

Hey, is anypawdy out there? It’s me, RaenaBelle. You’re never gonna believe what mommy did yesfurday. I’s sure couldn’t, and I’s think sis Dezi was just as confused as me. 

 

 Dezi site on the Liberty cat tree house, looking out the window with her mouth open

 

          RaenaBelle, what are you meowin’ on ‘bout? 

 

 Raena a bit distorted

 

Mommy’s doctor’s ‘pointment. You know, I’s just got mines new harness so I’s could be stylin’ when we went out. And then mommy went and left me here yesfurday while O took her to the doctor. Everypawdy missed out on seein’ me and makin’ googly eyes over me. 

 

 Raena poses on the Liberty cat tree in her tiger harness

 

          Yep Raena, and me missed out on me’s alone time. That time when me can relax and not have to worry ‘bout you jumpin’ on me or inneruptin’ mes nap. She said somethin’ ‘bout there not bein’ enuff room in O’s truck.

 

Well, he needs to get another truck that does have room. Ya’ know, mommy’s sick and she might have needed me. 

 

 Dezi checks out Raena in her new tiger harness

 

          Me agrees Raena, but ya’ can’t make somepawdy buy another car/truck just so we can go. Mommy says cars/trucks be really ‘spensive. Besides, O be a human, and altho’ he can’t alert mommy, he should be able to take care of her ifin she does pass out. And, altho’ we’re sad that the tooth infection finally made mommy sick with the new-moan-ya and sinus infection, at least now she got some antibiotics.

 

 Raena plays with the yeowww rainbow in her tiger harness

 

I’s know you’re right sissy, but still, I’s wanted to go with mommy and show off mines new duds. I’s am happy that mommy got some antibiotics tho’. I’s hope they make everythin’ all better, least fur a little while. 

 

          Me too Raena, me too. And don’t worry, there’ll be purrlenty of time fur you to show off your new duds. O won’t be takin’ mommy everywhere, so there’ll be lots of times when we’ll still be needed to go with mommy. And you know she needs us all day every day here at home. 

 

 Dezi and Raena lay on the cat tree and small perch to look out the window and chat

 

I’s know sissy, but it’s just not the same. I’s was so upset and missed mommy so much, I’s sat at the door callin’ fur her the whole time she was gone. You know, I’s don’t even like mommy to go and check the mail without me. 

 

          Me knows Raena. You’ve sure got a set of lungs on ya’. Me bets everypawdy fur miles could hear you yowlin’ fur mommy.

 

Soooooooo. You do it too sissy. Just cuz you ain’t sittin’ at the front door, doesn’t mean peeps don’t hear you too. 

 

 Dezi and Raena look outside from their perches near the door.

 

          Me didn’t say they didn’t Raena. Me just doesn’t yowl the whole time. Me knows mommy will come home to us. She would never leave us. Mommy luvs us more than anythin’ Raena. Me knows she would’a luvved to take you with her, there just wasn’t any room in the truck. Maybe durin’ these warmer days, we can talk mommy into takin’ us up town. We’ll just have to wait till she’s feelin’ a little better. 

 

That sounds like a great idea sissy. Let’s go give mommy some massages and make her feel better faster. (shakes head and mumbles) No room in the truck…hmppht. 

 

 Dezi and Raena with nip toy

 

          You go ahead Raena. Me’s gonna link up with Rascal, Rocco and their pawsum co-hosts fur the weekly Pet Parade furst. We hope everypawdy has a great weekend.

 

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

 

Raena: Navy Blue 

Dezi: Vibrant Blue

 

Luvs and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

 

RaenaBelle and Deztinee 

Dezi laying in cat tree in new harness

#Service Cats: Explaining Rewards and How Kitty Feels About Training

Published on by Service Cats U.S.65 Comments

Meow Me would like to fank you all fur your unnerstandin’. Even tho’ Buddy wasn’t ours, we luvved him. After all, mommy had helped take care of him since he came to live with mr. W 7 years ago. Anyways, we know you all came by today fur Service Cat Monday. We’ve got some great questions to talk ‘bout and answer today. ‘Member, ifin ya’ have questions, purrlease leave them in the comments or send us an email. We do our bestest to answer them all in a timely manner. Ifin you’ve missed any of the posts in this series, you can ketch up by clickin’ the links at the bottom of this post. We need to tell ya’, our Service cat posts are not meant to be a trainin’ manual as trainin’ is all ‘bout repetition and reward. Our tips are tailored specifically to kitties, but they also work well with dogs. And, as with all our educational postys, the followin’ will be written in human English fur reader and translation ease. So, let’s get started.

 

 Dezi lays in mommys lap for loving

 

Our first question comes from those amazing Canadian Meezers Shoko and Kali and awnty Jean. They want to know how Raena acts after a training session. Does she want to continue/more training? Is she proud of herself? Is she happy it’s over? Remember, all training sessions should be kept short, fifteen to twenty minutes maximum. We’ve mentioned in several posts that training is serious business, but it should also be fun. And we’ve posted a few stories about our training adventures that shows just how much fun they can be. The goal is for kitty to learn something. It doesn’t have to be the exact task you’re training the fist time, but at least a part of it.

 

 Raena heads to the kitchen with the nip nanner

I’s struttin’ mines stuff all the time.

 

 

As you know, mommy is starting Raena’s wheelchair driving training. The first complete task would be to be comfortable with the control panel and power the chair on and off. No actual driving or biting of the joystick. So, mommy takes Raena’s fascination with the horn as a win. It shows she’s comfortable with the beeping and if it accidentally gets hit while driving, it won’t startle her and cause her to try to jump off the moving chair. Mommy says it’s always better to stop a training exercise while kitty is still interested. As with anything else, you want kitty to look forward to training the next time. If kitty is hiding, or running from you at training time, you’ve pushed them too far. You can recover from this. Pick a new task and start as if it were the very first time. You can come back to the previous task when kitty/doggy has learned that training is fun. Speak excitedly and expectantly. Use your baby voice. Whatever gets your kitty excited and eager to spend time with you. That brings us to our next question. But we do want to give Raena’s take on how she feels after a training session first.

 

 Raena sits in mommys lap and massages her

I’s luvs gettin’ mommy luvvin’.

 

          I’s always excited at the end of a training session. I’s could continue but mommy says we’re all done. Mommy also says that I always sashay around and strut my stuff, so she can’t be sure if I feel proud of myself or am just walking normally. I’s always follow mommy and ask to sit in her lap and get some more loving when training is over. She’s always happy to oblige. 

 

 

 Dezi lays in mommys' lap for some loving

Me luvs mommy luvvin’ too.

 

Thanks Raena. Now that everybody’s confused…Me acted and acts pretty much the same way. Remember, training is continual and repetitive. Mes sessions are refreshers. And mommy counts anytime me actually performs a task as a training session. So to answer the question about how a kitty (Raena) acts after a training session is: If it’s been done right, kitty will probably exhibit one or more of those emotions. Always stop a session while kitty is still engaged and eager.

 

 Raena sleeps in mommys lap

Extra luvvin’ leads to this. No trainin’ session happenin’ now. 

 

The next question we got was from awnty Victoria. She wanted to know more about the reward system mommy uses. Mommy prefers praise and love instead of treats. Mommy talks a lot during training sessions. It’s not all telling us what to do, but also telling us that she loves us, she’s proud of us, we’re so smart, she’s so blest, and so on. The tone of praise is gentle, affectionate and almost giddy. The tone used to instruct us is stern but gentle. So, even if you don’t believe we understand the words, we do understand the difference in the tone of voice. Altho’, mommy would argue with you over the fact that we do indeed understand what she is saying.

 

Dezi in harness

Rewards also include pats, hugs and kisses. Reward time doesn’t last long. The training session is only fifteen to twenty minutes long, so you need kitty to stay focused. For example, Raena pushes the power button or horn and doesn’t move away. Success. Mommy would say, “Oh Raena, you’re so smart,” and bend into her for a quick hug, and then it’s back to training. And remember, when using love as a reward, Do Not give love during the actual sessions unless kitty/doggy has performed the task correctly. We told you that mommy uses a hand to hold/stabilize us while driving the wheelchair. As tempting as it may be to rub kitty, Do Not! Kitty must not relax into a love session. There’s plenty of time for that later. You know your kitty/doggy best, so you know what kind of love they prefer. If your kitty doesn’t like to be patted on or near the tail, don’t do it. You want kitty/doggy to feel rewarded and not agitated. And Play time has no place during training. Unless you are training kitty/doggy to fetch a toy. Play time is not a “love” reward.

 

 Raena posing in her harness on the small cat perch

 

You might consider us bringing mommy the phone or other items a game of fetch; but it is not. Typically a game of fetch entails the human throwing something for kitty/doggy to run after, pick up and bring back. Mommy isn’t throwing the phone, food or anything else. We are learning to bring mommy something from a stationary position. Awnty Victoria had asked how long the loving reward should last, as her kitty gets frustrated after being petted for long periods. This is pretty typical behavior in most cats. Kitties typically warn you by a quick flicking/swooshing of the tail. If this is happening, your reward is lasting too long. Remember, rewards should be quick and only offered when kitty has performed at least some part of the task correctly. There’s plenty of time for extra loving before or after a training session.

 

 Raena in stroller

Well, we hope this post helps you understand the “Love Reward” system a bit better. Again, if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments or send us an email. We hope to be a bit busy today with mommy’s worker, so we’ll be ‘round to visit when we can.

 

Do you (your cat/dog) have a favorite love reward?

Have you trained (your cat/dog/human) to perform any specific task (other than feed me now-MOL)?

 

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

 

Dezi: Vibrant Blue 

Raena: Navy Blue

 

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

When to Train     

Dezi lays in the wheelchair

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

Published on 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. 

 

Raena lays in the wheelchair

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.

 

Dezi lays in wheelchair

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.

 

Raena plays in the gift bag paper

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.  

 

 Raena lays in the wheelchair

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.

 

 Dezi lays in the wheelchair

 

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

Raena laying at mommy's feet taking a bath

Service Cats: Raena and the Wheelchair Pt. 1

Published on 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.

 Dezi lays in wheelchair

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.

 Dezi atop the Liberty cat tree overseeing her world

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.

 Raena sleeps in mommy's lap

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.

 Raena lays in the wheelchair

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.

 Raena lays in wheelchair while pointing out the joystick

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.

 Raena lays in the wheelchair

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.

 Dezi lays in wheelchair

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.

 Raena sleeps in mommy's lap

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