Tag: #ServiceCats

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    

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  

The Holiday’s Are Coming

Published on by Service Cats U.S.46 Comments

Da weekend is finally here and Thanksgiving’s just round da corner. You know what else is comin’ up? Meez 6th Gotchaday, dat’s what. Yep dat’s right. Mommy rescued me and saved meez life 6 years ago. Yep, meez littermates and me was rescued and taken to a big ole cold room with lots of cages and loud noises. And then…da sweetest smell me had ever smelled wafted thru da air. Meez littermates and me was all gathered up in a basket and dumped out onto da cold hard floor. Me kuld see a bright light in da direction of da sweet smell so me had to go and check it out. Meez littermates was all huddled together and wouldn’t hardly move. But not me. Me waddled over and climbed da hills what was mommys legs and turned on meez purr motor. She wasn’t leavin’ there without me no matter what kind of charm this little girly had to do.

 

#Dezi the #servicecat sits in box with mouth in chirp position
No way mommy could say no to me.

Mommy looked down at me and smiled. Her eyes filled with salty water and she spoke da most beautiful words me had ever heard, “You’re my Destiny.” Me didn’t know zactly what dat meant, but da smile on her face and warm comfurt in her voice sed it was a good thing. Me purred even louder when she spoke. And then she picked me up and sed, “Wanna come home with me little one?” Me purred so hard meez whole body shook. Of course me wanted to go home with her. Why did she think me was doin’ all of this ifin not to make her fall fur me? It worked and she told da lady she wuld take me home to live with her and Lexi. Me didn’t know how blest me was gunna be. But me has a pawsum home with a wonderful sissy and a mommy who wuld do anything fur me.

#Lexi the #servicecat sits in a box looking at sister #Dezi trying to get in with her

We recently won a book ‘bout Simon’s Cat from Cat Chat Cody and his mommy; dat mommy has been readn’ to us. What fun. None of us were furmiliar with this Simon or his cat, so weez really enjoyin’ da antics and drawings in this pawsum book. We don’t really do book reivews, but we will say dat ifin you need a Christmas purresent fur da cat luvver who has everything, Simon’s Cat: Off to the vet wuld make a gweat guft. 

 

So with Thanksgiving right around da corner we wanna remind you ‘bout a few safety tips to help make da holiday fun fur you and da furry members of your household. Remember we don’t all purreciate parties, company or even wild decorations. And sum of us don’t know to stay away from da flames on candles. And those cute and sumtimes really purretty oil burners? Well MOST essential oils are poisonous to your fur kids; and your human ones too ifin ingested. Dat dusn’t mean you can’t use these things just dat they need to be supervised and/or out of reach of all da wee peeps and 4 leggeds in da house. And dat fancy feast yous cookin’ up fur da festivities might smell delicious and have us scopin’ out da kitchen, but most of it is toxic to us furries.

#Lexi the #Servicecat sits in box

By now most peeps know chocolate shuld not be on da menu fur your cat, dog or other furry, and alcohol is an absolute no no. Onions, garlic and chives can cause liver and kidney purroblems specially fur kitties. See it’s not da turkey we can’t have, it’s all da stuff you put on it to titillate your taste buds dat makes it toxic fur us.

 

Mommy sez a good rule of thumb is: Ifin your cat kuldn’t ketch it in da wild, it purrobly shuldn’t go on da plate.

 

So, plain ole turkey tom lurkey? Give me sum!!! But roasted and stuffed and slathered in garlic butter turkey tom? Nope, can’t have it. Fur a list of human foods dat shuldn’t be served to us fur kids you can check out da ASPCA here.

#Dezi the #servicecat lays in a box

But food and smellies awen’t da only hazards at this time of year. Those purretty poinsettias on da table or window sill awe purrlenty poison as well. Mommy sez ifin it has or grows from a bulb, it shuld be considered poisonous. But there awe so many plants and flowers dat be poisonous we kuldn’t begin to cover them all in this post. So when in doubt, check it out here. Ifin you think your fur kid has gotten into sumfin they shuldn’t have or has been poisoned you can call da ASPCA animal poison control center at: 888-426-4435. They do require a credit card so they can charge $65.00. There is also da Pet Poison Helpline at: 855-764-7661. They charge $49.00. Both awe available 24/7/365. But ifin you think your anipal has been poisoned, don’t wait. See your VET ASAP. Sum poisons can be reversed ifin caught in time.

 

Hope weez helped ya’ a bit. Wiff just a few purrcautions everypawdy can enjoy da holidays togevver. We’ll be covering a few more tips next week so stay tuned. As we do every week, weez joinin’ Rascal and Rocco fur da Pet Parade.

 

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

 

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Dezi and Lexi