Cat-Time: 2022

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Diva

by Ellen

I had a life-changing event happen last year. I found a kitten, and she followed me home. I might sound like a little kid when I say that, but I felt like one, too.

I was broken after my after my wonderful cat, Stormy, passed away. I wanted another cat, but how could I be sure it would be the car for me? I wanted a furry boy cat; like Stormy. I looked, but I could never take the next step. I didn't want it to be the wrong step. The months passed by, one by one, and I still didn't have a cat.

Then one day, I found a sleek, black girl cat about six months old in my garden. She was not what I was looking for, but sometimes it is not what you want but what you need that comes home with you--and won't leave you even when you leave the door open.

She needed me, and I needed her. I named her Diva because she knew she was too good to be a stray cat. There is a lot more to the story of Diva, but I want to concentrate on telling you about some of her training.

My last cat, Stormy, was terrified of the cat carrier and going to the vet. It was miserable for both of us; ending in an undignified accident by the time we arrived at the vet. They called it a "sample" to make us feel better. I was determined that Diva would not have the same experience. after all, she is a Diva and will not arrive at the vet messy.

I do clicker training with my horse, Dante. Clicker is magic with dogs and horses, but with cats; it can be rather tough. Some don't like treats, like my last cat, or they have a small, delicate tummy like my sister's cat, Thunder.

I am so lucky. Diva loves treats and seems to be bottomless when it comes to food. Perfect. We started with clicker basics; targeting and such. Then I started putting treats in her carrier and clicked her for going in it.

She progressed quickly which is what I wanted. My boyfriend was due to take her to the vet, and she needed to load easily for him. He is not a cat person, and he can be a bit awkward with them sometimes. I was going to be at work on the big day, so he was on his own.

He said she went right in. He just put a treat in it, and she followed it. Yes, so satisfying, but I wasn't going to stop there.

The carrier lives in our play area in the basement. We practiced with it a lot and used it in our games. My next step was to make her my backyard adventure cat. I bought a cute harness for her and used a clickera to help her to get used to it. I also used the clicker to teach her "come, come" to follow me.

We practiced with the harness. I would harness her and load her in the carrier. This was a slow process because I wanted her to be very comfortable with each step.

The big day came.

I put her in her harness, loaded her into the carrier and we were off to our backyard adventure. It went really well. Caution: don't expert to get much exercise walking a cat--just gratification seeing the world through their eyes.

We have since been on a few adventures. She really likes it. Last week, we took her for a car ride after her walk, and she seemed to enjoy herself.

It's worthwhile to train a cat to load in a carrier--much like when we work with our horses. It is time well spent teaching a pet a skill like this for life gois a long way. For everyone's health;both mental and phycical.

Cat Carrier Training

by Ellen Daly

1. Get a cat.

2. Choose carrier - I started with a hard carrier and later bought a soft carrier. Both worked for me.

3. Introduce clicker training - I find it helpful to start with very motivating treats in the beginning. I used her very favorite--cheese. It is not really good for cats, but it is a very high-value treat.

4. Introduce carrier - Set it in the play area to make it part of the games and landscape.

5. Then just click and treat.

- Place treat near carrier.

- Click and praise.

- Gradually move the treats in the carrier

- Take your time; cats move at their own pace.

6. Gently close flap/door.

- You might have to push your cat in at first. He/she may back out, and let them in the beginning. You don't want your cat to feel trapped.

- Eventually, close the door/flap for real, but be prepared to open it enough to give your cat treats.

7. Zip up/close for just a very short time. Slip in more treats, and dive a lot of pets and vocal praise.

8. Slowly increase the time your cat is closed in the carrier. You can switch to more cat-friendly treats mixed in with high-value treats

Time to Travel

1. Lift up, set down and treat

- Watch your cat looks comfortable being lifted. If your cat looks stressed, slow down. If your cat seems all right, you can go faster.

- At this point, you might try putting treats in the carrier for your cat to just go in and eat. I used the carrier as part of our play time. Toys and treats get thrown into it all the time. She has learned to follow my hand movement into the carrier and goes in to get a treat.

2. Traveling

- Once your cat is okay with being lifted, it is time to travel. My cat's carrier is in the basement, so I zip her in, bring her upstairs and carrier her around the house I slip treats in as we go. If you use a clicker, you can click/treat her.

- I let her out of the carrier, load her back in and carry her some more

- I have taken her outside in the carrier, and eventually, I'm going to try car rides.

- She loves going in her carrier, and she no longer needs treats--I just talk to her and give her lots of praise.