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Pet's Perspective
Pet's Perspective
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CATS!
Cats who help...
CATS Blog! My cats are very social and affectionate, and without special training, they are like therapy cats for my daughter, who is autistic. They were held every day and petted and played with gently when they were kittens, and that habit continues into adulthood. If you leave a kitten to its own devices, it will become "independent" and less affectionate -- not because that is its nature so much as that is what it becomes used to. So even if you have to seek out your kitten to interact with it, make it a point to do so, every day. Mine are even gentle and tolerant of children, as you can see in the picture! The kitty above who is playing doctor was purring. Of course, a very active game of doctor(twisting or turning the cat constantly or pressing on her too tight) would more than likely be too much for most cats, and might easily degenerate into discomfort.
Kittens will tend to sleep most of the day and play all night if you don't find them, wake them (gently) and get them used to being petted, held, played with during the day time.
I've been known to use my cats as "demonstration dogs" when a dog wasn't handy, to show someone how to teach a dog to sit, lie down, etc. People are always surprised that my cats don't mind at all, and actually purr along through the entire demonstration.
So, although each cat has its own temperament and tolerance level, you have a lot to do with whether your kitten grows up to be like these pictures, playing doctor, riding in Barbie trailers! (OK, I'm just kidding about the bottom pic -- that is NOT a good game to let your child play because your child might hurt the cat trying to get her to fit into the small trailer...but maybe with a bigger trailer! I do have one cat who would enjoy this, if the trailer were big enough for her!)
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Teach your cat to sit in the same way you would teach your dog! Just find a tasty treat that your cat loves, let the cat smell it but don't let her have it. When you have your cat's interest, hold the treat near his nose and gently move up, in an arc above his head. As your cat follows the treat, he will naturally sit, which is the moment you say "sit". If you hold it too high, your cat may sit up on its hind legs, which is another trick all together, so keep it close, almost touching her nose, for now. Be sure to say "sit" at the correct moment, if you want your cat to connect that word to the act of sitting.
AJ can help you with your cat behavior problems, too.
Don't let the name, the dog shrink, fool you. AJ loves cats, and has worked with them for many years. Her main "problem" working with kitties is teaching owners that, YES, their cat's behavior CAN BE CHANGED! Old myths die hard. It has long been just accepted that cats are "independent" and cannot be changed or taught. That is just not the case.
Cats are intelligent, loving, warm, and sensitive. Sure, they don't have the goofy, slobbery, I'll do anything for a pat kind of love that many dogs have. But they love their people all the same.
So, whatever behavior you'd like to teach your cat, or whatever behaviors need to be changed, just send an email this way, because the dog shrink is also a cat shrink.
