One of my favorite CAT memories is how our Behavior Modification program started. In 2015, no one thought that you could train a cat. We had a cat named Columbia that was so fearful in the shelter that she was in fight-or-flight mode. She had nowhere to run so she chose to fight. She would charge the kennel door when opened and was pretty scary. Quite by accident, we started doing clicker/marker training with her. We would tap the kennel to get her attention and toss her a treat. Soon she would come to the front of the kennel when she heard the tap. We moved her to a free-roam room and she would go to any area that we tapped (target training). Soon she was doing a mini agility course. People loved to watch her. She learned that people meant good things. Columbia began to engage with people and loved to show them what she could do. She was adopted within 30 days. This is a cat that would have normally been with us for several months. That was the beginning of our behavior modification program. Today, we have a team of trained volunteers who come in daily to work with the cats that need some extra support. Thanks to Columbia, we are now able to better support cats who have trouble adjusting to shelter life. Watch Columbia’s treat training in action.
Shared by: Nancy Puro
