The story begins just days before Halloween 2004.
I took my niece and nephews to get pumpkins for carving. We
went to an orchard were they had all sorts of wonderful fall
produce and … one last, lonely, little kitten. Well,
long story short, I am sure you can guess what happened. Before
I knew it, I had that sickly, 5-week-old, little pile of fluff
in a box on my smiling niece's lap, driving for home and berating
myself the entire way for being a king-sized sucker.
That poor little kitten had to be bottle-fed
for 4 days and taught to use the litter box. He required a few
very expensive vet visits and many types of medicine. However,
after a couple of weeks of good nutrition, a warm and comfortable
home and the miracle of antibiotics, he was much better, thriving
in fact. And that is when the transformation occurred. I discovered
that I no longer had a sad, sweet, snuggly kitty, but some sort
of feral, wild cat.
"Jack" went from
sleeping soundly on my lap for hours to running like a maniac
up and down my curtains, terrorizing my 12 year-old cat and
chasing the tail of my 80 lb. Doberman/Lab mix. However, his
favorite past time seemed to be viciously attacking me when
I walked by, tried to pick him up, hold or even pet him. I was
shocked! I had saved this adorable, tiny fuzzball from a horrible
fate and he had the nerve to bite the hands that fed him? Evidently,
yes and numerous times I might add! I had to achieve some sort
of peace in my household and knew that de-clawing was NOT an
option. Training was the way… but how does one train
a cat?
I sought help from various sources… the
vet, the internet, various books, etc. The info all pretty much
said that either he will grow out of it or just keep your distance
when he was in a "mood," what I called the "Jack
Attacks." I was at my wits end, covered with scratches
and bites from elbows to finger tips. When I was picking up
my dog from Trainers Academy, LLC Daycare one day, I talked
with Class Instructors Lisa and Devene about the idea of trying
to clickertrain the little monster. They informed me that the
methods of clicker and positive reinforcement training are applicable
to many species. It worked amazingly with my dog. Why not give
it a try?
So, I prepared to start "taming the beast."
I reviewed all my handouts from Puppy class to brush up on exercises
and techniques. I discovered that Jack was indeed food motivated
for kitty treats but also for "jackpots" or super
rewards like turkey. Just like puppy class, I separated his
behavior issues into specific areas to overcome such as touching
tolerance, handling tolerance, impulse
control (no random attacking) and counter surfing. I determined
what exercises would assist me in overcoming each behavior issue.
I acquired a new clicker with a plastic tone that was different
from the clicker I used for my dog, a more metallic tone, so
as not confuse training sessions between animals within the
household.
And so it began. I started with basic touching
tolerance and set up "ambush" sessions with Jack.
I used the same theory of the "object exchange" exercise
taught in Puppy Class with some modification. I approached Jack
when he was otherwise engaged, like when he was sleeping or
lounging on his kitty climber or playing with a toy. I reached
out, subtly touched him and "clicked," treated and
walked away. Pretty soon, he was beginning to recognize my approach
is something good, not threatening. Quickly, I worked my way
up to 3 or 4 strokes under his chin with no attacks or running
away.
I also had to work with Jack on being handled
and held. When I picked him up, he tried everything in his arsenal
to get away: growling, snarling, scratching and biting. Though
my forearms were constantly scratched, red and full of band-aids
from his abuse, I was not deterred. I made certain that the
"improper" use of his mouth did not get him what he
wanted, his release. To overcome this behavior, I wore heavy
sweatshirts with thick, long sleeves and used a modified version
the "Sittle." This exercise requires that the animal
be gently restrained, insures they cannot use "improper"
behaviors to achieve release (i.e. struggling, growling, biting,
snapping, etc.). Puppies are put only into a "sit-like"
position between the legs of the handler and held gently around
their chests in this position until struggle ceases, never any
other position. The difference between Puppy Class and what
I did with Jack is that I held him like a baby, which is the
only way I could hang on to him (again not recommended for any
dogs). As soon as Jack stopped growling and trying to bite,
I released him, which was most of the time. However, sometimes,
his struggle and frustration intensified. It was at these
times that I opted for one of two behaviors: "yield"
or "timeout."
The "Yield" behavior was a "signal"
for Jack to tell me, without launching into a full-on assault,
that he was agitated and wanted to be put down. I crafted the
signal by offering the only appendage I had available (that
was not holding a struggling cat), my nose. I stuck my face
into the fray and let's just say I was "unsuccessful"
on many occasions. OUCH! I tried to give that "peace offering
cue" (i.e. my nose) BEFORE he got to the "attack"
stage. Eventually, he learned that if he "kissed"
my nose, he was saying "let me go" and I immediately
complied. No harm, no foul. In this instance, his freedom from
being held was the reward, so no clicking and treating was necessary.
Good thing, because I didn't have a spare hand to do it any
way. This "kissing" my nose behavior carried over
into the touching tolerance area as well. I was able to pet
Jack and when he grabbed my hand and licked, that was my signal
from him that he had enough I should stop.
The "Timeout" was a consequence I implemented
as a result of not "yielding." I utilized my old puppy
cage for "kitty-cat timeout." When Jack got over stimulated
and was in the throes of an all- out "Jack Attack"
that involved a scratching, hissing, biting beast, I calmly
and quietly scooped him up holding him the baby position, put
him in the puppy cage for approximately 30 seconds and left
the room, shutting the door behind me. This exercise is a modification
of the "puppy timeout" that helps decrease unwanted
social behaviors, like hard-mouthing from pups. When puppies
are launching themselves at you and biting your pant legs, etc.
it has been recommended that you take the puppy's leash, hook
it on a door knob and then leave the room (i.e. remove yourself
from the situation and as the target for the puppy's crazy behavior)
for a number of seconds. The social isolation the puppy experiences
helps to modify his behavior, in essence telling him that "we
don't play that way" and "that behavior will end play
time, every time." The main difference here is the use
of the crate. The kitten does not regularly spend quality time
in the crate, so it can be used as a "timeout space."
Puppies are regularly crated for a variety of reasons including
safety and training. Crates should be their "sanctuary"
and not used for "timeouts" to insure no negative
feelings develop about this space. This "kitty-cat
timeout" worked rather quickly and I soon cut out the crate
time-out all together. He learned the "Yield" signal
and gave out the "kisses" and the handling or holding
stopped before he ever got over stimulated and agitated. Thus
no more "Jack Attacks."
I also had a problem with Jack climbing on my
kitchen table and counters (i.e. counter surfing). I don't know
about you, but in my house, cat behinds do not belong where
people food resides. The problem is that Jack is a cat that
needs to perch on tall/high areas, good vantage points for surveying
his domain. Despite my "rules," in his view, the table
and counters were perfect locations. Thus, the next challenge.
I did my best to prevent him even making it to
the counters, gently shooed him down when necessary, but more
importantly rewarded (clicked and treated) his position on a
compromise location, my Baker's rack. It was tall enough for
him to see what I was doing while working at the counter or
eating at the table, but was away from the counters and table
and any sort of people food areas. Jack learned that keeping
off the other areas benefits him and the Baker's rack is the
pay-off location for treats and the ability to survey the happenings
in the kitchen. Now, Jack can found perched on his "spot"
when I am busy cooking. Also, he can be found waiting patiently
in it every time he notices I am getting ready to leave. He
and the dog each get their treats (in their spots – the
Baker's rack and the rug) as I head out the door.
So, to sum up my exhausting story… My
long, hard fought battle with a 6 lb. kitty has reaped fantastic
rewards. Clicker training, the "click and reward"
method, allowed me to build trust and communicate with this
somewhat feral little feline. It helped us find the common ground,
understanding and companionship between all creatures big and
small needed to peaceably reside together.
I have to say, I was a skeptic about clicker
training when I rescued my dog. But I gave it a shot. After
going through classes at Trainers Academy and seeing the amazing
progress with my pup, I was truly converted. Now, after using
the same methods to train a crazy kitty and seeing the same
fantastic achievements first-hand, I am not just a convert,
I am one of biggest "Clicker Training" cheerleaders
around. So, do not fear issues with your pups, if a feral kitty
can
do it, you and your dog can too!
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