cats: more putting a cat in a thing

[Major Tom, a big grey tabby, is sitting in a yellow Tidy Cats container. Jasper, a white guy, is holding the container up with one hand, and the other is giving Tom a gentle head petting. Tom’s head is slightly blurry, since he’s shoving it up towards Jasper’s hand.]

Sometimes you just gotta put a cat in a thing, & once we explained to him what the thing was & why we wanted to put him in it, Tom was perfectly pleased to sit in a Tidy Cats container in exchange for love.

Yes, it was off the ground. Yes, Tom was good with that part, too.

[Tom’s turned his head so that he can shove his nose against Jasper’s finger. His ears are stuck out to the side a bit, but his whiskers are perked VERY far forward.]

Tom, it turns out, understands a LOT of what we’re saying when we talk to him. Which we’ve been taking advantage of, doing things such as asking if he’ll allow someone to wipe the eye goob off his face, or if he needs a face-squishin (it helps unclog his sinuses). He’ll give the asker a headbonk for yes, & if he doesn’t that’s a no, & it is SO VERY NICE to be able to take a tissue to his face without him trying to pull away. (He’s also fond of it, because if he really WANTS boogers on his face, I will leave the boogers on his face — though if I ask again a couple minutes later, he’ll often let me deal with them.)

[Jasper’s got his hand down in the bucket now, giving Tom a good cheek scritch, and Tom is making a goofy face about it: one eye is half squinched shut, the other wide open; one set of whiskers is pointed FAR forward, the other is in a neutral position.]

We worked all of this out several months ago, in an effort to convince Tom to let us brush the mats from his fur. In the process, we discovered a couple of things: one, that Tom’s preferred brush is one of those cheapass black plastic combs they give out on Picture Day in elementary school; & two, that if you ask first, he’s a lot more willing to cooperate. Imagine that!

AND THEN we found that once he understood what the whole comb things was about, he would come to me or Jasper and inform us that a particular spot was feeling funny, & could someone take a comb to it. Which means that these days, he has no mats, & his fur is DELIGHTFULLY smooth.

Also, now we can ask him if he’ll let us put him in a plastic bucket for the lulz.

[Jasper’s hand and Tom’s head are in basically the same spots, but the camera is looking down, making it quite clear that the yellow Tidy Cats bucket is held up off of the floor. Also Tom’s face is a bit less squinchy.]

This is making a whole lot of things a lot easier for everyone involved. He can come to us with a problem, & while it might take us a bit to figure out what he’s asking for (Jasper’s a lot better at that part than I am), once we figure it out, we can fix it for him. & we can ask if he’ll cooperate with a thing — say, checking if his ears need cleaning, or if he’s got something stuck in a paw — & chances are pretty good he’ll allow it. (& if he’s not willing, sometimes the offer of some treats will change his mind — bribery works!)

Also, I can get pictures like this one:

[Tom’s handsome face takes up nearly the entire shot. He’s gazing off to the left, whiskers and ears relaxed, head leaning into Jasper’s hand, which is curled under his chin. He’s an extremely happy cat.]

Think I’m exaggerating how well this all is actually working? A lot of vets are using these techniques, too — it’s called cooperative care & you can teach your cats, too. Remy’s pretty well versed in it already, & I’ve been working on it with Loiosh, as well. & it is making SUCH a difference for all of us.

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