The push is on across the country to get cats out of shelters and into loving homes. You might even say some shelters are getting a bit tricky about it.
With help from the Cat Pawsitive program, shelter workers are learning how to train cats to perform certain tricks, like giving high-fives or leaping through hoops. It’s not as superficial as it might sound. First, it shows that by rewarding our feline friends for what we want them to do, positive reinforcement works with cats. And prospective adopters see that cats can listen — well, sort of — and that they want to join in on the family fun.
But cats don’t have to wait for a family to reap the benefits. The training is stimulating, builds their confidence and might even reduce stress.
Tricks aren’t just for dogs anymore. They just might open some doors for cats, too.