Even the fiercest cat lovers know, our furry felines can have unpredictable behavior. But did you know, many cats are trainable?
Students at Virginia Tech spent the past semester successfully training 14 shelter cats.
Many people think cats just don’t want to be trained, but this is a myth, said Lisa Gunter, an assistant professor of animal behavior and welfare at Virginia Tech.
“I think one of the biggest things that I enjoy about this course is really dispelling those myths,” Gunter said.
She taught an undergraduate class this semester, mentoring students to train shelter cats. Using treats and toys, the students spent five weeks teaching the cats to sit, spin, and even willingly go into a carrier.
“They learn how to give a fist pump,” Gunter explained. “So they’ll do a little paw on the fist bump.”
The cats were all selected with help from the Lynchburg Humane Society, and all initially showed an interest in people and a willingness to socialize with students.
“We are helping the students learn, and then we’re helping the cats get more socialization and more training, so it’s a win/ win for us,” said Jill Mollohan executive director at the Lynchburg Humane Society. She said 11 of the 14 cats in the program came from other shelters, freeing up space ahead of the spring and summer influx when cat populations at shelters usually triples.
Shelters can be stressful for cats, and Mollohan said sicknesses often spread easier in the summer with so many cats together.
“Having a space that is very quiet for the cats made a big difference in their acclimation time,” said graduate student Eva Giguere, who helped manage the cattery.
“I thought the cats would take longer to come out of their shell, but with our structure they acclimated much faster. Having a well-developed enrichment program with different themes was fun for the students but also provided the cats with new enrichment items each day, which is really important for their welfare,” Giguere said.
Gunter said training your cat to do tricks can deepen the bond with your pet, and can improve communication between cats and humans.
“You’re spending time together and working together, and problem solving together,” Gunter said. “And I think that is something that can be really meaningful and really change your relationship.”
Gunter says cats in shelters tend to be more neglected than dogs, but most cats respond well to our attention.
“The fact that we could train so many behaviors over just a short period of time, I think we probably aren’t giving the cats in our lives the credit that they want to learn and can accomplish and learn new behaviors, if we spend the time,” Gunter explained.
The 14 cats they trained have all since been adopted, except for one, 10-month-old Delilah, a very sweet calico tabby who Gunter said now finds a lot of joy leaping into her carrier. “She has this really gorgeous coat. And a great personality to match,” Gunter said. Delilah is currently being fostered with one of the students.
For more information about adoption, contact Lisa Gunter.
