Cat Training

Yes get your giggles out, because really, cat training?

I now refer to my life with cats as BEFORE or AFTER Gomez. Before Gomez my adorable little pets were much like me, they enjoyed eating, laying about and watching television. Ah but then I had the means and opportunity to get a breed I had been interested in for years. A Bengal.

What is a Bengal you may ask? Their lineage comes from the pairing of an Asian Leopard and a tabby. Bengals classified as pets are at least 4 generations removed from their wild heritage, frankly I am thinking I need one that is at least 678 times removed.

Gomez is intelligent, curious, athletic with endless amounts of energy. He studies things and sizes them up, you can watch the wheels turning. If he wants something he will take it, as demonstrated by the time he decided he would like my bowl of cereal, which led to milk and Frosted Flakes everywhere. With precise regularity there is something crashing in my home, while this would startle others I now respond with "GOMEZ STOP WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING".

So I know now I have to approach raising Gomez as I would a puppy, lots of stimulation and training. I've started clicker training and he is a whiz at standing up to get a treat. What you say? A cat standing up? GET OUT. I know. But I did try this with my fat orange tabby Sidney who just looked at me disgustedly when I asked him to stand up for a treat and walked away.

Now it's time for harness training. He was just old enough this month to get his rabies shot and he is properly protected against heartworms. There is a huge tree in the backyard that I can't wait to introduce him to. I think he would enjoy the outdoors and burn off some of that Bengal energy. The issue? Oh my lord the harness. He completely flips the fuck out when I put it on him.

Mind you I've given up on a collar because he is like Houdini and can get out of those in 4.8 seconds, but the harness is a little more complicated for the him to figure out. He was successful in getting one leg out, which I promptly shoved back in. So I'm sitting here watching him flip around as if he's having a seizure, gnawing on any area of the harness he can reach. Watching him trying to walk or run only looks like I've gotten my cat drunk. Did I tell you this was the second harness I bought? I have quite the collection of harnesses and collars if anyone is in need of one.

I plan to get some video of this exorcism he is trying to perform with the harness, but for now

Get it off, get it off, get it OFF


See how fetching you look?

I hate you