TALE FROM THE CLINIC

Marshmallow was a two-year-old Siamese cat when he was re-homed with a new family. He was a little bit cheeky, but loved sleeping the day away. His new owners decided he needed mental stimulation, and being a cat didn’t mean he couldn’t learn some commands. They started slowly, introducing a word for food time and another for pats. They then introduced ‘sit’, using a firm hand to guide his bottom to the ground and treating him with yummy salmon. They continued his basic training every day, three or four times a day, for about two months, until he had these down pat. Next came ‘drop’ and ‘roll over’, which was a little harder because he would stop halfway for tummy scratches, and he’s now working on ‘shake hands’. His owners make each session short, fun and varied. They also made sure they had lots of favourite, strong-smelling treats on hand for his rewards. So have some fun getting creative with your cat this weekend!