By Emily Hall of KittyCatChronicles.com
Months ago, the Gifford Cat Shelter had several cats who were shy, scared, and barely ever seen. Flash forward to today and the end of the Cat Pawsitive Pro (CPP) semester, and those same cats have blossomed into social, friendly, and highly adoptable cats! One such transformation happened seemingly overnight and even resulted in an adoption!
“Carmela was a beautiful tortie, but no one ever saw her,” says Team Leader Vicki Zelski. “She would hunker down with her pal Yeti, and when anyone got near to try to pet her, she would hiss at them.” Vicki and the other trainers talked about how Carmela and Yeti would stay hidden in a dome-shaped hidey hole all day. However, as the staff and volunteers started training other cats in the same room, Carmela would edge closer and closer to see if she could get a treat. Vicki says, “She got braver and wanted to interact with the trainers and finally decided, almost overnight, that she could do what all the other cats were doing. Then she couldn’t get enough and would be one of the first cats out, waiting for us to signal for a high five!”
Betsy DeLorenzo, another team leader at the shelter, says, “She learned sit, high five, up and nose bump very quickly. Her transformation during CPP was amazing!” They were even able to train her to get inside her carrier without a struggle, as requested by Carmela’s adopter.
That’s right – Carmela attracted the eye of an adopter and went to her forever home along with her bonded buddy Yeti! Carmela and Yeti’s adopter was so impressed with the training and progress the cats were making that they actually waited several weeks before taking the cats home so they could experience more training.
Carmela and Yeti aren’t the only pair to have found their forever home thanks to Cat Pawsitive Pro and the work of the Gifford Cat Shelter staff and volunteers. Jack and Lukeman were bonded brothers who came to the shelter as 3-month-old feral kittens. Team Leader Marie Zaccagnini says, “They were quite fearful of humans when they arrived at Gifford. When they found their forever home, they were playful, goofy cats that are so lovable. The training gave them so much confidence, took away their fear of humans, and helped them find a fun way to interact with us. They were also adopted by people who are continuing the program at home.”
The transformation from fearful to social seems to be a common theme at Gifford. Spongebob, Brahms, and Santana are three other shelter kitties who haven’t yet found their forever homes but have made a huge turnaround since beginning the clicker training program.
Team member Betsy Jones says that Spongebob came from a hoarding situation where he had lived in a basement and wasn’t socialized. He would keep his eyes on the trainers whenever they were training in his room, but he wouldn’t let anyone touch him. He eventually started coming out when he realized there were treats involved. Betsy says, “He got to a point where he was so happy when I walked in the room that he came out of hiding as soon as I opened the door ready to train.”
Spongebob has now mastered eye contact, nose bump, sit, high five, down, and targeting on the blue target. “His personality is really emerging, and he is a very sweet boy. I can’t wait to see what else Spongebob reveals to us,” says Betsy D.
Brahms did a lot of hiding and would never come out from under the scratching posts or beds at the shelter. If you came within 10 feet of him, he’d hiss at you. He came to Gifford from another shelter where he had shut down and become so fearful that he was aggressive. Now, he willingly comes out to train and has learned up, sit, and nose bump, and he makes eye contact. Betsy. says, “I feel he has made the most progress, even though he hasn’t yet found his forever home. I expect to continue to be amazed by Brahms in the coming weeks. I can’t wait for him to reveal his true self to us. He is a very special cat.”
Like Brahms, when Santana arrived at the shelter, she was scared and had no interest in interacting with anyone. She would spend her time hiding in a closet. However, once she was introduced to clicker training, she had a complete transformation. Now, she enjoys being around people and will even come over and sit next to you. Vicki says, “It was unbelievable how quickly she learned new behaviors. It makes me feel good that, by training, I may be helping a cat get adopted.”
Though many of the staff and volunteers had previous clicker training experience before beginning the Cat Pawsitive Pro program, they were still surprised and amazed at the changes they’ve witnessed in the Gifford cats. Betsy J. says she didn’t really believe that clicker training cats was possible. “Boy was I proven wrong,” she says. “I was amazed to witness the confidence boost it gave to the shy guys.” Now she’s hooked and especially loves being able to see the terrified cats blossom.
As the Cat Pawsitive Pro semester wraps up, the staff and volunteers of Gifford Cat Shelter reflect on the profound effect the program has had on both themselves and the cats.
Vicki says, “Having clicker training skills and being able to use them with success makes me feel like I have one more tool to help the behaviorally challenged cats. I enjoyed the bond I formed with the cats I trained and was amazed at how appreciative they were for just the extra attention they were getting and how proud they looked when they were praised for learning something. It made me really happy to see that.”
Marsha Smith, Executive Director of Gifford Cat Shelter, is blown away by her experience and what she has been able to witness since the shelter began the CPP program. “I continue to be amazed at the bond that the program creates between the humans and the cats. Friendly cats learn new tricks where you can see their self-pride grow, shy cats finally gain the confidence to come out of their shells, formally feral cats get the chance to realize that humans are safe and trustworthy. Being able to watch the staff and volunteers bring out the very best in the Gifford cats was pure joy for me. Gifford’s ability to instill confidence in shy cats has given them a chance they may not have received otherwise. A chance to find solace in human companionship and proving that no cat is beyond reach.”
YOU can improve the lives of cats at risk. Donate today to The Jackson Galaxy Project’s Cat Pawsitive Program and transform the places and people that support at-risk pets!