By Dawn White of Lola The Rescued Cat
Over the course of the Cat Pawsitive Pro(CPP) semester, EASEL Animal Rescue League’s updates have been exciting. Their dedication and compassion for the cats in their care shine through their videos and narratives. According to Joseph Tyrrell, shelter volunteer, all of the cats who participated in CPP improved their interactions with humans, some to a great degree. This is largely because “we humans improved our interactions with the cats.”
EASEL has many dedicated volunteers, including several who were already quite skilled at socializing cats. But this program required regular, organized sessions, especially with cats who had been labeled hostile or uninterested in people. Tyrrell thinks “it’s striking how simple the approach is and how readily cats respond to it.”
Shelter volunteer Michelle Newton was already familiar with clicker training because she participated in the Cat Pawsitive introductory session. She feels the practice exercises are very helpful in picking up the timing, and she adds, “I don’t think it’s challenging once you get the hang of it.”
Overall, Newton feels she has a better understanding of fear free handling and implementing a considerate approach. “It has been really helpful to learn these skills,” she says, “which are so needed in a shelter environment.” She also feels it’s important information to use when educating the community when people come into the shelter to adopt.
Staff member Raechal Denker now looks at her own cat differently after participating in the program. “[CPP] means a lot to me because I got to see the many different ways on how to approach a cat, teach it, learn its personality, and [have an] understanding [of] the cat itself.” Denker reports that one of her biggest takeaways was learning how to read a cat’s body language.
When thinking about the most improved cats, several came to mind for the staff and volunteers at EASEL. These include Dolly Parton, Moira, and Bell.
Dolly Parton, who was terrified of humans, was at EASEL for about a year. She was unable to tolerate hands near her face or body and would snap and lunge when anyone went near her. To make matters more difficult, she was on a special diet and was therefore unable to free roam, resulting in withdrawal and weight gain. By the end of the program, Dolly Parton made a remarkable transformation, coming to the front of her cage for nose touches and high fives. It’s no surprise that once she started gaining her confidence and interacting with visitors, she was adopted on her one-year anniversary of being at the shelter!
When Moira arrived at EASEL, she was aggressively hostile and nominated to be a barn cat. But with lots of encouragement, she quickly proved to be a lovebug by giving hugs to people. When Newton showed Moira to her potential adopters, Moira stood up on her cage and gave them hugs. They were immediately smitten, and Moira found her forever home.
Returning to the shelter after being with a foster, Bell found himself disoriented and angry being in a cage again. But the staff and volunteers are impressed with the progress he made. After only a week of training, Bell would come to the front of his cage to greet his trainers. By the time he was adopted, he was right there in front, yelling for attention. He was so much happier and more adoption ready because of CPP.
Trainer-Mentor Cary Munschauer says the group at EASEL was wonderful to work with. “Their choice of cats for the program and their approach to training showed their understanding of the cats in their care and their focus on preparing them for adoption.” Munschauer says the group all worked well together “and showed great patience in planning their training sessions.” She can’t wait to see what they do next!
When the team was asked what the greatest improvements and successes for the cats have been, Beth Briegel, a volunteer at the shelter, responded, “The cats just seemed to come alive; it brought them out of their shells and gave them confidence to help them attract adopters.” Newton feels the improvement in the quality of life for the shyer or more fearful cats was particularly huge. And Denker feels that “the success is seeing those cats that you worked with finally get adopted and have their forever home.”