By Kristin Avery of myrescuedlife.com
Sweet Benny spent most of his time in his hideaway kitty condo, pressed up against the back, making himself as small as possible. Like so many scared, stressed out cats in shelters, Benny didn’t understand where he was or what was happening, and tried to cope by making himself invisible.
But thanks to Cat Pawsitive Pro, the once super shy Benny is now out and about, friendly, adventurous and brave.
Benny’s foster mom, Kat, worked with him in his safe place (the cat tree) and slowly a white paw emerged for high fives! “And then one day, he just kind of blossomed,” explains Michelle Merritt, Cat Pawsitive Pro Team Leader. He now explores his room, making happy biscuits and sharing all his sparkle and charm.
Over the last three years, Michelle has fostered over 65 cats for St. Sophia’s Forgotten Felines. She loves working with shy and fearful cats, especially owner surrenders. “I choose to foster cats who need a little extra something,” she says. “Cat Pawsitive Pro has taught me ways to better work with and support these cats by gaining their trust, building their confidence, and preparing them for their new lives.”
Although Michelle had previous clicker training experience, she admits that it was initially challenging to master the timing and proper order of spotting, clicking, and rewarding a behavior. But she stuck with it and practice eventually made perfect.
“The St. Sophia’s team has done an amazing job,” says Lisa Stemcosky, Cat Pawsitive Pro Trainer-Mentor. “They have made so much progress and have had lots of fun, too.”
The cats enrolled in the program have thrived and many (like Benny) have come out of their shells to reveal their inner rock stars and unique selves. Tricks learned include hoop jumps, high fives, high tens, spins, come when called – and little Splash (adopted in April) even learned to play drums!
St. Sophia’s is truly the little shelter that could – small, but mighty! An average of 15 cats live onsite at their shelter in Westmont, Illinois, while another 200 live offsite in 50 foster homes and 17 pet stores around the Chicago metropolitan area. They rescue about 100 new cats per month, and in 2018 they found forever homes for more than 1,000 cats.
“Our mission has always been to provide the best care for cats in transition – transition from shelter to foster, from foster to adopter, from owner to shelter, from foster to fospice,” explains Lauren Rizzo, St. Sophia’s Executive Director. “We’ve always prided ourselves on being able to help their transitions, whatever they may be, by focusing on the individual cat and his/her needs. Cat Pawsitive Pro has given my team the tools and skills to help take that goal to the next level, providing us with tangible resources, measurable outcomes, and exciting targets.”
St. Sophia’s Cat Pawsitive Pro team agrees that witnessing the cats grow and open up has been truly awe-inspiring, especially for long-term cats like Sherrie.
Sherrie is a beautiful ten-year-old black cat who, through no fault of her own, has been adopted and returned twice. Understandably, when Sherrie returned to St. Sophia’s, she was confused and totally stressed out. In February, she spent a few weeks at Petco, but did not adjust well and started hissing at everyone. Leslie, one of St. Sophia’s dedicated foster parents, took Sherrie home and started working with her using Cat Pawsitive Pro. Not only did Sherrie calm down, but she was just recently adopted!
In addition to increasing adoptions, Lauren looks forward to using their new skills and resources to change perceptions about how and what cats can learn.
“We get a lot of people who want to adopt but are worried about spraying, scratching and other destructive behavior,” says Lauren. “Cats are highly intelligent, and not only can they be trained – they enjoy it. If we can train a cat to high five, we can train them not to scratch the sofa. If we can train a cat to sit, we can train them not to jump on the counter. I’m happy my team is making waves and showing that it can be done.”
St. Sophia’s has only been in their current space for two and a half years. But they are doing such important work and growing so quickly that they are now looking for a larger space to help even MORE cats. Armed with Cat Pawsitive Pro and an incredible team of 150 dedicated volunteers, they will surely continue to make huge strides for cats around the Chicago area while also inspiring shelters and rescues across the country. Everyone at Cat Pawsitive Pro can’t wait to see what they accomplish next.
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!