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I did a photoshoot (circus themed) with my cat Ninja in the month of June. It was shot by photographer Carlos Yepez. It wasn’t planned to actually use her in it, but she was around and she hadn’t been in a shoot with me before so I thought we’d use her for it. She did really good, she didn’t take treats that we offered but she listened to me and was so intrigued with the set that she didn’t need any rewards for being there. Cats seem to love new environments that it’s enough reward for them!
I was super proud of her though, and she wasn’t bothered by anything except for the stomping of my heels on the props. So I tried not to step so hard so not to alarm her while she was scoping the place out.
Hope you like her posing, I personally think she’s a natural!
Category(s): Cat Training
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Teaching your kitten to use the litterbox may be the simplest thing you will ever teach your cat. In fact, it really doesn’t take any training at all! Learning to use a litter box is a process that begins with the mother cat when the kittens are very young, prior to weaning. Your only job with your new kitten will be to follow up on the basic training already provided by mom.
Cats instinctively strive to cover their waste and will seek out materials to use for that purpose. Cat litter fits that need perfectly, making the job of persuading a cat to use a litterbox that much easier.
When I bring home a new kitten, the litterbox is generally our first stop. I let the kitten first explore the area around the box before I place her in it. Then I take her paw and gently scratch around in the litter. This helps her identify it as litter in the event that a different material was used as litter at the breeder or store. It usually takes around 5 seconds before the kitten jumps out of the box to continue exploring. I place the kitten in the box several times a day: first thing in the morning, following meals and naps, and before bedtime..
In addition to encouraging use, selecting the right size and location for the litterbox are important. Don’t forget that your kitten will grow up and won’t be able to position herself in a box that is only a foot long. I have always started my kittens in a full sized box meant for a full sized cat. I also place newspaper under the box to absorb any messes in case of miscalculation.
Choose an out of the way area to place the litterbox because cats do like their privacy when doing their business. A too heavily trafficked area might keep her away. Once you show her where the box is located by placing her in it often, she shouldn’t have any trouble finding her way back to it.
It’s a good practice to scoop the litter everyday. Cat are very clean animals and I can guarantee you that she will avoid using an unclean box. Your laundry basket or potted plant will make a nice substitute.
Category(s): Litterbox Training
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I’ve been traveling the country with my cat, Ninja, now for about seven months straight! She has been doing awesome and I think the longer we travel, the better she gets. I’m currently in Coney Island, New York for the entire summer and I wasn’t planning on letting her outside here because… well, it’s New York and New York is famous for its heavy traffic and crazy drivers, along with its busy streets full of people.
I also assumed we’d have more animal rights issues in NY as well and that was just another reason to keep her with me so she would be safer and away from any chaos.
However, since I’ve arrived here in NY I’ve realized that our housing is much different than I expected. It’s a lot more private than I thought it would be, and more closed in. We’re also on a corner and surrounded by large parking areas and the boardwalk. There’s only one busy side of the street and Ninja hasn’t explored that far nor does she see the need to since it’s all completely gated off with fencing and banners blocking the view inside and out.
I’m relieved to be able to let her out here and she spends most of her time on our front step “keeping watch”. We call her our guard cat, even though when something spooky happens she just darts inside the house.
Category(s): Travel
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Seriously, how precious? Click the link to view. Talking Cats.
Category(s): Behavior
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I’ve been on the road with my cat, Ninja (pictured above) for about 3 months solid now. She has been to Florida, Georgia, both Carolinas, Tennessee and now Alabama where we are currently. Every location has been different but she is used to our RV and what it looks like. She has no problem finding it among others, and it has helped lately with the nice weather to have our bird aviary nearby as that makes it very obvious.
It has been a blast traveling with her. Everyone on the lot has gotten to know her and she even makes some random appearances at local BBQ’s we have on the lots. Everyone looks forward to seeing her and seeing what kind of mood she’s in.
The question I always get is, “Won’t she run away?” the answer is no. Why would she? I have a super close bond with her and I have never forced her to do anything she doesn’t want to, I’ve always gone about training it with her so she knows I won’t make her do things. I never make her cuddle with me, and I never make her come in or go out. I make sure to always ask, which becomes a mutual respect between animal and human.
So that makes it so that she never wants to leave us. In fact, she jumped out the window of my truck once while I was parked at the newest location and started wondering around. Well, I had to end up moving so I started moving the truck and she freaked out and came running over, wanting in, so that she wouldn’t be left behind. She knows when that RV is moving that it’s in fact, MOVING. Not that I would ever leave her, though, but I won’t tell her that if it gets her in so fast 
I also use random rewarding which gets a very quick response to the “come” command.
Category(s): Travel
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My cat’s first experience with a toddler was very negative for her so when my friends came to visit with their son, Xander, I didn’t even think about my cat’s stress level going through the roof. Xander is the sweetest toddler you’ll ever meet and super well behaved. He has a small dog as a pet, a cockatoo parrot and a cat of his own. His parents showed him how he was supposed to treat animals and he is a very affectionate boy.
When he saw Ninja, he was dying to love on her (and I mean really love on her and not hurt her like some kids might accidentally do) but Ninja was very untrusting and hissed, growled, and swatted at poor Xander. It took me a little while to realize she assumed EVERY toddler was going to be mean to her after the first one.
I had to seriously stand back and look at the situation and just how much it had affected her. I don’t think I realized to what level until now.
Animals hold those “first impressions” against you, and whether a toddler hits and kicks your cat or a man with a baseball cap does the same thing, the cat will remember it and anyone resembling that first mean person is going to get a rude disliking from the cat.
But there’s good news too, as you can work through it and make it better which is good for everyone including your cat. I don’t want Ninja getting to a stressing point every time she sees a 16 month old.
Tips for emotionally conditioning your cat to like things it had a bad past experience with:
- Every time Ninja sees a toddler, I cue a different behavior from her and give her a treat. This will teach her with repetition that when a toddler comes around, she will more often than not get a treat and in tune, will result in happy feelings.
- When a toddler comes to visit, I let them (if they’re willing) put out her food and give her treats. This associates the kid with good things.
- I also try to keep her around as many well behaved toddlers as I can that are use to having pets they could hurt if they tried but know the boundaries of not to. This helps Ninja realize not all kids are bad, nor are they all going to hurt her.
Category(s): Behavior, Socializing & Interaction
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I had no idea how much my cat would LOVE traveling around with me in our RV. It’s no secret cats LOVE new things, but this was a traveling hotel she was never checking out of!
- Cats get into anything and everything.
Ninja has darted into every single opening, cupboard, crack and crevice there is on our RV. She loves exploring and checking everything out which we have let her do… unfortunately she also likes to check it out AFTER you add new things to it as well, such as the food cabinets. So making sure things are wrapped tightly is a must which we learned the hard way. Cat hair in the food is not such a good thing.
- Cats need their own space and familiar and fun toys that let them know they are home.
I couldn’t leave behind Ninja’s favorite toy; her circular ball spinning, cat nip inhaling, nail clawing… toy. She loves this thing and got it for Christmas one year. Once I put that on one of the bunk beds in the back, she claimed the entire bunk as her own. I feel bad for company when they come, if they ever come, because she will be kicking them out of “her bed”. However, it made it easy for her to adapt to the new space and she loves sitting by the window looking out.
- You can never cuddle too much.
Keeping night time rituals and letting Ninja know she can stay on our bed helped her realize this was our traveling home. We brought along a blanket in a texture she LOVES and we use it as a “throw” on our bed so she knows she’s always welcome. She definitely got the hint and loves movie nights in bed.
Category(s): Travel
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I’m going to be on tour traveling around and performing in venues all over the world and just have to bring my cat, Ninja along. I thought about sending her to my parents, thinking maybe the constant travel would be too much. However, I decided I would at least give it a try to see first.
Because of the constant travel schedule, I wanted to figure something out to be able to let her go outside like she would normally be able to do at home. And although she is leash trained, it’s hard to find time to super vise her all the time while she’s outside. I’ve been able to put her on a long lead and let her hang out outside by herself but just very close to the RV so that if an unleashed animal came by I would be aware and be able to get her inside without any trouble.
However, I wanted her to be able to walk around unleashed somehow… but don’t feel comfortable letting her around the parks we are at because of all the other animals (horses, dogs, and more)
So I was able to figure out this great (and cheap) tent set up. It’s 10 feet by 10 feet and cost under $100. It packs small, opens big and works great for my cat. She thinks the walls are real, and doesn’t know she can slip right out from under them. She whole-heartedly believes the only opening is by the zipper which is great because she doesn’t try to get out and is able to be off a leash inside.
In the above picture of me with my birds inside, you can see Ninja to the right, the black “blob” checking things out. It has been a dream having her in there and I’m able to easily spend time with her outside without having to worry or have her on a leash of any kind.
It’s a great traveling solution that has worked for me, that I hope can help some of you out there as well.
Category(s): Travel
