Thursday, June 4, 2015

Clicker Games

Those of you who've been following along for a longer time know that I clicker trained my big cat Buckingham. My rational for training him was to ensure that I could get him back to me if there was an instance where he dashes out the door. This cat is the cat that has been the recipient for all my new fangled dedication (or obsession... call it as you will :P) with doing better than the last.

Some background... my family had two cats (you'll see them in the "In Memory" section on the right hand column) that we lost too early due to what I would consider, avoidable illnesses. The elder, we put down because of her advanced state of cardiomyopathy--something we were expecting at some point but were still happy she managed to tough it out for as long as she did; she was the one who got me hooked on the feline species. Then there was my parents' favourite and my rival sibling whom I spent his life at some sort of odds until the end where we did make peace before he left us too.

Even reflecting about it now, I still get really sad and there is not a day that I don't think about them. When Buck unexpectedly appeared in my backyard after a long mourning period and wondering if I could ever let another cat back into my heart, I knew that (it sounds a bit nutty) he was brought to me to try again.

For a year, Bucky became my project cat and I worked really diligently at learning to communicate with him and understanding what his needs are. My mom would tell you that the two of us are probably inseparable and the best of friends. Without much further ado, I post the game we play in the back yard where he disappears into the bush and I would call him back out.

4 comments:

  1. aw that video is super cute! my kitten is pretty good about coming when called... but the big cat not so much haha

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    1. hehehe thanks! i did notice that he uses his tail as a parachute when he needs to slow down. sometimes he zooms out so fast he zooms the wrong way and either runs past me or the wrong way and has to make sharp readjustments :P stay tuned for the other tricks--i've been meaning to put them up for a while!

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  2. maybe one day stanley will learn to come too.........

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    1. i don't doubt it! i am certain he'll learn. he's actually brighter than bucky... but shhh don't tell bucky that!

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