Last night our two year old cat, Nightstar — yes she is black all over — began to sing softly. At about 4 A.M. These words popped into my head, and luckily I was able to remember them:
Light increases slowly
Grows longer each day
My fur will be warmed
This reminds me of when Glory (our first Bengal — who died a bit over 2 years ago) used to sing on many mornings just before dawn.
I am glad we have another poetic cat. Yawn!
At their annual checkup we found that both Charger and Agile are overweight. We take them in to our vet at the same time, as this saves us one office visit basic fee. When you have as many cats as we do, saving money in this way can be a Good Thing.
We are giving them high protein canned food to replace some of the kibble they eat (similar to what Panther is getting). Charger is a large male Bengal at 19 lb 12 oz. Agile is a broad chested formerly feral feline at 15 lbs. Our goal for the next two years is to get them down to about 18 lbs and 13 lbs respectively. So, much more exercise, combined with having to jump up to platforms for smaller quantities of food is in store for both cats.
The trainer in these videos uses the well established technique of using clicker and food to teach kittens specific behaviors. The premise is also used in training dogs, zoo animals and more. Food — the great tamer of them all 
From the You Tube description”
“Clicker training is not only enjoyable for cats, but it can be life-saving too. Suppose you had an extreme emergency and needed to get your cat out of the house immediately? A cat that is clicker trained will quickly jump into his carrier. Richard Norton clicker trains his Bengal cats, starting with very young kittens, as shown in this YouTube Video. Richard explains the click as a conditioned stimulus for operant behaviour. “This means that the click alone can elicit some of the same bodily responses and processes that food could elicit. This is achieved by presenting food and the click nearly simultaneously. Our experience is that 3 or 4, 5 minute sessions is more than adequate to fully establish the click as a conditioned stimulus for operant behaviour.“
Video explaining the clicker training process with a young kitten
Video of clicker training process to teach a Bengal cat to press a light switch
I tried out a few clickers at Petsmart (had to go to the dog training aids area), Then I found some healthy treats my cats might get excited about. While we have tried this technique before, I was unsure if my cats would really respond well. Having found these videos I am more determined to make it work this time.
If you have a cat behavior issue, you can visit Marilyn Krieger’s site The Cat Coach. She advises clients about modifying an unwanted behavior through clicker training and other techniques.
Some really good books about training cats from Amazon.com:
Cat Training in 10 Minutes
I just ordered this one. I will let you know how we are doing
Many of the people I work with are single, or just getting married. Almost all of them have cats and other pets. It has not always been easy for some of them to find cat-friendly partners.
I remember when we got Charger, my 20 lb. Bengal male. He was advertised in a “For Sale” paper because the family did not want him anymore. The college daughter’s boyfriend was jealous of this big friendly playful cat. Personally, I would have ditched the guy.
When I met my future husband, Dragon (David), I was wearing Bebe, my boa constrictor. He is still with us 30 years later. You can see one of the many things Dragon is into at Homerecording.com.
For those who are not so fortunate here are some places that seem reputable. YMMV!
Pets Friends
Must Love Pets
Pet People Meet
Love Me, Love My Pets
Date My Pet
Animal Attraction
This weekend, visitors to the CFA/IAMS cat show at Madison Square Garden in New York City will be able to see Tabouli and Baba Ganoush, two kittens that have been cloned from a Bengal cat named Tahini.
The irony of this is that the CFA (Cat Fanciers’ Association) does not recognize the Bengal breed (one of the most popular in the United States), and so Tabouli and Baba Ganoush will probably be the first and last Bengals ever to appear at a CFA show.
Right now they are snuggled up, Charger stretched out on our bed and Glory nestled leaning against him, her head on his broad back. We would never have believed this could happen a year ago…
Glory is a beautiful and talented Bengal cat. After successfully mothering many kittens, some of whom became Champions and Grand Champions in the TICA cat show circuit, Glory has found time in her retirement to communicate her philosophy and songs to her human family. Glory communicates with her human Susan, both through song and thought. With her permission, we share these with you.
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