Herd your cats here

[OneMoreYear]

The OMY cats are trying to help me with my work, but are not very adept at computers yet.
During a Friday Zoom meeting, Ricochet jumped on the table, bolted across my computer keyboard, and advanced the slide deck about 3 slides. Confusion ensued temporarily.
Today, Ninja jumped on the table and sat down on my computer keyboard before I could grab her while I was grading. When I moved her off the keyboard, I had a message that asked me if I wanted to permanently delete a file (which was the rubric I was using to grade). NO, I do not!
We are enrolling them in Computers 035: Appropriate Feline Keyboarding. Neither cat appears very motivated to read the syllabus.

You are mistaken-- they are actually enrolled in Human Psychology 300: Reactions to Feline Technology Interruptions. So far, their data collection is going well, but they will need more for their final reports so watch out.

Ah, yes. That makes more sense.  Ricochet has enthusiastically embraced the repeated measurement requirements of the Single-N design (she's jumped on the computer multiple times).  Ninja appears to be using a case study approach, as she's only bothered to lay on the computer once (I am not her preferred human and am typically ignored).

The OMY cats are trying to help me with my work, but are not very adept at computers yet.
During a Friday Zoom meeting, Ricochet jumped on the table, bolted across my computer keyboard, and advanced the slide deck about 3 slides. Confusion ensued temporarily.
Today, Ninja jumped on the table and sat down on my computer keyboard before I could grab her while I was grading. When I moved her off the keyboard, I had a message that asked me if I wanted to permanently delete a file (which was the rubric I was using to grade). NO, I do not!
We are enrolling them in Computers 035: Appropriate Feline Keyboarding. Neither cat appears very motivated to read the syllabus.

Is this offered online?  Because Catso could stand to take it as well.  I will read the syllabus out loud to him if you think that might be helpful.

Why of course! Based on the mid-term survey, participants requested no more than one assignment per week, with the option to substitute napping-on-your-human for any in-class activities.

[smallcleanrat]

After weeks of Maestro spending his nights in my sock drawer (drawer at the bottom of bed frame, open on one side so he can easily climb in) I was really missing feeling his warm weight leaning against me. That and the rhythm of his breathing are quite soothing, and it's been harder to get sleep without them.

A few days ago, I took the socks out of the drawer so there is no longer a layer of soft fuzzy things for him to nestle into. That's caused him to lose interest in the drawer and enticed him back into snuggling with me at night. He's had various phases of favoring the couch, his cat tree, or one of his cat beds for sleeping at night, but it seems my bed is now the next-best pick behind the sock drawer.

It's been nice to have him next to me again, but I'm thinking maybe it was a little mean. Maybe I should put the socks back, so he has that option again, and try to think of another way to make my bed more attractive than the drawer. Or maybe it's just another phase and he'll change his mind again on his own.

Every day I ponder over how his little cat brain makes decisions.

[mamselle]

This reminds me of the Japanese fellow on the YouTube otter thread who asks his pet river otter (not smuggled, for those concerned) searching questions, like, "Why do you sleep that way (upside down, head below belly, or curled up on his back in a comma shape with no supports), or "Do you wonder why it rains?"

Asking is a form of listening.

Listen and you'll figure it out...

M.

[smallcleanrat]

Maestro just leaped from the top of his cat tree and landed with a thunk on the floor. There are platforms at lower levels he could use to jump down in steps, but he rarely does.

This time he made a couple of short, warbly meows that sounded *exactly* like "Oh, ow!" in his little kitty voice.

I think my cat is learning English.

[mamselle]

Awww...scritches to him from me.

I hope he lands safely. I came home once to a 10-week old kitten who'd actually broken a tiny tibia with her intrepid leaping.

I knew something was wrong when she just lay on the sofa and wouldn't get up and run around as usual.

Somewhere I have a photograph of her on the sofa with a little pink cast on her front leg.

Thankfully it healed well and she recovered.

M.

[Puget]

I think I've accidentally conditioned Panther Boy to be an annoying pill in the morning because the one sure way to get him to stop batting things, jumping where he's not supposed to, and yodeling is to let him out into the catio, which is what he really wants.

This is just the sort of accidental conditioning I warn about in developmental psych with regards to giving in to kid's tantrums. I should know better!

[OneMoreYear]

I think I've accidentally conditioned Panther Boy to be an annoying pill in the morning because the one sure way to get him to stop batting things, jumping where he's not supposed to, and yodeling is to let him out into the catio, which is what he really wants.

This is just the sort of accidental conditioning I warn about in developmental psych with regards to giving in to kid's tantrums. I should know better!

He's just helpfully providing you with another example of conditioning you can use in class!

Ninja tries these tactics also when she thinks we should be awake and giving her attention. SO (her preferred person) pulls the covers over his head and ignores her until she leaves the room. We have learned not to leave breakable items on our bedside tables or the dressers.

[mamselle]

Or your favorite rings...like your grandmother's Art deco pinky amethyst ring, and your birthstone caubuchon in a silver setting.


   ...and...

            ...especially not when there's a little waste can right under the bedside table and it's trash day the next day and you're in a hurry....

M.

[OneMoreYear]

My HVAC is broken and it's so cold in here that Ninja (who claims SO as her human) has deigned to sleep on my lap to steal my body heat. I'm sure she'll deny this ever happened once the heat comes back on.

[smallcleanrat]

I've been teaching Maestro a new trick: "Where's your fishie?" He will then touch his beloved stuffed fish with his paw.

His accuracy has been improving, but I'm still not sure how much he understands. I've been training him to specifically pick the fish, none of the other toys, because it's his favorite and the only toy he carries around and snuggles with. If the fish is right in front of him, he's pretty accurate. If touching the fish requires take 1-3 steps, he's less consistent, but often still completes the trick. If the fish is any farther away than 3 steps, he might look at it, but rather than make the trek he points his paw at me instead.

I'm not sure if he understands he needs to touch the fish and is just too lazy to travel for it, or if he thinks I'm asking him to point to anything in the immediate vicinity.

[AmLitHist]

Kid #1 has taught her barn cat to sit and high-five.  The GSD pup (~125 lbs.) can, too.  Luckily, the cat is fearless and can move fast, else I'd worry about  her getting squashed.

[mamselle]

I've been teaching Maestro a new trick: "Where's your fishie?" He will then touch his beloved stuffed fish with his paw.

His accuracy has been improving, but I'm still not sure how much he understands. I've been training him to specifically pick the fish, none of the other toys, because it's his favorite and the only toy he carries around and snuggles with. If the fish is right in front of him, he's pretty accurate. If touching the fish requires take 1-3 steps, he's less consistent, but often still completes the trick. If the fish is any farther away than 3 steps, he might look at it, but rather than make the trek he points his paw at me instead.

I'm not sure if he understands he needs to touch the fish and is just too lazy to travel for it, or if he thinks I'm asking him to point to anything in the immediate vicinity.

You're learning, but it's a process...

He's teaching you that he's not going to get up and go get some stuffed toy just because you tell him to.

Nearby? 

OK, he'll stir his paws for that.

Far off?

Forget it. Sleeping is much more important.

Cats are very patient with us, but they do eventually get us trained.

After awhile, you'll forget why you thought that was even a good idea, because--well, why would he want to get up, just to do something like that?

;--}

M.

[smallcleanrat]

I've been teaching Maestro a new trick: "Where's your fishie?" He will then touch his beloved stuffed fish with his paw.

His accuracy has been improving, but I'm still not sure how much he understands. I've been training him to specifically pick the fish, none of the other toys, because it's his favorite and the only toy he carries around and snuggles with. If the fish is right in front of him, he's pretty accurate. If touching the fish requires take 1-3 steps, he's less consistent, but often still completes the trick. If the fish is any farther away than 3 steps, he might look at it, but rather than make the trek he points his paw at me instead.

I'm not sure if he understands he needs to touch the fish and is just too lazy to travel for it, or if he thinks I'm asking him to point to anything in the immediate vicinity.

You're learning, but it's a process...

He's teaching you that he's not going to get up and go get some stuffed toy just because you tell him to.

Nearby? 

OK, he'll stir his paws for that.

Far off?

Forget it. Sleeping is much more important.

Cats are very patient with us, but they do eventually get us trained.

After awhile, you'll forget why you thought that was even a good idea, because--well, why would he want to get up, just to do something like that?

;--}

M.

Haha. This is probably a pretty accurate description of his though process. SO's guess was that the trick was too simple ("an insult to his mighty intellect").

I have noticed that if I try to get him to do anything that requires moving from one spot to another he will pause, as if thinking it over, and then 'play dead'. It's his favorite trick, and he will try to revert any training session to a "play dead" session when he doesn't feel like expending a lot of effort to get a treat.

I'm still not completely used to the grown-up version of Maestro. Kitten Maestro's default means of getting around was to gallop everywhere, zipping all over the place. Grown-up Maestro favors a cool, self-possessed saunter.

Sometimes I look at this handsome, dignified feline and wonder where my goofy little fluffball has gone. Then I'll start skritching his head resulting in an open-mouthed, eyes-rolled back expression of utter bliss, and I'll think "Ah, there he is."

[arcturus]

@SCR I very much enjoy reading your tales (tails?) of the mighty Maestro. You have an engaging tone for your postings and your words help me visualize the exact scene. Please keep posting! I may no longer have a cat of my own, but I can enjoy Maestro vicariously through your words here.

[clean]

I very much enjoy reading your tales (tails?) of the mighty Maestro. You have an engaging tone for your postings and your words help me visualize the exact scene. Please keep posting! I may no longer have a cat of my own, but I can enjoy Maestro vicariously through your words here.

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