My cats offer me entertainment and introspection, especially when it comes to writing. Their antics provide a welcome break in my busy life and remind me to have fun, be loveable, and to ask for what I need. Since the weather is starting to warm up and my kitties love the outdoors, I am attempting to train them on the leash — as adult cats.
The first time I tried leash training my older cat, Doodle, he fell over and acted like he had been poisoned. I tried again several times with the same result (some side scoots thrown in). I kept the harness for a while, but ended up giving it away. Now my cats are both indoor cats because I live in an apartment that only allows leashed animals outdoors. Something that I’ve noticed this year as my cats have transitioned to being indoors is that they sit by the window a lot. On most days I leave the blinds open, but when I forget, I come home to messed up blinds where my little cat, Pippa, attempted to crawl between the blinds to look outside.
When I go on the closed-in porch to grab food refills, they quickly rush outside to sniff the new smells and feel the breeze. All this to say, I think once they get used to it, my cats would enjoy walking around outside, even if they must stay on a leash. I’ve also noticed some similarities between the writing life and training my cats new tricks. I would love to walk you through an amusing anecdote using my cats as (unwilling) examples! Writing is a tough challenge, but with *lots!* of time and patience, we can improve!
1) Place harness next to food bowl
Process: I need to let them sniff the invader and also get used to the clicking noise. Each step should take a few days to adjust.
Attempt:
This was nothing! They weren’t as leery as I thought they might be and accepted the new objects as one of their play toys.
My writing: I use my weekly writing group to remind me why I write. It is a good chance to see motivation that others experience and also ask questions about ideas I have. When I take the time to write with other writers, it reminds me that we all have to start somewhere!
2) Loosely put harness on cats while distracted
Process: Right after putting on the harness, I distract them with a treat. If they are still reluctant, take harness off with a treat. The next day I will try again with a better treat, such as wet tuna.
Attempt: It would be easier to complete this if one cat wasn’t paranoid about things on his head. Doodle wiggled so I ended up snapping the harness shut before he wriggled out. This was only moderately successful because I didn’t get his arm in correctly. The second day I made sure it was set up correctly and held him with one hand while wrestling the collar portion on with the other as quickly as possible. There was lots of growling and hissing. Third day, same attempt, with some slight wiggling from both cats, but no growling.
My writing: I like to have future goals for writing. This gives me a purpose to look toward and makes me write more often than I “feel like it.” Writing is a consistent process and the times that I get stuck [insert growl here] or frustrated remind me that there is always another angle to try. I might not get it right the first time, but I will get there, even if one chapter doesn’t look quite like I imagined in the first place.
3) Clip the harness and let cats walk around the house
Process: Now that they know what the harness feels like, allow them to move around and play with the harness so that they know how it feels.
Attempt: Some playing and running at first. They’re probably just scared of this contraption because they hide in their favorite spots, hoarding their treats.
Next day: More walking, but lots of start-stops as they notice their legs are a little more constrained.
My writing: After sending my work off to an editor, my writing feels like it has nowhere to go. I gave it the best attempt I could, but have to remind myself that I still might have to write and re-write before it is in a stage to be published. Back to the drawing board doesn’t mean I’ve lost everything I’ve written before. I just might need to let go of some okay things to make my writing even better!
4) Attach the leash and walk around freely indoors
Process: This step allows the cat to know vaguely what it feels like to walk around with something new strapped around their waist. Hopefully by this point, they will be adjusting to the restriction. I bought the leash with the least amount of tug, so I hope this speeds up the adjustment process. Pippa will probably chase the leashes.
Attempt: Pippa walks around only to find one of three cubbies that she curls up in. She needs her safe space. Doodle stares and rolls, looking at me like I’ve betrayed him. He still tries to rid himself of the leash by rollin on his back and biting at the leash. This is not a play bite, either!
My writing: Trial and error happens a lot with writing. I always have ideas floating in my head, but have to decipher how it flows with the story. Sometimes this means trying something and pushing myself to go farther with the story. A lot of mistakes are made at this point, but it allows me to see my writing from different points of view.
5) Go outside!
Process: New environment, new smells, new noises. This ought to be interesting! I’m going to try to take them over to the “dog park” when there are no other four-legged critters to meet.
Attempt: #1: Pippa makes it as far as the stairs. Doodle is afraid that I’ve kidnapped Pippa for the vet.
#2: Pippa explores upstairs, but still won’t walk down. I carry her back to Doodle, who sees her walking around outside, but still won’t budge. My next idea: Put Doodle in his favorite cardboard box and carry him outside. Hopefully he will start exploring when he doesn’t have the comfort of the house.
#3 Doodle comes outside with Pippa, but doesn’t understand that they both are attached to me. They go two separate ways and Doodle lies down. Both get frustrated that something tugs at them when they move.
#4 Pippa alone. She makes it all the way down the stairs and spends the next two days meowing at the door. Always more to learn!
My writing: As we’ve discussed several times in my writing group— WRITE! I can take as many classes or talk to as many people that I want, but I will only get better if I write consistently. This takes time and effort. I am making progress in putting writing as a daily priority. It is not always easy and sometimes I am writing when I’m tired. It might be bad writing, but at least it’s there. When the time comes to re-write, something is on the paper. Writing is a marathon, not a sprint!
Remember: Doodle and Pippa are cheering you on as you try new things!
-Hannah Marie. 🎨
We have a cat that walked in one day, and decided not to leave. We do know where he came from and the previous owners are fine about it. I think I’m the only person it actually listens to, as he knows I mean what I say.
That’s adorable! It’s funny how each cat has their own personality!