Who's the Trainer?
I have heard it said that cats are un-trainable. It might be more appropriate to say, "Cats may choose to be trained."
Case in point: Bubba can distinguish the sound of hubby's Ford Mustang engine, long before I am aware he is home. Bubba dashes to the utility-room door, chirping and singing, and as soon as Asa enters, leaps to his shoulders.This "shoulder-riding routine" started when Bubba was just a kitten. He has perfected his acrobatics over the years, and makes the vault from floor to shoulders with just a slight "beat" about chest-height. Bubba is so sure that Asa will catch him, that he doesn't hesitate; the entire maneuver is accomplished in about 1/5 of a second.
They then perform their nightly bonding ritual, which consists of Asa carrying Bubba around the house, while both discuss the events of the day. I am aware of the homecoming only when I hear the murmuring and cooing. (Yes, men can coo, when they don't know they're being observed.) He then deposits Bubba back on top of the dryer in the utility room and gives him a thorough brushing, before refilling the food bowl.
The Vacuumed Cat
Have you ever tried to vacuum a cat? Bubba simply loves it, as long as Asa is wielding the vacuum hose. In the summer, when he's shedding more than usual, Asa makes a twice-weekly vacuuming an occasion. Bubba eagerly jumps to the dryer the minute he hears the sound of the vacuum being turned on, and he purrs and preens as Asa rids him of excess hair.
Although we rarely watch television, we do have a few select programs which we watch almost every week. Bubba knows immediately when it's a "TV Night." He curls up on the sofa next to hubby and intently watches and listens, until Asa says, "It's time to go to bed," and Bubba jumps up and trots toward the bedroom, tail held high and quivering with anticipation.
They play a game going up the stairs. Bubba bounds ahead, flies up about three steps, then lies down, blocking the path. Asa must stop, scratch his ears and cajole him up a couple more treads, where they repeat the process. With 14 risers and a landing, the total stair climb can sometimes consume five minutes.
Several months after the death of my own "best kitty friend," Shannon, I timidly broached the idea of looking for another "marmelade boy." Asa's immediate response was, "I couldn't do that to Bubba." Asa's first concern was, and is, Bubba's happiness. When I was finally able to convince him that Bubba might accept two kittens better than one adult cat, we went forward with the plan, and the end result was all that we'd hoped for. Bubba has accepted our new feline family members, because he knows he will always be the "top cat" in these parts.
Pragmatic Cat Pilling
This next example may be difficult for readers to swallow. Bubba was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism at age 15, and must take a nightly pill. At 8:30 every night, Asa announces, "Time for your pill, Bubba." Bubba follows him into the bedroom, and jumps on the bed, then waits while Asa gets the pill. There's a bit of grumbling when the pill goes down, then Bubba purrs and looks lovingly at his best friend. Naturally, there's a great deal of petting and praise that follows. Asa says that it's almost as if Bubba humors him; that though he doesn't particularly like being "pilled," Asa seems to need to do it, so Bubba will go along with it.
It's no doubt that this guy is a "man's cat." The last time Asa left for a weekend trip, poor Bubba was beside himself. He moped and grumbled for four days.The highlight of the weekend for the distraught cat was when my oldest son came by for a visit. For the first time in three days, Bubba showed some animation, and wouldn't rest until Asa the Younger let him jump to his shoulders. Although he reluctantly lay by me when I watched a movie on Saturday, he made himself scarce the rest of the weekend. He didn't sleep on the bed, as was his habit, nor was he particularly interested in my comings and goings, but he sure came alive again when Asa returned Sunday night.
This kind of bonding between feline and human can be accomplished with love, love and more love, preferably starting at an early age (of both). My huband claims to have been raised by a cat; what more can I say?
I have no doubts that, should Asa ask, Bubba would jump through hoops of fire for him.
But he won't ask.
