Sit For Success

Meet Kai! This guy got lost in my camera roll, but I wanted to share him with you anyway.

He needed some help with learning some manners and loose leash skills and boy did he learn fast! His mom did a great job of practicing and teaching him new skills so he could become the gentleman he is today!

The Cat Clinic featured Nelson today! I wrote a post for them that explains all the work we've been doing with him!

Nelson would like to introduce his mom from Mackenzie Joan Training & Grooming for a special guest post!

At home I worked with Nelson on two main components to help him be braver at the vet. The first was his crate training. Nelson did not like his crate and getting him in it was always a fight. Which meant he would be stressed out before even getting to the clinic. I used his joint supplements as treats (to avoid adding more calories to his diet) and worked on it a little every morning. First getting him near the opening of the crate, and building up to us signalling for him to go inside and wait for us to close the door and lock him in! It was a HUGE win in reducing his stress and fear at the clinic.

The second part was mostly at the clinic. First, I worked with Nelson teaching him how to follow a wooden spoon with his nose at home. This helped Nelson build the confidence to better focus and follow a food lure when stressed out in the clinic. At the clinic we came once a month with extra special treats he only gets for vet visits. Using exciting treats paired with the target work I did with him, Nelson was able to walk out of the crate, onto the scale without anyone having to handle him! When we got his weight, we sent him straight back into his crate to have the rest of his treat while I talked with Angie about our options for Nelson's weight loss and Fear Free training.

I think it's important to mention when we started Nelson needed mediation before the clinic visits to help him relax a bit. We eventually made enough progress to having no medication needed for his weigh- ins and Angie was even able to pet him! It took some work, but Nelson has gone from an overweight cat that we dreaded bringing into the clinic due to his stress and aggression to a fit boy who doesn't need medication and can be pet and enjoyed! He's come so far and I'm so proud! For anyone who is interested, I talk a lot more about animal training on my blog at https://www.mackenziejoan.com/blog and you can see more videos of Nelson's training at on instagram!

From the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) Twitter page Many mosquito repellents, including DEET, citronella and some essential oils, are toxic to pets. If you'll be using any of these products, be sure to keep them out your pet's reach. For a list of other potential hazards, visit https://www.ovma.org/pet-owners/basic-pet-care/pet-safety-tips/