DIRECTING YOUR CAT

We’ve discussed the three types of cats and only one is relatively easy to coerce into going in the direction you want, and even then, there are days when your cat just won’t cooperate. One thing we know about cats is that, while they love us dearly, at their core, they’re steadfastly independent. A cat knows what he wants and getting it involves determination and smarts. That’s how they survive.

So it’s normal, and natural, for your cat to want to go his own way. It’s part of being a cat. To get him to follow your lead, it has to be your cat’s idea, or, at least he has to believe it’s his idea. He should see following you as more desirable than all those delicious (or dangerous) smells and sounds that are assaulting his senses.

If you’re still having problems getting your cat to follow your lead, the following tips might help.

•   Always allow your cat to root and check out things, unless they’re dangerous or too far out of range.

•   Never, ever drag your cat. If you do, he won’t see following your lead as desirable and will use everything in his power to do the opposite. So instead of pulling, hold your ground. Let your cat pull, but don’t pull back. When possible, wait your cat out. If he doesn’t move in a reasonable amount of time, pick him up, walk 5–10 feet, and put him down again. After a while, your cat will get tired of the game (after a long while) and decide that going in your direction is more desirable. It will be your cat’s choice. Praise your cat and offer it a treat. Then take a couple steps away, make the leash taut, and wait for your cat to join you. When he does, give him another treat. After doing this a few times, reduce the treats to every other time, and then every third time. Always couple treats with a “Good kitty!”

•   Treats are a powerful tool, but if your cat is anxious or afraid, it will not be interested in the treats. Keep trying. In time he will take the treat, and you’ll know that definite progress has been made.

•   If you aren’t using an aerial dog lead or mobile tie-out, consider adding them to your practice. This is the best way to teach your cat that, once he comes to the end of its leash, he must change direction.

CAT WALKER: RACHEL LARRIS

POLITICO, FEMINIST, PUBLIC RELATIONS SPECIALIST, AND CAT WALKER

Princess Caroline, a Lynx Point Siamese mix, is Rachel Larris’s first cat. After spending a pleasant hour chatting with Larris, I’m certain Princess Caroline won’t be her last cat. Being a professional writer as well as a new pet owner, Larris maintains a blog and a diary in which she documented her journey from cat owner to cat walker in exacting detail, providing readers with a peek into her process.

EARLY DAYS

Larris began training Princess Caroline when she was 11 months old. Because Larris was between jobs, she had quite a bit of time to devote to the process and took things slowly, always conscious of Princess Caroline’s needs.

Larris told me that she is still in the process of training Princess Caroline, and she didn’t feel this was an activity that would ever be “done.” Rather, she feels this is something that her cat would continue to improve at over time. She walks her cat mainly in the neighborhood complex, but has taken a couple of trips to a park. “The park trips didn’t go well; there was too much stimulation for Princess Caroline in the park.”

“I wasn’t sure about it when I started training her to walk on a leash, but now I feel it’s something anyone can do. It’s kind of a magical feeling when you get a predictable response from an animal.”

—Rachel Larris

WHO LEADS WHO

Princess Caroline likes to eat grass and climb trees on her walks. She’s an investigator and does a lot of sniffing and checking out of her surroundings. When they do walk, Larris allows Princess Caroline to set the pace and the direction.

When asked how Princess Caroline responds on windy days, Larris noted a behavioral change. “Today the wind was really strong and she let me know that she was ready to go back in. Windy days are not something she enjoys.”

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

She used a dog harness in the past, but now has a more decorative harness that she likes better. Initially, it was too big for Princess Caroline, but she grew into it. She uses a standard cat leash.

Tip: See her blog…

ZAZEN: CREATING A REGULAR PRACTICE

The Zen master poured his visitor’s teacup full, and then kept pouring.

The visitor watched until he could no longer restrain himself.

“It is overfull. No more will go in!”

“Like this cup,” the Zen master said, “you are full of your own opinions and assumptions. How can you learn truth until you first empty your cup?”

—Zen koan

Creating a regular practice that is something you look forward to is one of the most important aspects of meditation. In the beginning, quieting the mind is pretty daunting. Your practice may feel like a chore, something you should do rather than want to do.

In the beginning keep reminding yourself why you’re doing this, and tell yourself that there is a finite number of sessions you’ll have to endure before you begin to notice the benefits. And the benefits will be life affirming.

Think of your meditation sessions as something you do, like brushing your teeth, because you know it’s good for you. Once you’ve established a routine, it won’t take long before you begin to feel refreshed after a meditation session, and it will change from something you do to something you want to do.

If you decide to meditate 15 minutes, twice a day, you’ll need a means of knowing when time’s up. Some instructors say that you should just look up at the clock from time to time. I found that to be really disruptive, especially on brain noisy days where I felt like the time was dragging. Each time I looked up, the minute hand had barely moved and I had to work to return my attention to my breathing. I quickly gave up on the clock and downloaded a meditation timer app for my phone. It chimes, softly, at the midpoint of my meditation session and then at the end. Having the midpoint chime makes it easier to keep from checking the time. When I hear the midpoint chime, I have a sense of where I am in the meditation and it’s easier to return my focus to my breathing. There are quite a few meditation timers and guided meditation programs in your phone’s app store, so if you decide to go this route, you will probably find one you like.

If you don’t want to use a phone app, you could use a PC app, an egg timer, or even the timer on the stove. Anything that works for you and keeps you from worrying about how long you have left will make it easier to maintain your practice.

Finally, if you find yourself fidgeting and having a difficult time making it until the timer goes off, shorten your meditation time. If, in the beginning, all you feel capable of doing is five minutes, that’s how many minutes you should meditate. Over time, as your meditation muscles firm up, you’ll be able to slowly increase the length of your meditations. Be patient with yourself; even five minutes is valuable. The length of your sitting is not as important as keeping on a regular meditation schedule.