Friends, I know it sounds a bit strange that you could possibly scratch your people and they would give you love, but you know what? It's true!
Do you remember ages and ages back that my human and I were training each other when it came to treats? I'd put my paws up on her leg and she'd give me a treat. Reciprocal training, and as it had benefit to me, I liked it! Well, ever since then I've been really comfortable at putting my paws on the human when we're cuddling, or padding on her arms or her tummy or, well, wherever my paws happen to be. Whenever I do this she makes silly love noises at me and sometimes even gives me the dreaded kissie torture, so I know she likes it. This week, I decided to try something new. Let me tell you a play-by-play of how I did it today.
The human was tap tapping away on the flat keyboard thing that makes the man in the computer box talk to her. I didn't like the fact that he was getting all the attention. After all, that spot should perpetually be mine! I walked over to her and sat down at her feet. No reaction. Well, that was silly of me, cuz I'd walked quietly so that my bell made hardly any noise, and with the chattering of that silly little man, she probably didn't hear it. I wondered what to do next. now that I might have babycats in my yummy tummy, I don't think I should actually have to go to the trouble of jumping up to get a cuddle. it might upset them! I thought about it, then I remembered what I used to do for treats. But I'd put my paws on her thigh cuz she'd kneel down so I could do it. Cuz she was sitting, her thigh was too high for me, but I thought it might work anyway.
I balanced myself on my shapely ladycat back legs, and I put my front paws on her shin. Then I scrabbled at her to get her attention. You know kinda like you would with a scratching post? Sept I did it with only the tips of my claws out, so instead of scratching her I was just about snagging her jeans. Well, I tell you what, that got her attention good and fast! She put down the keyboard, bent over and started giving me all sorts of rubs. I'm sad to say I even got the kissie nasty thing a few times too, although it was offset by all the snuggling. I took my paws off her straight away, but to my surprise, she reachd under my chest and put them back, so it must be ok to have them there. she made a big fuss of me while I was standing against her leg. She says she wants me to feel comfortable enough to climb all over her when I want a cuddle if she's not paying me attention, and I must say that after today, I think I'll try the scratchy thing again! It didn't go down so well when I scratched the carpet at her feet instead of her trousers though, cuz that time i had my claws right out. She put her hand on me, tapped my paws and told me no in a very, very firm voice that she doesn't use often with me. As a mark of how brave I'm etting, I didn't run away and hide, ahem, I mean protect my territory. Even a few months ago I wouldn't have been that brave. I did give her ahead bumpie to say I was sorry though, and I haven't scratched the carpet again sept for a tiny bit by my scratching post, and I stopped as soon as she told me to.,/p>
So, scratching can gain you a no if you do it on the carpet, but boy does it bring the good stuff when you do it on a human!
oh, and just in case you haven't seen it, the post belowthis one is my yummy tummy picture post! you should all go and have a look. My human remembers when that picture was taken and she says that she could have eaten my yummy tummy all up! Personally, I think she's been mixing with Mom Trish and he Admiral's Mom too much. Their ideas are starting to rub off on her! Let's just hope neither of them threaten to eat me too! If they do, I'm running for the hills!
Showing posts with label human training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label human training. Show all posts
Sunday, 8 May 2011
Tuesday, 8 February 2011
Tricky Tuesday
I never have a dull day, do you know that? Well, I do, but they're few and far between at the moment. As you know, I was due to go home yesterday, but I didn't manage it in the end. Oh, sure, I got to the train station all right, riding in splendor as befits my rank on the lap of my human in the front seat of Mark's car. I'm getting braver now. The more I come to trust the human, the more I can explore without being frightened. Usually when we drive, I just lie down and close my eyes and have a sleep, but yesterday I stood up on my human's knee and had a good look at everything all around me as we drove, and I didn't get scared once!
I was good in the PTU at the station too. I sang, but as I'd had that nasty anaesthetic the day before, I felt it wouldn't be propper to over exert my vocal chords. It's bad for them, you know. Instead of the aria that I'd planned, I performed a simple pop song instead, much to the amusement of the people who works in the shop where the human bought some water. Just as we were about to head for the train though, we heard an announcement that said that it wasn't running. There'd been a fatality on the line, whatever that is. My human didn't want to talk about it, but she did tell me it meant that someone had been killed. Not a nice thought for a Monday afternoon, I can tell you. They'd cancelled a lot of trains and there were major delays. The human knows that four hours is about my limit for travel tolerance, and she can't expect more of me than that. It takes us four hours on a good day to get from here to Yorkshire, but with the delays, it might have been double that. We didn't chance it. Instead, we got back in Mark's car and came all the way back to Dogman's house again. And here we still are. We'll try again today to get on the train, and hopefully this time we'll actually make it back!
The human's medical for her new work hunt went well yesterday. They said she was fit for post whatever that means, so now she's only waiting on the last bit of paper, the risk assessment, to come back. Once that's clear, they'll confirm a start date for her, and we'll be all set.
Amy, just to clarify, we are indeed moving, but the post on Sunday was by Kara, a cat who owns a special people friend of mine and the human's called Bug. She's moving too. My human hasn't started packing our stuff yet. She says she's leaving it as late as possible to cause me less stress, but personally I think she's leaving it cuz she can't face the idea of packing up again, a presumption enforced by the long, loud groans every time she bumps into a box.
Karen, Dogface has settled beautifully into her new home. We see her when we come up here every time Dogman's around at the weekends. The human has tried to interact with her as little as possible so as to make sure she bonds tightly with Dogman without old ties and loyalties getting in the way... As if dogfaces could be loyal! Dogface was a little confused by this initially, but seems to be understanding now, and while she still comes for cuddles, she's more focused on Dogman for her attention. She still whacks me in the face with that stupid, stupid tail though, and it's so big that it invariably knocks me off whatever I'm sitting on. Then Dogman has the nerve to tell me off when I thwap Dogface with my claws when she walks past. And all because Dogface does this little jump as if to say, in her stupid way, "Eh? What was that? Where'd it come from?" I don't even hit her hard enough that she yelps, but Dogman still doesn't like it when I do it. Stupid Dogman.
Now that I'm trusting the human more and more every day, I've been practicing the kissie game. This is something that the human has always played with me ever since I started going and showing off my floof to the judges and peoples who think I'm gorgeous enough to give me prizes. the game involves her giving me kissies in the weirdest of places out of the blue, and me not being surprised or flinching away, and getting loads of cuddles in return. Getting kissies also appears to be something I wasn't used to in the old home, but it's important in shows. Judges will often give you kissies if they like you, and just to see how you react. Even tempered cats will take it. Affectionate ones will give head bumpies.
It's important for me to feel comfortable with kissies so that I won't get scared or worried if a judge gives me one. The human started by rubbing her cheek against my shoulder. I didn't like this for months and months and would pull away from her when she did it, but she kept with it until I learned that cheek rubbing means that I'm gonna get lots of great cuddles shortly afterward. Then she progressed to burying her face in my furr. I didn't like that either, but again, she persisted. Just recently she's started making the kissie noise which I really don't like. it startles me and I always pull away. But over the last few days I've let her get closer and closer with that silly kissie mouth of hers. Today, I actually let her propperly kiss my tummy and even the top of my head, something unheard of even a week ago. As smooshy as this is going to sound, I actually liked it, so much so in fact that I put my head straight up for a good, solid scratching session behind the ears. Do any of you get kissies from silly people kissie mouths? How do you deal with it if you do? Is it really the thing to do to submit to them and actually like them? I know I will do it for the judges, but they're important peoples, and it could mean that I get a prize for doing it. But do I really have to give in to this sort of smushy degradation on a daily basis at home? Please tell me I don't!
I was good in the PTU at the station too. I sang, but as I'd had that nasty anaesthetic the day before, I felt it wouldn't be propper to over exert my vocal chords. It's bad for them, you know. Instead of the aria that I'd planned, I performed a simple pop song instead, much to the amusement of the people who works in the shop where the human bought some water. Just as we were about to head for the train though, we heard an announcement that said that it wasn't running. There'd been a fatality on the line, whatever that is. My human didn't want to talk about it, but she did tell me it meant that someone had been killed. Not a nice thought for a Monday afternoon, I can tell you. They'd cancelled a lot of trains and there were major delays. The human knows that four hours is about my limit for travel tolerance, and she can't expect more of me than that. It takes us four hours on a good day to get from here to Yorkshire, but with the delays, it might have been double that. We didn't chance it. Instead, we got back in Mark's car and came all the way back to Dogman's house again. And here we still are. We'll try again today to get on the train, and hopefully this time we'll actually make it back!
The human's medical for her new work hunt went well yesterday. They said she was fit for post whatever that means, so now she's only waiting on the last bit of paper, the risk assessment, to come back. Once that's clear, they'll confirm a start date for her, and we'll be all set.
Amy, just to clarify, we are indeed moving, but the post on Sunday was by Kara, a cat who owns a special people friend of mine and the human's called Bug. She's moving too. My human hasn't started packing our stuff yet. She says she's leaving it as late as possible to cause me less stress, but personally I think she's leaving it cuz she can't face the idea of packing up again, a presumption enforced by the long, loud groans every time she bumps into a box.
Karen, Dogface has settled beautifully into her new home. We see her when we come up here every time Dogman's around at the weekends. The human has tried to interact with her as little as possible so as to make sure she bonds tightly with Dogman without old ties and loyalties getting in the way... As if dogfaces could be loyal! Dogface was a little confused by this initially, but seems to be understanding now, and while she still comes for cuddles, she's more focused on Dogman for her attention. She still whacks me in the face with that stupid, stupid tail though, and it's so big that it invariably knocks me off whatever I'm sitting on. Then Dogman has the nerve to tell me off when I thwap Dogface with my claws when she walks past. And all because Dogface does this little jump as if to say, in her stupid way, "Eh? What was that? Where'd it come from?" I don't even hit her hard enough that she yelps, but Dogman still doesn't like it when I do it. Stupid Dogman.
Now that I'm trusting the human more and more every day, I've been practicing the kissie game. This is something that the human has always played with me ever since I started going and showing off my floof to the judges and peoples who think I'm gorgeous enough to give me prizes. the game involves her giving me kissies in the weirdest of places out of the blue, and me not being surprised or flinching away, and getting loads of cuddles in return. Getting kissies also appears to be something I wasn't used to in the old home, but it's important in shows. Judges will often give you kissies if they like you, and just to see how you react. Even tempered cats will take it. Affectionate ones will give head bumpies.
It's important for me to feel comfortable with kissies so that I won't get scared or worried if a judge gives me one. The human started by rubbing her cheek against my shoulder. I didn't like this for months and months and would pull away from her when she did it, but she kept with it until I learned that cheek rubbing means that I'm gonna get lots of great cuddles shortly afterward. Then she progressed to burying her face in my furr. I didn't like that either, but again, she persisted. Just recently she's started making the kissie noise which I really don't like. it startles me and I always pull away. But over the last few days I've let her get closer and closer with that silly kissie mouth of hers. Today, I actually let her propperly kiss my tummy and even the top of my head, something unheard of even a week ago. As smooshy as this is going to sound, I actually liked it, so much so in fact that I put my head straight up for a good, solid scratching session behind the ears. Do any of you get kissies from silly people kissie mouths? How do you deal with it if you do? Is it really the thing to do to submit to them and actually like them? I know I will do it for the judges, but they're important peoples, and it could mean that I get a prize for doing it. But do I really have to give in to this sort of smushy degradation on a daily basis at home? Please tell me I don't!
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Wordy Wednesday: Review Time!
Finally, I get my own blog back! To write about me, and nothing but me! What's that, human? We're going to do a review? That you need to write most of because your opinion will matter to any peoples thinking about buying the thing we're going to review? This is outrageous! Honestly, this is my blog, nobody else's!
That', friends, was the conversation I had with that blog-hogging human of mine just before I started to write this. Now, given that she has the thumbs, and thumbs are necessary for opening and feeding stinky goodness, I am forced to admit the necessity for compromise with her sometimes. In light of this, I have decided that it is permissible for her to review products alongside me. She can write her thoughts at the beginning, and then I'll finish up with the important stuff. I can live with that.
I've been mentioning for some time now the smart new PTU the human got bought for her Birthday. I used it to go on that long, loooooong train journey to Oxford a few weeks ago, but sadly, friends, I'll be using it again tomorrow. The human has to go up there for yet more paperwork related to her job, the new one that is, so again, I get to travel. I'm half pleased by this, and half annoyed too. On the one paw, I do quite like to go adventuring, but on the other, it's such a drag to be stuck in a PTU for any length of time. I thought I'd better get my unbiased review of it up here before I'm forced to use it tomorrow, cuz you can be sure that once I've been in there, I'll have nothing good at all to say about it! Right, here goes. Human first, and then me.
The Outward Hound Backpack Carrier for Cats and Small Dogs
is exactly what you'd think it is by the name. In short, it is a carrier that straps to a human's back, enabling you to carry your pet and still have both hands free for the important tasks of, say, dragging your two ton suitcase full of cat stuff and perhaps a single change of clothes for you which had to be crammed in the very top due to space restrictions. Can you tell I'm bitter?
At first glance, I didn't like this carrier at all. It's made from canvas which feels rather like the stuff used to make those ghastly cheap sports bags that you used to take to physical education at school. Well, I did. It comes flat-packed, and is held together by zips alone. The two end pannels have a reinforced frame, and it is this that gives the bag its shape. Once the zips are done up, you're presented with a rectangle. The bottom has a solid board type pad in there so that the bag doesn't sag in the middle with the weight of your pet, and there's a thinner version of this against the wearer's back, again I presume to make sure the bag doesn't bow. The front of the bag (if you look at it with the backpack straps facing away from you) is pretty soft, but is held quite nicely by the tension on the zips and by a very thin metal bar which passes through the material from one side to the other (i.e, from end to end of the bag). The top, however, has no reinforcement at all, and does sag quite badly. This wouldn't be an inconvenience to most animals, but Tia hates material touching her head, so I found myself constantly having to pull it up for her. The top does have a mesh window in it so that they can see out, but if they don't want things touching their head, they're unlikely to turn their face upwards, as the material would then sag onto it.
The straps themselves are fairly adjustable, but not to the point where a very large person could wear the pack easily, unless it rode very high up on the shoulders. They have a thin padding in them which I thought would be hell on my shoulders, but surprisingly, it holds up remarkably well and is very comfy when worn. Leading from the upper part of the strap and attaching to that thin metal bar I spoke about earlier is an adjustable section of webbing strap. This is supposed to put tension on the carrier as you stand so that the bottom stays horizontal whether you're standing or sitting. However, I found that, not only did the clips let the tension slip as you walked, but when the straps were pulled tight, it also narrowed the carrier's width, due to all of the pressure being taken through that bar, which naturally travelled forward, i.e, closer to the wearer's back, to equalise the pressure. tia didn't seem to mind this though.
The size of the carrier itself is quite small. I wouldn't put a pet of more than about 12lb or so in here. Any bigger and I suspect they'd be squashed and uncomfortable. Tia weighs about9 lb, probably just slightly under, and even at her size, I was reluctant to keep her in there longer than necessary. They have enough room to lie, sit, and probably just about stand, and they can actually turn around in it, but due to the narrow width, this latter is a bit of an effort.
The carrier has a rigid pad in the bottom. This is totally removable, and fixes to the bottom of the carrier with velcro. It is also washable which is ideal if your cat has an accident. However, if they do, chances are that it'll run over the sides of the pat and into the underneath of the bag, so be prepared to scrub in there too. Although it's very good at stopping the bag from sagging under weight, it isn't very comfy, and its surface doesn't provide good purchase for paws. I padded mine out with a puppy pad which has the added bonus of being able to soak up nasty accidents too. Tia seemed to think this was comfy enough for her, and the pads provide extra grip for a pet's feet.
The bag has two straps which are held together by a handle in the middle. This can be used to carry the bag exactly like a holdall. When you do this, it's surprisingly light and easy to hold onto, and even when carried like this, it doesn't sway half as much as plastic carriers do, so your pet will still be comfortable. The Outward Hound is well ventilated, having a mesh pannel at either end, and a mesh window in the top. The top window can be unzipped so that you can put your hand in and give reassurance, and also so that the cat or dog can ride in the carrier with its head outside, looking at the world. The opening is quite large, so if you're going to use this, you need to ensure that the cat or dog is securely fastened to the clip inside the carrier to prevent a wriggling escape through the open window. This is located at the end of another long piece of webbing strap, and will snap securely to a harness or collar. It poses a problem when not in use, as it does swing about quite a lot inside the carrier, but I fed mine through one of the supporting zips so that it was on the outside. It kept it out of the way and didn't compromise the bag's functionality.
The only entrance provided is a side one. This is an arched opening in one end of the carrier that unzips completely. Its top half is the mesh portion, and the bottom is canvas. If your cat goes star-shaped, you're never going to get them into this carrier. You could try putting them through the top window. The opening is big enough, but I must state that this isn't what it's designed for. Tia had to be pushed into this carrier, but she has to be with any with a side opening, so that's not out of the ordinary.
To summarise:
Cons: small size, possible escape ability through top hatch, sagging top pannel, inadequate tension straps, not fully adjustable, side opening only, hard, uncomfortable bottom pad, no ability to secure privacy for the animal as mesh windows cannot be covered, no ability to give food or water, accidents will run into the interior of the bag.
Pros: Versatility, strength (even with tia clawing it, the canvas didn't even scratch, let alone rip), top pannel means easy viewing of pet, integrated restraint clip, flat-packs for storage, ventilation, comfortable straps, ability to carry in two different ways, very light.
As I say, I didn't like this bag when I first got it, but the more I use it, the more I come to appreciate its good points. It does have its bad ones, but it does a good enough job to be acceptable. I'd love to compare this with the Sherpa backpacks, but they're unavailable in the UK. If you need a backpack carrier, this one will do the job reasonably well.
Before I begin, I need to tell you that I hate PTUs. They're horrible, nasty, confining, stupid, nasty things. Have I said nasty yet? So whatever good points I make about this, it doesn't mean that I like it or wish to go in it more than is absolutely necessary.
This was unlike any PTU I'd ever been in before, and I wasn't sure about it for many, many days. The human bribed me in there with treats, and I got very practiced about darting in, nicking the treat and then hightailing it back out of there before the scary monster that it was could gobble me up. Over time though, I got more confident. it hadn't gobbled me all the other times before, so I gradually got slower and slower until I'd happily stand in there until the human was finished handing out the yummies. Initially, she zipped me up and took me for only short walks round the house where I let her live, and that, while not fun, was Ok. It's a different way of being carried. You're much higher up for one thing, and for another, you don't bump and sway half as much as before, cuz you're held quite snugly against the human's back. The one thing I didn't like about this was that I couldn't see my human when she was carrying me. I'm big on this. I never like letting her out of my sight, and I do get quite upset when she disappears on me, but I could still hear her voice.
As the human mentioned, I don't like things touching my head. The bit at the top rested there, no matter what way I twisted and turned, and at first, that's zactly what i did. I used my claws to try and dig my way out, but the PTU was too strong for me. I jumped, but the soft thing only bonked me on the head. Even when we got on the train, I still did my impression of a break-dancer as I tried to find an escape route. Even the mesh, the thinnest and most likely part to provide my escape, wasn't giving in to my attack. Eventually I gave up, ahem, I mean I rested for a while before launchinc my next assault.
This PTU is too small for my liking. Instead of stretching in a full-length sprawl for a quick bit of shut-eye, I had to do it in a tight ball. I couldn't jump as high as I wanted to, and even if I'd wanted them, there wouldn't have been much room for ping pong balls, mr mousey and my tuna. I made the humen pack them in the suitcase instead.
The PTU also smelled funny. The human had to leave it out for days to get the new, factory stink out, and the old familiar house stink in. It's still not completely gone though.
The human put the cat pad (I refuse to call it puppy pad) in the bottom, and with this in there, I found it adequate enough for my bones to rest on. It has lots of windows, so when we were walking down the platform, lots of peoples got to admire me. They see me easier cuz I'm high up and can be viewed from three different angles. They enjoyed talking to me and I enjoyed singing my best opera to them which, thanks to the mesh, they could hear very, very clearly. I could also survey my new domain from any angle I chose to. That's gotta be a bonus! There was plenty to watch as we travelled, and I have to admit, it got quite interesting at times! It's good to have this mesh up, cuz peoples can get close without actually touching me. I like it this way.
So that's all I have to say about it. It's as stinky as any PTU, and will be even more stinky soon cuz I'll be forced to go in it again! I hate tomorrow already! I'll like it when I get to Dogman's but right now, I hate it! Please note that I am taking requests for my programme of songs tomorrow. Get 'em in early, folks.
That', friends, was the conversation I had with that blog-hogging human of mine just before I started to write this. Now, given that she has the thumbs, and thumbs are necessary for opening and feeding stinky goodness, I am forced to admit the necessity for compromise with her sometimes. In light of this, I have decided that it is permissible for her to review products alongside me. She can write her thoughts at the beginning, and then I'll finish up with the important stuff. I can live with that.
I've been mentioning for some time now the smart new PTU the human got bought for her Birthday. I used it to go on that long, loooooong train journey to Oxford a few weeks ago, but sadly, friends, I'll be using it again tomorrow. The human has to go up there for yet more paperwork related to her job, the new one that is, so again, I get to travel. I'm half pleased by this, and half annoyed too. On the one paw, I do quite like to go adventuring, but on the other, it's such a drag to be stuck in a PTU for any length of time. I thought I'd better get my unbiased review of it up here before I'm forced to use it tomorrow, cuz you can be sure that once I've been in there, I'll have nothing good at all to say about it! Right, here goes. Human first, and then me.
Review: Outward Hound Backpack Carrier
The Outward Hound Backpack Carrier for Cats and Small Dogs
is exactly what you'd think it is by the name. In short, it is a carrier that straps to a human's back, enabling you to carry your pet and still have both hands free for the important tasks of, say, dragging your two ton suitcase full of cat stuff and perhaps a single change of clothes for you which had to be crammed in the very top due to space restrictions. Can you tell I'm bitter?
At first glance, I didn't like this carrier at all. It's made from canvas which feels rather like the stuff used to make those ghastly cheap sports bags that you used to take to physical education at school. Well, I did. It comes flat-packed, and is held together by zips alone. The two end pannels have a reinforced frame, and it is this that gives the bag its shape. Once the zips are done up, you're presented with a rectangle. The bottom has a solid board type pad in there so that the bag doesn't sag in the middle with the weight of your pet, and there's a thinner version of this against the wearer's back, again I presume to make sure the bag doesn't bow. The front of the bag (if you look at it with the backpack straps facing away from you) is pretty soft, but is held quite nicely by the tension on the zips and by a very thin metal bar which passes through the material from one side to the other (i.e, from end to end of the bag). The top, however, has no reinforcement at all, and does sag quite badly. This wouldn't be an inconvenience to most animals, but Tia hates material touching her head, so I found myself constantly having to pull it up for her. The top does have a mesh window in it so that they can see out, but if they don't want things touching their head, they're unlikely to turn their face upwards, as the material would then sag onto it.
The straps themselves are fairly adjustable, but not to the point where a very large person could wear the pack easily, unless it rode very high up on the shoulders. They have a thin padding in them which I thought would be hell on my shoulders, but surprisingly, it holds up remarkably well and is very comfy when worn. Leading from the upper part of the strap and attaching to that thin metal bar I spoke about earlier is an adjustable section of webbing strap. This is supposed to put tension on the carrier as you stand so that the bottom stays horizontal whether you're standing or sitting. However, I found that, not only did the clips let the tension slip as you walked, but when the straps were pulled tight, it also narrowed the carrier's width, due to all of the pressure being taken through that bar, which naturally travelled forward, i.e, closer to the wearer's back, to equalise the pressure. tia didn't seem to mind this though.
The size of the carrier itself is quite small. I wouldn't put a pet of more than about 12lb or so in here. Any bigger and I suspect they'd be squashed and uncomfortable. Tia weighs about9 lb, probably just slightly under, and even at her size, I was reluctant to keep her in there longer than necessary. They have enough room to lie, sit, and probably just about stand, and they can actually turn around in it, but due to the narrow width, this latter is a bit of an effort.
The carrier has a rigid pad in the bottom. This is totally removable, and fixes to the bottom of the carrier with velcro. It is also washable which is ideal if your cat has an accident. However, if they do, chances are that it'll run over the sides of the pat and into the underneath of the bag, so be prepared to scrub in there too. Although it's very good at stopping the bag from sagging under weight, it isn't very comfy, and its surface doesn't provide good purchase for paws. I padded mine out with a puppy pad which has the added bonus of being able to soak up nasty accidents too. Tia seemed to think this was comfy enough for her, and the pads provide extra grip for a pet's feet.
The bag has two straps which are held together by a handle in the middle. This can be used to carry the bag exactly like a holdall. When you do this, it's surprisingly light and easy to hold onto, and even when carried like this, it doesn't sway half as much as plastic carriers do, so your pet will still be comfortable. The Outward Hound is well ventilated, having a mesh pannel at either end, and a mesh window in the top. The top window can be unzipped so that you can put your hand in and give reassurance, and also so that the cat or dog can ride in the carrier with its head outside, looking at the world. The opening is quite large, so if you're going to use this, you need to ensure that the cat or dog is securely fastened to the clip inside the carrier to prevent a wriggling escape through the open window. This is located at the end of another long piece of webbing strap, and will snap securely to a harness or collar. It poses a problem when not in use, as it does swing about quite a lot inside the carrier, but I fed mine through one of the supporting zips so that it was on the outside. It kept it out of the way and didn't compromise the bag's functionality.
The only entrance provided is a side one. This is an arched opening in one end of the carrier that unzips completely. Its top half is the mesh portion, and the bottom is canvas. If your cat goes star-shaped, you're never going to get them into this carrier. You could try putting them through the top window. The opening is big enough, but I must state that this isn't what it's designed for. Tia had to be pushed into this carrier, but she has to be with any with a side opening, so that's not out of the ordinary.
To summarise:
Cons: small size, possible escape ability through top hatch, sagging top pannel, inadequate tension straps, not fully adjustable, side opening only, hard, uncomfortable bottom pad, no ability to secure privacy for the animal as mesh windows cannot be covered, no ability to give food or water, accidents will run into the interior of the bag.
Pros: Versatility, strength (even with tia clawing it, the canvas didn't even scratch, let alone rip), top pannel means easy viewing of pet, integrated restraint clip, flat-packs for storage, ventilation, comfortable straps, ability to carry in two different ways, very light.
As I say, I didn't like this bag when I first got it, but the more I use it, the more I come to appreciate its good points. It does have its bad ones, but it does a good enough job to be acceptable. I'd love to compare this with the Sherpa backpacks, but they're unavailable in the UK. If you need a backpack carrier, this one will do the job reasonably well.
Outward Hound PTU Review by Tia
Before I begin, I need to tell you that I hate PTUs. They're horrible, nasty, confining, stupid, nasty things. Have I said nasty yet? So whatever good points I make about this, it doesn't mean that I like it or wish to go in it more than is absolutely necessary.
This was unlike any PTU I'd ever been in before, and I wasn't sure about it for many, many days. The human bribed me in there with treats, and I got very practiced about darting in, nicking the treat and then hightailing it back out of there before the scary monster that it was could gobble me up. Over time though, I got more confident. it hadn't gobbled me all the other times before, so I gradually got slower and slower until I'd happily stand in there until the human was finished handing out the yummies. Initially, she zipped me up and took me for only short walks round the house where I let her live, and that, while not fun, was Ok. It's a different way of being carried. You're much higher up for one thing, and for another, you don't bump and sway half as much as before, cuz you're held quite snugly against the human's back. The one thing I didn't like about this was that I couldn't see my human when she was carrying me. I'm big on this. I never like letting her out of my sight, and I do get quite upset when she disappears on me, but I could still hear her voice.
As the human mentioned, I don't like things touching my head. The bit at the top rested there, no matter what way I twisted and turned, and at first, that's zactly what i did. I used my claws to try and dig my way out, but the PTU was too strong for me. I jumped, but the soft thing only bonked me on the head. Even when we got on the train, I still did my impression of a break-dancer as I tried to find an escape route. Even the mesh, the thinnest and most likely part to provide my escape, wasn't giving in to my attack. Eventually I gave up, ahem, I mean I rested for a while before launchinc my next assault.
This PTU is too small for my liking. Instead of stretching in a full-length sprawl for a quick bit of shut-eye, I had to do it in a tight ball. I couldn't jump as high as I wanted to, and even if I'd wanted them, there wouldn't have been much room for ping pong balls, mr mousey and my tuna. I made the humen pack them in the suitcase instead.
The PTU also smelled funny. The human had to leave it out for days to get the new, factory stink out, and the old familiar house stink in. It's still not completely gone though.
The human put the cat pad (I refuse to call it puppy pad) in the bottom, and with this in there, I found it adequate enough for my bones to rest on. It has lots of windows, so when we were walking down the platform, lots of peoples got to admire me. They see me easier cuz I'm high up and can be viewed from three different angles. They enjoyed talking to me and I enjoyed singing my best opera to them which, thanks to the mesh, they could hear very, very clearly. I could also survey my new domain from any angle I chose to. That's gotta be a bonus! There was plenty to watch as we travelled, and I have to admit, it got quite interesting at times! It's good to have this mesh up, cuz peoples can get close without actually touching me. I like it this way.
So that's all I have to say about it. It's as stinky as any PTU, and will be even more stinky soon cuz I'll be forced to go in it again! I hate tomorrow already! I'll like it when I get to Dogman's but right now, I hate it! Please note that I am taking requests for my programme of songs tomorrow. Get 'em in early, folks.
Friday, 7 January 2011
Human Vs Cat
Friends, I feel the need to begin this post with an apology. As you are no doubt aware, i normally attempt to stay pretty philosophical and even tempered and toleratn (and all the rest of that jazz) over my human's various stupidities and lacks and general shortcomings. I have frequently said that they aren't her fault, that I mustn't judge her harshly because she has a small brain and does the best she can, that I need to remember to cut her some slack. But this morning, she did something so ridiculous that I didn't even have the capacity to be truly mad at her. I ended up laughing, which really isn't a kind thing to do, bearing in mind that, with her capacity, she's making the best that she can. That being said, what she did do, as well as displaying ape-like intelligence, is give me food for thought, and I don't mean the stinky goodness kind. Allow me to elaborate.
As I mentioned yesterday, the human has started this ritual, a very pleasant one actually, of sprinkling some yummy treats on my new blanket before she leaves for the work hunt. This has met with nothing but favour on my part, for why complain about free food, and nice food at that. Now, my motto is, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, but in my eight months of training, I haven't managed to get that across to the human yet. Accordingly, she decided to fix it.
When I want something badly from her, or when I simply want a snuggle when she's come in from work and decides to head straight to the litterbox room instead of to my sofa for cuddle time, I will follow her, then, when she stays still, put my two front paws up on her knee and wait. I know this melts her insides to mushies which is why I do it, cuz she can't refuse me anything after that. Regardless of whether she's on that litterbox or not, I get my own way! The human decided she wanted to encourage me to do it more, although in a, by her standards, more appropriate place and at a more appropriate time. I've mentioned my background to you previously, so you'll understand it when I say that, when I've done it, I've been a little timid about it. It was a new thing for me. In order to minimise the timidity, the human formulated a plan.
This morning, instead of simply giving me the treats, she crouched on the floor and held one in her hand just above her leg. Because she was crouched, the leg provided a flat platform kind of thing, but still, I wasn't going to climb for a treat. I waited. I've done this before, and I always manage to wait her out. It semi worked this time, cuz she lowered her hand down to me, but kept it close to her knee, so that I had to come forward a few steps to get the morsel. Oh, and how good it was! She picked up another one, and this time, her hand went a little higher so that I had to stand right up on my tippy-toes and push in against her knee to get it. The third one went right back above her leg. I wasn't jumping. I've told you, I don't work for treats. I waited, but nothing happened other than that she started to coo at me to come up. I ignored her, and instead turned my attention to the box of treats open on the floor. But friends, I hadn't even got my nose into it before she whisked that away to the heights too! I still wasn't worried at this point. I could still wait her out.
Except that I couldn't. For an eternity that lasted a full minute, my nose twitched and the treat called. So did the human. Eventually, I hopped up with my two front paws on her knee really quickly, grabbed the treat and jumped back down again. Oh, it was so good! She picked up another one, and again I waited, and again she waited, and another eternity of thirty seconds passed! Do you know how hungry and near to starvation you can get in thirty seconds? I was seeing pink mousies and everything! But the call of the treat was too strong, and up I hopped.
Ten treats later, and the human was having to tell me to get off so that she could teach me to put my paws on her for a treat. This was fun. Without knowing it (and that pains me to admit), I'd trained her to give me treats on demand, and all I had to do was put my two front paws on her leg. how simple! As she stood up from giving me the final food, she said in a self-satisfied voice, "Well, that was a good first training session." Well, it's unlike her to admit I'm training her, so I was surprised but gratified, that is, until she continued. "I'm really making headway with her." um, what? Lady, you ain't making nothing with me sept more treat time!
The concept that the human thinks she's training me when I'm actually training her is so ridiculous that, even now when I think of it hours later, I am forced to shake my head in amazement, then wipe a grin off my furry face at the very idea. Humans are so simple, bless them.
We had a repeat of the training session when she came home from the work hunt, and again she mentioned that she was doing well. In the midst of my laughter though, I began to think. To think really about reciprocal cause and effect. I put my paws on her leg because I know she likes it and that will subsequently generate a treat, so, in essence, I put my paws on her leg because I like the treats. She, on the other hand, gives me a treat because she wants my paws on her leg because she likes the feeling. So, in essence, she provides the treat in return for something she likes. What that boils down to is this. I give her something she likes in return for something I like and vice versa.
Training is all about cause and effect, in essence, you do something to get something, or you do something to receive pleasure. Even stupid Dogfaces understand this concept, so it's in-arguable really. Now, if you apply that definition to the last paragraph of what I said, well, friends, it provides a frankly terrifying conclusion. We are training each other, and what's worse, we are doing it in a mutually pleasant, mutually beneficial way.
The thought of the human having influence over me is very unsettling, and yet, that then begs another question. Should it be brought to a brutal end? Should I cease doing what she wants in order to get what I want? I tried that today, namely the waiting game, and it didn't work. So in essence, do I deprive myself of a good thing just so that I can be content that I am not being trained? There hardly seems any point. This exercise provides benefit, not hardship, whereas to refuse to participate gets me nothing but terrible deprivation. And still there is the looming, and even larger question to be answered. If I allow myself to be trained in this way, will I do so with other things? Will the human be resourceful enough to always provide me with a benefit for doing what she wants, and more importantly, will I feel that this benefit is one I do not wish to go without?
I have no answers. I need help.
As I mentioned yesterday, the human has started this ritual, a very pleasant one actually, of sprinkling some yummy treats on my new blanket before she leaves for the work hunt. This has met with nothing but favour on my part, for why complain about free food, and nice food at that. Now, my motto is, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, but in my eight months of training, I haven't managed to get that across to the human yet. Accordingly, she decided to fix it.
When I want something badly from her, or when I simply want a snuggle when she's come in from work and decides to head straight to the litterbox room instead of to my sofa for cuddle time, I will follow her, then, when she stays still, put my two front paws up on her knee and wait. I know this melts her insides to mushies which is why I do it, cuz she can't refuse me anything after that. Regardless of whether she's on that litterbox or not, I get my own way! The human decided she wanted to encourage me to do it more, although in a, by her standards, more appropriate place and at a more appropriate time. I've mentioned my background to you previously, so you'll understand it when I say that, when I've done it, I've been a little timid about it. It was a new thing for me. In order to minimise the timidity, the human formulated a plan.
This morning, instead of simply giving me the treats, she crouched on the floor and held one in her hand just above her leg. Because she was crouched, the leg provided a flat platform kind of thing, but still, I wasn't going to climb for a treat. I waited. I've done this before, and I always manage to wait her out. It semi worked this time, cuz she lowered her hand down to me, but kept it close to her knee, so that I had to come forward a few steps to get the morsel. Oh, and how good it was! She picked up another one, and this time, her hand went a little higher so that I had to stand right up on my tippy-toes and push in against her knee to get it. The third one went right back above her leg. I wasn't jumping. I've told you, I don't work for treats. I waited, but nothing happened other than that she started to coo at me to come up. I ignored her, and instead turned my attention to the box of treats open on the floor. But friends, I hadn't even got my nose into it before she whisked that away to the heights too! I still wasn't worried at this point. I could still wait her out.
Except that I couldn't. For an eternity that lasted a full minute, my nose twitched and the treat called. So did the human. Eventually, I hopped up with my two front paws on her knee really quickly, grabbed the treat and jumped back down again. Oh, it was so good! She picked up another one, and again I waited, and again she waited, and another eternity of thirty seconds passed! Do you know how hungry and near to starvation you can get in thirty seconds? I was seeing pink mousies and everything! But the call of the treat was too strong, and up I hopped.
Ten treats later, and the human was having to tell me to get off so that she could teach me to put my paws on her for a treat. This was fun. Without knowing it (and that pains me to admit), I'd trained her to give me treats on demand, and all I had to do was put my two front paws on her leg. how simple! As she stood up from giving me the final food, she said in a self-satisfied voice, "Well, that was a good first training session." Well, it's unlike her to admit I'm training her, so I was surprised but gratified, that is, until she continued. "I'm really making headway with her." um, what? Lady, you ain't making nothing with me sept more treat time!
The concept that the human thinks she's training me when I'm actually training her is so ridiculous that, even now when I think of it hours later, I am forced to shake my head in amazement, then wipe a grin off my furry face at the very idea. Humans are so simple, bless them.
We had a repeat of the training session when she came home from the work hunt, and again she mentioned that she was doing well. In the midst of my laughter though, I began to think. To think really about reciprocal cause and effect. I put my paws on her leg because I know she likes it and that will subsequently generate a treat, so, in essence, I put my paws on her leg because I like the treats. She, on the other hand, gives me a treat because she wants my paws on her leg because she likes the feeling. So, in essence, she provides the treat in return for something she likes. What that boils down to is this. I give her something she likes in return for something I like and vice versa.
Training is all about cause and effect, in essence, you do something to get something, or you do something to receive pleasure. Even stupid Dogfaces understand this concept, so it's in-arguable really. Now, if you apply that definition to the last paragraph of what I said, well, friends, it provides a frankly terrifying conclusion. We are training each other, and what's worse, we are doing it in a mutually pleasant, mutually beneficial way.
The thought of the human having influence over me is very unsettling, and yet, that then begs another question. Should it be brought to a brutal end? Should I cease doing what she wants in order to get what I want? I tried that today, namely the waiting game, and it didn't work. So in essence, do I deprive myself of a good thing just so that I can be content that I am not being trained? There hardly seems any point. This exercise provides benefit, not hardship, whereas to refuse to participate gets me nothing but terrible deprivation. And still there is the looming, and even larger question to be answered. If I allow myself to be trained in this way, will I do so with other things? Will the human be resourceful enough to always provide me with a benefit for doing what she wants, and more importantly, will I feel that this benefit is one I do not wish to go without?
I have no answers. I need help.
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Tortureshell Tuesday: Playing Games
This is my favouritest thing in the world to do. I don't just mean the ordinary games where you kill the naughty feathers that the human makes bop you on the head. No, I mean the games that keep the human guessing all day long. I've mentioned a few of these before, but today's one really has her on edge.
Usually I like to be with the human, mainly to keep an eye on her and prevent her from getting into trouble or doing anything stupidly dangerous. Today though, I decided I'd had enough of her. When she sits down, I'll usually climb onto the sofa with her, but every time she's picked me up today I've jumped down and gone to lie quietly on the floor out of the way by the big windows.
You might say it's a bit mean of me, cuz I think the human thinks I might be getting sick again. Last time the first sign she had was that I stayed away from her, you see. She's disgusting enough to keep checking my bum every time I come out of the tray. She says she's looking for the evidence of runny poo. What is it with her and poo! She keeps wondering if my temperature is up, and is watching very closely to see if I start vomiting like I did last time. I'm keeping my cool though. I'm drinking lots and I'm eating well. As if I wouldn't eat!
It doesn't take much to have the human worried about me these days. If I'm too clingy, she worries that I might be sick, and if I stay away from her, the same. If I follow her all the time, she's concerned, if I don't, she asks if I'm all right. I can sort of understand it. I was pretty sick, and I know that if I was her, I wouldn't like the thought of losing me either, but honestly, this worry has to stop at some point. That's why I'm playing the game. Tomorrow I may well come back and sit with her and she'll realise that she was worried for nothing. Over time I hope that this desensitisation method will work and leave her much more stress free.
For now though, I'll keep her guessing. It's what she needs.
Our competition closes tonight, so if you haven't entered already, get commenting! We will pick the winner using random.org. May the best cat win!
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