CatSchool Made You Look Challenge

The CatSchool Made You Look Challenge with Caroline Crevier-Chabot was educational and transformational for me and Sunday. The virtual CatSchool event was hosted by Julie Posluns and Lori Haynes. This challenge is all about teaching your cat to make eye contact with you. Naturally cats tend to avoid eye contact much of the time, but we can teach them to make eye contact with us when we want them to.

I learned that I can train Sunday to make eye contact with me on cue — and I’m so glad I did. The key is to go slow and let her lead the way, always working at her pace and comfort level. In fact, this is important in everything I teach her in our cat training lessons.

Eye contact is a surprisingly powerful skill for cooperative care. Cooperative care includes brushing your cat, putting on a collar, nail trims, and going into a cat backpack or carrier. When your cat can give you a calm, willing look, it becomes a way for them to communicate that they’re OK with what’s happening. Imagine your cat making eye contact with you as a signal that they’re comfortable with you putting on their collar, brushing their fur, or trimming their nails. It transforms grooming and handling from something cats tolerate into a conversation between you and your cat.

And as a bonus? It produces the most gorgeous photographs! Look at these shots I captured of Sunday during the challenge — those eyes say it all.

Thank you, Caroline and the whole CatSchool team! You have changed our lives for the better, and we appreciate you all.

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Pawsome Sunday home

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