Update of other stuff

I mentioned some time ago that Mr. Wilson was sometimes a real PITA about getting his test and shots. He doesn't bite or scratch but sometimes he'll growl and/or try to get away. It's odd, he doesn't do this all of the time but I haven't figured out what the triggers are. One big downside to this is that I can't rely on anyone else to test him because his behavior is somewhat intimidating. Personally, I have known enough cats to know he's a BS'er and have no problem with this but I know most normal ppl would. Esp. given his recent history of DKA, I need to be SURE that he is going to get the test and shot as needed.

Sooo, my original plan was clicker training. I have the iClick thingy and am experienced in clicker training dogs. I really love it, it's actually kinda fun and worked very, very well with my dog. He learned stuff faster and retained it longer.

For the shots and testing I was using some classic conditioning. Meter beeps=feline greenie, test=feline greenie, shot=feline greenie. Wilson LOVES feline greenies. Initially I was using the clicker but then gave up on it mostly due to coordination issues plus the fact that after almost a week it had not worked well enough to be worth the juggling effort. I am absolutely all for training cats with clickers, but clicking while holding a cat still for a test or poke is not too easy.

So where are we now? We are still at the point of occasional grumbles but overall tolerance. I still don't trust that he's easy enough for just anyone to handle, though.