Posted on Sun, Dec. 07, 2003
Cats in Motion
Move over, dogs -
Cats are leaping into the agility ring
BY DIANE MCCARTNEY
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Imagine going to a cat show where the cats do more than lie around in cages waiting to be held and judged on their appearance. Imagine cats of all kinds -- purebreds and house cats -- running an obstacle course, jumping through hoops and shooting through tunnels.
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Imagine cats competing in agility.
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Wait a minute. Agility is a dog sport. Cats would never stoop to performing for humans, would they?
They will if you make it fun, says Vickie Shields, co-founder of International Cat Agility Tournaments, or ICAT.
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"Cats are very, very smart and learn by watching," said Shields, who also has worked with dogs and dolphins.
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While dogs may be motivated by food or the approval of a pack leader, "the motivator for cats is play," she said.
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Cats and cat owners are quickly catching on to what dogs and their handlers have known for years -- agility is fun.
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ICAT, formed early this year, held its first practice trial in October in Shields' hometown of Albuquerque, N.M. It was a big hit with cats, owners and spectators.
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"The response was absolutely incredible," said Charlotte Norris of Augusta, who practices agility with her Bengal show cats.
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"Everybody wanted to try running their cats through it."
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Norris hopes to bring cat agility to Kansas next fall, as part of the International Cat Association's Great Plains Regional Show.
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Shields has been a cat show judge for 15 years and found herself wishing she could see the animals in motion.
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"Cats are beautiful, but there isn't much action" at a cat show, she said. "And a lot of the beauty of cats is how they move."
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Agility "is something cats can do that shows off their abilities and their intelligence."
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Shields and the other founders of ICAT -- Shirley Piper, Kathy Krysta and Adriana Kajon -- knew their cats were smart but still were surprised at how quickly they picked up on agility.
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"In a couple of minutes they would catch on," Shields said. "We said, 'Whoa, it's way easier to train them than we thought.' "
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The pivotal point, she said, "is if they can relax enough to start playing. Then off they go."
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The group is still working on getting the agility course and equipment just right, said Piper, who tests obstacles on her Bengal show cats in Riverside, Calif.
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The course had to be modified from what was used for dogs, Piper said, adding more high jumps to "take advantage of that love for the vertical that cats have."
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"Dogs are pretty much horizontal; cats are more 3-D," Shields said. And dog jumps "are way too easy for a cat."
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Any cat that has a strong bond with its owner can learn and participate in agility, Piper said, although she predicts the athletic Bengals will be "the Australian shepherds" of the sport.
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People don't need special equipment and can even train a cat in an apartment, by arranging furniture or setting up obstacles.
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"Just play with them in the house," Piper said. "Play with your cat every day."
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Norris practices agility with her cats in an enclosed "outdoor garden" equipped with ramps, platforms, swings and bridges.
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It's a good way for cats to get exercise, chasing a feather lure on the end of a stick, she said.
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"Once they get the hang of following the tease and negotiating obstacles, it's just a tremendous game for them," she said.
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"They love it."
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Reach Diane McCartney at 268-6593 or dmccartney@wichitaeagle.com
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