Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe chosen for innovative cat training program

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE and TRUCKEE, Calif. — The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe has been selected to participate in the 2020 class of Cat Pawsitive, a life-saving initiative that introduces positive-reinforcement training to cats in shelters and rescues. Supported by the Petco Foundation, this innovative program aims to increase feline adoption rates and maintain cat “mojo.”

HSTT provides services both in Truckee and South Lake Tahoe.

Jackson Galaxy (star of the television show My Cat from Hell on Animal Planet, and founder of The Jackson Galaxy Project ) developed Cat Pawsitive with a team of feline behavior experts.

Highlights of the program include:

· Maintaining cat “adoptability” and feline social skills by enriching cats’ day-to-day lives
· Increasing adoptions
· Decreasing length of stay
· Engaging and empowering volunteers and staff
· Showing potential adopters that cats are cool and can even be trained!

“As a shelter worker in the 90s, I found unsocialized cats, traumatized cats and adoptable cats whose spirits were dwindling from lack of stimulation - were all being euthanized. Dogs, however, were being saved thanks in part to burgeoning enrichment programs geared towards physical exercise, confidence-building and the bond created with humans,” said Galaxy. “With the help of a dog trainer, I adapted these programs to cats - and the results were immediate and profound. In just four years we have helped over 1,200 cats in 174 shelters find their forever homes, with hundreds more receiving enriching training every day.”

The Cat Pawsitive program is designed to keep adoptable cats mentally and physically active in a shelter or rescue environment. The focus is on fun, positive reinforcement-based training sessions that go beyond playtime-as-usual to help cats connect more quickly with potential adopters. From teaching high fives and head bumps to “sit” and “come when called,” caregivers engage with cats in a brand new way to really help cats to “click” with adopters.

“We are so excited that of all the many shelters that applied HSTT was one of the shelters selected for this program,” said Maria Marsh, adoption specialist with the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe. “This will give our staff and volunteers the tools and training needed to help make our cats even more adoptable.”