The Emerging Sport of Feline Agility Training
If you have ever lived with a cat or spent any amount of time with one, you will know that cats can be amazing athletes; they are superb jumpers, surprisingly swift runners and amazingly agile on top of it. On the other hand, cats are notoriously hard to control... or are they?
More and more people are starting to pay attention to feline agility trials. Agility trials, which were once solely the domain of working dogs, are seeing more and more cats involved, and even though the standards are strict, there are many cats that are finding that they can pounce, run and leap their way to an impressive award.
Cats in agility training have been around for the better part of a decade, though it is only within the past few years that they have started to see a wider audience. They are typically held as a small part of a larger cat show, and any cat is allowed to compete. It is interesting to note that performance is not dependent upon breed of the cat; no one breed seems to be any more obedient than any other. As a matter of fact, it seems to be much more dependent on the relationship between the cat and his or her owner.
During the competition, a cat will be led through a series of obstacles, including a set of stairs, hoops and long tunnels constructed of tear-resistant fabric. A cat needs to finish the course within 270 seconds, though cats that have won the competition can finish the course in around twenty seconds. In most cases, the owners will use something interesting to get the cat's attention and then use it to lead the cat through the course. For many trainers, it is a shiny toy or a piece of trailing cloth on a leash. Cats need to be encouraged along the obstacle course by their owner; absolutely no bribing with treats as it is prohibited.
When looking at the feline agility trials, it is very easy to see that running the agility course is a matter of play for many of these nimble cats. While canine agility trials stemmed from the need, and want, to display a dog's talents for taking direction and doing work around the farm, home or in the work field, feline agility trials were born out of the cat's owner's desire to show off how well their cat can play or mock hunt. Many of the cats competing are young and have plenty of energy and if you have ever played with your cat, you know how much boundless energy they have!
There are some interesting benefits to getting your cat involved in feline agility training:
*It will teach you how to communicate better with your cat
*It will teach you how to read your cat's body language
*You will also find that you can have lots of fun with your cat
*Your cat will receive plenty of exercise in a fun way!
You can practice agility training with your cat around your house using overturned chairs and curtains or blankets as make-shift tunnels. Or you can purchase the agility course materials and create your own agility course according to the standard specifications as set out by the International Cat Agility Tournaments (ICAT).
ICAT is a national registrar of pedigreed and non-pedigreed cats whose owners wish them to compete in agility tournaments. ICAT issues Certificates of Registration, scores tournaments and awards Agility Cat Titles.
Each agility course is comprised of three components: Obstacles, Flooring (such as non-skid rubber mats) and Fencing (which should be about 5 feet high).
Take some time to learn more about feline agility training and to see what your options are if you are interested in training your own kitty; you never know - you just might have a pro on your hands!
Photo Credit: lincoln-log
More and more people are starting to pay attention to feline agility trials. Agility trials, which were once solely the domain of working dogs, are seeing more and more cats involved, and even though the standards are strict, there are many cats that are finding that they can pounce, run and leap their way to an impressive award.
Cats in agility training have been around for the better part of a decade, though it is only within the past few years that they have started to see a wider audience. They are typically held as a small part of a larger cat show, and any cat is allowed to compete. It is interesting to note that performance is not dependent upon breed of the cat; no one breed seems to be any more obedient than any other. As a matter of fact, it seems to be much more dependent on the relationship between the cat and his or her owner.
During the competition, a cat will be led through a series of obstacles, including a set of stairs, hoops and long tunnels constructed of tear-resistant fabric. A cat needs to finish the course within 270 seconds, though cats that have won the competition can finish the course in around twenty seconds. In most cases, the owners will use something interesting to get the cat's attention and then use it to lead the cat through the course. For many trainers, it is a shiny toy or a piece of trailing cloth on a leash. Cats need to be encouraged along the obstacle course by their owner; absolutely no bribing with treats as it is prohibited.
When looking at the feline agility trials, it is very easy to see that running the agility course is a matter of play for many of these nimble cats. While canine agility trials stemmed from the need, and want, to display a dog's talents for taking direction and doing work around the farm, home or in the work field, feline agility trials were born out of the cat's owner's desire to show off how well their cat can play or mock hunt. Many of the cats competing are young and have plenty of energy and if you have ever played with your cat, you know how much boundless energy they have!
There are some interesting benefits to getting your cat involved in feline agility training:
*It will teach you how to communicate better with your cat
*It will teach you how to read your cat's body language
*You will also find that you can have lots of fun with your cat
*Your cat will receive plenty of exercise in a fun way!
You can practice agility training with your cat around your house using overturned chairs and curtains or blankets as make-shift tunnels. Or you can purchase the agility course materials and create your own agility course according to the standard specifications as set out by the International Cat Agility Tournaments (ICAT).
ICAT is a national registrar of pedigreed and non-pedigreed cats whose owners wish them to compete in agility tournaments. ICAT issues Certificates of Registration, scores tournaments and awards Agility Cat Titles.
Each agility course is comprised of three components: Obstacles, Flooring (such as non-skid rubber mats) and Fencing (which should be about 5 feet high).
Take some time to learn more about feline agility training and to see what your options are if you are interested in training your own kitty; you never know - you just might have a pro on your hands!
Photo Credit: lincoln-log
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