For the primary time in its historical past, the Oregon Humane Society’s (OHS) Habits Modification Program for cats and kittens has surpassed 100 annual adoptions, with 102 cats discovering loving properties in 2024. This groundbreaking program is particularly designed for pets who require specialised coaching and care earlier than they’re prepared for adoption.
Habits Modification Coaching for Cats
Cats on the OHS typically face distinctive challenges. Many are extraordinarily shy and fearful, whereas others wrestle with overstimulation, frustration, or particular behavioral points that make it tough for them to adapt to life in a house. That is the place the Habits Modification Program is available in.
“When individuals consider habits modification and coaching, canines are sometimes who involves thoughts,” says Tanya Roberts, OHS Director of Coaching and Habits. “However this program is having a rare, lifesaving affect on cats and kittens.”
Take, for instance, a 5-month-old kitten named John. On December 24, John turned the a centesimal feline to be adopted by the Habits Modification Program in 2024. John got here to OHS from an overwhelmed pet proprietor struggling to look after too many animals. His adoption represents a significant milestone for a program that has seen important progress since shifting to its purpose-built Habits and Rescue Heart in late 2022.
Erika Sims, the OHS Feline Habits Modification Supervisor, explains that “cats and kittens are preparing for adoption nearly 50% sooner than they did after we have been doing this work in the primary shelter. This implies we may help much more cats as a result of we’re actually a lifeline and sometimes the final choice for a lot of the felines who come by our program.”
The success of the Habits Modification Program lies in its individualized method. Each cat coming into this system receives a personalized plan tailor-made to their particular wants.
“Working with a shy, fearful cat is a gradual means of constructing belief,” says Erika. “Whereas a cat who will get overstimulated and pissed off wants time to decompress earlier than we will begin altering their habits.”
Endurance is vital to addressing behavioral challenges in cats. The method is usually gradual, however the outcomes are profound.
“Progress is measured in small increments, however the outcomes are life-changing, and lifesaving,” Erika provides. “We’re altering stereotypes and exhibiting that cats have an unimaginable capability to be taught and alter.”
A Lasting Impression
Pet mother and father who welcome these particular cats into their properties obtain extra assist and steering to make sure a easy transition and a profitable match. This further stage of care helps create lasting bonds between the cats and their new households.
As this system continues to develop, so does its affect. The milestone reached in 2024 is a testomony to the dedication of the OHS workforce and the transformative energy of habits modification. By addressing the distinctive wants of every cat, OHS is just not solely giving them a second likelihood at life but in addition altering the way in which individuals view feline habits and coaching.
With each success story, the OHS Habits Modification Program is proving that even essentially the most difficult cats deserve an opportunity to thrive—and that with persistence, compassion, and experience, they’ll discover their place in a loving residence.
Concerning the Oregon Humane Society
Based in 1868, the Oregon Humane Society is among the most revered animal welfare organizations in the USA. Via their mission of Making a Extra Humane Society, they’re working towards their imaginative and prescient of a world the place all animals are handled with compassion, kindness, and respect. With campuses in Portland and Salem, OHS is an Oregon-based nonprofit that depends on donor assist for its adoption, training, medical, and humane legislation enforcement applications. Go to oregonhumane.org for extra data.
Photographs offered to Catster by Oregon Humane Society
