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 battle with overstimulation, frustration, or particular behavioral points that make it troublesome 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, canine are sometimes who involves thoughts,” says Tanya Roberts, OHS Director of Coaching and Habits. “However this program is having a unprecedented, lifesaving influence on cats and kittens.”
Take, for instance, a 5-month-old kitten named John. On December 24, John turned the a hundredth feline to be adopted via 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 vital progress since transferring 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 virtually 50% sooner than they did after we had 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 infrequently the final possibility for many of the felines who come via our program.”
The success of the Habits Modification Program lies in its individualized strategy. Each cat getting into this system receives a personalized plan tailor-made to their particular wants.
“Working with a shy, fearful cat is a gradual technique of constructing belief,” says Erika. “Whereas a cat who will get overstimulated and annoyed wants time to decompress earlier than we will begin altering their habits.”
Persistence 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 unbelievable capability to study and alter.”
A Lasting Impression
Pet dad and mom who welcome these particular cats into their properties obtain further 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 influence. 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 will not be solely giving them a second probability at life but additionally altering the best way 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 house.
Concerning the Oregon Humane Society
Based in 1868, the Oregon Humane Society is among the most revered animal welfare organizations in america. 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, schooling, medical, and humane regulation enforcement packages. Go to oregonhumane.org for extra data.
Photos offered to Catster by Oregon Humane Society