When will I be famous…

A short time ago, I watched the remake of the Stephen King classic, Pet Semetary. Naturally, the feline character Church, stole the show.

I was interested to know more about the cat chosen for the role and found a really interesting article. Church, it seems, was actually played by three shelter cats JD, Tonic, and Leo. Each cat was chosen for a particular “trait” they excelled at to convey the perfect representation of Kings’ infamous fictional feline. They were trained to perform their tasks on cue and did so like true professionals.

To me, this illustrates a fact that most people with cat family members already know; that felines are absolutely capable of being trained. It’s all about them wanting to and finding the right motivation for each cat. Unlike their canine counterparts, responding to training simply for the human adulation they’re likely to receive is rarely enough incentive.
In the past, I’ve seen younger cats flourish with a routine that involves clicker training and a reward system in place as a way for them to bond with certain family members. Some cats enjoy it as it gives them mental stimulation and it can be useful to ensure one-on-one time with their humans if they’re part of a multicat household.

Referring back to the original point, though. Unlike dogs, cats most definitely have to want to participate in training for it to be a success.

If you’d like to know more about JD, Tonic and Leo (who sadly passed away after filming ended), then you can do so by following this link:

https://www.boredpanda.com/pet-sematary-cat-actors/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic