How can I teach an old cat a new trick?

kitkaturday

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My sweet little Shunra isn't as limber as she used to be, and I can see that jumping up on the bed is a bit of a strain for her. I think she sometimes even avoids it even though her main goal in life is to never be more than 6 inches away from me.

I put a 2-step stepstool next to the bed. They have a similar stepstool in the kitchen, to help them climb up to the window ledge. I know if I could only get her to use it, it would solve her problem and let her get up and down easily. But I haven't been able to coax her to use it.

She's rubbed her chinny-chin all over it but still hasn't figured out what it's there for. Since Shunra is still just feral enough that she doesn't like to be held, I tried using the other cat as a demonstration, but that didn't help.  He doesn't need the boost, so he hasn't used it regularly, either, meaning Shunra doesn't even have an example to learn from.

Is there anything I can do to show her what the steps are for? 
 

betsygee

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I have an almost 18 year old with exactly the same issue and haven't got him to use the steps, either.  But your post got me thinking--does Shunra eat treats?  How about putting a treat on each step and one on the bed--would she go for them?  I think I'll try that with Travis!  
 
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kitkaturday

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Yup. She ate the treats.

LOL. 

The object is familiar to her because they have the same type of stepstool in another part of the house. So when she sniffed treats, she balanced her paws on the first step and grabbed and gobbled the treats from the first and second step. Then she ducked under the bed and went over to the other side, to hoist herself up the usual way. 

Silly kitty. I love her to bits but she sure as heck isn't a candidate for Mensa. 

She figured out that there's a certain spot around the edge of the bed where she can gain a toehold, and that's the spot she currently uses to catapult herself onto the bed. She figured out that one on her own, so I hope she'll figure this out too. 
 

betsygee

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That's funny.  Travis might do that, too.  

We're in the same boat--for some reason, he can get himself on the bed from the left side, but not the right!  I'll post back after I try the treats.  

Maybe another member will come along with some ideas.  But you may be right about them figuring it out on their own--I'm going to leave the steps by the bed and I have a feeling that when Travis really needs them, he'll use them.  Your kitty probably will, too.  
 
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kitkaturday

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Same story here! I just know that the little stepstool is going to become a part of the landscape pretty quickly, and it's only a matter of time before I start using it as a second nightstand... and then I'll have to put in yet another stepstool for my girl to climb :).
 
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kitkaturday

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She did it! She figured it out! It only took a little over a month!

The first few times, she approached it from the side and just clawed up to the top step, which is exactly the same level as the bed. In other words, no benefit at all, she was still struggling to make the jump. But I figured out that I should turn the stepstool to the side where she approaches the bed, and that did the trick. A week or so later she figured out to step up on the first step, then the top step. Success!

This will make her life so much easier, as she goes about her busy day moving from one napping spot to another  
 

betsygee

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Oh that's great!!  
Gives me hope that Travis will figure it out, too.  He 's still determined to try to jump.  But maybe I need to try to move it around like you did--eventually I will get the steps into a spot that will help him.  

You're right--it will make it easier for him to hop up to nap in another spot....  
 
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