The Key to Training

Training cats (and other animals) is made much easier by finding a treat that the critter likes.

Anyone who has seen dolphins completing acrobatic stunts for their trainers has probably noticed that after a trick, the performer gets a fish.

Food rewards are highly attractive to cats, too, provided you find one that your cat likes. Cats are known for their fussiness so some experimentation is often required to find just the right reward.

Fortunately grocery and pet stores have many kinds to choose from. Experiment. Any that your cat doesn't like might be dropped off at the local humane society--staffers there will make good use of them.

Some cats turn their noses up at store-bought rewards, and for those guys you should experiment with human food items. We once had a wonderful black manx cat that our son named Midnight. She was a sweetheart but didn't like commercially available treats. After some experimentation, we discovered that she craved small pieces of plain white bread.

In my experience, every cat likes some type of treat; it's just a matter of finding out what turns it on. Once you have accomplished this, training her or him to claw an approved surface and nothing else becomes relatively easy.

Signs Of Spring

Two days ago I saw my first robin (Wisconsin's state bird) of 2012, a sure sign of spring in these parts.  I can't recall seeing one this early.

Winter this year was about as mild as any I can remember, but as the saying goes, "we're not out of the woods, yet."  More than once in my lifetime, we've been hit by heavy snow storms in April, even May.

The upcoming weekend also will return us to Daylight Savings Time, but even on normal time over the past few mornings I've noticed that the Sun is rising earlier and the sky is lighter by 5:30 a.m.

Soon we'll reach the official beginning of spring, March 20, vernal equinox. 

By the time we reach summer solstice on June 20, it will be light at 4:45 a.m. 

Deer In The 'Burbs

The attached image shows deer just outside my office-in-the-home in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

It's amazing how many we have in this area. 

This photo was taken at about 4:30 p.m.

They are fun to see but living in a suburb with all its drivers in a hurry is dangerous for these guys.   Click on the image for a larger view.

Many Scratching Products

Visit www.naturalscratch.com for many different scratching posts and planks and a slab.

From the original white cedar Natural Scratch to cork posts in 24- and 32-inch sizes and including a new, sisal-clad model.

There are also three different types of cedar planks and one cork slab if your cat likes to scratch a horizontal surface.

Each one comes with a easy-to-follow and use training booklet that makes training your cat to claw what you want it to and nothing else straightforward and achievable.  Cats do want to please their human companions, but need to be trained what to do.

Please visit www.naturalscratch.com for more information.

MIld Winter Continues

Wisconsin winters are usually snowy and cold but not this year.  I've only had the blower out three times; still haven't used the roof rake. 

I don't hate winter like some Wisconsinites, but it's nice to have an unusually warm and largely snow-free season now and then.

Even better is on the horizon.

Sunday morning when I went for the paper before dawn, I was happy to see Cygnus the Swan rising in the east. 

Spring and summer are coming!  Pretty soon I'll be mowing the lawn again...

Astronomy Presentation To Brownies

Off and on for some years now, I have been the Sidewalk Astronomer in residence at the Brookfield Public Library here in our suburb.  About once per month during the warmer seasons here in America's Dairyland, I use my 8" Celestron telescope to show library patrons Jupiter, the Moon, the Sun, and other objects.

Occasionally I am asked to give talks, and tomorrow afternoon I will be giving a PowerPoint presentation I call "Wonders of the Sky" to a troop of Brownies at a local elementary school.

These outings are a lot of fun.  I try to show people things that those who follow astronomy see fairly regularly but others rarely or never do.  Some of the videos and slides I have in my talk came to my attention at the amazing Astronomy Picture of the Day site.  Two NASA scientists administer it and always come up with something interesting.  Have a look at: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

Weight Loss Plan

After I quit smoking in 2003, I gained some weight in a hopeless attempt to reduce the cravings I had for nicotine.  Those cravings persisted strongly for two full years but then went away.  Now I never think about smoking.

About four months ago I decided to lose the weight I gained and went on a simple plan--not a diet.  A young woman I once worked with told me "diets don't work."

She meant that diets are a finite effort--they begin and end. 

What works is simply changing how much one eats and how much one exercises.

I coined an acronym for my approach:  ELEM.  It stands for "eat less, excercise more" and it's working great. 

Back in college a phy-ed teacher told a class I was in something I've never forgotten:  "There is nothing mysterious about losing weight; all you need do is burn more calories than you consume."  Simple and effective.