Cats are usually perceived as independent and even rebellious animals. Therefore, it is quite rare for cat owners to try and train their pets or teach them tricks. However, by leaving your cat to its own devices, both you and your furry buddy are missing out. Contrary to popular belief, cats are trainable, just like dogs. You can teach them useful behaviors as well as novelty tricks according to cat behavioralist Tatiana Kulikova.
If you still aren’t convinced, it’s time you met Nipa, a Toyger cat from Finland also known as The Talented Cat. Nipa is a therapy cat at an elderly care home. She knows over 50 tricks, including riding a skateboard, doing a handstand jump, rolling a barrel, and more.
As we mentioned, Nipa also helps Tiina in her work at a senior care home by serving as an emotional support cat. “The seniors immediately light up when they see him and start talking to him and me. Even seniors that don’t want to join in other activities or talk to me individually welcome me when I have Nipa with me at work. Nipa brings a lot of joy to seniors and to see them happy makes me happy,” Tiina said. One of the seniors was so happy he cried joy as he had Nipa in his lap.
This is another myth that Nipa helps dispel. Cats are NOT spiteful or antisocial. Cats are actually great at providing emotional support and stress relief to the people who need it the most.
