I didn’t grow up with pets, so when I came of age, it was one of my first priorities to get a dog.
And I’ve adopted lots of them from rescue organizations, mostly Dobermans and Bearded Collies, one of which I have now.
While I’ve enjoyed playing with cats, and especially talking with them and having them respond, I never had one I could call my own, until now.
Cleopa was born a feral, or wild cat, nearby my urban home. Somewhere, nestled between yards and parking lots, she arrived on the scene with at least two sisters and a couple of brothers.
About six months ago, I started leaving some food out for these teeny creatures, and I took a liking to Cleopa, who is snow white with beautiful black and red markings, mostly on her head and tail.
I resolved to adopt her, to tame her, and here’s how I did it.
(1) I talked to her, every chance I got. Having a door that opens out onto a front terrace made this fairly easy to do. Before too long, she spoke back.
(2) I tried to pet her, but she bit me. Next, I decided to hand-feed her some food, which she was wary of, but couldn’t resist.
(3) Petting her back while feeding her came next.
(4) Next, I placed a bowl of food inside my door, moving it closer and closer to the kitchen with subsequent feedings. Finally, it came to rest next to the stove, where I feed her now.
(5) Before long, she allowed me to pet her without food, and then she jumped on my lap for petting, and finally she meowed to get in to be petted, without any promise of food.
Now, she’s like a regular house cat, and she doesn’t want very much to go out.
What happened to her brothers and sisters? The boys split long ago, but the sisters, Marquesa and Nochka are still hanging around, and I feed them outdoors.
For some reason, they resisted my efforts to civilize them!
Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone®, You Can Sell Anything By Telephone! and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,†published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.
