Teaching a Devon Rex to Come When Called

I specifically wanted Devon Rexes as they're known for their intelligence and love of people. I'd trained my gorgeous Irish Setter, Lola, as a pup to do a whole range of tricks and she can sit, bow, beg, shake hands, play dead and growl or bark on command. Having a dog that can do all this is pretty cool and always a hit with friends, but the best thing about training her was the effect it had on our relationship.

Bowie and Blue playing in the kitchen

Lola LOVED our training sessions and it was a great way to burn off her extra puppyish energy. I also found it helped us to bond more and we have a stronger relationship because of it. So I wanted to do the same with my cats.

Apart from toilet training them (read more here) and training them to walk on the lead (read more here) we've been working on getting them to sit on command and come when called. Bowie is also learning to fetch but Blue doesn't seem to get that one yet!

It's still early days and they're still young but our training sessions are going so well!  Most people are pretty cynical about training cats and think it can't be done, but think about it for a moment. Every cat I've ever known has been able to recognise the sound of his food bowl being filled in the kitchen from 50 paces and comes flying in to find out what's for dinner. They hear a noise, associate it with something nice and run over to investigate. All you need to do is harness that natural instinct and get them to do it on a given prompt.

First pick your command. I've settled on whistling to get my boys to come to me. When I start letting them outside to play they'll be able to hear it from a distance and it's easily distinguished from all the other voice commands I'll be teaching them.

I started by standing a few metres away from them and giving the command. Both of them are naturally inquisitive and came right over to see what was going on. I gave them both a treat and a fuss and walked away. A few metres away again, I repeated the command and they both came running so got another treat.

After this, it got a bit tricky... I couldn't get them to stop following me! After a while of them running all over the house after me, they finally gave up and sat down. I repeated the command. Bowie came straight over but Blue hung back. When Blue saw Bowie getting his reward, he also came over to demand his but I didn't give him one. After all, I'm trying to teach them to come on command, not to come whenever they feel like it!

Beautiful Blue and his wrinkly forehead

So we've been repeating this for the past few days with me gradually making things harder each time. I'll started by increasing the distance from them when I asked them to come ,then to call them from another room or whistle for them without warning when they're doing something else. It doesn't always work and sometimes I only get one come on command or find that they both ignore me. However, they have gone from coming 50% of the time to about 90% of the time now and get better every day. I'm confident in a week or so we'll have that up to 99% which I'll be more than happy with.

I have found that training always goes better when they're in "play mode" as they treat it all like a big game and respond far better. You do have to know when to stop. My boys are still young and sleep about 20 hours a day and when they get tired or bored it makes things a lot harder, so I limit our training sessions to 10 minutes two or three times a day. It's far nicer for all three of us if we're all motivated and enjoying ourselves after all. Sometimes when I've decided it's time to call it quits, they disagree and climb my legs or jump all over me until I start "playing" with them again.

They love their training sessions and I've found that they are definitely much more responsive and affectionate towards me since we started, so everyone is happy!

My Adorable Devon Rexes

I took this photo of my boys today and think it's the cutest thing I've ever seen... what do you think?

My Devon Rex kittens, Bowie and Blue

My Devon Rexes - The Bits I Missed

My boy's breeder, Patrizia of the Rarex Cattery in Italy just sent me these photos of my Devon Rex twins growing up before they came to live with me. They're just so adorable I had to share them!

Blue, my Blue Smoke Devon Rex as a baby 

140 grammes... Awww!

My cute little Devon Rex alien, Bowie

Bowie's first words on film

All three brothers together

This is the first photo I saw of Blue... how could I resist this face?

Mealtimes were a family affair

I just wish I'd been able to take all three!

One of the first pics I saw of Bowie. Cute here, DELICIOUS in real life!

Getting into trouble as only Devon Rexes can

So this is where the bad habits came from. I did have to train my boys that Mummy doesn't like sharing her dinner

Ski Kitty

Where do you keep the biscuits?

Growing up and looking more like the beautiful boys I know and love

Blue loves to snuggle under the duvet... and always has!

Seeing this photo I just knew I had to have both of them

Why I Decided to Toilet Train my Devon Rex Cats

I'm talking toilet training, not house training here. My Devon Rex kittens were already 100% litter box trained when I got them. As I've mentioned before, my previous moggie was an indoor-outdoor cat so litter boxes weren't part of the deal and I hate the damn things. Before I even chose my Devon Rex kittens I already knew that they were going to be indoor only cats and that I wanted to train them to use the human toilet or "big boy potty" (yes, this is what I call it when talking to them... attempting to toilet train kittens will make you lose your mind a little).

There's several reasons I've decided to train my cats to use the toilet:

1. It's better for the Environment 
2.54 million tonnes of clay are strip mined in the USA every year, 85% of which goes into kitty litter. That's a mind boggling amount of resources and environmental damage just going into sopping up cat pee. Add processing and transport and the effect on Mother Earth is significant. In the USA alone an estimated 2 million tonnes of cat litter ends up in landfill every year and as it's not biodegradable that's where it stays for all eternity. Silica gel litter is slightly better as it lasts longer meaning a lower volume heading for landfill but as it's made from sand there's a mining component to it too and sand (unlike clay) seems to be mainly mined abroad so there's a lot more transport miles involved than with clay. It's also not biodegradable. I was shocked to find out the supposedly eco-friendly plant-based or "biodegradable" cat litters are only actually biodegradable in home compost heaps... if it goes to landfill (as most of it does) the conditions there actually prevent it from biodegrading. You can't recycle it in your organic waste either as most councils refuse to collect cat litter so it's not the eco-friendly option the manufacturers would have you believe.

2. It's much cheaper in the long run 
Citi Kitty claims you save an average of $2,000 over a cat's lifetime. Double that for two cats. If someone handed you $4,000 tomorrow I'm sure you could think of a million things you'd rather spend it on than cat litter and so can I.

3. Your house won't smell of cat pee
Unfortunately, no matter how anal (pun intended) you are about cleaning litter boxes, you can tell when there's a cat in the house the second you walk in and much as I love my boys, it's not the nicest smell in the world

4. It's more hygenic
My other half was dead against toilet training the cats as he thought it would be unhygenic to have them use our toilet. This is the argument that finally won him over to the great Toilet Training Experiment. Think about it, even the cleanest cat is going to end up with tiny bits of cat pee and poop on their paws after digging through a litter box. Sometimes they get it wrong too and I've had a couple of poopy paw prints on the floor round the box. Then they jump on your bed and kitchen counters. Yuck.

5. Cat litters are carcinogenic
But they don't tell you that on the box do they? Both silica gel and clumping clay litters (the two most popular types) contain silica dust which is a known carcinogen. If I'm having to pick between cancer and a toilet trained cat it's kind of a no-brainer

6. Dogs like litter trays too
Thankfully this isn't an issue with my dog, but I remember pet sitting for a friend whose dog ate cat poop from the litter box. Revolting and not great for the dog either I'd imagine...

7. Novelty value
I'm little ashamed to admit it but a part of me also thinks it's pretty damn cool to have a cat that pees in the toilet.

So toilet training it is... you can find out how we're getting on my reading our "Poop Diaries" here.

Learning to Speak Devon Rex

As I'd bottle-fed him and raised him from a baby I knew my "regular" cat Pushka pretty well. Like any good mum I could easily differentiate between his angry miaow, his upset miaow, his "where are you mum" miaow (this also doubled as his "where's my dinner" miaow). He also had the cutest little squeak for when I woke him up by stroking him.

Blue my Black Smoke Devon Rex at 5 months

Devon Rexes speak a whole different language though. They do have miaows but also chirrups, chatters, squeaks and... something I can't really explain but it sounds kind of like a chirrup with a stutter. Just over two weeks in and I'm still struggling to work out what they all mean.

They're not particularly vocal cats but seem to enjoy talking a lot more than Pushka ever did. He only ever talked to me if he had something urgent to tell me. My Rex twins seem to just talk for the pleasure of it.

Maybe it's because they are twins and always together, and because I'm pretty much always at home but it seems like the second one of my boys finds himself in a room alone, he starts chatting. I'm not sure yet if it's a "where are you", an "I'm bored" or just a "look at me" but I'm sure I'll get there. So far I just call back "I know" or "Tell me what's gone wrong in your life" and that seems to work... I'm invariably rewarded by a cat landing in my lap within seconds every time.

There's also the tail wagging thing... anyone used to "regular cats" knows that a wagging tail means you had better back off sharpish if you don't want a set of fangs sinking into your wrist or ankle. Devon Rexes, like dogs, wag their tails when they're happy which is insanely cute once you're used to it but can lead to a few errors in translation at the beginning. I love the sight of those super-long, elegant tails wafting back and forth every time I talk to my boys.

The difference between "catese" and "Devon Rexese" is like learning to speak fluent French and then finding yourself in a room full of Japanese people with someone asking you to translate. Yet another cute quirk of the breed that I just wasn't expecting...

Is One Devon Rex Better Than Two?

So I find myself the proud mumma of two beautiful Devon Rex boys... which is a little unexpected as I was only really looking for one kitten originally.

My Devon Rex kittens 

I work from home and have a house dog so none of the "your cat will suffer if left alone for long periods" arguments applied to me. I've also always been a dog person and the golden rule with puppies is never to get two at the same time as they'll bond far more with each other than with you so I kind of assumed the same applied to kittens. Other reasons for wanting just one cat were that animals already outnumber humans in my small household and I was pretty sure my boyfriend would kill me if I got any more pets.

However, when I found an ad online for two Devon kittens needing rehoming together I started researching how viable it is to have two kitties together. A Google search and a chat with a vet friend convinced me that actually two kitties ARE better than one, especially when we're talking about a sociable, loving, playful breed like the Devon Rex. It turned out the ad was a scam but by then the damage had been done and my heart was set on two cats rather than one.

Here's a few reasons why, two weeks into owning my twins I think it's the best decision I could have made

1. They adore each other
My boys sleep on top of each other, eat from the same bowl and spend hours playing together every day. I've filled the house with toys and gizmos to make sure they have plenty to keep them amused but by far the best toy for a Devon is another Devon. I'm sure their quality of life is much, much better than it would have been as an "only cat" and my heart breaks to even imagine seperating them now

2. Two cats are less work than one cat
They keep each other amused with chasing and wrestling games for hours meaning I can actually get some work done occasionally without the guilt factor of abandoning my kitty. I've had a "normal" cat before and I've been amazed at just how much more intense a Devon's affections are. They do need huge amounts of love and interaction and just aren't as independent as moggies. Having two is like having a live-in babysitter at times.

3. Quality playtime

We might look like we're killing each other but we're just playing, honest!

No matter how many toys you buy or how much playtime you dedicate to your cat it's impossible for a human to replicate play with another cat. Having watched my boys wrestle, chase and pounce on each other for hours on end I'm convinced that having cat-on-cat playtimes is a definite bonus for both of them. When they decide that 2am is a GREAT time to play, although they do wake me up at least I don't have to get out of bed and play with them... I just let them get on with it.

4. Training is easier
I was worried that I'd find training a nightmare with two Devons. The phrase "herding cats" came to mind. However, one of them is always a wee bit quicker to catch on to a new trick than the other and when that happens it seems to me that his brother watches him, copies him and voilá... he gets the lesson much quicker. It's been a bit trickier with toilet training them as mine is a one bathroom house and we have to go at the speed of the slowest member of "Team Citi Kitty" but that's certainly not the end of the world.

5. They reassure each other
I'm convinced that the process of picking them up, transporting them by air and introducing them to a new home was made much easier for both by having a littermate there for reassurance (read more here) and as I'm in the process of exposing them to all sorts of new experiences and meeting loads of new people it's wonderful that they both have that added security and confidence from their brother

6. They keep each other company
When I do have to leave them alone at home I know they're not going to get anxious, lonely or bored with somebody still around to play with and cuddle

7. I'm not constantly worrying if they're warm enough
It being winter, me being an overprotective Mum and my boys being too young to have their full coats it's great to know I don't have to constantly faff about with jumpers and hot water bottles as they cuddle up together and keep each other snuggly and warm. Their little house feels like a furnace with the two of them sleeping away in there together

8. It saves wear and tear on your furnishings!
Let's face it if they're having a ball beating each other up and wearing each other out, they're less likely to take out that extra energy on my sofas, curtains and anything else that takes their fancy... at least that's how it seems to be working for me

9. Entertainment value
It's hysterical watching my two boys thunder past me down the hall like a miniature herd of elephants... and then thunder right back a second later coming the other way. And again. And again. Watching kittens play is the best recipe for guaranteed laughter I know. It's also really cool to watch them develop their own individual personalities and compare how they're developing

10. They will still bond with their humans
This was the big worry for me about getting two kittens... would they be so involved with each other they would end up ignoring me? Obviously I've only had two together so can't compare how they would interact with me as an "only child" but my boys are so affectionate, interested and responsive to me I really couldn't imagine them being any better. This might be an issue with other breeds but doesn't seem to be with a people-orientated breed like Devon Rexes. There will just be two of them in your bed, on your lap, gazing at you adoringly and riding on your shoulder rather than one.

11. Littermates are best
My twins have never been seperated so have a fabulous bond. Being the same age and the same lively breed they have similar energy levels and temperament which helps them get along as best buddies. I also haven't had the stress and worry of introducing them to each other or having one get jealous about sharing their home and people with a newcomer

So for me, two cats ARE better than one... maybe not with all breeds but definitely with Devons and I adore both of my naughty little imps!

I Love My Devon Boys

Okay, so anyone following the toilet training experiment on my blog will know that today is a bad, bad day and I'm feeling demoralised and sleep deprived.

Blue and Bowie, my lovable little elves

But one thing I am very quickly learning about Devon Rexes is that whatever happens they will find a way to make you smile, to make you feel loved and to make you wonder how you ever got by without them.

They've been super cute today, wrestling a huge roll of kitchen towel to death (messy but hilarious), following me as I do my chores, sitting on the dish rack as I wash up, jumping in the washing machine as I try to get my clothes in around them and getting into even more pickles than usual. They've been chasing each other all over the house sounding like a mini herd of elephants and on one zoom round the kitchen they managed to upend the fruit bowl and then chased the oranges round the kitchen floor. Blue is now draped around my neck nuzzling my face and nibbling my ear and Bowie is curled up under my jumper in my lap.

A little Devon love will chase those first world problem blues away in an instant every time and it's impossible to go for more than 5 minutes without grinning from ear to ear with these guys in my life!

About my Devon Rex Kittens

My babies... I can't believe they've only been with me for a little over a week... it seems like they've been part of my life forever and I honestly can't imagine being without them

I originally wanted just one cat, then ended up deciding on two. I originally wanted very young kittens but ended up with two 5 month old boys. I originally kind of wanted girls (but wasn't overly fussed) but ended up with two boys. Welcome to life with Devon Rexes... it's always unpredictable and all the better for it.

Mine are two 5 month old brothers, one black and one white with one blue and one yellow eye. Allow me to introduce Blue and Bowie...

Blue

The most affectionate and cuddly of the two, he is almost always on my lap or shoulders and is never more than a few feet away from me at any time. If I leave a room while he's asleep he starts calling me as soon as he wakes up to find out where I am. He loves weird foods like sweetcorn and adores cat grass but has less of an appetite than Bowie who generally ends up finishing his dinner for him. In bed at night he gets under the duvet and makes a beeline for my stomach and no matter how many times I move in the night he moves right with me. Some cynics say that Devon Rexes only seem to be more affectionate than other breeds but really they feel the cold more and want to cuddle up to you for warmth. Blue proves that's not true. When he's on my lap he gazes right into my face as I stroke him and as soon as I stop he's up and nuzzling my face for more. He seems to be the alpha and Bowie tends to follow his lead but Bowie invariably lies on top of him to sleep. My cuddly, lovely little boy who can jump from the floor into my arms in one bound (and does several times a day)

Bowie

Named after the singer because of his striking odd eyes, Bowie's the action man of the pair. He's totally fearless (also thanks to being so well socialised by his breeder) and into everything. He's slightly less affectionate than Blue (but remember these are Devon Rexes we're talking about and compared to normal cats he's a little hurricane of love) but slightly brighter and quicker to catch on with training. He ends up training me half the time. He has a voracious appetite and of the two is always the first one up and the last to bed. He also has far more stamina for playtimes and will end up trying to coax Blue back into a game long after his brother has given up and curled up on my lap. When we go out for "walks" (the two in a rucksack strapped to my front) he's the one peeping out the top while his brother prefers to travel incognito hidden in the bag. He's the one strangers are drawn to, partly because who can resist a kitten peeping out of a rucksack and secondly because of his striking looks. My adorable, smart, feisty little boy.

I had read that Devon Rexes are incredibly affectionate and intelligent which is why I chose the breed in the first place, but NOTHING prepares you for just how affectionate and intelligent they are. It's one thing to read that they like to ride on your shoulder, another to actually have your new baby jump up there within 10 minutes in their new home. They're purr machines, bright as a button, love their training sessions and are the most people-oriented cats I've ever met. In fact, I've decided they're not really cats at all.

To appreciate the beauty of a Devon you need to forget what cats are "supposed" to look like. Compare them to a regular moggie and they look like little aliens whose owner should really be reported to the RSPCA. Look at them as a breed in their own right and they're delicate, elegant little elves with adorable faces and muscular bodies.

As a previous moggy owner new to Devons there's a lot of differences. Pushka would do two seconds in my arms tops. He preferred human contact on his own terms. These guys actually want to spend the majority of their time in your arms and will jump into them any chance they get. Most cats hate being kissed on the nose, these guys practically beg you to do just that. They have seriously weird taste in food and go nuts over things a "regular" cat wouldn't dream of touching. Blue loves sweetcorn for example and cheesecake drives them insane. I don't give them any of course but they'll try anything to get some and if you've just eaten a slice and they get a whiff of it on your breath, they'll practically try and crawl inside your mouth to get at it. I used to think sleeping with a cat meant having him on top of the covers at the foot of the bed. These guys want to be under the duvet and snuggled up as close to you as they can. The whole tail wagging thing also took some getting used to. When Pushka wagged his tail you'd better be ready to have a set of fangs sink into your ankle. These guys wag when they're happy or excited like dogs. In fact they ARE like dogs. Crossed with monkeys. With the coat of a newborn lamb. In an alien suit.

They're Devon Rexes and they're just amazing!