Come Cuddle, Training! | BilliSpeaks
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- Опубліковано 20 вер 2024
- I was expecting a trap, but was pleasantly surprised! This is kind of a long meandering video, but I love that it showcases Billi’s cravings.
Billi is always up for training, and she’s a super fast learner. In a previous video I talked about how surprised I was that she chooses training when other ways to get food are available! Learning is a joy, and it holds true across species.
Cooperative medical care is something that anyone can train. It all boils down to trust, and I’m so lucky that Billi puts her trust in me to allow us to accomplish these types of things with minimal stress. I always recommend building basic cooperative medical behaviors since so many can be expanded on when needed. Because a number of medical needs are unfortunately unpleasant, continuous training (or in this case, re-training) is necessary in order to maintain these behaviors.
We use Billi’s regular kibble for most of her training, but for the high value needs I pull out the salmon and tuna Churu which so far hasn’t made her tummy ouch when we use it in small quantities!
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Billi is a female domestic shorthair, she's 14 years old, her favorite word is mad.
Inspiration for learning to “speak” with buttons from Hunger4Words (check her out on IG).
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Love how she pressed "come" today before, "cuddle" ....just incase you make her jump up on couch like the other day 😂😂
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YES! This is how to train animals in a great way that benefits everyone! No punishments, just trust, patience, and rewarding the behaviour in question. I loved seeing it conveyed so clearly through this video. Thank you for sharing!
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it's a good way to raise kids too
With treats and flea meds? 😉
Which individual is the trained one? 🤣
@@elliot_ratyes and no. positive reinforcement yes, but there's another element to this that would leave human kids vulnerable to manipulation in the long run.
Mom: Cuddles? Is this a trap...
Billi: Treats? Is this a trap...
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HA! I really think our pets learn about bartering and the concept of give & take from us training them with treats. Like, ok I'll do something YOU want me to do, then you'll give ME something I want. And then they figure out it works the other way around too, that THEY can initiate the transaction. Or at least the smart ones do. I'm here thinking about it and it seems to me this is more of a cat behavior than a dog behavior, don't you think? Maybe that's why people say cats are manipulative, but really they're just smarter and more sophisticated? Dogs manipulate too, but they mainly just beg while employing the sad puppydog eyes technique, and that may not even be intentional, lol. :)
I've always preferred to give Billi the benefit of the doubt on the whole 'cuddle' business. I've always thought cats have a sense of fairness and equity and at times are willing to give a little in exchange for something they desire.
Interesting take!
I see it as a routine. My Niklaus has patterns of cuddles, pets, and play. Some of them even seem to be built around mine!
@@ReignBeauofTerror Yeah, cats are very routine oriented. I think it’s really weird to think of a cat as being coldly manipulative instead of just following their drives. Especially when animal research gives us good enough answers to avoid attributing human motives to them- like cats like routine, active play is a love language, etc.
( Notice Billi walked off when mom said, “ What, no traps?” She may not understand the word, but I think she’s pretty much picking up on the attitude.)
( just because people are doubling down, apparently) And I think treating it like a big joke is a mistake.
Gonna refer to Sensei Jackson here- even if a cat doesn’t know what the word “ Satan” means, if you name your cat that your setting up a subconscious association that could open the door to subconscious assumptions about behavior and confirmation bias when they act up. If you laugh about being “bribed “ by an animal that simply wants a specific kind of engagement with you, that’s gonna drag on your perception of yourself after a while. Why talk yourself into believing you’re being manipulated when you can pat yourself on the back for creating such a bond with your animal that they can express their wants and needs to you?
And in summation ( shuffles index cards), I think we’ve bred dogs to treat us like gods, so when cats ( and huskies) treat us as more or less equals, we interpret that as arrogance.
( just because people are doubling down, apparently) And I think treating it like a big joke is a mistake.
Gonna refer to Sensei Jackson here- even if a cat doesn’t know what the word “ Satan” means, if you jokingly name your cat that your setting up a subconscious association that could open the door to subconscious assumptions about behavior and confirmation bias when they act up. If you laugh about being “bribed “ by an animal that simply wants a specific kind of engagement with you, that’s gonna drag on your perception of yourself after a while. Why talk yourself into believing you’re being manipulated when you can pat yourself on the back for creating such a bond with your animal that they can express their wants and needs to you? And want to have all kinds of fun with you?
And in summation ( shuffles index cards), I think we’ve bred dogs to treat us like gods, so when cats ( and huskies) treat us as more or less equals, we interpret that as arrogance.
@@kellyalves756yes! Cats don’t “scheme” they’re just following instincts and routine, and they’re very smart as well
But people give them too much credit when it comes to… being “evil” and way too little credit when it comes to understanding and using these buttons
She was smiling with that cuddle session. And she did a few slow blinks. She really enjoyed it.
3:05 THE WAY SHE HAPPILY HOPS TO THE TRAINING SPOT I CANT IM GOING TO EXPLODE
That little hop over the buttons at 2:57 as she comes over to see what you're getting! It's really interesting how often it seems like she asks for things that have you and her doing something together
I was thinking the same thing. She sat for awhile with her tail going after cuddles and pushing “come” several times, and in hindsight it seems like she was trying to think of something else to keep mom engaging with her when Billi was done with cuddles. And then, aha! Training! Makes me think of all the cats who want attention but don’t have the means to communicate it so effectively.
Cats are solitary hunters, but they're perfectly happy to live together in colonies.
Anyone who says cats are boring loners is ignorant.
Billi knows the oily tube trap; the only question is how many treats can she get before letting you spring it. 🤣
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Wow! I loved watching this one. What patience you show with her and giving her trust and autonomy. Thank you for showing us. And she chose the training herself..wow
Kendra, you won´t believe how important all those videos are for me. It not only gives me insight in the inner life of my three cats but they also confirm many observations I´ve made in the past (and here especially chicken which can show real social behavior far beyond a simple picking order! I still remember the "schooling" and the "zombie" hen :D ). I´m always absolutely stunned to see Billi making meaningful and understandable decisions (And yes, especially the traps)
Thank you so very much!
Billi is a cuddler of convenience. Kendra kudos to you for you consistentcy. I will try this with my girls. They hate their flea treatments. I admit I chase one kitty, dose her. Then dose the other cat. Both cats get their flea meds, but no one is happy.
That’s typically how it goes! Good luck in the training, you’ve got this!
@@BilliSpeaks I really appreciate you showing that there is another way….and a structured way!
It always feels like a tremendous betrayal to do required but unpleasant treatments with my senior lady. We’ve made good progress with many things but this gives me some guidance for the more challenging ones. Cheers 😊
Did she actually choose to do "training"...?
My mind is blown 🤯
Mom has said that training is 'playing with mom and treats!' Play and treats sound like a good option.
We've seen her ask for training before too. I think she mainly wants food/treats, but has figured out she has a better chance of getting some if she asks for training instead of just food. I'm sure she enjoys the attention and interaction with Mom and the learning enrichment along the way too, but I'd say food was probably at the top of her mind. Not that that takes anything away from how impressive it all is. She's such a smartie! :)
It’s another way she gets treats hahaha
I did something similar with my blue tongue skink (minus the target) to get him comfortable with me picking him up. Most people in the reptile world stil focus on just grabbing them a lot and hope they calm down eventually, but I prefer the positive reinforcement training approach much more. It not only has more consistent results, but is also more respectful towards the animal.
Reptiles are so interesting! I often wonder how the bond between reptile pets and their owners are, compared to say, a cat and their owners. Do they recognise their owners, like pets, display character differences within the species?
I hope you don't mind me asking so many questions 😅
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 I LOVE THAT! Reptiles absolutely respond to positive reinforcement, well done!
@@mirjanbouma I've not owned them but have known many of them as pets. They absolutely know their owners, who feeds them, & any people who interact with them semi-regularly.
Whether they show it, is up to them XD They sleep alot XD
@@mirjanbouma No problem. They definitely know the difference between owners. I got mine as a rescue and it took a while for him to get used to me. He was way more comfortable around his previous owner. He also knows the difference between me and my partner, and will react differently to us. In the beginning I had to grab him against his will a few times for medical stuff, and he would be out and ignore my partner, but crawl away slowly in an effort to be stealthy when I came near the cage. Took a bit to win his trust back again.
He also know 3 words when I say them. One to indicate I am opening the cage, so he doesn't get frightened by the sound of the sliding door, the one or two times I forgot he got startled, but if I say the word he calmly stays where he is. The word for food, telling him I am starting to prep his food which takes me a minute or two. He will move to the spot where I am always put his food dish. And the word for water which means I will fill up his water dish and water the terrarium. He wil move away from where I am working and watch me from a distance. He made it very clear the first time that he doesn't like water to splash at him or on top of him so we respect that. I am trying to set him up for button training eventually, but I have to find buttons that 1 activate consistently under his weight, 2 can deal with the humidity because the ones I have do poorly with water and humidity, and 3 that are a little less big and flashy, because the current ones are quite intimidating to him and he allready doesn't like new stuff in his terrarium. The last one is probably the easiest one to solve. So until then it stays a one-sided conversation, but I am definitely interested to see how far I we can take this.
@@laartje24 Awesome. I've been wondering if there's much potential for reptiles learning the buttons. If there are people trying it, I haven't heard anything. So please let us know how/if this progresses!
Billi's such a happy kitty cuz her mom understands her :3
Excellent way to show how an alternative, more humane method to gain trust and maintain that trust even if the animal isn’t a big fan of the treatment but accept it as it’s done on their terms and they gets something for cooperating! We learn something today thanks to Billi and Kendra, thanks!
These are the highlight of my day, I wish I could’ve spoken to my previous pets like this
wow, not only Billy learns here, but I feel I learn a lot too. :)
(hm, should I ask for some kibble? 🤔 )
I'd hold out for the salmon & tuna Churu licking treat, if I were you! ;)
@@TieDyeVikki oh yes! Thank you! Phew 😅
I can't tell you how much it lifts my spirit to see Billi receiving lovins. 💖
I love the loading circle between come and cuddle
This was so cute and just so amazing. I love seeing how much she likes to learn and communicate with you! And her lil paw during the training was sooooo cute! Great job, Billi! (And you, too, Kendra xD)
Yes, the little paw was adorable! It was like, "Mom, I like training, but do you really hafta hold that icky thing so close?" :)
You have inspired me to teach my cat to speak thank you. he showed interest but has not not pressed eny yet tyvm
Good luck!
I would be too afraid to try it on mine. He is very food obsessed and I fear that he would only want to press treats buttons, constantly
@@tamsel814 I say he gets 3 treats but after that you teach him that 3 treats = training or something they don’t typically like to do like medication or then after 3 button presses you say time out and don’t respond. That way he still knows the buttons work just not after you say that phrase after three treats.
@@tamsel814 Most of the button animals I’ve seen don’t have treats buttons for that reason.
You can tell she loves being adored! 😹
This was SO interesting. Thank you so much for showing us how to do this. I like that everything is calm and consensual.
Kendra, you are the best cat mom. It's easy to see how much respect you have for Billi. 🐱
Everytime I see you being so kind, patient and loving to Billi, my heart swells and my eyes water.
Kendra is amazing. She's such a good mom.
So interesting to watch Billi learn. She is so sweet and smart! ❤️
Ms. Billi is such a trooper! She knows that Mama Kendra is working up to something, but the reward overtakes the fear and aversion. What an excellent demonstration of a so-called "can't be trained/can't possibly learn anything because too aloof" cat learning via positive reinforcement and love!!! (Not to mention that #MotherKnowsBest, LOL!!) 💯 💝💖💝💖💝💯
Very well put. Billi is a very good girl.❤️
1:43 awwwwww ❤
Billi continues to make us all very proud!
Thou shalt come to the place of pets, and there shall be cuddles.
First Billi
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She knows you won’t sneak it on her while her head is down eating her treats! She knows the treats are not a distaction but a reward! Amazing!
Yeah! I always thought a reward based thing is way better than “you get reward THEN bad” or “reward and bad”
But that’s just for me. I assume it’s the same with cats
I love this video! Thanks for showing how you train. Patience, consistency and positive reinforcement. ❤😸
Her lil happy trots 🥺
My poor baby. I wait and then Zap! Vectra flea and tick! No wonder he hates it. (To be fair, he was feral and adopted as an adult, I just need to work with him more)
Thank you both for showing me a new way.
It looks to me like giving her the ability to consent and move at her own pace has been extremely beneficial for her.
Your training with Billi is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. You can just see in her eyes she is working out what she wants to "say"! So cute!!!😂🎉
Kendra I admire the work that you do with Billi. It’s obvious that she trusts and loves you, that makes the world of difference with cats. She is very expressive and sweet. I love watching her talk and learn.
Seems she preceded training with cuddles sans traps to get Kendra in her headspace. Flea meds must feel like the ultimate trap to Billi. I know my pets often react that way!
It’s probably where she learned the concept of a trap 😹
I’m kind of impressed that she was eager to challenge herself with the training.
( Holy crap, you got her to sit still for flea treatment? Dayum! That’s a miracle!)
Jackson Galaxy would be VERY proud of this!
Wow, so nice to see her in her rare cuddling! And what great training.
_'Training'_
Yes, Bili is always busy training Mom.
Dad's already perfectly housebroken, but Mom still needs a little work~😉😆
the title should be How to train your human + cuddles edition 😺
It is satisfying to watch her crunch on the kibble.
i really like to watch the bridge and target training in action. i saw an article about it about 15 years back and never could find more about it.
“Don’t Shoot The Dog” is the OG bridge training book, highly recommend it!
@@BilliSpeaks thank you!
@@BilliSpeaks Yup - very good resource (especially the revised version, which includes clicker training). Back in graduate school I had a roommate in the local Vet college. Ended up lending my copy of B.F. Skinner's "About Behaviorism." (It was a good decade before "Don't Shoot the Dog" came out, and before the world wide web.)
Sutch patiense Billi good girl,was expecting fan toy but no she chose training
I'm amazed to watch such a complex personality, to include clear language skills, emerge from a little cat. Really interesting to watch, thanks so much for posting!
I'm also impressed by her clear use of bartering. Cuddles for fan toy and training.
A beautiful demonstration of how to train with mutual respect, trust and patience. 👏
Thanks so much for writing such a comprehensive explanation on why this type of training is important. If you happen to read this and gave any resource recommendations, I’d love to know more.
Of course! Any resources that discuss positive reinforcement training are helpful. It’s a lifelong learning process! Lots of great accounts on Instagram and UA-cam if you like visual explanations!
@@BilliSpeaks if you have any particular accounts to suggest, do let us all know :D I'm truly in the dark here.
Wow, she's so good at that! Wish either of my cats were food/treat motivated.
Billi has got you trained perfectly 😂😂😂!
What a great video! Thank you for educating us by example about your training methods. I wish that I could see more videos like this in the future.
I liked the “are you serious..?” This was a great lesson for humans for sure. Going to bookmark it to rewatch when I get closer to being able to get a cat.
Billi is so smart as most animals are! She now has a better way to communicate her thoughts/feelings/desires! TY for teaching her to use buttons. Im sure it wasn't easy in the beginning!!
Dang I have been doing Drops wrong this whole time.... Thanks Billy.
Wow! My cat absolutely and utterly hates flea treatment.
SO much so that I ended up by giving up - but since he's always indoors I have had no problems with that.
However, I would like to start taking him outside and the fact that he couldn't stand the flea treatment was a huge setback for me.
This is awesome! I'm going to try! Thank you!!
Every cats envy, a well trained human..
What an amazing relationship you have. It never ceases to amaze me. As a result, I've bought buttons (Fluent Pet, and clicked @BillieSpeaks sent me) and a clicker . I really want to better communicate with my cat. I believe he can do it! This video, and really all of them, is so helpful. Thank you for the glimpse into your relationship.
Best of luck training! 🥰
A really great channel on training a cat to use the buttons is "Justin Bieber the Cat" They videos are quite detailed about how to get started. And of course Kendra here has good ones on modelling the buttons and on this kind of training too. See the link tree at bottom of description box for links to Billi's website, etc. 🙂
Let us know how it goes! Good luck!
@@LindaVernon Ty! Will check it out.
@@rivercrow8988 Thanks!
I think it's super interesting that she asks for training rather than directly asking for food; suggests she enjoys the interaction too :)
Love your videos. First it confirms my long held belief that cats do have a sense of humor (Mom bye). I appreciate the training videos as well, so informative. My precious boy passed las Dec. If/when I decide to adopt another, I will be applying what I am learning from you. Look at you, training humans and cats at the same time. 😸
You are such a clever girl Billie ❤️
SHE DID IT!!
This is so amazing! Your bond through mutual communication in human words has lead to a cat asking her trusted human to work out health treatment as a collaboration. Literally a Cat asking a Human to train her to accept an uncomfortable medicine application by mutual trust and patience.
This is just phenomenal. Billi is phenomenal. I am so happy this is actually really happening and so excited for all the future animals out there who will live in a future where they get to participate with us in their own treatments.
Have started adopting a similar approach with my puppies. Thank you for the training insights.
I love how she raises her little paw to gently touch the hand with the meds. It's so cute. Billi we're all very proud of you!
Only one of my cats will take treats like those. She only eats cat crunchies and wet cat food. Luckily I don't have to worry about fleas or ticks very often as they are inside only. I usually only find fleas after they have been to a certain vet (strangely not the one with a bunch of abandoned cats that that vet takes care of.) So when I do have to give them flea meds I just manhandle them, get it done as quickly as possible, and and give them their favorite wet food after. When I had to give one cat eye drops I would give her that food after and it's lucky that I can mix any oral meds with the food and not have to keep pushing that food on them because they haven't finished it and it's definitely better than forcing it down their throats. My cats are pretty quick to forgive all of that except for forcing meds into them. So I only do it if they are too sick to eat.
Love the training session, I have a new kitten so I’m going to see if I can incorporate some of those techniques with her. As usual I love to see what’s on that little Billi’s mind.
Ahh. I'd never thought about training my cat this way. I have to wrap her in a towel which is safest for us all, but I think training might be a more rewarding experience. Thanks for the walk through!
I love your cuddles and pets today Mom, but if you keep swinging the oily, stinky tube around, I'm gonna smack it right out of your hand!
And I love the way Billi graciously gives in to the inevitable in the end 💝
Oh my gosh, thank you so much for this!! Flea meds is such a traumatic time for us! I'm going to start this right away!!
Billi is so focused when you guys are training! I wish my cat was as motivated, would be nice to make his acne treatment less disagreeable(he tolerates it, but dramatically lets it be known that he does not approve by making a show of flopping onto his back and shooting me a very dejected look every single time)
If he doesn't enjoy both the treat AND the behavior he tends to lose interest and walk off before I even have time to fall back into something I know he likes to keep him engaged... So he's a challenging cat to work with even though he's food motivated and pretty clever. I have a dream of teaching him to roll over, but he hates the "lie down" command(funny, god knows he LOVES to lie down everywhere all day every day when no one is telling him to, especially if he can be in the way of something I'm doing). He'll humor me sometimes though, so that's nice of him I guess lol
Everyone needs these buttons so we can better communicate with our animal companions the way Billie does so wonderfully here. Such a loving relationship.
I love watching the progress! Good job Billi
That was AMAZING!!my cats always hated the flea drops!! You are so patient and gentle, its no wonder Billi responds so well!
Love my daily dose of Billie 😻
Wow you’re good with her at that. If any of mine just see it they are gone until sundown. I’ve tried hiding it but the little buggers smell it and again gone until sundown. 😺😸😹
This was lovely to watch. The people who puts their pets under your care must feel very confident that they’re being well cared for.
Cute, clever and brave. Some cats do have it all!
she a very smart cat . Love watching her. Good job mom and Billie
1) I'm glad you were invited for such a long cuddle! With bonus pats, too!
2) My rabbit thanks you for this informational video and is now seeking to acquire an oily substance to keep cats at bay.
I must be one of the lucky ones. My cat isn't bothered by the flea/tick treatments at all. He just lays there and lets me do it.
Definitely lucky!
I just did my cat for the first time last week and he didn't seem to mind much, but maybe that's because he didn't really know what was going on. I know the shelter we got him from over 1 1/2 years ago did it once, but I don't know if he'd had any experience with it before that or not. I had never redosed him since he's an indoor cat and didn't have any parasite issues. But a couple weeks ago I caught some feral kittens which I've been fostering, and they had fleas, so I thought an application to my cat might be prudent (even though I'm keeping them separated until the ferals can be tested for diseases and vaccinated). I bathed the babies (and their bedding and towels) in Dawn a week ago and haven't seen any fleas since (yet... how long do their eggs take to hatch?). I'm hoping not to have to spend money on more of the preventive, and more importantly I don't want to use chemicals/poison on my cat if I don't have to, but we'll see.....
Btw, my cat lost a little hair where I applied the stuff... is that normal? I didn't have any packaging or inserts to read, as only the redose came with the cat.
She is as majestic as the Sfinks 🦁👑
Lickable treats are magic.
One of the coolest videos yet. Real success
That's amazing!! Will try do this with my, cats.
Posing in your lap like the Queen she is.
I find it so cool that she asks for training on her own! :)
I love everything about this video! The cuddle was 100% enjoyed by both. Then the training request! Oh, this cat delights me so very much. Billi loves the challenge and interaction...and rewards. And that paw! Oh my. ▪︎chef's kiss▪︎
Such a good and smart kitty!!
This works really good with kids too. My daughter with autism and anxiety has to work up to things and it has always helped to do it in stages like this. A little bit at a time as she is comfortable with it. Letting her dictate the terms of comfort helps her feel in control and eases the anxiety. Was fun to see something similar with Billi.
This is helpful to me! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for showing the training session
I don't flea treat mine, since they have natural coconut oil every day. Their fur is a lot softer too. Not seen a flea since. Aww Billie is so sweet, and loves learning/training
you put coconut oil on thier fur/skin?
@@WellISaidIt you can do... Mine eat it as well. I buy mine from Amazon and put some in a bowl. My cats will go over and eat it. Helps to digest furballs as well.
@@jgscatsandthings5208 thank you. will give that a go. one of cats get terrible fur balls.
@@WellISaidIt yeh furballs isn't nice at all. I've 18 cats, and love my fluffy babies, they are good. Furballs were a problem, and feeding them these so called treats which were to help digest furballs never worked. I use natural coconut oil... The stuff that goes hard when cold, but once warmed up, turns to a liquid.
@@jgscatsandthings5208 I've been having coconut oil put into my hair since I can remember. Never thought to use it on my cats.
Needed some Billi today ❤️ Just buried my sweet 3 year old girl Cuddles, who passed from congenital HCM, this afternoon. Billi always makes me smile.
Oh my, I am so so very sorry. That's horrible.
My condolences. They don't live long enough.
@@hoosierpioneer So true 😥
It's only slightly easier when they have been dx'ed because at least you already know and can prepare yourself. Cuddles took me by surprise. Just one of those "damnit" days. It's still worth it for all of the snuggles and boops and laughter they bless us with❤️
I’m so sorry for your loss 😢
what a beautiful lovely companion he is.
Best way to rain. You have given a great example. Thank you. May you please take care and stay safe.
I'm learning SO much from you! Thank you!
Fascinating, as always!
What a fabulous idea! Giving them a say as to how their medical needs are met. Love it! What was that licking stick you gave her and where did you get it? That would be perfect for when I have ice cream and Leo wants something too.
She's just like my Leo with the ear pets, he melts so bad, he falls over in a trances like state. LOL
Love Billie! Such a smartie! I was wondering if we could get a little more time to read your comments. I don’t know why it takes me so long but I rarely get them read before they go off. Just a hope, if I have to I back the video up but that can be a little confusing.
Same here. I swear as I get older I'm becoming dyslexic or something. I notice it other places besides video captions, but it seems worse with video captions, probably because I feel rushed.
Look in your video settings; you should be able to change your playback speed.
@@akinpaws thank you, I know how to change the playback speed. I don’t want to watch the video slower, I just want the words up longer. If that’s not possible, I’ll continue to back up the video and rewatch whatever I missed. 🙂
@@colleenobrien8212 Ditto here! :)
I love how Billi is training her hoomahn. Very tolerant to use the language of her thumb monkey. Smart kitty.
This is wonderful!