Are Cats Trainable? And Who Trains Whom?

I never ever want to again hear that "cats are not intelligent, therefore cannot be trained". I don't know about your cats, but ours are definitely eligible for a membership in Mensa! They have taken any training we have given them to the nth degree. Not only are they brilliant and quick learners, they certainly have turned the tables on us and are busy "training their trainers". Since Hush Puppy is an extremely finicky feline, not only in his favorite foods, but also in which parts of the house he prefers to hang out. Not only that, he has me completely wrapped around his little paws when it comes to feeding time at our house. But it is not just about which brands and flavors of food that are to his liking, it is the method he uses to he lead me around the house, letting me know precisely where he wishes to be served. For example: Breakfast consists of a half of a three ounce can of premium kitten food, mixed carefully with warm water, into a smooth consistency that meets his standards. He prefers his food mashed and whipped into a texture that suits his taste. But that is not the whole story. I don't mind preparing his food just the way he likes it, but it gets a bit disconcerting to have to follow him from room to room, imploring him to eat, until he finds precisely his purrfect location which inspires him to eat. Sometimes it is on a living room chair covered with a blanket, or it could be on one of our couch pillows. Location, location, location!! Lunchtime is not that much easier. This consists of the remainder of the kitten food, which must be served on our bed . . . and exactly in the right placement. If I don't figure out just where he wants to be fed, he sulks, leaving the room, having me following him to guess where a suitably alternative spot will get him to eat. The other day it was inside a cardboard box in the foyer. I tell you I get anxiety attacks at meal times. Dinner time, at precisely at 5:30 PM is a half a jar of beef and broth baby food. He will not touch cat food in the evening at all. He used to enjoy turkey and broth baby food, but at the time of this writing, it is only beef that will tickle his fancy. Dinner is generally served on one of the platforms on the "designer" style cat tree which graces our living room. Hush Puppy obviously prefers a stretch before supper, followed by this tasty meal which he eats slowly to savor this costly offering. Hubble The before- bedtime snack must be served on the top of one of our couch pillows. If I don't feed him there, he just won't eat. There is nothing more upsetting to me than his missing a meal, and he sure knows this. I can just imagine the wheels turning in his pretty little head thinking of more ways to "educate" me. Hubble, on the other hand will eat anything, anywhere, at any time. He has a voracious appetite and spends considerable time searching under the dining room table, grazing on the carpet to make sure that any tidbit of food that may have been dropped accidently is instantly consumed. I sometime refer to him as a feline vacuum cleaner when it comes to eating. He has very subtle ways of making sure that I cater to his whims. His adorable face with his big blue eyes melts my heart, of which he is keenly aware. I hope you can identify with what I am talking about. Please leave a comment and let me know if I have really been thoroughly trained.