Julie Tottman - Superstar Cats: 25 Easy Tricks to Make Your Cat Shine in the Spotlight

Ive been an animal trainer for film and television for more than twenty years, something I still pinch myself about. Animals have always been my absolute passion; at thirteen, I started working in a poodle parlor on Saturdays, and I did my apprenticeship there when I left school, becoming a doggy hairdresser soon after. It hadnt crossed my mind to look into animal training as a career until a friends fatheran art director in the film industrytold me the job existed. I couldnt believe it: getting paid to play with animals all day and go on film sets? It was too good to be true.

I felt sure I didnt stand a chance of breaking into it, but I managed to find the names of some agencies through a friend in the industry, and I eagerly contacted all of them. I did a lot of work for free before I finally landed a full-time job, and a few years later I was given an amazing opportunity when I was asked to work for an internationally acclaimed training company, Birds and Animals. Ive now run the U.K. branch for eighteen years.

One of the things I love about my job is how different each day is. At any one time, I might be working on anything between one and eight feature films, as well as commercials and TV shows, and over the years Ive trained reindeer, monkeys, mongooses, and bats, to name just a few. But, after dogs, cats are the animal Im asked to train most oftennot surprising, as they are one of the most popular pets in the world. (Fish are the most popularbut luckily Ive never been asked to train them!)

I love cats, but they can be stubborn little so-and-sos: theyre all clever enough to be trained, but it takes the right sort of nature to get successjust like humans, not all cats want to be actors. This means casting the right cat is very important. The main thing I look for is confidence. Some cats get very stressed by being moved around, which is really unfair for them, so Im always on the lookout for brave cats who I know will enjoy the limelight. The second thing I look for is greediness! Im always after a cat who likes to be pet and picked up, but if theyre really motivated by treats then that makes trick training much easier.

I try to rescommand as many animals as I can when it comes to casting. Once I have the description of the particular type of animal needed, I contact rescommand centers to see if they have any that fit the bill and are in need of a home. My favorite cat Ive cast was Crookshanks for the Harry Potter series. The casting team wanted a grumpy-looking cat, so I right away thought of a Persian. I love them; they have such characterful faces. I found the perfect candidatea cat named Crackerjack who was just the best cat to work with; hed trot along beside me almost like a dog. We were real partners for many years, and he continued living with me after the films ended. I sadly lost him to old age in 2016, but I still have Max, who played Mrs. Norris!