This page is a Work In Progress
Entering aptitude can be a challenge with oshies because of their unique personalities. Here are some tips to help you get your oshies into aptitude.
Novice Aptitude
Sit
There are two clear options for the 'sit' task. Both are pictured above.
The side-on sit with the head tilted to the ceiling and eyes shut is the easiest to trigger simply by placing the cat on a shelf or chair such as the Toy Closet armchair.
The side-on sit with the head tilted to the ceiling and eyes shut is the easiest to trigger simply by placing the cat on a shelf or chair such as the Toy Closet armchair.
Hunt
You can usually get oshies to start hunting by picking up a treat. Hold the treat in the hand, level with your oshie, and wait for the perfect moment to snap!
Stand for Exam
Visit our detailed Posing Guide for help with getting a quality show pose from your oshie!
Trot
Double clicking the screen in front of an oshie will cause your cat to run towards the hand. This makes getting a good trot shot seem like a really frustrating endeavor! But don't despair - there's a very easy trick you can use to get an oshie to trot reliably!
Start by taking your oshie to a playscene without too many distractions. Good choices are the Toy Closet or Playpen.
In this example we'll be using the Toy Closet.
*Please excuse the green outline around the Petz window. This is automatically inserted by the screen recording software I used and is there to indicate the active window.
Start by taking your oshie to a playscene without too many distractions. Good choices are the Toy Closet or Playpen.
In this example we'll be using the Toy Closet.
*Please excuse the green outline around the Petz window. This is automatically inserted by the screen recording software I used and is there to indicate the active window.
Run
The run is all about timing! Double click some distance ahead of your cat and call your oshie to the hand. This will encourage your cat to come running to the hand, while facing the camera. Alternatively you can hold a toy. Your cat will look at the toy as they come running.
Merged Example
Open Aptitude
Retrieve
Give your cat a toy to play with... When they pick it up, call them to the hand and they will come running to you with the toy!
Pole Weave
This is generally considered the most challenging task in all of aptitude competition. However, it's not that difficult to get a good pole weave as long as you set things up well!
Jump
Patience is key here... There are a few different acceptable jumps. My preference is for the hoop jump. Simply show your oshie the hoop and be patient! Eventually they will take a leap! Try to capture the moment when the cat is at the peak of the jump as this looks best. Remember to pet your cat immediately after as this will make it quicker to get a hoop jump next time!
Pounce
Cats will pounce and play with balls all by themselves... All you need to try to do is get the alignment right so your cat pounces side-on. Allow your cat to begin stalking the ball of your choice, then move it to be on about the same level as them. With a little trial and error, you'll get a good pounce!
Trick
If you've gotten a good pounce from your cat, it won't be long before you also get to see your cat perform a trick... Only two tricks are allowed: the ball balance and ball toss. The ball balance is generally a lot easier to get because it doesn't really require any special timing.