Think you can’t train a cat? Scratch that. The animal handlers behind Church, the furry star of “Pet Sematary,” insist you can.
Just make sure they’re game to begin with — and treat them like the divas they are.
“The cats had a lot of demands,” lead trainer Melissa Millett tells The Post. “Air conditioning, a quiet set” — and, it seems, a steady supply of chicken and Temptations cat treats.
She and animal coordinator Kirk Jarrett scoured shelters and rescue organizations to find cats who could convincingly alternate in the role of Church, a friendly feline who returns from the grave as a mangy, zombified monster. While a British shorthair starred in 1989’s “Pet Sematary,” the directors of the remake wanted a Maine Coon, like the long-haired cat on the cover of Stephen King’s 1983 novel.
They rounded up five look-alike cats, only to realize that two were their breakout stars. “Leo and Tonic were so talented, we didn’t really require any doubles,” says Millett, who in the last 20 years has taught cats to roll over and even ride a scooter via a system of clicks and treats.
Tonic, now 1 ¹/₂, was a stray someone picked up off the street in Canada and brought to a shelter. As soon as he strode out of his crate, Millett says, it was clear he was “an action star” who could learn how to jump into people’s arms on cue.
The challenge was getting him to sit still. Enter Leo, whom Jarrett calls “a very laid-back cat. He likes to sit and stare.” That serves him well as Church, the zombie cat returned from the dead, his fur matted with blood.
Which raises the question: How do you make up a cat? The answer: gradually, and with gunk they can lick off and digest.
For two months, the trainers and a representative from American Humane had what Millett calls “a catnip party” in a dry bathtub, adding one drop of makeup at a time until the cats were comfortable.
“Cats are sensitive to new things,” Jarrett says. “But they love mental stimulation, they love to work and they love adventure, as long as you acclimate them.” That list included having their human co-stars sit quietly on set until the cats became used to them.
By the time the film wrapped, all five felines had found “forever” homes, with Millett, Jarrett and their friends. Tonic and Leo even have their own Instagram accounts.
“I’ve never seen a cat like Tonic,” marvels Millett, who’s taken him on every media appearance, though Leo is the movie’s poster boy.
“He’s going to have a big career because he loves the spotlight. We’re just looking for his next opportunity.”