Basic Training

  Cats don’t like change. Cats take comfort in predictability, familiarity, and routine. They’re also territorial so imagine how they must feel when they suddenly find themselves in a new location. Moving is stressful for humans so you can certainly understand how unhappy the whole thing makes the family cat. Everyone in the family except ...

  If your cat becomes Houdini and magically vanishes whenever you even think about trimming his nails, part of the problem might be he has learned to associate the procedure with restraint, discomfort, fear, or even pain. Even if you do manage to accomplish the nail trimming procedure, if you’ve had to wrap your cat ...

  Cats communicate to humans in so many ways but the one way that almost always gets our attention is the meow. Of course there are lots of other vocalizations cats do that are usually quite easy to interpret such as the growl, hiss, and spit. Whenever your cat growls or hisses at you there’s ...

Listen to the audio version of this article When using a toy to play with your cat, there are certain movements that will trigger the prey-drive and entice kitty into the game and there are other movements that won’t be as effective. Go in the Right Direction Playtime for a cat is similar to hunting. ...

Cats, despite what you may have been told, aren’t solitary creatures and many of them benefit from having feline companions. That said, cats are also territorial so the introduction process requires some finesse and patience. If you just toss the cats together with a they’ll work it out themselves mentality, you will put a tremendous ...

  Listen to the audio version of this article If you don’t want your cat scratching the furniture, you’ll need to provide an object more appealing. When I say appealing, I’m not referring to whether your cat likes the way it looks – I’m referring to whether it gets the job done or not. The only reason ...

I’m thrilled when people contact me BEFORE they bring home a new cat. It’s the perfect opportunity for me to help them figure out which cat is right for them, how to cat-proof the home, and set up the environment to be cat friendly. I can also help prepare them for how to do any ...

Has your cat ever jumped up into your lap, rubbed his face against you, purred, then turned around so his hindquarters were facing you? As if that’s not enough, he will raise his tail and it’s almost as if he’s actually presenting his backside to you. Do you feel insulted or disgusted? You shouldn’t. What ...

If you’ve brought a new kitten into your home recently, you’re probably well aware of all the kitten-proofing that needed to be done in order to keep kitty AND your home safe. You’re also spending lots of time getting to know this new family member, playing with her and enjoying the very funny antics that ...

  Unless you’ve rescued an orphaned kitten who is still in the bottle-feeding stage, chances are you won’t have to teach the furry little one how to eliminate but you will have to create a litter box set-up that’s conveniently located and easy to enter and exit.  You will also have to provide guidance and help ...