Does your cat dive under the bed whenever the doorbell rings? Or maybe your cat stands her ground and hisses whenever company comes to visit? Maybe you even have a cat who offers a pre-emptive strike and attempts to immediately sink a few teeth into the flesh of anyone who dares enter your home. ...
Read More »Thunderstorm Fear in Cats
Thunderstorms can be very unsettling. Typically, when it comes to our pets, we think of dogs as the ones who end up shaking, crying, or hiding when Mother Nature displays a sound and light show, but many cats also become nervous. If thunderstorms cause anxiety to your cat, here are nine tips to help ...
Read More »Create a Peaceful Mealtime for Your Cat
For your cat, mealtime should be healthy, tasty, peaceful, and secure. Many cat parents focus on the first two things but don’t pay enough attention to the last two. When your cat walks over to the food bowl she shouldn’t have to worry about whether she can eat in peace or whether she’s going to ...
Read More »10 Tips for Maintaining Your Cat’s Mental Fitness
You’ve heard the saying “a mind is a terrible thing to waste” and that applies to your Feline Einstein as well. Your cat has a remarkable brain and it needs to be challenged, stimulated, and exercised to help maintain good mental fitness. Here are 10 tips to help get you started: 1. Play ...
Read More »Psychogenic Alopecia in Cats
What is Psychogenic Alopecia? This is a condition where the cat engages in excessive grooming that becomes an obsessive behavior. This goes beyond the normal fastidious grooming that a cat would exhibit. Initially, psychogenic alopecia begins as a displacement behavior that the cat engages in to relieve stress. The over-grooming becomes something the cat can’t ...
Read More »Cat Myth: Cats are Aloof and Independent
I began doing cat behavior consulting in 1982. Back then, it was very common to hear people referring to one myth or the other about cats. Many people were resigned to living with a cat who had behavior problems. Many didn’t feel it was worth putting much time and effort into it because everyone knew ...
Read More »Do Cats Deliberately Misbehave?
My office receives a large number of requests concerning cat behavior problems and it’s alarming to me whenever I hear people refer to their cats as spiteful, or they’re sure a beloved cat’s motivation behind a particular behavior is anger or revenge. Really? Do you believe your cat is capable of plotting a behavior as ...
Read More »Choosing a Cat: Making a Good Match
To some people, cats may all appear to be the same compared to the vast differences in dogs when it comes to size, shape and looks. The truth is that cats, although they all tend to fall within a smaller range when it comes to weight and size, can be very different, not only ...
Read More »The Importance of Cat Wellness Exams
Cats need routine wellness exams at least once a year. For older cats that routine exam should happen every six months, or as often as you and your veterinarian decide would be best. As cats age or if they have specific health concerns, your veterinarian will recommend a customized schedule for you. As much ...
Read More »How to Use Cat Tunnels
Cats usually love to play by hiding in things. Whether it’s an open paper bag or a box, your playful cat will find a way to make a game out of jumping in it, or will use it as an opportunity for an extra napping place. It’s an important part of environmental enrichment to ...
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