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 »Ten Tips for Tubby Tabbies
I am always amazed at the number of overweight cats I see during my in-home behavior consultations. What’s even more surprising is that many of the cat parents are unaware their cats are even considered to be overweight. Many people also don’t realize the health risks associated with obesity in humans can apply to our ...
Read More »10 Signs That Your Cat may be in Pain
Cats are very stoic and it’s easy for human family members to miss signs of pain or discomfort. For an animal, it’s also important for survival to not display signs of physical weakness, if at all possible. When you are in pain, the doctor or nurse will ask you to rate your pain on ...
Read More »Stop Your Cat From Biting Your Ankles
Listen to the audio version of this article Does this describe your home? You get up out of bed and start walking to the bathroom, only to have your ankles become the target of a cat attack. Does your cat hide under the bed until the moment when she sees your bare feet ...
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 »Litter Box Monitoring
Scooping the litter box a couple times a day is not only important for keeping the box clean and your cat happy, it’s a valuable diagnostic tool. Too many cat parents are missing this opportunity to catch potential medical problems in the early stages because they’re not keeping up with a regular scooping schedule. ...
Read More »Do You Know When Your Cat is Sick?
When it comes to illness, injury or pain, cats can be very stoic and not show obvious outward signs. Very often, the red flag indicating your cat may have a medical problem might be a change in behavior. When it comes to changes in behavior it’s not unusual for cat parents to miss those subtle ...
Read More »Does Your Cat Have a Litter Aversion?
To a cat parent, one litter may be just as good as another. In fact, what humans may find attractive about a particular brand or type of litter may actually be highly disliked by the cat. There are also other factors that come into play when trying to evaluate whether your cat has a ...
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 ...
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