This manual on cat behavioural issues helps owners to
explain and deal with destructive behaviour, in a single
cat or multi-cat home. First it is important to get the
cat checked by a veterinarian, to ensure that there is no
physical cause such as sore teeth or an infection. After
that THE CAT WHISPERER suggests thinking like a cat and
seeing the world from their perspective. For instance,
moving a new adult into a house can cause problems until
the cats learn to place him or her on the list of Humans
Who Are Not A Threat. If the new adult provides food, this
helps.
Mieshelle Nagelschneider grew up on a farm playing with the
animals. She was not allowed near the bull but, aged four,
she decided to go into his pen and make friends - dressed
like a bunny. The bull knew the white rabbits she kept, and
he could not be cross with them, she reasoned. She made
pink rabbit ears and got her mother to tape them on,
dressed in white and made a white cotton wool tail. Then
she crawled and hopped around the bull's pen, not looking
at him or going near him. After awhile the bull came over
and sniffed at her, and she got to stroke his nose, where
her horrified parents found her some time later.
Having been a Vet Tech and animal surgery administrator,
Mieshelle moved full time to caring for cats. She explains
that an owner may be making an obvious mistake such as
providing no stimulation in the home for a cat. Or placing
a litter box next to the food dish. Or placing only one
food dish or litter box, or two in the same room, where
there are two competing cats. Other issues are more subtle
but if the main ones are addressed behaviour will quickly
improve. She advises against anthropomorphic
interpretation of feline behaviour. Physical punishment
will generally not be understood by an animal, which will
then see its owner as threatening and unpredictable.
The author digresses to the history of cats and compares
them with dogs. While both have been in human company for
millennia, dogs remain pack animals while cats, though
enjoying company, are more likely to remain in their
territory. Kittens should be socialised to people within
the first few weeks of life, and to other cats as early as
possible. During the first twelve weeks the kitten learns
appropriate play behaviour from mother and littermates:
claws hurt! A male cat patrols a much larger territory
than a female. This works inside a house as well as
outside. The human's seat or bed may be a neutral zone, but
they all want their own area. Introducing a new cat may be
fraught with difficulty; Mieshelle provides detailed
instructions gradually to introduce a newcomer, relying
heavily on purchased scent pheromones. Neutering and
spaying reduces many health issues and unpleasant
behaviours as well as preventing unwanted kittens.
I was pleased that the author stresses providing the right
environment for cats. Just as we now insist that wildlife
parks give animals enough space, a suitable environment and
stimulation, so we should not cage a cat in an apartment
without adapting the home to its needs. Cats require
places where they can feel safe, such as the top of a
wardrobe or a cardboard box which people cannot see into;
they require something to use their claws on such as a
sisal scratcher (or polystyrene, which they love to sit
on), toys that let them mimic hunting and burn off energy,
and my cats' favourite, a small dish of dry food appearing
in an unexpected location, which has them going around
checking as for a mousehole. Water is preferred in a
separate location to food or litter box, as a wild cat does
not want to drink possibly contaminated water. Litter boxes
must be cleaned frequently; you would prefer to use a clean
bathroom, and so does your cat. You need at least one box
per cat, in separate rooms.
I thought that the author could have given us more stories
from her experience of clients' cats, as a lot of the time
she is talking generally, while specific examples tend to
be helpful to pet owners. I found it quite sad that she
needed to give a lengthy explanation of how best to play
with a cat; apparently some people have no real idea of how
cats hunt and play, and think that dangling something in
its face will work. Behaviour-modifying drugs, such as
sedatives, are available but it is very hard to get cats to
take pills and a cat wandering around zonked is much more
likely to be harmed and to fail to show affection.
By improving its life the author of THE CAT WHISPERER hopes
to remove the need for drastic treatments or abandoning a
cat, and to make the life of both cat and owner much
happier. The language and style are more suited to adult
readers than young people and there are not many
illustrations, which could be helpful in showing cat body
language. Many pet owners will find it helpful in
overcoming problems or just an interesting read.
Who says you can’t train a cat? Just when you thought you
had reached the end of your ball of twine, one of America’s
most popular cat behaviorists comes to the rescue of
perplexed cat owners everywhere, providing practical and
effective strategies for solving every feline behavior
problem imaginable—from litter box issues to scratching,
spraying, biting, and beyond.
Cat Whisperer Mieshelle Nagelschneider has been helping
people deal with these dilemmas for two decades, achieving a
near-perfect success rate. Central to her approach is a keen
understanding of the unique way cats see the world—their
need for safety and security, their acute territoriality,
and their insatiable desire to catch and kill prey. Her
proven C.A.T. cat behavior modification plan is a
commonsense course of action that can be specifically
tailored to your cat in the context of its behavior problems
and its particular household environment. Easy-to-implement
solutions help transform even the most anxiety-riddled
companions into confident, gregarious, and relaxed cats who
live longer, happier, and healthier lives. Inside you’ll
discover
• how to harness the power of “friendly pheromones” to
improve your cat’s appetite, exploration, grooming, and play
• where, when, and how to create a litter box environment
that will provide ease of access and reduce anxiety for you
and your cat
• how to end aggression in multiple-cat households and help
your cats coexist peacefully
Is it impossible to train a cat? Not anymore! Your days of
yelling and tearing your hair out in the wake of the latest
household “cat-astrophe” are over. In this fascinating and
indispensable book, the Cat Whisperer takes you inside the
mind of a feline to explain why members of one of the
world’s most inscrutable species act the way they do—and how
you can convince them to change their behaviors for the sake
of your peace of mind . . . and theirs.
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