Radiant Cats Behaviour & Training

01/10/2025

Karen Pryor changed the way people train and interact with animals, and the benefits of her influence are widespread and absolutely incredible. Millions of animals in homes, zoos, and the wild, have a better life because of her. Karen's legacy lives on in every learner who hears a *click*.

I've been fortunate to have taken a few of the courses offered through Karen Pryor Academy, and I'm proud to say that I've been accepted into the KPA Professional Dog Trainer Program and will be starting at the end of March, 2025. The skills I will learn will allow me to help more cats and their families, and I will be forever grateful to Karen for generously sharing her skills and knowledge with the world.

With profound sadness and immense gratitude, we honor the life and legacy of Karen Pryor, a true pioneer in the fields of animal behavior and positive reinforcement training. Karen’s groundbreaking work revolutionized how we communicate with animals—and each other—leaving an indelible mark on science, education, and the lives of countless species around the world.

Continue reading: https://bit.ly/4214rRG

01/10/2025

Cats' hearing is approximately four times more sensitive than humans' and they can detect higher frequencies, including ultrasound. However, they struggle with localizing sounds and can be startled by loud noises. To help keep your cat calm, maintain low noise levels, especially in new environments. You can also play soothing music if your cat seems agitated AND speak in a soft, calming voice. For more calming tips, visit https://bit.ly/3dPXKYx.

01/10/2025

Play aggression in cats is a common behavior that occurs when a cat becomes overly excited during play, leading to biting, scratching, or pouncing that may seem aggressive. This behavior often stems from a combination of natural predatory instincts and excess energy, especially in young or under-stimulated cats.

You may also notice your cat stalking your hands, arms, feet, and legs as if they were its targeted prey. This usually occurs when you are going up or down the stairs, when you are resting and your cat has pent up energy, or when your cat engages a sneak attack on you.

To help manage this behavior:
1) DO NOT use any part of your body as a toy for your cat, especially your hands or feet.
2) Schedule 5-10 minute interactive play sessions with your cat twice a day to allow a proper outlet for their energy.
3) Provide plenty of solo toys for your cat to interact with and rotate them often to keep the toys exciting.
4) Provide daily enrichment to keep your cat's mind engaged.
5) Redirect biting behavior and reinforce calm behaviors during play.

12/07/2024

As you begin decorating your home with holiday cheer, take steps to safely secure items that could potentially harm your pets. These hazards may include decorations, wrapping supplies, delicious foods, or even alcoholic beverages. A good rule of thumb: if an item seems unsafe for a child, it’s likely unsafe for your pet as well.

Here are a few commonly overlooked hazards to keep in mind:

Essential Oils and Diffusers: Many essential oils are toxic to pets, especially cats. While we often enjoy their benefits and pleasant aromas, they can cause serious health issues in pets, including neurological symptoms, gastrointestinal distress, and damage to major organs.

Tape: Packing tape and wrapping tape can sometimes be irresistible to pets. Unfortunately, ingesting these can lead to blockages, requiring an emergency trip to the vet.

Spices: As we mentioned in our Thanksgiving post, some spices that add comfort and flavor to our holiday meals can make pets sick.

Electrical Cords and Lights: If your pet is a cord chewer, the holiday season can pose extra risks. Protect your pet by covering cords to prevent chewing, which could lead to electrical burns or even more serious injuries.

12/07/2024

Very often when we're wrapping gifts, our cats are right there to offer "help" and supervise, so it's important to be aware of the dangers of ribbon and string.

12/07/2024

12/02/2024

💜💜💜💜💜

Happy National Cat Lovers Month! We may not need an excuse to shower our cats with extra attention—that doesn’t mean we won't! However, properly giving your cat attention requires understanding unique feline behaviors and each cat’s preferences. Learn more at https://bit.ly/2YCHtC6.

12/01/2024

Here's a peek at the topics for tomorrow's Pounce conference. It's going to be a great day of learning how to help more cats!

12/01/2024

Today's presentations were amazing and so full of new ideas, I can't wait for tomorrow!

11/19/2024

If there's conflict in your multicat household, take a closer look at how you've set up the number and location of resources.

11/16/2024

10/26/2024

This is becoming a welfare issue!

Im tired of hearing “the vet says there is no pain” by a guardian after they have taken their dog to the vet. It leaves me deflated and frustrated and feeling so sorry for the dog.

Myth Bust:

PAIN CANNOT BE RULED OUT IN ANY ANIMAL (dog, cat, horse or hamster), by anyone!

* A quick palpation - CANNOT RULE OUT PAIN

WHY?

The dog may shut down due to environmental factors or dislike of a strange human touching them, they keep still to get it over with ASAP!

The dog may be over aroused or overwhelmed by the clinical environment (excited/scared etc) to the point that adrenaline is so high it blocks pain!

* Blood Tests - CANNOT RULE OUT PAIN

There is currently NO blood test that can detect pain.

* Diagnostic imaging - CANNOT RULE OUT PAIN

Yes they can pick up a variety of conditions, but even the GOLD standard MRI doesn’t pick up everything, but NONE of them can detect PAIN.

Just because a source cannot be found doesn’t mean there is no pain.

PAIN is subjective, it is whatever that being (human or animal) perceives it to be!

Pain can come in many different forms, it is extremely complex, and can effect the individual in many different ways. A dog may get injured, the injury may have healed, but the pain remains … this is known as maladaptive pain.

Behaviour can be a HUGE indicator for PAIN:

* There could be a change of behaviour that has been directly caused by PAIN.

* There could be a worsening of behaviour due to an increase or new presence of PAIN.

* There could be a lack of “normal” behaviour due to PAIN.

* There could be behaviours that are present but that the guardian/owner don’t deem to be problematic that are indicators of PAIN.

* The dog may have ALWAYS displayed behaviours that are indicators of PAIN, but they have been ignored and put down to “just the way they are”.

* There may be NO problematic behaviours at all …. And the dog might still be in PAIN!

* The dog might be energetic, always on the go … and still be in PAIN.

* The dog might be lazy … and still be in PAIN.

* The dog may zoom up and down stairs … and still be in PAIN.

Diagnosing PAIN is not simple and can be difficult to get on top of.

A PAIN relief trail can be great! But often only one type of analgesic is tried and sometimes this doesn’t get results leading to the ASSUMPTION that there is no PAIN!

Here’s why:

* The drug was only trialed for 2 weeks - when living with chronic pain it can take longer to relieve. 2 weeks is not enough.

* The drug used wasn’t targeted to the type of pain the animal is feeling; soft tissue, bone, nerve or a combination of all.

It might take a number of different medications or a combination OVER TIME to see a difference.

ALWAYS keep in mind, NO ONE can rule out another being’s PAIN.

NO ONE. Not me. Not you. Not a Doctor. Not a Vet.

10/21/2024

Same for cats! Anything used to startle or scare a cat may escalate a tense situation or create fear and anxiety related to you.

Rattle cans or bottles filled with stones or coins or 'dog discs' designed to be thrown down near the dog to startle them are things we see relatively often being used. Because they do not have to make contact with the dog to 'work' it can mistakenly be thought that they are not doing any damage to the dog.

Startling a dog to stop ‘bad behaviour’ is a bad idea for a number of reasons.

Simply aiming to stop the behaviour does not show the dog what we would like them to do instead. If we concentrate on teaching the dog the things we’d like to see then there is less likelihood they are going to show behaviours we find problematic.

Focusing on stopping a behaviour doesn’t look at the reason the behaviour is occurring in the first place. What is the emotion that is underlying the behaviour? Why is the behaviour being shown in that moment? Is the dog scared, stressed, under stimulated? What is the need that is driving the behaviour (safety, mental or physical stimulation, carrying out natural behaviours, hungry etc)?

Startling a dog in this way can cause them to become stressed and anxious. Their hearing is very sensitive and the noise that may not seem so bad to us is likely more intense and highly unpleasant to them (if it wasn’t, it wouldn’t ‘work’). Doing things that cause our dogs to feel stress and become anxious means that the people that dog should most be able to trust is no longer as trustworthy, and so the relationship and bond between dog and human can be damaged.

What we can do to replace the need for startling the dog is work on getting our cues really strong and showing the dog the behaviours we’d like to see in different situations.

Make sure that our dogs are allowed to be dogs and can safely carry out those natural behaviours in ways that are not problematic. Let them sniff when out in the world. Find a safe spot for them to dig, such as a sand pit. Let them dissect their toys (under supervision for safety) – soft toys can be restuffed and sewn up so this can happen multiple times and avoid needing to spend a lot of money.

Work on a ‘positive interrupter’, a cue that means stop what you’re and come to us (and really make this worth their while – an example of this would be a cue that means ‘come with me’ where we run to spot where the absolute best rewards for that dog are kept, so really tasty treats, favourite toy etc).

Most importantly, don’t try methods that involve startling or scaring your dog. There is always a better way than one involving fear.

10/21/2024

A sturdy, well-made cat tree will last your cat's lifetime. Although a tree may initially seem like an expensive purchase, it's an important part of your cat's environment and territory. When shopping for a cat tree, look for one that is very sturdy, has wide perches that will be comfortable for your cat, and has enough perches so a less mobile cat can still access the top perch by climbing on the lower ones. When shopping for cat shelves and other elevated options, always choose sturdy, wide ones that can be firmly installed.

10/03/2024

Fear Free veterinary care is a compassionate approach that prioritizes the emotional well-being of animals during their medical treatment. This method acknowledges the intricate and often overlooked aspect of animal sentience, recognizing that animals experience fear, stress, and anxiety just as humans do. By creating a safe and calming environment, implementing gentle handling techniques, and utilizing positive reinforcement, Fear Free care helps to reduce fear and anxiety in animals, ultimately improving their overall well-being and allowing for more effective and successful veterinary treatment. This approach aligns well with the understanding of animal sentience, emphasizing the importance of treating animals with respect, empathy, and understanding their emotional needs.

09/30/2024

Humane Canada is doing amazing work to change the way people think about and care for animals. One of the ways they are enhancing animal welfare (and the welfare of all people who care for animals!) is by petitioning the government for updates and changes to our legal system.
This petition for pet inclusive housing is for everyone, whether you rent or not. Please take a minute to sign and share to show the government that we believe people shouldn't be forced to make a choice between housing insecurity or houselessness and giving up a member of their family. Having a pet should not make it even harder to find affordable housing when we are already in the midst of a housing crisis.
https://humanecanada.ca/en/petinclusivehousing

Our efforts are working! 📝

Humane Canada’s national petition for pet-inclusive housing is now the #2 most signed petition on the House of Commons list! Join over 13,000 Canadians who have signed the petition calling for change.

Lack of pet-inclusive housing is a leading cause of animals being surrendered to shelters across the country. Pet-inclusive housing reduces stress and loneliness for tenants, lowers turnover rates for landlords, and enhances social connections in communities.

Use your voice to create a more inclusive and compassionate housing system in Canada! Add your name: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-5046

09/30/2024

If you have multiple cats and there’s tension between two or more of them, then that tension may be carried over into the litter box. When a cat is taking care of personal business in the box is sometimes the ideal time for an opponent to stage an ambush. It's especially convenient for the

09/16/2024