Shekinah Cat Behaviour Services

17/07/2024

When it comes to introducing a new cat to existing pets, it is always good practice to introduce them slowly.
No two cats are the same and some may struggle to adapt more than others, but taking things slowly, stage by stage is far better for all concerned, than to try to rush things along.
New cat introductions is something that I can help with, if needed.
Please feel free to contact me for more information.

13/07/2024

Feline enrichment (catification) does not have to cost a lot.... It just needs a bit of imagination !!
This dumped wood, took 15 minutes for my husband to make it a cat playground !!! It's not finished yet, but some of our gang are already exploring it !!!

05/07/2024

It is always worth taking any change in a cat's behaviour seriously.
Our 14 week old kitten, 'Mary' stopped playing with her toys. In fact, she stopped whizzing around the house with the zoomies and was not her crazy usual self.
She has been eating, drinking and toileting as normal, but suddenly showed no interest in her toys and preferred to just lay on our bed. I called the vet surgery this afternoon and they suggested that I bring her in for a check up.
Was I imagining it.... No !
The vet found her to have a very raised temperature ! She has been fully vaccinated , but could have a bacterial infection !! She has been given an injection to help her recover.

10/06/2024

Full membership renewed

30/04/2024

The last few times that our Grandaughter has stayed with us, our cat 'Penelope', has urinated on the kitchen surface the next morning !!! (To be precise, she has sprayed the microwave 🙈)

-Is Penelope being 'dirty'?.....NO! - Is she being 'naughty'?.. NO !
-Is she doing it to 'get us'?..NO!
-Is she angry?..... NO !

So WHY is she doing this ? 🤨

When Penelope was a kitten, the household, where she was born had an extremely lively young child who had learning difficulties. When I went to collect her, the child was jumping from sofa to sofa, rolling off the sofa and Penelope being a young 8 week kitten was quite anxious. Her experience of small children was that they made her feel anxious.
10 years later, despite living in an adult-only home all this time, the sights and sounds of an energetic young child, triggers kittenhood memories in her subconscious mind!
When our grandaughter is here, Penelope stays outside in the garden, only venturing indoors to eat when she is asleep.
When our grandaughter goes back home, Penelope feels a huge sense of relief and to a cat, they find comfort when they are stressed, by their own scent. So Penelope jumps onto a high surface where she feels safe and sprays urine on it. NOT to be naughty or spiteful, but to help herself relax in HER territory, by spraying her scent.
Cats mark their scent in various ways, they can rub their heads and bodies against objects to rub their scent glands, which cats all do everyday. They can scratch at surfaces because this marks their scent via scent glands in their paw pads and also acts as a visual marker to other cats. Cats marks their scent by spraying urine and also when a cat feels extremely insecure or wants to make a strong 'statement' that they 'own' a territory, cats can also mark their scent by defecating, which behaviourist's call 'Middening'.

So, if a cat displays an inappropriate marking behaviour, unless there is a medical cause, it is important to understand that the cat is NOT misbehaving, does NOT need punishing......
What he/she DOES need is UNDERSTANDING !

28/04/2024

From the age of 2-7 weeks, kittens go through a period of time when their brains develop rapidly and information is 'taken in' and stored away, until adulthood.
Behaviourist's call this window of time 'The Sensitive Period' or 'The 'Critical Period' of socialization.
What a kitten experiences and learns in this timeframe will have a big impact on their adult life.
Cats do continue to learn throughout their whole lives, but it is during the sensitive period that their brains absorb information, which will be stored away until a situation arises in adulthood.
It is important that kittens are handled often during this timeframe and by different people of different ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult, as it is very important that the experiences during this timeframe are good ones.
It is also a good idea during this time to let kittens carefully meet other animals if possible and going in a pet carrier or even a short car journey,during this age, will help greatly with them as adults.
All good and bad experiences are stored away in the brain during the sensitive period and this will greatly influence how a cat will react to situations in adulthood.

** I have full parental consent to publish these pictures**

07/04/2024

Hi, do you have a cat that has a problem behaviour, such as litter box issues, indoors spraying, over-grooming, aggression, or do you have conflict in a multi-cat household ?
Would you like some support or advice for a cat behavioural issue ?
Please get in contact for an informal chat and to book a consultation.
I am qualified in feline behaviour and psychology through an accredited course to level 3 and am now studying at level 5 to qualify at a much higher level.

27/03/2024

💥Please note that I DO charge for a consultation. The ONLY exception to this is that I offer my services for free to 'RESCUE Organisations and their Fosterers', only.
💥 Legally, there are no specific qualifications required to say that someone is a Feline Behaviourist.

💥 I AM qualified, I have a RECOGNISED QUALIFICATION and am currently studying hard to get the qualification needed to be on the ABTC register (level 5)

💥 My level of qualification is reflected in my charges (£35 per hour 1st Consult and £25 afterwards) and I offer a discounted service to people on low incomes and benefits.

💥 A vet-recommended behaviourist's charges range from £75 to £150 per session upwards !!

💥 Please understand that I have spent thousands of pounds in training costs and reference books and many hundreds of hours studying very, very hard to be able to offer my service. My intentions are not to earn lots or become well known, but are simply to help cat owners and their cats and especially help prevent cats from being rehomed unnecessarily.

If you would like to arrange a consultation , I do offer free support between sessions.
Thankyou for reading this.

21/02/2024

💥Landlords💥
Aswell as causing people heartbreak when you tell them they can not keep their pet and they have to re-home them, it causes the animals heartbreak and distress too !!!!
This dear young fella, had a devoted owner and they both loved each other very much, but due to a change in their, circumstances the owner had to move from their accommodation and the new landlord did not allow pets.
They were forced to sign their lovely cat over to a rescue.
With the housing situation as it is, it isn't easy to find somewhere to live and finding somewhere that allows pets is even harder !!
This dear cat is ( understandably) feeling very displaced, nervous and unsure of himself. His whole world has been turned upside down. He is going to need time, patience and gentle coaxing to help him relax and once he is settled, he will carefully be rehomed with lots of preparations, including meeting his adopters several times first.

06/02/2024

Recently, I have seen people wanting to re-home a cat because of conflict between two cats,in both new additions to the home and in established, bonded cats.
Cats can and sometimes do, 'fall out' with each other and there can be a few reasons for this.
Perhaps one of the cats is unwell. Cats generally try to hide illnesses because in the wild they would be more vulnerable to preditors, so cats instinctively try to hide any illness. Therefore, it is always advised to have a cat checked by a vet if he shows sudden signs of aggression.
Cats reach social maturity at approximately the age of 2, again this could be a factor of cats seemingly falling out, because cats tend to either be the dominant one or dominated by another. Again, this is their nature and a young cat may start testing others around him !
There are many other reasons why cats that have otherwise been friends, can fall out with each other.
Rehoming is only advised as a last resort, because many of these situations can be resolved with time, patience and understanding.
For further information, please get in contact.

19/12/2023

With Christmas fast approaching, it is a good idea to plan ahead for your cat's emotional wellbeing over the festive period.
All cats are different, some are outgoing and happy with visitors, yet others have a tendency to be more nervous and stressed at any change or new people in their homes.
It's good practice to provide a safe and quiet area of the home for cats to retreat to over the festive season. Whether this is a quiet bedroom, or even a little nook in a corner of a room, away from any visitors that may make a cat feel uncomfortable. Make sure that food, water and litter trays are placed in these private areas too.
Cat trees and cat-shelves are also good, because a cat feels safe when she climbs up high. Even a cardboard box in a wardrobe, with the door left ajar, will give the cat a 'safe space ' they can retreat to if they feel anxious.
Try to keep to your cats normal routine of feeding times and remember that a Feliway plug-in can make a big difference to your cats sense of well being.
Happy Christmas to you and your beloved feline friends. ☺️😺

30/11/2023

Cats are territorial creatures. It is instinctive, it is how their brains are wired, to claim and then protect their territory.....
Today our Penelope has decided to take ownership of the lounge radiator !!
First she chased the other cats away, then she 'chased me away' , as my arm was next to the radiator too, by grabbing my arm, scratching it and biting me !!
Now she is happily in her chosen territory and is keeping guard 🤭🤭

19/11/2023

Oh Sapphire!
Our little cat Sapphire, is a sensitive little girl. If there are any changes in our home, Sapphire can become anxious and on occasions has been known to spray in the house !! (Yes, female cats can spray too!).
This weekend, my husband has laid new flooring in the lounge. Our other cats are curiously exploring the 'new' lounge, but Sapphire is quite unsettled, her facial expression says it all ! 🥹
So, in order to make her feel more comfortable, I have taken a blanket that was laid on the sofa, that has the scent of us, the other cats, our dog and most importantly, the scent of 'home' on, and I placed the blanket on the new flooring. This is helping her feel a bit more calmer ( she hasn't sprayed either!!)

16/11/2023

Every cat deserves to be loved, cared for and to receive necessary veterinary care.

Weʼre raising money to fundraise for an abandoned cat that is suffering with heart failure, to have a heart scan and blood tests in order to prolong her life.. Support this JustGiving Crowdfunding Page.

11/11/2023

Would you like some advice and support for your cat's behaviour?
Would you like support when introducing a new cat to your home ?
Are you moving house and concerned about how your cat will cope with this big change ?

Please get in contact ,I am happy to help 😊

16/09/2023

If you decide to get another cat or kitten, it is very important that they are introduced slowly and gradually.
The resident cat will feel very put out and anxious, if a new cat is suddenly put in his home. He will feel that his territory is being invaded and he may even attack the newcomer.
I have recently seen quite a few cats being given away on selling sites because they were introduced too quickly and the resident cat is displaying aggression towards the newcomer.
Introducing new cats to each other needs to be done gradually and in stages, in order to minimise stress on both parties.
Please contact me for advice and support.
I am available weekdays.

04/08/2023

If you are going away on holiday, it is very important that you plan ahead for your cat to be cared for safely when you are away.
Cats can become distressed and disorientated by a sudden change in their life and care must be taken to ensure their well-being.

23/07/2023

Cats are very much creatures of habit.They instinctively map out a territory for themselves wherever they live, even if they live solely indoors only.
When a cat encounters any change in his territory, he will find it stressful and this may lead to him displaying stress-induced behaviours such as toileting outside of the litter box, over- grooming, indoor spraying and even aggression !
A cat will need time and consideration in order to readjust to any changes in his life.
If you are moving home or experience any changes that upset your cat, there IS help and support available !!
It is a sad fact that some cats are rehomed because of an unwanted behaviour and any more changes in his life can make his problem worse, leading to him being rehomed yet again ! 😢
Please ask for help, before rehoming a cat because of a behaviour problem

🌞 I am offering a 'summer special ' discount for consultations until the end of August.🌞

17/07/2023

🌞 Summer Special!🌞
From now until the end of August, all 1 hour consultations will be at the special discounted price of £25!!
For those on benefits, there will be a further discount too 😊
Please contact me if you would like some help and support with your cat.
😻

08/07/2023

Hi, just a note to say that for any client who has a consultation, I always offer free support and answer any queries BETWEEN sessions.
Some problems are easily resolved and changes can occur quite quickly, but there are some issues that may need some time and I offer full support in the meantime.
Please get in contact if you would like some advice and assistance for your cat's behaviour.
Remember that there is help available to make you and your cat's relationship a happier one. 😺

30/06/2023

If you are considering rehoming your cat or signing him over to a rescue because of a behaviour problem, there IS help available.
Some problems may take time to resolve, but it will be worth it.
Rehoming a cat with behaviour issues will likely cause this unwanted behaviour to continue and who knows what will happen to him then !
Please feel free to get in touch. 😊😺

05/05/2023

I have achieved an accredited diploma in Feline Behaviour and Psychology (Level 3) and am currently studying at Level 5, towards Animal Behaviour Technician (Feline) level.
Cats have been a very important part of my life for over 50 years and Feline Behaviour has been a very keen interest of mine for many years.
I am a full member of I.S.A.P, am fully insured and have an up-to-date DBS check.
If you have a cat with a minor behaviour problem such as litter box problems, inappropriate elimination, territorial disputes or over-grooming, I would like to offer my support and advice. I can advise on other issues such as introducing new cats or pets and I have a keen interest in multi-cat households and cats that have suffered abuse and have trust issues.
I am passionate about cat rescue and aim to prevent cats from being rehomed unnecessarily.

My fees are:

Initial consultation £35 (1 hour)
Further support £20 (1/2 hour)

🐱 # ( these timescales are minimum and there is no extra charge if the consultation needs to be longer) #🐱

💥 I offer a DISCOUNT to people who receive benefits (need to see proof of this) and any person/families on low incomes. 💥

💥 I will assist ANY RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS for FREE ( to the best of my ability).💥

Please contact me for a free, informal chat. I am very approachable.
I practice remotely throughout the UK and can visit locally in person, if preferred.

💥 Please Note : All cats MUST see a vet before I will assist, to rule any out health issues that can cause behaviour issues. I will require to see proof of this. You can ask your vet surgery for a print-out of your cat's vet consultation, which will be proof that your vet believes the problem to be behaviour related. 💥

💥💥 ALL Clients/Consultations are TOTALLY CONFIDENTIAL and under NO circumstances will I share any personal details from clients.
ANY photos or testimonials about a client's cat will ONLY be published with the owners full, written consent. 💥💥

22/04/2023

Domestic cats still retain their instinctive need to have their own territory. They need to have places to perch or hide, in order to feel secure. Cats need their 'alone time' aswell as time to chase, hunt and 'play'.
If a cat does not have these needs met, they can become stressed and anxious and frustrated . This can lead to unwanted behaviours such as over grooming or indoor spraying.
Please contact me, if you would like to find out more, or if you would like some advice or help with your cat.
I offer a low cost service and my heart is to help people to enhance their cat's quality of life.

14/04/2023

If you have a cat that is toileting outside of the litterbox, help is available !
A visit to the vet is always advised first, as there may be a health issue. If the vet says the problem is stress related or behavioural, please get in contact .
I offer a good discount to people on benefits and we can book a time to discuss things in more detail. Cats are complicated creatures and there will be a reason behind any toileting issues.

04/04/2023

We did it 😀! We successfully moved house with 11 cats, 3 of which have heart disease and need to avoid stress 😬 and it all went very smoothly, without any problems 👏.
I planned it all very carefully and thankfully they have settled here very well.

22/03/2023

❗ We are closed for the next 2 weeks due to moving house.
Re-Opening on Wednesday 5th April. 🏠🏠❗

14/03/2023

Cats live in the here and now! They live in the moment, in the present. They don't worry about next month or last year. What matters to them is:
Am I safe from harm ?
Do I have all my needs met?
Is everything in my territory exactly how it always is ?

Any change in a cat's life can cause disruption and distress and this can cause behaviour changes and even stress-induced illness, such as bladder issues (FLUTD).

🌸🌸This post is dedicated to 'Sally Cat' 2007/08--14/03/2022, a cat who experienced a lot of change after her owner passed away and who adapted remarkably to a totally new life and who ruled over our gang with a unique sense of humour ! We love you Sally Cat, RIP you legend ! Xx 😘. 🌸🌸

28/02/2023

This page is no longer connected to Watsaap.
If you need to contact me, please message me through this page.
Best Wishes,
Tracy.

24/02/2023

A good thing about buying 2 sibling kittens, is that they can form strong attachments that continue into adulthood.
It's lovely to see 2 bonded cats mutually grooming.
(Yes, they have taken over the dog's bed.)

15/02/2023

⭐Kittens NEED their mother.⭐

From the age of 2-7 weeks, a kitten goes through a stage of rapid and long-lasting social development, which is referred to as 'the critical period' of socialization.
During this time a kitten will absorb information about his world, from his experiences and from his mother and siblings. He observes how his mother reacts to and acts around humans and other pets and what he learns now, will affect him into adulthood.
When he plays with his siblings in mock fights, his mum will observe and will intervene if they get too rough. If he is an only kitten, mum will play-fight with him and through this he will learn manners and boundaries that will last throughout his lifetime.
IF a kitten leaves his mother too early, he will miss out on this crucial learning and he may grow up to be a 'socially awkward' cat, with other cats and maybe even humans too, due to missing out on the crucial learning that would have been taught from his mother.
If you are looking to purchase a kitten, please only buy one that is AT LEAST 8-10 weeks old. If he is separated from his mother and siblings too early, he may grow up with poor socialization skills towards both humans and other cats.
Ideally kittens should be bought in pairs and please first consider purchasing from a rescue.
A tiny 6 week old ( or sadly younger) kitten may look cute and tempting, but he really is NOT ready to leave mum until he is at LEAST 8, 10 or 12 weeks of age.

🌸🌸 Please Note, that a hand reared kitten from a RESCUE that for whatever reason was separated from his mother, will have been carefully socialised with both people and other pets at the rescue centre 🌸🌸