On the Edge Feline Behavior & Training

29/10/2025

HAPPY NATIONAL CAT DAY!

15/10/2025

12/10/2025

I am definitely not a fan of anthropomorphizing (dressing) up any animal. The are not little humans or dolls for your entertainment. They do not enjoy being dressed up no matter how you think you read them.

Here are some reasons NOT to dress up a cat:
1. Costumes can in limit the use of their whiskers which they need to sense air currents and for touch. This is how blind cats can navigate their environment.
2. Hats and hoods interfere with moving their ears and muffling sound. Hearing is a cat's #1 sense.
3. Costumes have an unfamiliar scent that they can't get away from when they're stuck in it.
4. Costumes limit their flexibility and motion.
5. Costumes make people focus attention on them which may make them uncomfortable. (Cats will generally go to people who do not focus and fuss on them, often people who don't like cats.)
6. Cats may chew on parts of the costume in trying to get out of it, or simply because they have something to chew on, and may swallow parts of it.

All of these reasons create stress. Stress causes cats to be frightened, act out, attack people and other pets, eliminate where they shouldn't, etc. PLEASE don't dress up your cat!

12/10/2025

As someone with an indoor/outdoor black cat, I am keeping him in on Mischief Night and Halloween. If you own one, too, please watch out for him. People can be cruel, especially young males.

04/06/2025

That looks like my cat!

On that note, just because your cat gets testy don't give in to him between meals, or he will continue to be a pest because you respond. Not only that, he'll get fat! Overweight cats can get fatty liver disease! Please don't leave a bowl of kibble for him when you go to work because you're afraid he'll be hungry. I can't tell you how many people I have seen leave dog bowls full of kibble when they go to work, and then can't understand why the cat is fat! He won't starve! Feed him before you leave for work or get up in the morning, and when you get home. Watch the type of food and proportions you give depending on the age and activity of your cat. I put a little kibble in a puzzle before bed, so they have to work for it, and then they tend to be satiated and quiet through the night. Remember, you are the boss, not the cat. (I know I hear people out there saying just the opposite. That's why I'm here! 😉)

04/06/2025

Not that we ever need a special day, however it's Hug Your Cat Day!

11/04/2025

Happy National Pet Day, from Gizmo and Mr. Kitty!

07/04/2025

This is a very good article on pets going to the vet. I agree with everything said.

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.petmd.com%2Fcat%2Fgeneral-health%2F10-things-you-probably-shouldnt-do-vets-office-cat%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR5hEHwFVhihBLuJLVCINrKlbT1shhdbygnqUe2DME0iJjJGtExSA3CRE8STbQ_aem_UF_vmxPFFyqH_d-JYJaHlQ&h=AT0iT2_WVoU8fIPR24Fk36r5YawRf7SoBJxdoelRpk2iazS5Je8oOIIpeLnH5Hr3rPdEXbcWxYiOFPo5rKhaaj26pHIJaHXIOLXD1Vz9MQJ8Xlb-s4XZEJ5eEABgIaDTTaKRIJuXc-Mt0iTfKRjn&s=1

Are you that one pet parent that causes the vet staff extra stress? Find out how you can help make your pet’s visit go as smoothly as possible for everyone.

17/01/2025

It's hard to believe that people leave their pets behind. I consider them family, and wouldn't leave a child behind. Anyway, here is a list, courtesy of Cornell Feline Center, that you might want to print out in case of emergency. I keep lists on my fridge for both me and the cats. In a panic, one tends to get "analysis paralysis". I have a bucket of lightweight litter that is only for emergencies. You can get disposable litter boxes that look like they're made from egg cartons material. A little folding pocket camping spade that fits on your belt is helpful for cleaning the box and/or digging holes. I also made a first aid kit in a plastic tool box just for animals. I have collapsible food and water bowls in my truck and in the first aid kit. Think about stuff that is lightweight and easily packed.
I would also recommend some Quiet Moments calming chews with melatonin by NaturVet (no, I don't get paid or kick backs from them) that I recommend to my clients, as I have found through experience, work better than most calming products.

05/01/2025

Sharing from the Feral Cat Project...

Extreme weather alert!

Please feed your cats in the afternoon Sunday, ahead of the snow and give them lots of fresh water. Monday morning and afternoon, do not encourage your cats to come out of their shelters. Cats coming out during this event will have snow melting off their fur. This increases their chances of hypothermia. Cats are smarter than we are. If they are not coming out for food, that is normal behavior. Leave their food in feeding stations and make sure it is protected from wind and water. They will come out when it is safe to do so.
Wind is also a deterrent for cats to be out and about. It is their survival instincts. Those instincts have been in place for thousands of years. We all worry about our friends outside but sometimes intervening can be a danger to the cats.
So help them by letting them do what nature has taught them and give them some extra food today!
More tips below:
Leave fresh food and water at their feeding stations.
Do not move any food closer to or inside their shelters! Cats won't sleep where there is food and they will leave and try to find alternate shelter which can lead them into danger.
Do not call your cats out. If they are hunkered down, there is a reason for it.
Some cats may hunker down for a day or two rather than venture out - this is normal.
Take a shovel to create a path for the cats or you may need to dig them out if a snowdrift covers the opening to their shelter door.
If you know of a cat that seeks shelter under a deck, shed, or even under a car to escape the high winds, heavy snow or sleet.....they could get snowed in and trapped. They won’t and can’t dig out.
So, if you don’t know where the cat is, think, “If I was a cat, where would I hunker down?
Mix kitten dry food with cats meals for extra calories, if possible.
Feeding at the high point of the day will give the cats the longest duration before wet food freezes.
Do not mix wet and dry food together in winter months. Dry food freezes but cats often swallow whole.
Ping pong balls floating in water bowls keeps the surface moving and delays freezing.
A teaspoon of salt dissolved in a bottle of water and placed in water bowl will keep the water from freezing. (Make sure the lid is on tightly.)
Very important: Do not dump ice from water bowls at the feeding area. When ice melts, it will create dangerous wet / muddy ground, exposing cats to frigid water.