A Cat's Purrspective, LLC

11/01/2024

Make your cat’s carrier a part of your home environment. This way, your cat will see the carrier as a safe place and learn to associate positive experiences with it before being transported. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3HILZAE.

10/25/2024

Behavior changes in your cat are the primary indicator of pain. As the person who knows your cat best, you are an important member of their healthcare team and key in helping to detect the signs of pain as soon as possible. Learn more at https://bit.ly/4c0rKxD.

09/27/2024

It's ! What can you tell about the relationships between these 3 cats from the picture below?

The brown tabby is Yato, the tuxedo is Julian, and the brown and white tabby is Inigo.

Bonus picture of Julian and Inigo in the comments!

(Image: Julian, Inigo, and Yato lounging on the bed. Julian is belly up and showing teefs while Inigo has his paw covering his face.)

09/19/2024

Check out this client video! These 3 cats are undergoing a structured re-introduction (the brown tabby--French Fry--is the new cat, who wasn't getting along with the fluffy black one--ChiChi) while the black and white cat (Oreo) gets along with both. This video shows a combination of the "Voluntary Sharing" and "Super Bowls" pattern games; basically, when French Fry looks up at her owner, Oreo and ChiChi get treats and then French Fry gets her treat in the next dish in the line. This combined pattern game can help cats learn how to interact in a positive fashion!

If you need help getting your cats to get along better, I can help! Please visit my website for more information about my services: https://www.acatspurrspective.com/services.php

08/12/2024

A recently published questionnaire- based study looked at how cats respond to the death of a feline or canine companion. They found cats that had closer relationships with their deceased companion, were reported to have reacted strongly to their death 💔😿

412 cat caregivers were questioned about their relationship with the remaining cat and the relationship between the remaining and deceased pet.

Caregivers were asked about any immediate and long-term behavioural changes to the remaining cat after their companion had died.

Factors such as the length of time engaging in activities together, positive relationships between the two animals and the longer the cat lived with their companion seemed to affect the remaining cat’s behaviour.

✍️Caregivers reported cats showing grief-like behaviours, such as a decrease in sleeping, eating and playing. Increases in attention -seeking behaviours and fearfulness were also reported 😿

Higher levels of caregiver attachment seemed to be linked with an increase in attention seeking behaviours, suggesting that caregivers may have been projecting their grief onto the remaining cat 🫂

Caregivers who experienced greater grief were more likely to report their cat was sleeping or hiding more, whereas those with avoidant attachment to the deceased animal reported less grief-like behaviours in the remaining cat, indicating that those without a strong attachment are less likely to believe animals grieve.

🔎This is an interesting study, as it shows that cats might respond to the loss of a companion by displaying certain grief-like behavioural changes. However, the study also highlighted that caregivers may be biased when reporting changes in their cat’s behaviour because they are grieving themselves. Furthermore, a grieving caregiver could also alter their behaviour towards the remaining cat, thus influencing their behaviour.

The study can be accessed here 👇
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016815912400203X

🐈Do you think cats grieve when they lose a companion?

📖Reference:

Greene, B. and Vonk, J. (2024) 'Is companion animal loss cat-astrophic? Responses of domestic cats to the loss of another companion animal,' Applied Animal Behaviour Science, p. 106355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106355.

06/24/2024

Pattern Games aren't just for dogs! What are pattern games? Pattern games, designed as part of the Control Unleashed program by Leslie McDevitt, offer a predictable, positive interaction between a pet and their person, in which the pet is in control.

In the video below, you can see me doing the "Voluntary Sharing" pattern game with my cats Inigo, Yato, and Julian. What can you tell about the pattern from watching the video? Why did I move the dish that's in front of Inigo?

Comment below!

06/20/2024

There's plenty of choice nowadays when it comes to cat litter. Some cat litters are scented to try to help mask the smell of soiled litter. This might make cat toileting facilities a bit less stinky for us inside our home - but what about cats? 🤔

🐈‍⬛Well, we don't know for sure, but it's likely that cats do not enjoy using scented litter. This is because cats have a highly attuned sense of smell, which is far more sensitive than ours - around 14 times better in fact!

🐈‍⬛Cats use their sense of smell for hunting, feeding, processing olfactory information from their environment and for communication - it's a very important sense for cats.

🌼🧼Some litters smell things such as lavender, baby powder, pine, flowers, vanilla, soap etc and they may smell nice to us, but these smells are very strong and overpowering for cats.

🐈‍⬛Cats might use scented litter if they have no other option, but it's likely that they would choose a non - scented version if they could.

🐈‍⬛If you already use scented litter in your cat's litter tray, have a look and see if there's a non-scented version of the same litter available - your cat will thank you for it! 😺

06/18/2024

As the temperature rises with the onset of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, this is a good time to review a few heat safety recommendations to keep your feline friends safe and comfortable.

The following are some guidelines for addressing this important issue. As always, your veterinarian is your best source of guidance if you have any questions or concerns about these recommendations or the well-being of your cat.

1) Help to maintain hydration by assuring that fresh water is available at all times. Providing a running water source like a fountain may encourage some cats to drink more. Make sure that water is always available both indoors and outdoors for those cats that are allowed outside.

2) Provide shaded areas for cats that are allowed outside. These may take the form of tress, umbrellas, sun sails, and/or indoor places to which a cat has access.

3) Provide ice cubes for your cat to play with and cool down while doing so.

4) Use cooling mats (available for purchase online and through other outlets). You can also make a cool space for cats to hang out in by wrapping ice packs in blankets.

5) Keep cats indoors (if possible) in air-conditioned areas when extreme heat is forecast.

6) Check sheds, garages, greenhouses, barns, and other outbuildings to make sure there are no places in which cats can become trapped.

7) Use pet-safe sunscreen on the ear tips and nose of cats with light colored fur to help prevent skin cancer.

8) Know the signs of heat stroke, which can become life-threatening very quickly. These include:
a. Weakness/collapse
b. Excessive panting
c. Drooling
d. Vomiting
e. Diarrhea

If you notice any of these, immediately place your cat in a cool area with a draft, gently wet her fur with cool (not very cold) water, and contact your veterinarian immediately.

Taking these easy steps and knowing what to watch out for can help assure that your cat is comfortable and safe during times of extreme heat.

Stay cool out there!

Bruce Kornreich, D.V.M ’92, Ph.D. ’05
Director, Cornell Feline Health Center

05/18/2024

It is completely normal and essential for cats to groom themselves. Grooming is essential for coat maintenance, but sometimes cats can groom excessively or 'over-groom' - why does this happen?🤔👇
🐱Cats can over-groom if they have skin disease - especially if the skin is itchy (pruritic) or inflamed. It is common for cats with flea allergic or flea bite dermatitis to overgroom.
🐱Cats can over-groom due to pain of a specific area, such as excessive grooming or arthritic joints, or constant grooming of the ventral abdomen (tummy) area due to cystitis (painful bladder)
🐱Cats may over-groom if they are affected by chronic stress. This is known as 'Psychogenic alopecia' and can occur anywhere on the body, but is often seen on the flanks or abdomen. Cats that are over-grooming due to stress often start because there is an underlying medical issue e.g. allergic skin disease or FIC (feline idiopathic cystitis)
🐱Over-grooming can also occur if the cat is affected by certain neurological conditions, such as feline hyperaesthesia syndrome
How do I know if my cat is over-grooming?🤔
This can be difficult to spot as cats are fastidious groomers. However, if a cat is losing fur due to over-grooming there will be patches of skin visible, but the fur itself will look broken and the coat will feel rough to touch around the patchy areas. This is because the hairs themselves have been broken during the over-grooming process.
Another sign that a cat is over-grooming would be the sudden appearance of hairballs due to the ingestion of excessive amounts of fur from over-grooming.
If you expect your cat has been over-grooming contact your veterinary practice for advice 🐾

For more information about over-grooming visit the International Cat Care website: https://icatcare.org/advice/over-grooming/
Reference and further reading:
Atkinson, T. (2018). 6 Health and behaviour. In T. Atkinson, Practical feline behaviour (1st ed., p. 86). CABI.

05/01/2024

Not all cats are motivated by treats! Meet Frosted Flakes. Frosted, as I call her, started out as an under-socialized kitten at Queen Anne's County Animal Services. I began working with her a few months ago, and the progress really stepped up once I realized that PLAY is her favorite thing! The video below shows me using play as her reward for a specific behavior. Can you tell what the behavior I'm rewarding is?

PS: Frosted is available for adoption and comes with an hour of FREE behavior support! Contact QACAS for more information about adopting her!

04/29/2024

As a compassionate caregiver, it's important to ensure that your cat receives the best quality of life possible, including end-of-life care. While it may not be the most comfortable topic to discuss, end-of-life care is just as crucial as regular checkups and creating a Cat Friendly home. Learn more about quality-of-life care at https://bit.ly/4avvy8I.

04/28/2024

Kneading, also known as 'making dough' 'making biscuits' or my personal favourite... 'making puddings' 😁 is a common behaviour in adult cats, but why do they do it?

🐱Kneading in adult cats is a behaviour that carries over from kittenhood (neotenization), where kittens use the rhythmic movement of their front paws to stimulate milk production at feeding time

🐱Some cats stop this behaviour when they are adults, but others continue, especially around or on their owners, where they will usually purr, knead and sometimes dribble simultaneously!

🐱Some cats will also perform this behaviour on really soft or fluffy material such as fleeces, blankets or their owner's clothing

🐱Lots of cats knead on their owner's laps, which can be a sign they feel safe, content and relaxed in their owner's presence

We don't know exactly why this behaviour occurs in adult cats - but it's thought to be associated with cats being in a pleasurable state!

🐾Avoid telling your cat off if they knead your lap, as this could startle them, making them tense up and dig their claws into your skin even more. If your cat likes to knead on you, try covering your lap with a blanket or wear thick clothing to protect yourself.

Does your cat knead? 🤔 🐱

📚References

Atkinson, T., 2018. Practical feline behaviour: Understanding cat behaviour and improving welfare. 1st ed. Wallingford: CABI

Brown, S., 2020. The cat: A natural history. London: THE IVY PRESS

Icatcare.org. 2021. Why do cats knead their owners with their claws? | International Cat Care. [online] Available at: [Accessed 13 April 2021]

04/19/2024

If you have a senior cat, the AAFP recommends a checkup every six months to discuss common age-related changes your cat may experience. Some changes may include shifting behavior or sleeping patterns, increased ‘talking’ or meowing, and pain related to movement when jumping or using the stairs. Learn more at https://bit.ly/49b7o1X.

04/15/2024

Free event put on by an AMAZING cat behavior consultant who's also a vet tech specializing in behavior!

Join me and Every Dog Behavior and Training this Thursday for this awesome free event!

Register below 👇

https://www.everydogaustin.org/event-details/feline-communication-how-to-speak-cat

04/15/2024

Having a cat that eliminates outside the litter box is stressful for both the cat and the caretaker. The good news is that there are simple ways to prevent this behavior or attempt to fix an already present problem. Below are some tips on how to make the litterbox a safe place for your cat. Remember that the litterbox is not just a toileting area but also a place where your cat establishes his or her territory to feel secure in their environment.