Cat Sense Behavior & Training Services

13/03/2024

Have you ever worked with a hyperthyroid cat? Do you want to learn a little about Radioactive Iodine Therapy? I recently had the amazing opertunity to Chay with Yvonne and Jordan from the Internal Medicine for Vet Techs podcast to chat all about one of my biggest passions in vet med: treating hyperthyroid cats.

Listen to this episode from Internal Medicine For Vet Techs Podcast on Spotify. Title of episode: Radioactive Treament; 131 in Cats Join Yvonne Brandenburg, RVT, VTS SAIM and Jordan Porter RVT, VTS SAIM as we talk: WITH…. Kelly Beaudoin, LVT! She’s a credentialed veterinary technician with love ...

16/07/2021

When was the last time you cleaned your cat tree? Fur and dander can build up on fabric cat trees, leading to your home smelling a little more "cattish" then most would prefer and irritating allergies in those of us (myself included) who are allergic to cats. A good sheading brush, such as the Furminator, and a lint roller can go a long way in keeping your cat tree allergen free, without using any cleaning chemicals that cats tend to want to stay away from.

02/05/2021

Relaxing Sundays on the couch. 😻

23/04/2021

The cutest little blep you ever did see. ❤

23/04/2021

"Draws me likes one of your French gurls." - Butter Bean

07/04/2021

Last week we had the privilege of having Freyas littermate, Zelda, as a house guest while her humans were moving. Here are a few basic tips for introducing or reintroducing cats to eachother. Please remember these are very basic steps, and every introduction is unique and may need modifications:

🐈‍⬛ Zelda spent about 4 days completely separated from the other cats before she started showing interest in socializing. She showed this interest mainly by trying to play with Freya through the closed door.
Cats recognize eachother mostly based scent, so it can take up to several months of positive associations before the scent of a new cat doesn't phase the resident cat. If a cat has been away at a different house or the vet clinic, it can drastically change their scent, making it difficult for former or current house mates to recognize them.

🐈‍⬛ Once Zelda and Freya were both comfortable sniffing eachother through the door and were not showing signs of stress, we started letting them have su-purr-vised play time which they both loved!

🐈‍⬛ It's extremely important to always go slowly when introducing or reintroducing cats to eachother. Each cat should have their own separate safe space and feel comfortable in that space before you start to introduce them.

🐈‍⬛ Never leave cats who are just getting to know eachother unsupervised! It's important to keep both cats happy, and end the intercation on a high note to avoid intercat aggression down the road.

🐈‍⬛ Be aware of body language. In the above video, Freya is totally relaxed and enjoying the interaction (lose body, actively wanting to interact, ears forward, relaxed face). Zelda is a little less sure of the interaction (backing away at times, vigilant of the area around her, alert and slightly tense face), but did want to keep attempting to engage in play behavior.

23/03/2021

Bean is home and recovering from his dental. Everything went very well and I'll be posting more details in the next couple of days. 😍

23/03/2021

It's dental day! Bean is pretty hecking mad that we placed an e-collar on him so he can't pull out his IVC while waiting for his procedure to start.

21/03/2021

What better way to spend the first warm Sunday of the season than scrubbing litterboxes?

20/03/2021

Freya is starting Caturday off by surveying her kingdom from the top of her tower.

19/03/2021

🥰 The most handsome Bean there ever was.

13/03/2021

In the pet professional world, we often talk about the challenges of handling and restraining brachycephalic (squishy faced) dogs, but rarely do we have the same conversations about a brachycephalic cats.

While scruffing is not an ideal method of restraint for any breed of cat, it can pose higher risks for cats with shorter air ways. This post from the On The Floor at Dove YouTube channel illustrates some great handling techniques for our squishy faced feline friends.

Brachycephalic cats are known for being social media stars, but did you know that they are significantly more likely to suffer from respiratory stress? Learn...

12/03/2021

We've had some great news regarding Bean's recent diagnostics.

Although there has been a mild progression of the thickening of his heart wall, an increase in his proBNP (a test that measures stretch of the heart muscle) and a progression of his heart murmer from a grade 2 to a grade 3, he is not yet at a point where medication is required to manage his condition. The remainder of Bean's blood work looked beautiful and his blood pressure was perfect.

The cardiologist has made recommendations for the safest anesthetic medications, and we have the green light to proceed with Bean's dental procedure.

11/03/2021

L.j. has confirmed it. Spring is coming! The sunny spots are warm enough to bask in now.

07/03/2021

Sometimes they love each other.

06/03/2021

Can feline specific music help reduce your cats stress in the veterinary setting? It looks like the answer is yes! Check out this fascinating Vetgirl podcast for more information on the effects of classical music vs. feline specific music.

In this VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we discuss the impact of music on cats' stress reactions in the veterinary clinic. Hampton et al wanted to...

05/03/2021

Bean was very good and had a lot of fun with his favorite techs and doctors at Biddeford Animal Hospital today.

🐈‍⬛ Bean has early stage HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). This condition is often asymptomatic in cats, and was initially diagnosed in Bean after his DVM heard a grade two heart murmer on a physical exam. At that time we did his first echocardiogram and the cardiologist diagnosed Bean with HCM. Since then, we've been doing echos every 6 months to monitor his condition.

🐈‍⬛ Bean had his blood pressure checked. Blood pressure provides a lot of insight in cats with heart conditions, as well as cats with kidney disease. It can be very difficult to get an accurate blood pressure reading on cats in the clinic due to high stress levels in an unfamiliar environment. Cats should be given 15-20 mins to acclimate to their environment and be in a calm, quiet area when obtaining a blood pressure reading in the clinic.

🐈‍⬛ Bean had his 6 month exam with his DVM. Things can change fast in senior cats, and it's important to make sure they see their doctor at least twice a year.

🐈‍⬛ We drew a blood sample out a Total Health Profile. This will check a Complete Blood Count (CBC) and Chemistry. This is the equivalent to an "internal physical exam" and will let us know how all of Bean's internal organs are functioning. It will also give insight to any developing metabolic conditions such as diabetes, cushing disease, and hyperthyroidism. We also tried to collect a urine sample for analysis, but Beans bladder was iust a llliitttllee to empty to provide one today.

Hopefully everything comes back boring and we can proceed with a dental procedure that's planned for Bean at the end of the month. He's developed a large resorptive lesion on one of his carnasial teeth and needs to have it extracted.

03/03/2021

Quite literally the green eyed monster.

03/03/2021

A friendly reminder as we approach Easter and Spring!

03/03/2021

Oh to be a Bengal. 💕

02/03/2021

Happy from the most handsome tabby boi-o in the world. (OK, I may be slightly biased but he is pretty gosh darn handsome.)

01/03/2021

These two adorable dudes have become quite good friends at Another Chance. Four year old Rubic, on the left, is a bit quieter than his buddy, but is as sweet as the day is long. Loves head and neck scratches and adores treats. His gregarious one year old buddy Hobo, right, is very outgoing and will talk your ear off. He’s very self confident and quite the comedian. Though not related, these two get along well and would make a great “instant family” for someone looking for two cats.

3/17 These two awesome dudes are still available!

01/03/2021

A case of the Mondays. We've all been there Freya.

28/02/2021

When your mane is so abundantly grand that no one can even see the rest of your body.

27/02/2021

Here are a few basic tips to keep in mind to make sure your cat is using the litter box reliably.

🐈‍⬛ Most of the litter boxes that are available at the pet store are too small for cats, even when they're marked as being extra large boxes. The ideal litter box should be at least 1.5 times the length of your cat. Modified storage bins make excellent litter boxes! 👌

🐈‍⬛ Litter boxes that come with a hood and a flap trap odors and dust inside, making them extremely unappealing to most cats. This style of litter box can also cause clausterphobia. 🙀 Other cats in the house may ambush the cat exiting the box which can lead to high stress levels when the need to use the box arises.

🐈‍⬛ Litter box locations are important! They should be away from noisy or scary appliances (laundry machines, dishwashers, ect.) and most cats prefer them to be in socially significant areas (living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms). 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧🐈

🐈‍⬛ Cleanliness is a must. No one likes a dirty toilet. 🚽 This is true for cats too! All of the litter boxes in the home should be scooped at least once a day, but ideally whenever you notice one has been used. A lot of cats will start emilinating outside of the litter box just because it's too dirty. This is also the best way to keep your home from smelling like a litter box.

🐈‍⬛ How many boxes should you have? The ideal number is however many cats living in the house, plus one. For example, if you have 3 cats, you should have at least 4 litter boxes and they should all be located in different areas of the home. 🐈🐈🐈🚽🚽🚽🚽

🐈‍⬛ Cats have incredibly high concentrations of nerve endings in their paws. This trait likely evolved to allow cats to pick up vibrations on the ground to help indicate how lively and how far away their prey is when hunting. On the flip side, this also makes them very sensitive to the type of litter used. Most cats don't appreciate pellet style litter and appreciate softer, sand like litters. 😸

23/02/2021

Guys! I'm obsessed with this "avocato" cat bed that I picked up at Petsmart yesterday. Seriously, even if the cats don't end up sleeping in it, how adorable is it??

22/02/2021

Do you?

20/02/2021

We recently had our pellet stove fixed after it being broken for about two months. No one is more excited that it's working again than Freyja.

19/02/2021

Naps are the best part of Friday... or any day according to L.J.

19/02/2021

Did you know dental disease in cats can lead to multiple behavioral issues as well as medical issues? If you have a cat that doesn't chew their food and often "scarfs and barfs" there's a good chance something may be less than ideal in your cats mouth. This is another great reason to make sure your cat is up to date on their vet visit.