If you haven't heard of silvervine and have a cat, your cat will love you (more) if you get some soon!!
After I made this video, I found 2 cats that didn't love silvervine - so the 80% number is probably the best estimate!!
#Certifiedfelinebehaviorconsultant #catbehavior #happycats
#catenrichment
This sweet female is afraid of her 1 year old male roommate, who chases her in his attempts to play. We are doing a reintroduction, but this is the very first step, the scent exchange.
My wonderful clients sent me the video of her reaction, when presented with a sock with the male cats facial pheromone scent on it. They thought this was an okay reaction which most people would.
However, this is actually a negative reaction. The signs are subtle and you need to know what to look for.
I saw a few eye blinks with a slight retraction of the head at first, followed by a lip lick (vertical to the nose - indicating a bit of stress), a yawn (another sign of stress), and then a head turned away.
No, she didn't hiss or get up and walk away. However, there was an immediate reaction. A subtle communication of mild tension. I asked them to repeat the exercise until she doesn't do those things and is not upset by his smell. We could also pair treats with the sock, so she gets counterconditioned with a positive thing.
And to be perfectly perfect, they should not put the sock directly up to her nose, but just lay it near her.
With cats, the devil is in the details!!
Cat approved hide & seek toy - low key play this time. Exercise is important and reduces anxiety! 12 days & they're still not tired of it - but I will put it away for a bit, so they don't get bored with it.
Electronic mouse test failure.
My tester was quite interested but confused...
Thought I'd try a new automatic toy to keep the kittens entertained, since rotating toys is so important to enrich your indoor cats lives. It's spun backwards a lot and kept turning off!!
#felinebehaviorconsultant #certifiedfelinebehaviorconsultant
#catlifeishard
Daily kitty play - city style!
Start with a leash if you want to take your cat outdoors and be sure they are engaged with you and the toy. Teach your cat to come using positive reinforcement training before you take them outside!!
#certifiedfelinebehaviorspecialist
#felinebehaviorconsultant
#playwithyourcatdaily
#reducebullybehavior
Use a broom stick, pole or other item to block the couch "under" to reduce the number of toys you'll need to retrieve. Clemmy demonstrates the proper technique for recovering a spring off the backboard❤️😼
#selfplayisthebest
#catbehavior
#felinebehaviorconsultant
#certifiedfelinebehaviorspecialist
My kind of babysitting!!! Daily enrichment for some guests. I have for a few weeks.
#pullthetoyAWAYfromthecat
#felinebehaviorconsultant
I just have to give a huge shout out to 1 of my clients in Canada who is doing an amazing job with a cat re-introduction!! These 2 cats could not have been in the same room without a major fight ensuing. They were completely separated in the house when we started working together at the end of October. This is a huge step forward in the fact that they can even be in the same room!
She is doing short play/treat sessions with them (during the day) when she has time. This allows them to change the association of the other cat from a negative to a positive.
This is about the third step in the re-introduction process and it's a very critical time. Even though she's the only one in her family working with the cats (doing it with two people is the gold standard and much easier), they have made progress. Still work to do but I am excited at this outcome.
#catertoyourcatsneeds #watercat #sillycat
#observecatbehavior
#certifiedfelinebehaviorconsultant
Enrichment and weight control all in one! A must have if you have a food motivated kitty!!
Just kissed and snuggled my sweet kitty And immediately after she begins this. Why??? Believe it or not, It's very common for cats to clean where their humans have just touched. They're trying to remove oils and replace your scent with theirs. With an incredible sense of smell and fastidious need for "clean", it makes perfect sense!
