Did you know in the US that there is a MAJOR health risk for cats:
About 60%* of cats are overweight (10%-19% over ideal body weight) or have obesity (20% or more over ideal)
SO - weigh your cat! This simple exercise is FUN for your cat and will keep them healthy, Especially important as they age and calorie requirements may decrease.
Tips:
- Don't give too many treats - higher in fat / calories than regular cat food (no more than 10% of total daily calories)
- Feed your cat small, frequent (5-6) meals instead of one or two large meals
*Source: 2022 Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) National Pet Obesity Prevalence Survey
Learn more and evaluate your cat(s) shape using the body condition score here:
https://www.petobesityprevention.org/catbcs
Did you know in the US that there is a MAJOR health risk for cats:
Nearly 60% of cats are overweight (10%-19% over ideal body weight)
15% of cats are obese (20% or more over ideal)
SO - weigh your cat! This simple exercise is FUN for your cat and will keep them healthy, Especially important as they age and calorie requirements may decrease.
Tips:
Don't give too many treats - higher in fat / calories than regular cat food (no more than 10% of total daily calories)
Feed your cat small, frequent (5-6) meals instead of one or two large meals
Learn more and evaluate your cat(s) shape using the body condition score here:
https://www.petobesityprevention.org/catbcs
About 60% of US housecats are OVERWEIGHT (10%-19% of ideal body weight) or OBESE (>20% of ideal). SO - Weigh your cat! This simple exercise is FUN for cats and can improve their health.
Use the Body Condition Score chart for a quick way to evaluate how your cat compares to the ideal body condidtion. https://www.petobesityprevention.org/catbcs
#certifiedcatbehaviorconsultant #healthycats #healthycatshappycats #HealthyCatsHappyCats #healthycatshappylives #thepurrfectcat
Weigh your cat - the easy peasy Gold Standard!!
Did you know in the US that there is a MAJOR health risk for cats:
Nearly 60% of cats are overweight (10%-19% over ideal body weight)
15% of cats are obese (20% or more over ideal)
SO - weigh your cat! This simple exercise is FUN for your cat and will keep them healthy, Especially important as they age and calorie requirements may decrease.
Tips:
Don't give too many treats - higher in fat / calories than regular cat food (no more than 10% of total daily calories)
Feed your cat small, frequent (5-6) meals instead of one or two large meals
Learn more and evaluate your cat(s) shape using the body condition score here:
https://www.petobesityprevention.org/catbcs
#certifiedcatbehaviorconsultant #healthycat #healthycats
#thepurrfectcat
Enrichment tip for indoor cats. Bring the outdoors in!!!
Tunnels can provide a great play area, but they also provide some safety for a fearful cat (like Belly).
A fearful cat likes hiding under things, like chairs, furniture or beds. Measure the increase in your cat's confidence by how willing they are to walk through or lay in/near the middle of a room.
Top ways to increase a cat's confidence: Keep a consistent schedule (feeding, play & training), play with your cat regularly, play pattern games or do training, reduce intercat tension.
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
