Signs to contact a cat behavior expert.
Lately, I’ve noticed many cases that take a long time to resolve, leaving owners feeling very stressed when they finally come to me. Animal behavior is a professional field, like veterinary medicine, grooming, and animal nutrition. I often compare it to different roles in finance.
A CPA (Certified Public Accountant) is a licensed expert in tax and accounting, focusing on compliance, auditing, and taxes. A CFP (Certified Financial Planner) helps with long-term financial goals like investing, retirement, and estate planning. These are separate areas, and sometimes you need both to get everything right.
The same holds true for your pets. Depending on the issues, you might need different professionals, and often, several experts. I see many cases where problems have been ongoing for quite a while. Cats may urinate outside the litter box for months, display stereotypic behaviors for years, or owners may struggle to give medications, finding it very difficult. Behavior specialists can really make a difference here.
Although there’s plenty of general advice online and on social media, personalized support tailored to your specific situation is usually much more effective than generic tips.
Generally, it's a good idea to reach out to a cat behavior expert when behavioral problems become a safety concern, start damaging your home and sanity, or don't improve even after a veterinarian has ruled out medical issues.
Always check with your veterinarian first, as sudden changes in your cat's behavior are often linked to underlying pain or health problems, such as urinary tract infections or arthritis.
Here are some topics where a cat behavior specialist can really help:
Cooperative care and training cats to take medication
Most cats require medication at some point in their lives, and it is recommended to start cooperative care training early, even before the cat needs to take medication.
Being able to administer pills or liquid medication with little to no stress for cats can be a huge relief for cat owners. We often see recommendations to burrito the cat and squeeze the pill or liquid into their mouth. This is stressful for the cat and the owner. You may be able to administer one dose, but what about the other 13 doses?
Cooperative care is a skill best practiced in a relaxed environment, not when the cat must take the meds.
Elimination outside the box
If one or more cats in your home are not using the litter box, reach out to a cat behavior expert. The first step is always to rule out any underlying medical issues. Once your vet has given your cats a clean bill of health, the next step is to systematically review the litter box, litter, and location in your home.
Intercat aggression
There is a LOT of information available online and on social media about how to introduce cats. Unfortunately, much of it is well-meaning but can make things worse in real life:
Feeding your cats next to each other.
Imagine you are only allowed to eat when someone you don’t like sits next to you.
Put them in one room, and they will fight it out.
Can you imagine being forced to live in a studio with someone you don’t know or don’t like?
Plug in the pheromone diffuser and give them Prozac.
Behavior meds have a very important place in a behavior modification plan. However, they rarely work on their own.
Cat introductions are part science and part art, and there are no predictive indicators of how your pairing will turn out.
From my experience, the fewer negative interactions two cats have with each other, the more likely they are to become tolerable roommates. And this is what we are aiming for in the first place.
Severe anxiety and fear:
Is your cat constantly hiding, having panic reactions to normal household sounds, or refusing to interact? A behavior expert can help build confidence and implement desensitization and counterconditioning to address fearful behavior and anxiety in cats.
Human-directed aggression:
Hissing, scratching, biting, or stalking humans or other animals in the household should be taken seriously. A cat behavior expert can help conduct a functional analysis to determine the context and triggers for the behavior. It is important to learn cat body language to understand the signals your cat sends before they attack or bite. Behavior is governed by rules, and in many cases, prevention is key to a happier life with your cat.
Excessive vocalization or nighttime activity:
Many cat owners understand the challenge of persistent zoomies at 4 am, begging for food at 5 am, or yowling and crying throughout the day or night. These behaviors might be reinforced unintentionally. A behavior expert can guide you to help your cat settle down so you can enjoy peaceful nights and happy days together.
If any of these examples resonate with you, you are welcome to set up a meet-and-greet call. It'll be a great opportunity for us to get to know each other and see if a behavior consultation might be the perfect next step for your situation.