Feline Behavior

The way your cat behaves tells you a lot about her overall wellness. Cats communicate with us and other cats in many ways. Research studies give us a great amount of information how cats communicate. Many of pet parents are familiar with dog body language. Reading and understanding cat body language is the first step towards a better relationship with your cat..

Why is cat body language important?

Cats communicate with their ears, whiskers, tail and eyes and it will give you information about the mood state they are in:

  • Are the ears flat to the head?

  • Are the pupils dilated?

  • Where are the whiskers positioned?

  • Is the tail straight up, or twitching sidewards?

  • Is the cat vocalizing?

  • Look at the whole body to put everything in context!

black cat focussing on toy displaying cat play behavior

Use positive reinforcement R+ to train your cat.

The Feline Consultant provides information about the latest research studies surrounding cat behavior and science-based training methods that include positive reinforcement, desensitization and counterconditioning.

I will develop a customized plan to match your personal situation and explain basic animal learning theories including classical and operant conditioning.

With your schedule and home situation in mind I will get you started with basic cat training techniques including pattern games and clicker training.

Talk to your veterinarian about sudden behavior changes.

Behavioral issues can stem from underlying health conditions. It is important to take an approach that rules out medical issues and discuss sudden changes in behavior with your veterinarian.

Cats are masters at hiding pain. As prey and predator animals cats have a strong instinct to hide pain in order to survive. A great tool to assess your cat’s acute pain level is the Feline Grimace Scale.

The Feline Grimace Scale (FGS) (© Université de Montréal 2019) is a valid, fast, reliable and easy-to-use tool that can help with pain assessment. Based on the scores of the Feline Grimace Scale, it is possible to know if the administration of analgesics (i.e. pain killers) is required helping veterinarians with clinical decisions in pain management.

Observe your cat’s emotions:

Observe your cat’s body language and the context situation in your home closely. The information will be invaluable to assess the mood state your cat is in:

  • Did your resident cat start behave differently when you added another feline friend to the household?

  • Is your cat suddenly acting aggressively towards you?

  • Does your cat keep you up at night?

  • Did your cat start spraying once you moved into that new house?

Common Cat Behavior Problems:

Many cat owners come across one of the main feline behavior problems during their cat ownership. I have the knowledge and experience to prevent, manage, and resolve many issues such as:

I will listen to your concerns and develop a customized plan for your situation.

Sandraplayingwithcats

Cooperative Care

As a cat friendly certified Veterinary Assistant, I understand the processes involved in the medical procedures. For many cat parents the stress of a cat visit to the vet already starts with getting the cat to and from the vet. We understand these challenges and will help you make this process as stress free and easy for YOU and your cat.

This includes the process of:

  • getting your cat to and from the vet.

  • advocating for your cat at the vet.

  • giving hands on tips how to stress free administer medications. 

Services


This is how the 5-step process looks:

1. Book an appointment online and be prepared to fill out the intake form.

2. Make sure your Zoom account is working ahead of time. Please submit any additional information at least 24 hours before the consult. If we are meeting in person, please make sure you send me your address ahead of time.

3. During the personal or virtual meeting, I would like you to briefly describe your situation. We will then tour your home to better understand your cat’s environment.

4. We will then discuss a detailed, customized plan with step-by-step instructions on how to help resolve the issue(s). Please take your own notes during this conversation. I will follow up with a written outline of our discussion and my recommendations within two business days.

5. Depending on the type of consultation you booked, the initial booking includes check-ins or follow-up calls. Cat introduction cases may take longer, but you have the opportunity to book follow-up calls for as long as needed. Your written assessment includes all dates of the check-ins and the follow-up call. I encourage you to send me videos of the progress and your training technique. This will help me help you determine the next steps.

6. The initial cat introduction package includes detailed information and handouts for your case. One follow-up call is included. Many cat introductions take longer, but you will have all the tools you need. If you feel you need further help, follow-up calls at a later point in time are for you.

  • Cat Behavior Consultation – 60 minutes for $150

    This is your option if you have a case of elimination outside the box, or need help managing your cat’s scratching, vocalizing or counter-jumping. Or if you are a first-time cat owner and need some tips and tricks.

    • I am a new cat owner and want some kitten socialization tips.

    • My cat is jumping on the kitchen counters when I prepare dinner.

    • My cat wakes me up at night and wants to play. What can I do?

    A written outline of our discussion, handouts, and my recommendations within two business days.

    One 60-minute session to discuss your case and the behavior management plan.

    7 days of follow-up via email.

    Additional follow-up calls or packages can be booked separately.

  • Cat Introduction Package - 90 minutes for $250

    This is your option if you have a case of inter-cat or human/cat aggression, or if you want to introduce a new cat to the household.

    • My cats used to get along and now they don’t. What caused this and how can they be re-introduced?

    • My cat attacks me, my partner, my child. What can I do to stop this?

    • My resident cat started attacking the new cat I adopted. What can I do?

    A written outline of our discussion, handouts, and my recommendations within two business days.

    One 90-minute session to discuss your case and the behavior management plan.

    Two bi-weekly check-ins and one 30-minute follow-up call.

    Email follow-up during the six weeks.

    Additional follow-up calls or packages can be booked separately.

  • Follow up calls and packages - for existing clients only

    These are your follow-up options if you need more help with a cat introduction case or an initial behavior consultation:

    One 30-minute appointment to discuss any questions you have.

    The package option: Three 30-minute appointments to discuss any questions you have.

    A follow-up appointment can only be scheduled within 60 days after the final initial consultation ends. If your initial consultation was longer than two months ago, a new one must be booked.

    If you are scheduling a package for cat introduction cases, we recommend scheduling the follow-up appointments within 30 days.