Kringle with my library copy of the book Pam Johnson-Bennett is wonderfully generous with secrets from her cat behaviour counselling practice. I loved her earlier book, Think Like a Cat, recommended by our Quebec cat behaviourist Éduchateur, in its French translation! This book is equally excellent. Written for every cat lover, topics are introduced in a question and answer format. The many boldface sections that make it easy to grasp essential answers or skim to what you need. The advice offered is solid and sound, with only positive approaches, never punishment. The writing style is accessible and will help a lot of people to understand their cats better.
The “social media” chapter explores cat communication intriguingly. The scent left by a cat is aptly described as “an encyclopedia of feline data.” The way we humans mostly use sight when meeting someone to decide if they’re familiar, the cat uses scent. Cats are said to have 200 million scent receptors compared to our 5 million. Purring is likened to a human smile in what it may show. We might smile when we’re happy, nervous, unsure, or to make someone feel better. Purring has all those functions. I read this book looking for tips for my anxious senior cat who resists grooming, but needs help. The chapter on senior cats only mentioned those who enjoyed being brushed. No easy answer here. However, I found suggestions that may increase his confidence. Being “still and small” was recommended for playtime. We can move toys to resemble prey in three ways: “slither like a snake, skitter like a mouse, or dart around like a cricket.” We can improve catnip toys by marinating them in catnip, and rotate the toys so they aren’t all out at once. I might also add more tunnels, which was recommended. Kringle often hangs out in the tunnel that I got for him last year. To help a cat to be happy with visitors, moving a toy in an enticing way is suggested to encourage the cat to come out from under a bed. Jackson Galaxy’s advice in this respect goes further, to blocking the area under the bed. The idea is to encourage the cat to hide in more social locations in the home, which are also accessible in case of emergency. I’m not sure if blocking that area has had an effect on my cat, but I'm glad I took that step. The author comments that too many cats end up in shelters because of behaviour problems that their families didn’t know how to correct. “Many of the cats I evaluate in shelters could’ve easily stayed in their homes if the cat parents had had a little more information about the nature of cats and what they need.” Perhaps this is why she is so generous with her advice, so that fewer cats will be in dire need. We’re also urged not to wait until we have a problem to implement these suggestions. “Just as we use preventive veterinary care, we should also use training and behavior modification to help prevent problems from arising in the first place.” We can certainly learn how to have a home and habits that will support a strong, healthy relationship with our cat. This book will help many people to do just that. Have you read any great cat books lately that you would like others to enjoy? I'd love to hear about them. - Irene Plett Details: Pam Johnson-Bennett, CatWise: America's Favorite Cat Expert Answers Your Cat Behavior Questions (2016, Penguin Books, ISBN 9780143129561) Topics: Cat behaviour, Pam Johnson-Bennett, Jackson Galaxy, cat behaviourists, Éduchateur, Kringle
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