My goal for this blog is to give you insight into what makes your cat tick.
Knowing the motivation behind your cat's behavior will help you solve — and prevent — behavior problems. Cats are extremely intelligent creatures, and for too long they've been considered untrainable. But through this blog, you'll see this isn't the case. My goal is for you to have the relationship with your cat that you've always wanted.
A bit about me:
I'm a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant and author of seven books on cat behavior. I also head the cat division and am on the board of directors of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.
I speak about behavior at veterinary conferences and humane organizations and have made many television appearances, including on CNN, Fox News Channel, and National Geographic. I'm also a frequent guest on syndicated radio programs around the country.
In addition to writing books, I was an award-winning behavior columnist for Cats magazine and The Daily Cat. I was also the cat behavior expert at iVillage for five years. In addition to authoring several articles for scholarly journals and cat magazines, I've been the subject of many profiles and interviews, including in Woman's World, New Woman, Newsweek, Prevention, Daily News, the National Enquirer, the Chicago Tribune, Complete Woman, Pet Life, The Seattle Times, Cats, and Cat Fancy.
For several years, I toured nationally as the spokesperson for Friskies and performed with the Friskies Cat Team — the famous cats seen on TV and in movies. I was also the spokesperson for the Friskies Shelter Program, which awarded grants to ten shelters across the nation to create cat habitats. We designed and built the prototype at New York's Northshore Animal League America. This facility's cageless, customized environment encouraged cats to socialize, stay active, and feel more at home while waiting to be adopted. Similarly, as a member of the Friskies Dream Team, I worked with Trading Spaces designer Frank Beilec and the Today Show's Lou Manfredini to design and build the Ultimate Cat Habitat, which was unveiled before the national media.
As an author, my work has received many awards and much critical acclaim. In Cat Vs. Cat (Penguin), I address the unique challenges of maintaining a peaceful multicat home. The first-of-its-kind manual deals with the often frustrating circumstances multicat owners face. Cat Vs. Cat provides valuable insight into how cats communicate, both with us and with other cats. It uncovers the true motivation behind cat behaviors, so you can understand what they need from us, from their environment, and from each other.
Think Like a Cat (Penguin) has become a best-selling, comprehensive survival guide for all aspects of cat care and training. The book received a special award from the Cat Writers' Association. The methods described in the book are based on my technique of helping owners look at behavior from the cat's point of view.
My soon-to-be-released Starting from Scratch (Penguin) teaches that it's never too late to work on behavior problems, regardless of your cat's age. Look for it in bookstores this year.
When I'm not writing and touring, I do behavior consultations through my company, Cat Behavior Associates, LLC, based in Nashville.