Feline Minds

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but that saying has long been proven false. us humans can learn some new things once in awhile too, especially when we pay attention to what’s going on around us!  Sometimes those little discoveries can add to a whole lot of additional joy in life, especially where our cats are concerned.  For example, years ago I tried to grow some herbs in a planter inside my apartment.  I put the planter in a nice sunny window, and waited for the cilantro and parsley to grow…unfortunately for my culinary interests, my older kitty soon discovered this nice warm “dirt bed.”  As an indoor only cat, living with someone without any plants, he probably missed out on the opportunity to dig and roll around in some nice warm dirt.  he soon started spending hours a day laying in the sun in the planter, and although he squished my herbs, the fact that he loved laying in the planter so much convinced me that it should belong to him.

The other day, I was trying to motivate my two cats to get a little more aerobic in their interactive play.  While I was dragging a small interactive toy around (the very mouselike cat catcher), I ran from the fully lit kitchen into the dark living room, and suddenly my cats perked up!  The dim light seemed to make the play much more enticing for them… which makes sense on a lot of levels, because cats tend to hunt small prey who are active at dawn and dusk.  Their eyes are designed to help them hunt at night… this concept seemed so obvious once I realized it that I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it earlier!  However,  this accidental discovery has now become a regular part of our play routine.
Sometimes the most common object lying around the house can make the best toy. My friend recently made a cat toy by tying a few pieces of corn husk together into a “dragon-fly” shape. Her cat loved it, so she made one for me, and my cats love it too!

The scratchy sound, light weight and bat-around-the-house-ability make for a nice (and environmentally friendly) new toy - you can use fresh or dried husks…and just compost when your cats are done with it! Small objects around the house also allow for us to give the cats plenty of novelty in their play-life…straws, pens, balls of paper or tin foil all require minimal expense and can allow for maximum variety and fun.
where there is an open mind, there is a potential cat toy!
**As always, remember to keep play safe and don’t leave any toys out unsupervised that might be ingested or cause choking hazards (this includes rubber bands, strings and q-tips).**
Send us your comments and questions: info@felineminds.com
and check out our website at www.felineminds.com

Cats are amazingly agile animals. They leap and climb like nobody’s business, especially when they are young and fit. Even the old guys are capable of pretty amazing feats. Of course, having these little hunters in our house can mean trouble for our domicile….our cats’ jungle is our couch, walls, beds, chairs, counters- you get the picture. If the little tiger is lucky, she may also have some “trees” to call home. One nice development is that the pet furniture market has gotten a little wiser as to human aesthetic sensibilities. For instance, I’m partial to the rustic line of the Angelical cat trees: http://www.angelicalcat.com/main_cat_furniture.shtml

We love watching the antics of happy cats climbing and stretching their limbs. How they can retract their claws and walk completely silently continues to be a source of amazement and intrigue. The integrity of the cat’s whole body- which someone referred to as “a little killing machine” is compromised if the cat’s claws are removed- an unnatural and unnecessary procedure in our minds!

Our little superathletes do need some grooming in order to stay in top shape. We recommend regular nail trims, especially for indoor cats. Get them used to having their paws handled while they’re young, if you can. If they are already adults, you can still make them more comfortable with their toes being touched by keeping the contact “short and sweet”- pair it with a special treat, for instance! If you haven’t clipped your cats’ nails before, we recommend observing a professional do it first.

Any vet clinic or grooming facility should be able to clip your cats’ nails. Feline Minds offers claw clipping in your home, as we recognize that sometimes the hardest part is getting your cat in a carrier!  No extra charge for extra toes!

check out our website for more info about us

www.felineminds.com

Starting your own business as cat behavior consultants means you’re never really sure what your workweek will look like. But, you might expect, aside from the typical business-running stuff like dealing with your bank, updating your website, producing invoices, creating advertisements, networking and the like, that you’d spend most of your working time providing consultations for clients.  But once a while, something unusual comes your way…

We recently heard that the Meow Mix TV Game Show was in need of some cat behavior assistance to help conduct screen test evaluations of possible feline contestants.  An opportunity that seemed too unique to pass up!

We’ll be the first to admit, cats on a TV show seems like a potentially bad mix.  Cats tend to be territorial, not in the aggressive or spraying everywhere sense, but in the sense that they like to be in familiar places.  Most cats also don’t routinely travel in a carrier to strange places… they stick to their own territory (which for indoor cats is pretty secure and small, and even outdoor cats tend to not roam that far).  Some cats also become completely freaked out by the sound, smell, or sight of other cats.

The auditions took place at a hotel in downtown San Francisco. Owners first had to pass a quiz of cat knowledge, then bring their cats (in a carrier!) into an enclosed room for the first round of testing, ensuring that the cats were confident and comfortable enough to handle the stress of stardom.  A lot of care was put into the process, ensuring safety for the cats — including having two representatives from the American Humane Association present for the screen tests and filming. They’re the ones responsible for the message you see at an end of a movie “no animals were harmed in the production of this movie.” The two reps present for the Meow Mix TV Game Show were conscientious, compassionate and there to make sure that no kitties were getting stressed out. They also helped us get our bearings, and get things rolling.

All in all, over a hundred people in San Francisco brought their cats in for a chance to be a winner.  Out of nationwide auditions, only eight cats and their owners will get to take part in the actual game show.  Prizes include $1 million, so you can imagine, the pressure was on.  Some people brought portfolios and resumes for their cats.  Others dressed their cats in fancy scarves or rhinestone collars, or even dyed them pink in hopes of a better chance at fame and fortune.

Amazingly, many of the cats did very well given the circumstances.  Many carriers were popped open, and cute feline heads peeked out, curious, confident and ready to be on camera.  Some cats, being cats, were a bit scared of the whole process, and chose to remain in their carriers.  Those cats were unfortunately sent home, but not without a consolation prize of treats courtesy of Meow Mix.

Cats who did well were sent on to the next round of the process — a screen test. For the cats, it entailed sitting on their owners lap.  For the owners, there are questions to be answered about the bond between them and their cat, and why they should be a contestant on the show. All while being filmed.

Time will tell who made the cut… the show premieres on the Game Show Network in November.

One thing that was obvious, there are lots of people out there who love and dote on their cats.  Even those whose cats were scared, understood that may be their feline friend wasn’t meant to be a TV star… but could still be a star at home!

For those of you who think your cat might make a good future film star, here are some quick tips.  One is to slowly and gently acclimate your cat to a cat harness and being on leash.  Please note that cats need a special harness due to the fragility of their necks — a regular collar and leash is dangerous… try the Premier Come With Me Kitty harness.

It’s a good idea at first to just leave the harness out for your kitty to sniff and check out. Praise and treats at this time will build positive associations. After this, you can place the harness on the cat…just keep it loose at first.  Keep any sessions short and do this daily until your cat seems more comfortable with the harness on for a longer period of time.  The next step is to attach the leash, letting the cat drag it around at first (be sure to supervise) — don’t hold the leash. again, keep sessions short and build up her tolerance…and don’t forget the treats! The next step would be a short trip to your backyard… ideally a secure, safe and quiet space. Keep in mind that no harness is 100% secure, and also that there may be other animals or cars in the environment that could pose a danger.  Walking a cat on a leash is not quite like walking a dog… in most cases, the cat will walk you!  But it can be a fun way to provide mental stimulation and acclimate your cat to being out of the home.  Just keep in mind, it’s not for all kitties… usually confident cats do best.

Another thing that helps cats with travel, is being used to the carrier, not just associating it with veterinary visits. Think about it, if you leave the carrier in the closet, and the only time it comes out is before going to the vet, your cat is going to figure out pretty quickly that the carrier can only mean one thing… something terrible! So, try instead leaving the cat carrier out all the time… even dismantling it and making it into a cat bed — take the top off and place a fleece pad inside (catnip and treats will make it even more enticing).  You may also want to think about short trips in the carrier that don’t result in a veterinary visit.

For more details, feel free to e-mail us at: info@felineminds.com
and be sure to check out our website www.felineminds.com

Thanks!

There are some great cat toys for sale. Some of our favorites are the fancier “fishing pole type toys” that are so good for enhancing the cat-human bond and getting your kitty to MOVE

But you don’t have to spend much money to entertain your cat…and in some cases, they may even prefer the homemade varieties;)

Here are some simple and cheap or even free toys that your cat may love:
Bathrobe ties: Great for your rambunctious kitty who likes to not only chase, but grab and bite and bunnykick the toy. For the more delicate players, how about some tissue paper to rustle around in? They’re not too picky about the color, either. Crumpled balls of paper (experiment on kind…newspaper can be a favorite…sorry Chron!;p) are fun to toss…oh and your cat might like them too!
infant shoes - they outgrow them quickly, and they’re not meant for walking, so they are little and easy to bat around. ask a new mom for handmedowns!
straws - another favorite
juice/milk rings - make sure they are not a ‘chokable’ size
large plastic bottle caps

and last but not least:
cardboard boxes - the ultimate best cheap new “toy”. you can use in conjunction with other toys (put some crumpled paper in it for instance) or solo…you can make a tunnel, even, if you are so inspired!

or…paper bags - cut the handles off to prevent Kitty from getting entangled.

Low-cost fun: If you know someone with a peacock (right!) one of those beautiful feathers will make your kitty very happy for a day or two. They used to be sold at the SFZoo for $1 or so each…buy a handful and save for future use.

*A caveat: Make sure to supervise the use of all toys- very few are safe to leave alone with your cat. Avoid rubber bands, qtips, and pipe cleaners. Especially dangerous are anything with strings, which can cause major intestinal problems if swallowed. But that’s another blog altogether…for now, remember to Play Safe!*

What are your cat’s favorite home-made toys? Let us know!

info@felineminds.com

(originally posted 7/6/2008 on the sfgate pets page)

Welcome to the feline minds blog… we are excited to be a part of the Bay Area Pets feature on sfgate.com. Here we hope to share information about general cat behavior, what makes your tabby do all the wacky things that she does, and answer reader questions. First, we’ll tell you a little bit about us.

We both have a background of working with cats who have behavior issues, as well as working with their parents! We ran the Cat Behavior Program at the San Francisco SPCA for many years, helping cat owners solve behavior problems by answering calls to the behavior helpline.  We also helped adopters find just the right shelter kitty for their lifestyle.  We taught classes on cat behavior for the general public, as well as for other shelters and rescue groups.  In addition, we worked hands-on with the shelter cats, evaluating each cat individually to assess their personality and temperament as well as to help place them in the perfect home.  For those with ‘challenges’ such as aggression, extreme fearfulness, and litterbox avoidance, we designed custom behavior modification plans that staff and volunteers could easily implement - and transform many a tiger into a relatively tractable cat!
We recently started our own private consulting business, Feline Minds, so that we could provide people with additional services, namely in-home consultations for people experiencing behavior problems with their cats.
We both have had a lifelong passion for animals (not just cats!). When we are not feline focused, Dilara works at a specialty veterinary hospital, and Mikel is a full-time psychology student.
You can read more about us, Feline Minds, and our services at our website:
http://www.felineminds.com

If you’d like to e-mail us any questions about cat behavior or something interesting your own cat is doing, please feel free to contact us at info@felineminds.com.
In the meantime, stay tuned for more!