Companion animal behavior consultants have a saying: “You better like cats who urinate outside of the litter box. This is the bread and butter of feline behavior.” Very true. A behaviorist is contacted not for the first or fifth offense, but later, after much damage has been done to the home. Recognizing how stress impacts the urinary system of cats, veterinarians turn to feline behaviorists to help reduce this stress, especially when Feline Idiopathic (Interstitial) Cystitis is diagnosed. Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC) is a physical, medical, and behavioral problem that results in on again/off again bouts of painful urination. Sudden onset

Here are some of the most important factors for keeping a cat happy with the litter box at various life stages.

The first step to keeping animals calm is understanding their way of communicating with us humans. We’ve covered the important cues to dog behavior in our Body Language of Fear in Dogs poster. Now we have those same cues in poster form for cats! You can download one for free (or a donation) from our store.

Have you ever had a patient you wanted to “flip the lip” for a dental exam, but the patient was anxious about mouth handling? Raising the upper lip, also known as “Flip the lip” can be difficult for pets’ who are wary of handling around the head. These situations are challenging, and pose a bite risk to handlers and veterinarians. I try to think of ways to get an exam done while reducing stress and aggression. In one of her lectures, Dr. Sophia Yin demonstrated using pretzel sticks to give rewards to dogs that grabbed at food. If they bit

Intro by Dr. Sophia Yin In 2009, I produced the first and only textbook and DVD on Low Stress Handling of dogs and cats in the hospital or shelter setting. Since then the methods and philosophy have spread around the world. In this article, my colleague in the Netherlands, Dr. Valerie Jonckheer –Sheehy details how she used desensitization and counterconditioning to give a cat a pleasant toenail trim. The techniques used in this case are based on Dr Sophia Yin’s protocol for trimming the nails of an anxious dog. Counterconditioning for Toenail Trim Aggression 15 April 2014 History: The owner reports

Are you looking for a way to encourage visitors to come to your shelter, increase kitten adoptions, and as a result have kittens that are less fearful of being handled, encountering strange objects and people, and that are more tolerant of having their nails trimmed or of being vaccinated?  Watch Kitty Kindergarten to learn how to make scary experiences that might elicit fear in a kitten into scenarios that are pleasant and downright fun for kittens!  Most Behavior Issues Can Be Prevented with Early Socialization Did you  know that most cat behavior issues—aggression, antisocial behavior, potty problems— can be prevented with early