The Cat Whisperer

From Salon.com comes this fascinating article about a cat behaviorist. Mieshelle Nagelschneider opened up her Cat Behavior Clinic in Portland, Oregon and has now signed a deal with a television network to show off her skills.

Nagelschneider is particularly adept at diagnosing behavior problems with cats and finding subtle yet powerful ways to encourage better behavior. She's not a pet psychic or even a trainer. What she does, and what all good pet owners can do with a little help, is understand the feline mind.

Kristin Weir, the author of the piece, writes about trying to correct her cat's behavior. Thompson's like a lot of cats we know:

Thompson grew into a wildly affectionate, completely lovable, moderately rotund adult cat. He outgrew most of his extreme behaviors, but one trait persisted. Thompson is a biter. He bites frequently and hard. As I climb into bed at night, he'll dart from a dark corner and lock his jaws around my ankle, ears back and eyes wide, like a lion taking down a wounded gazelle. But five minutes later, all is forgotten.

We see Thompsons all the time. And their frustrated owners. On occasion, we do find medical reasons for their behavior, but sometimes it is just a personality issue.

Weir describes a two week course, led by Nagelschneider, that gradually rewarded Thompson for his good behavior, and discouraged his bad behavior:

One thing that I immediately liked about Nagelschneider's approach was her assertion that we focus on rewards, not punishment. She suggested a few "aversive techniques" to try when Thompson misbehaved, but they were pretty mild -- rattling a soda can filled with quarters to startle him, or simply ignoring him altogether. "We don't want to traumatize him," she explained. "The idea is to achieve the desired results with the least amount of invasive measures possible."

This pro-active approach made sense to Alice Moon-Fanelli, a clinical assistant professor of animal behavior at Tufts University. "Cats are very responsive to positive reinforcement," she said. "Usually what happens is the pet gets attention when it's doing something wrong."

This, of course, is nothing earth shattering, but Nagelschneider does bring some interesting theories to her program. In Thompson's case, she does some quick feline psychoanalysis.

But as we discussed his habits and quirks, one theory emerged above the others as a likely diagnosis: Thompson had low self-esteem. As Nagelschneider described it, Thompson's apparent lack of confidence could explain his dizzying alternations between clinginess and viciousness. When he followed me from room to room and jumped on my desk 15 times a day, he was looking to be reassured of my affections. When he attacked, he was acting out in an attempt to control me, like a playground bully knocking the skinny kid down to boost himself up.

Like the dog whisper and horse whisperer that came before her, Nagelschneider reinforces something that we too often forget when dealing with animals. We are better pet owners when we try to see it from their point of view. Patience, attention and love will allow us to understand much about our cats.

I encourage you to read the article in full--if only to see how one scientist ranks cats as similar to pigeons and cockroaches.

Travelin' On

We want to say goodbye to one of the Scottsdale Cat Clinic family. Jasper, one of our resident felines has decided to pursue other offers. In truth, Jasper had grown too big and too important for our small clinic. He was receiving offers we just couldn't match. We quickly felt like the Milwaukee Brewers with a hot prospect we couldn't afford to sign. I like to think Jasper's out there somewhere in pinstripes--hopefully with the Cubs.

In truth, Jasper was a pretty shy young cat when we adopted him. He was one of the guests of honor at our Grand Opening, and we thought he'd make a great addition to the staff. But as the months wore on, Jasper became more and more bold. Lots of you, I'm sure, saw him run out and greet your cats as they arrived for exams or surgeries. While he was friendly, Jasper was also particularly keen to let these other cats know they were in his house. He accomplished this in the usual feline manner; with the occasional spray.

Jasper was also a handful in the back office. Once he became comfortable in his clinic home, he expected a lot of play time. We found it hard to get on with work with our young black cat draped all over us. Jasper also had a love-hate relationship with Margie, our dignified senior calico. Jasper loved teasing Margie, and Margie just flat out hated Jasper. Who knows what havoc was wrought in those long nights when the clinic doors were shut. Eventually we realized that Jasper was the Shawn Marion of our team (to mix sports metaphors). He was incredibly talented, but unhappy with his role. We had to let him go.

Our thanks to Shannon for enthusiastically negotiating Jasper's trade. Good luck and Godspeed to you, little black fellow.

Save Your Life: Get a Cat

A new study suggests that cat owners are less likely to die of a heart attack or stroke than people who don't own cats.

A new study from the University of Minnesota says that feline owners had a 30% lower risk of death from a heart attack than those without a cat. Dog owners, however, showed the same rates of death.

We aren't ones to jump on a possible post hoc, ergo propter hoc fallacy, but I think we all know that cats just make life that much better.

And, I'm sure dogs are of great comfort to lots of people. We would never suggest that owning a dog is risky behavior. Some people like to bungee jump and skydive. There's all sorts in this world.

Yelp!

Scottsdale Cat Clinic - Scottsdale, AZ

We made it on to Yelp. Thanks for the two reviews you guys gave us. We're glad you enjoyed coming to see us. We talked about that gymnastic cat for the rest of the week.

And the rest of you...if you liked us, we wouldn't be irritated if you raved about us on this and every other website that will have you.

Dental Health Month

Save 10% on Dental Treatments in February

It's the month-long celebration everyone anticipates. Well, probably not, but February is Dental Health Month for your cat. Now is a good time to schedule your family feline for a cleaning. It's easy to overlook our cats' teeth. And for some of us, we'd just as soon stay away from those pointy fangs. But good dental health is essential for the overall health and comfort of your cat. Give your cat a bright smile in February, and we'll give you 10% off the dental treatment. That includes x-rays, cleaning, anesthesia, and any teeth extractions we might recommend.

Call the clinic at 480-970-1175 to schedule your cat's dental treatment.

Check Out That Bright Feline Smile

Good oral health care can increase your cat's life span. Gingivitis and dental lesions can, of course, cause pain and discomfort for your cat, but it's not just your cat's teeth that are at risk. Inflammation and infection of the gums can lead to heart, kidney, and liver problems as bacteria and toxins travel through the bloodstream and to your cat's organs. 70% of cats have gum disease by the time they are three years old. Left untreated, many pets suffer silently and age prematurely. Preventing and treating dental disease will keep you cat healthier and improve his or her quality of life.

Good dental health requires professional cleaning and consistent home care.

If tartar and gingivitis (common problems in cats) are already present, your cat will need a professional cleaning under anesthesia. This includes both a visual exam and a complete set of x-rays of the teeth. These x-rays allow us to see any hidden problems as well as enabling us to plan the most effective treatment. The teeth are then cleaned with an ultrasonic scaler and polished.

Frequently, we will see lesions on the teeth that are painful for the cat and can lead to infection. For the benefit of the cat, it is necessary to remove these teeth.

At the end of the procedure, the mouth is rinsed and a sealant called Oravet is applied to every tooth, preventing plaque from quickly returning.

At home, you can keep your cat's teeth healthy and clean by feeding them high-quality food, dental chews and even brushing their teeth. We can suggest a number of products that can make it easier to keep your cat's teeth pearly white.

Rinses, Gels, Chews and Brushes

The Scottsdale Cat Clinic offers a variety of products to help you keep your cat's teeth clean. At the end of each dental cleaning, we apply a sealant called Oravet to your cat's teeth. We also offer a home care version of this same sealant that you can apply to your cat's teeth on a weekly basis. The waxy substance helps keep those teeth free of plaque and the buildup of tartar.

But it doesn't stop there. We also have gels that reduce gum inflammation and help with mouth odors--a plus for a species fond of fish-based foods. Special dental diets from Hills, Purina and Royal Canin exercise the teeth and are formulated to scrape plaque away. Dental chews also exercise the teeth and help fight bacteria. We even carry cat toothbrushes and toothpaste. And if your cat isn't the sort that will take to brushing, we have rinses that you can add to your cat's water dish.

You've got a lot of options for keeping those teeth in good shape. Let us help you find what works for you and your pet.

Feline Dental Health Websites

Brushing Your Cat's Teeth

Pet Dentistry

More and More Pet Dentistry

Dr. Jane Brunt and the CATalyst Summit

According to an American Veterinary Medical Association recent survey, the percentage of cat-owning households that received NO veterinary care was 36.3%. That's over twice as many as dog-owning households. In response to this alarming statistic, the American Association of Feline Practitioners is launching the CATalyst Summit to promote the health and well-being of cats. Topics discussed will include why cats' needs are going unmet and how existing stereotypes regarding cats can be rectified.

Dr. Jane Brunt, past president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners, spoke with PetLife Radio about the upcoming CATalyst Summit and cat care.

Super Bowl

The hubbub has finally died down, and all those crazy Northeasterners have shipped back to the cold and snowy East Coast. We had some fun wandering around, seeing how the runaway freight train remodeled our downtown.

The game was enjoyable to watch, but when are we going to get a Super Bowl featuring the Bengals against the Lions? Or how about the Jaguars versus the Panthers? Now that would be a Super Bowl worth watching. None of these mediocre names like "Giants" or "Patriots." More cats in the NFL!

And not so many birds.