When we say our pets are “fine,” we need to explain what “fine” looks like. Animals can have different fear responses, which include the well-known “fight or flight” behaviors, but also “fret” and “freeze.”
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Archives for Behavior tips
If I fits, I sits… even in tape?
Most cat owners are aware that their cats LOVE boxes. The phrase “if I fits, I sits” is something every cat owner is aware of and we all delight in seeing our cats shove themselves into even the tiniest of boxes. We know that cats love boxes because they feel enclosed, safe and warm, and that even big cats in captivity will put themselves into boxes placed in their enclosures. Did you know, though, that if you tape a square onto the floor, it’s likely that your cat will put himself into that 2D square? Even more mind bending is
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Why all the barking?
“How do I stop my dog from barking?” is a common question trainers get. To answer that, the first things we need to know are 1) in what type of situations is your dog barking, and 2) what need are they trying to meet? Dogs bark for a lot of reasons: boredom, fear, attention, excitement, etc. In any of these cases, the focus shouldn’t be on stopping the behavior, but instead, thinking about meeting the dog’s need before the barking starts. For good tips on addressing different types of barking, check out this blog post: https://positively.com/dog-behavior/nuisance-behaviors/barking/ Avoid devices or methods
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How to greet a cat. Cat edition.
In the animal welfare world, we talk a lot about consent for touch with dogs, but this theory applies as much to cats as to dogs. You’ll often hear a cat parent say something like, “He likes attention, but only on his terms,” and to some, that is thought of as a bad thing, making cats less desirable as pets. The truth is that all of our pets at home deserve the same respect, the choice to move away when they want to, and to seek attention on their terms, without labeling them as “difficult,” which is often how we
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8 Ways to Keep Your Christmas Tree Safe from Your Cat (And vice-versa!)
Every year cat owners debate how to best keep their Christmas tree safe from their cats. Here are some tips that can help to make things a little easier!
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Bringing Your New Kitten Home
Please remember: your new kitten could be frightened and confused, even if they were happy and outgoing when you met them at the shelter.
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Dogs have a 3-second rule, too!
Most dogs enjoy petting, but even the cuddliest dog has times when simply not in the mood! Prolonged touching can be overstimulating to some dogs, and can make others uncomfortable or stressed. When dogs don’t feel able to move away – which they may not when in physical contact with us – they may resort to telling us to back off in less desirable ways. Give dogs a way of “opting in” to social contact by using the “3-second rule” of petting. Pet for no more than three seconds, then stop. Does the dog nudge you or move into
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When Problems Arise With Your New Cat
It’s not uncommon to see some quirky or concerning behavior not long after bringing your newly adopted cat or kitten home.
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Troubleshooting Cat to Cat or Kitten to Cat Introductions
The decision to adopt a new cat or kitten is a big one, especially when you’ve already got an adult cat or two in the home. Folks often say that adopting a young cat or kitten can help an adult cat who’s lost a feline companion or can invigorate an adult or even elderly cat but, often, this can lead to a strong stress response in the adult, resident cat. An adult cat with an unknown history with other cats, an elderly cat who’s been the only cat for a long time, or even a cat who’s lived with other
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Cat Clicker Training Basics
Before you can begin any clicker training work with your cat, you’ll need to introduce the clicker to her. The purpose of this initial training is to teach her that the sound of the click means something wonderful is about to happen…. in the form of a very tasty treat. First the cat will learn that the sound of the clicker is associated with a great food motivator, once they’ve become comfortable with that, we’ll move on to using clicker training to encourage behaviors that we’d like to see happen with more frequency. What do you need? A
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