great expectations.....

Finding folks who specialize in cat behavior can be challenging in a field that has tended to be very "dog-centric", but here in the Bay Area we are very lucky to have the wisdom of the folks at "Feline Minds" at our disposal. This cat behavior consulting business is run by Mikel Delgado (certified cat behavior consultant) and Dilara Parry, both formerly of the SF SPCA's cat program with years of experience between them. They have a really great, interesting and informative blog, which can be found by going to their website: http://www.felineminds.com/ Some folks might scoff at the thought of someone needing an in home cat behavior consult, but when you think about all of the pressures and expectations required of the modern companion animal, it's really not so unusual:

Both cats and dogs are expected, in 21st century life, to tolerate and accept a huge variety of things/events/interactions that the critters of the past never really had to deal with. More dogs are living in urban/suburban environments than in the past. Our city space has become more "dog dense" as a result and dogs are expected to be able to deal with all kinds of random things - noisy traffic, big lumbering buses and trucks, motorcycles , bicycles passing close by, skateboards, people popping out of doorways or cars, not to mention lots of other dogs encountered while out on walks, of varying levels of sociability. Our cats are expected to not scratch on furniture, to be able to discriminate that the litter box is the only place they should relieve themselves, to live harmoniously with other pets in the home. Folks also expect critters to be ok with being hugged, kissed, petted and picked up, not just by ourselves, but by other people/kids as well, even in instances where our pets don't know these folks!

Wow, talk about great expectations to be putting upon our animals. All of these expectations can quite understandably turn into pressures that our critters have a hard time dealing with. It's our job as humans to help our pets learn to feel more comfortable with new stuff/situations they encounter. But it's also our job to recognize when we're asking too much of them - would YOU feel ok with random strangers rushing up and hugging/kissing you? So many things that we associate with affection - hugging for example - can make our animals uncomfortable. We think "hug" and the critter thinks "restraint". If our own pets feel a wee bit uncomfortable when we hug them, imagine what it's like for them when a total stranger or someone they barely know does it?

Many dogs and cats end up in animals shelters purely for the "crime" of acting like what they are - a dog or a cat. An example being a cat surrendered because it "wouldn't stop scratching up the furniture..." Cats need to scratch, and if we don't provide them with appropriate scratching devices, they quite understandably will utilize whatever is to hand, or in this case, paw. Keep in mind that cats have preferences for surfaces they like to scratch, so if one type of scratching post/surface doesn't rock your cat's world, then it's time for a "scratching post casting call" - try out some different types. Many dog behaviors that humans find problematic are not only normal from the dog's perspective, they're also ones that we as humans selected for way back in the day when we decided that these dog critters were kinda useful: barking = "cool, that will alert the village to an intruder, we like dogs that bark!" or chasing stuff = "awesome, we'll harness that so you can keep our livestock under control!". Nowadays many of us just want our critters to be companions, but guess what - the behaviors that are natural to them, that we selected for, can't just be turned off like a tap because we find them inconvienent in the modern world. We need to make sure we are providing appropriate alternatives for our pets.

So if folk wonder why there's the need nowadays for the services of dog or cat behavior professionals, the answer is: because the modern world and it's expectations puts so much pressure on our critters. Just because some pets seem to be able to take it all in their stride doesn't mean that all pets are going to be capable of that.

On a final note for those of you still reading, Thanksgiving is almost upon us. That can mean houses full of visitors, lots of tempting food about, front doors opened for longer than usual as folk arrive/depart. Maybe your critter thinks this kind of busy, hectic scenario rocks, but if not, giving them a quiet place to relax in another room or area of the house will likely be something that your pet is thankful for! Don't fall prey to the very human notion that your dog/cat will feel "left out" or "lonely". If a house full of visitors is too overwhelming for them, then having a peaceful room to relax in will be akin to a relaxing day at a spa in comparison! Ok, Happy Thanksgiving everyone!