Towards the perfect pet cat
Suppose, your cat urinates regularly on your expensive new sofa. Or it cannot stop fighting with the neighbour’s cat. Or maybe it has the habit to lick its fur until bald spots appear. Just a few problems which you as the owner of a cat may encounter. Problems a veterinary usually has no solution to. In such cases you may consult a cat behaviourist/behavioural expert. What exactly a behaviourist will be able do for you and your cat, you will read below.
Behavioural therapists for dogs have been known for a long time. Lately, more and more cat owners search for someone to help them with their cat and its issues. A cat behaviourist is specialised in cat behaviour. He or she provides information about the care and socialisation of cats and can prevent and resolve most behavioural problems.
Problems that a cat behaviourist may address include: fear, uncleanness, stress, aggression, indoor spraying and eating and scratching problems.
Socialise
"Cats Behaviour can be seen from two different angles," explains Marcellina Stolting, cat behavioural expert and therapist and owner of Cat Behaviour Consulting in Amsterdam. "Some problems might affect the owners, such as urinating in the house, while other problems really affect the cat itself (anxiety, for example). In the UK there are about 10 million cats and a very considerable number of these cats have issues. It appears that only eleven percent of the cats are totally problem free. American research has shown that even 75 percent of cat owners have seen his cat urinate in the house. So we talk about a problem of gigantic proportions. Not only for individual cat owners, but also for cat shelters. "
Cat behavioural problems might have various causes.Problems may arise from stress, by introducing a new family member, due to the loss of a family member, or because one of the cat’s friends dies. But the large majority of problems are caused by a lack of socialisation, Stolting knows. "People often think that they are able to socialise a cat, but that could only be done by a kitten’s mother." In the wild kittens remain with their mother for about six months. They even drink their mother’s milk for up to six months. If you take them away from their mother at only seven weeks, they are not well socialised. That is one of the main issues. Purebred cats, bred by good breeders, remain with their mother considerably longer, about thirteen to sixteen weeks, and that saves a load of issues we encounter every day. In fact, all kittens should at least be given a minimum of 12 weeks with their mother before leaving the nest. "
Contribute
The Cat Behaviour Consultant team treats about 2,000 cats per year. Stolting: "Before a cat comes to us, the owner usually takes it to the vet. They refer to us after determining that the questionable behaviour of the cat has no medical cause. We first ask the owner to fill out a detailed questionnaire to give us an idea of the background and complaints. Then we observe the cat at home. Then we set a diagnosis and suggest a treatment plan. In some cases, treatment may be initiated without referral from a vet, for example if there is stress because one of the cat’s friends is deceased. "
The therapy Stolting suggests and her advice to the owners is different in every situation, and with every cat owner. Stolting: "For example we could recommend playing more with the cat, buying a scratching pole, or just petting more or even less. Sometimes the cat will get a combination of therapy and medication, but this must be decided by the vet. We cannot decide about medication. "
A regular treatment takes about two months. Whether the therapy is successful, depends on the owner. "It never depends on the cat," says Stolting firmly. "You can teach every cat something. But it is necessary that the owner cooperates. They must be willing to invest about fifteen to thirty minutes every day for therapy. True enough, cats are able to learn everything: you can even teach them tricks such as rolling over. But you can also teach him how to make friends with other cats. You can even teach them to brush their teeth. Cats are very intelligent. "
ConsultationTreatment by Cat Behaviour Consulting is based on scientific studies of cat behaviour, consistent with the natural behaviour of cats and is 100% cat friendly.”Our consultants do not work with methods like punishment" emphasises Stolting. "We are challenged to solve problems without punishment. That seems logical, yes, but still it happens that cats are being punished. Punishment is so easy. " The Cat Behaviour Consulting in Amsterdam also organises consults at veterinary practices. Cat owners make an appointment with the vet for a personal, short conversation. Stolting: "Without the cat, because it already has a problem and it's very stressful for the cat to go to the vet." Cats Behavioural Therapy in The Netherlands is fairly new. Abroad, there has been behavioural therapy for decades. "Yes, we are quite behind in behavioural therapy" confirms Stolting. "For an approved course to cat behaviourism, you must go abroad."