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Ask The Cat Behaviorist · Back In The Closet - Two Crazy Cat Ladies

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I'm Jay, I'm Adrian, and together we are.
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There's two crazy ladies. I'm going to.
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Cut you, I think I just peed. Buckle up.
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We're back in the closet. Welcome to another episode of
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Back in the Closet with the 2 Crazy Cat Ladies and we are
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joined for another awesome episode with our favorite cat
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behaviorist, the cat behaviorist Linda Hall in the house to do an
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Ask the Cat Behaviorist session. And we will be doing as we told
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you guys before when we did this, we will be doing this
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quite often because we get some of the most questions that we
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get that will pertain to that how to help cats get along and
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behavior issues. So we brought in the expert and
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we're going to let her answer the questions today.
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Or anyone that doesn't already know and love you.
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Will you give a short intro? I am Linda Hall the cat
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behaviorist.com. I'm also cat behaviorist for the
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2 Crazy Cat Ladies. I work with clients on a one to
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one basis doing sessions and I've recently started doing some
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classes. We did an integration class.
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I'm now almost done with the curriculum for a pee pee outside
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the box class. So that one took a lot longer.
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That one took a lot longer to cook up.
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But yeah, we're going to get going out of that, so yay.
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That's always cooking. Yeah, yeah.
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Cooking. Always.
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Yeah, I'm like it's. Cool, we're just.
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So excited to. I'm so excited to chat more
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about all the new and awesome things that Linda has that's
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going to come out that you don't see just, you know, every day
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with cat behaviorists. So amazing, you guys.
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Well, you guys have already started dropping all these
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questions, so let's just go ahead and I didn't I didn't
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bring my glasses in here so could.
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You, I'm going to pop it up, she said.
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Hi, my almost a year old prefers to be hand fed.
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She eats more when she's hand fed rather than eating by
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herself. She'll only eat a few bites then
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walk away. How to make her eat properly
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herself? Is there another cat in the
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house? I wonder if she's feeling
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bullied at all. You know what it's it's, it's
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actually something that we have had to do in the past a lot as
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well is when they're, when our cats are I, I don't know if we
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can relate it to something. Sometimes I think, oh, OK,
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they're scared. Like with Annie, she was scared.
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And so when when she was nervous, we would hand feed her
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every bite of raw food, which is just lovely in your fingernails.
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But but then, but then the other cats, we were doing that when
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they were little and I was like, I feel like we're training them
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to eat from our or they're training us really they're.
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Training you? Yeah.
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Then they're done. That.
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Yeah, it can be. It can just be a preference of
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spending time with you. It's a bonding experience,
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right? You're together and it can
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become a habit, but it's usually like an insecurity or something,
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Like I'm afraid to eat alone. Either I'm nervous about you.
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Like maybe there's outside cats and they're afraid somebody's
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going to come in and steal you. You know, cats get very
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territorial. Or they're afraid somebody's
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going to push them out of their bowl.
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Which cats do? I live with 10.
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They push each other constantly. So yeah, it could be a few
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different things. Would you would you suggest
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maybe that they that they find a safer space to feed the cats?
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Because a lot of times we'll be like, maybe they need to eat.
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Yeah, I. Do have one cat that goes in the
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bathroom to eat because she's just gets pushed away too easily
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and will not eat so she has to go in the bathroom to eat.
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Yeah, a high up space might make her feel more comfortable if
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there's a counter. Like some people have little
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bars in the kitchen or something that you could sit at and do
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something and put her dish right there and see if she'll eat
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without your hand feeding her. Oh, I like that.
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That's. A good idea that's.
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A good idea so that you're close, you're right there, but
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you're not sitting there hand feeding her every drop.
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And then she'll get more accustomed to eating without
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being hand fed, right? Become a habit.
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Because yeah, they train us. They do.
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And then they don't stop because they like it correct.
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She's. Talking to you, baby girl.
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Not tonight, I didn't tonight. Next up, we've got the handsome
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Michael Hockett in the house. Hello Sir.
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I have a 7 year old cat who always lightly bites the back of
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the neck of my younger cats, both 2 years old, when I'm
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preparing their food. Another question.
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Never any aggression. They don't mind it, but why
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does? Why does he do that?
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That is a that is one of your alpha cats.
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This is a dominant cat who wants to be the boss and everybody.
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You had to understand. And probably during food prep,
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he's getting worked up and it's like you better listen, I, I get
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to eat first, right? Take, take note.
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We see that a lot. Sometimes they'll bite the back
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of the neck and well, basically hump them from behind.
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And it's not, and people often are concerned like I had him
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neutered and it is usually the boys.
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It's usually the boys and I had him neutered.
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It has nothing to do with that. It's a dominance thing.
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I need to show you that I am the boss.
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I've seen nervous cats do that a lot.
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You know, you need to know that I'm the boss, so you'll do what
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I say and go where I tell you to.
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And you know, you all need to fall in line.
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So as long as they don't mind it, I wouldn't do anything about
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it. I have a big orange boy that
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used to do his sister like that and she didn't appreciate it.
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So I would just toss something over there and he'd go to look
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at it and she'd get out of there and we were all fine.
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It's. So distraction.
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Gentle distraction if it escalates.
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If it asks if. Somebody doesn't like it, but if
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they're fine with it, then nobody.
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With our orange boy, Pooh Bear and actually Oliver Twist, they
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used to, we call it mounting mount.
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Mr. Biddles grabbed the back of his neck and we were always
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like, stop that, what is going on?
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Like stop it. But then we realized that like
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at at some point we realized that Mister Biddles like would
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would basically go over and get down and like.
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Me baby, take me. For it, these are three boys,
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right? So he just became the bottom.
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We're like, OK, you're the bottom.
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You're the bottom. I get that I was in the middle
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of a session one day and I look behind me and Galway is going to
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town humping suber right in the middle of the session.
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So I used to reach over into my drawer and grab a pair of fuzzy
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socks. I'm going to tell them myself
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Are you ready? But I had the trash can blocking
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it and I had to make it stop so pulled out a pair of pink
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panties and threw them out right in the middle of the.
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Yeah, you did. I want to let.
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Her out. I had to let her get out from
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the underneath comic. Ryan was like wasn't, wasn't
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planning on a panty show, but. I followed it up and threw it
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out. Think they knew what it was.
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They do if they're listening now, but it.
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But it was pink. It was pink panties.
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Yep. Yeah, did it do the trick?
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Is the question. Yes.
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He went to look and see what that was.
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She laughed, and then he was like, all right, I'll go find
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something to do, and we were done.
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So yeah, whatever works. The pitch panty were.
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Then if they were dirty panties it might have even worked better
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because then you know and smell so OK is right there throw dirty
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panties. Clean.
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Well, they're in the closet and that would have taken.
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But anyway, let's get back the. Question.
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OK. Next up we have.
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Samantha Samantha said. Took in a year and a half old.
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We took in a cat a year and a half ago.
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Thought she was pregnant. Other cats vetted and friendly.
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She's scared, takes treats, sniffs, sometimes sleeps at beds
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and but runs when we try to pet her.
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Not vetted yet. What can we do?
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Work up slowly with her. I, I took in a feral cat only
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because she was bonded to another cat that I took in.
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And yeah, in the beginning I just let her be.
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And I told everybody, if you see her, just keep walking.
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Don't disturb her. Let her get used to all these
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feet. And then I would catch her
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sleeping on the end of my bed. But when I woke up, she'd be
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like boom. And then after a while she'd
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stay. So I waited.
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Then announce yourself. Let them know what's coming.
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Don't just reach her there. You know you don't want somebody
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doing that to you. So I'd always put my hand out
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and go. I pet you.
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And then if she was nervous, she was a lip licker.
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And if she'd do that, I'd say, OK, maybe next time.
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And I'd pull back so that she knew she was in control of this.
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And if she didn't lick, I'd get just a just a little scratch.
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And I'd say, oh, thank you, I love you, you know?
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And then she could maybe leave me that I'd back up, but slow.
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She learned to trust me. These cats have been outside.
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They've probably had something horrible happen from some human,
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from other cats, maybe a dog. Haven't we know.
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We know what cat has been through.
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And so there's a nervousness and a fear.
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Cats have to trust us and accept us as a family.
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It sounds like she's getting there because she's sleeping on
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the end of the bed. But it's going to take her to
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really fully because if she makes a mistake, you could hurt
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her, right? She's everything cats do is
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about survival. Everything.
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Everything. They don't even play for fun.
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They play the hunt. It's all survival, everything
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they do. Yeah.
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Here's the question. So she's a year, a year and a
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half in with this little one. Is it, is there are there any
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like techniques or things that she can do to help, you know, to
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be more intentional about helping her be comfortable
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other. I mean, that's slow and steady.
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I think it can never be overstated how much it means you
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never had a choice about whether or not you're going to just get
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all up on their fluffy lovings. Always ask for permission.
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Yeah, this one was like 2 years. And I mean, it's just very
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recently that she is like being in the bed with us now.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah. But any other little tips like?
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Be a resource, you know, leave a treat.
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If the cat's hiding under the bed and you know they're under
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the bed, I would sit here and read my e-mail out loud or
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something just so they get used to hearing the sound of my
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voice. And then I'd say, all right,
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here's the treat. Thanks, Fluffy.
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And I would leave so that she feels my imaginary cat seems
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fluffy. So then she comes out, she gets
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the treat. She's gonna make the connection.
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You know, she's gonna get more used to the sound of your voice.
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And always announce yourself. Tell your cats what you're doing
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before you do it. OK, so pay per.
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Cut from behind, bad guys. You know predators get us from
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behind. Always go face.
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Right. So patience, language and
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approach. Yeah.
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Approach. Yeah.
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How to? Yeah, OK.
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I love it. Next up we have Nikita.
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Today I tried a new lower calorie food for Rose and she's
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gained a bit during the integration process.
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And Lena smelled her and hissed and growled like mad.
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Different scent scared her. I'm unsure.
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Interesting. Scent.
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I've seen that when cats get a tooth cleaning and they come
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back in, their breath smells from the vet's office.
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And the cats like, who are you? You don't smell right.
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Remember, cats operate by scent, not sight.
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They can't see any better than we can in pitch black and in
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daylight. They're really nearsighted.
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So it's all about the nose. And we do take on a scent of
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what we eat. And yeah, we have 5 million
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olfactory sensors. They have 200 million.
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They can smell things. We have no idea that exists.
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So yeah, she probably picked up on that strange set and was
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like, wait a minute, is is that you?
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Is that you, Rose? Yeah, I'm really not sure
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because it's a different knowledge she's used to it
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sounds like though it calms down fairly quickly.
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That's that feline non recognition aggression.
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Yeah. Another of course, perhaps.
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What do you think if you if you, what would you think if maybe
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they Nikita, if you maybe crush up a little bit of that that new
12:05
lower calorie food and put it on Lena's so she's more you know,
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so that scent is like. Absolutely, so that they're even
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if that's what I do. If my cat has a teeth cleaning,
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everybody gets the stinkiest food I have before they go back
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together so that their breath matches.
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Hey, that is fascinating. Yep.
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Yep. I feel smart too because I just
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made that up. No, you are absolutely correct.
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Anytime a cat goes to bed I brush them out really well and
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I'll bring the carrier straight in here, sit down on the bed and
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brush the heck out of them again before they go back out every
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time. And again.
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Dental cleaning, stinky food, surgery.
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They stay isolated to let all that anesthesia dissipate.
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Because you can. I've had a couple just in this
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last month, this last couple of weeks of feline non recognition
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and these these poor cats go to the vet or whatever and they
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come back. Now you've got this poor cat in
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the house. It's like who's the intruder?
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And this cat's like, but we were friends.
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Why are you attacking me? And the humans like my buddies,
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you know, now hate each other and it's just devastating to
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everybody in the house. So it's really important.
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Yes, that can be super traumatic.
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I want to give a shout out to Stephanie Hoover in the house
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Moon Mojo feline. Hello loves, Judith is here
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instead of happy anniversary. Thank you so much.
13:30
Last year. But Next up we've got Robbie
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Curtis. Oh, this is going to be fun. 4
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females, 2 are three and four and two are less than a year
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old. The oldest is either an Angel or
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attacking the two littles. She's been this way since day
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one. Doesn't attack her older sister.
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If she's trying to teach them how to be you know, I've often
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said if you ever saw a Mama cat with her kittens, if she was
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human, CPS would be called right like they're not going to She
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may just trying to be bossed around.
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I would definitely use your words here.
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And it's I mean, if there's a chance of hurt, then I would
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probably go with a separation, start working through a barrier
14:10
again. But if it's just, you know, if
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everybody's there's no blood drawn, nobody's really choosing
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violence, violence. I would definitely put those
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words into play. And if she goes at it, I would
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tell her, all right, that's enough, come back, you know, and
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if she got attacks, I would tell her time out, put her in a room,
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shut the door even just for a minute.
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Give her a reason to not want to do it.
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We cat people are so good at giving rewards and that is
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really important but we all fuck at giving consequences.
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So think about it this way. If someone were to tell me I
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will give you $1,000,000 if you'll spend 30 days in jail I
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would go and y'all I wouldn't do well in jail and I don't look
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good in orange and I'm kind of prissy so it wouldn't be good
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but I'd do it for 1,000,000 bucks.
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But if they said I'll take you to a Michelin star restaurant,
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if you spend 30 days, it's not happening.
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So it depends on how high of a value of the reward is.
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Maybe the reward is not high enough value to make me not want
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to do this. Maybe doing this is more
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important to me than getting that reward.
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That's why we have to have consequences.
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And that's that's the thing I think most people are missing.
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Yeah, yeah. It's different from you
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explained this to us too with our cat situation, is that
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there's a complete difference between punishment and
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consequences. Yeah, right.
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Can you explain that just a little bit?
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Because I think everybody needs to know.
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Because I want to cause you a little pain so that you know
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never to do that again. You can't.
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Everything a cat does is instinct.
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They do nothing wrong. You will never convince them not
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to do something. They have to choose not to do
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it. And tell people, if you don't
15:43
want your cat on here, put one of those spiky mats on there and
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the cat will go. I don't like that place and the
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cat will choose not to go. So you have to give them
15:51
choices. And y'all consequences exist in
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nature, right? If I am a cat outside a
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community cat, I have to know where the people are that will
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feed me, where's the porch I can shelter under and which house
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has the dog that wants to eat me.
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That's a consequence. You know, it's not a punishment,
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it's a consequence. So the idea that I try to send
16:12
those consequences is whatever it is you did, you're not going
16:15
to get your way by doing this. You know, cat jumps up to eat
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down, set them down. They do it again.
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Time out, put them in the bathroom, shut the door.
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Now you're even further from that.
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This isn't working for you, right?
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So they're OK. That's it's not going to work.
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So now I need to try another tact and it can take 5 repeats,
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it can take a 14 was my longest and I was in tears with that
16:34
one. But it can take a bit.
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But once they get it, they get it and they're done.
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I love it. Yes.
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And that is actually really exciting.
16:44
It's a It's a good. A good distinction too, right?
16:48
Because also like so many, there are so many cat parents that use
16:52
the like spray bottles or a newspaper.
16:55
And you know, like they, they, they kind of treat their cats in
17:00
a kind of like a similar way that you would a child, right?
17:04
Like I got smacked across the face if I, you know, lied or
17:07
said something, you know, that I wasn't supposed to sell.
17:10
You're, you know, you. I got a spanking as a kid and
17:14
and you know, then there's a lot of people that still think that
17:17
that is what sprains. A.
17:19
Cat. You're holding the water bottle
17:22
and they know it. How are they supposed to make a
17:24
connection without language like you would have to a child?
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I'm doing that. It hurts me more than it hurts
17:29
you, right? You know, it's just you walked
17:32
up and sprayed your cat for no reason why on earth and the cat
17:36
might make the connection. Cats are very smart.
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Hey, if I'm on the counter when she walks out here, she's going
17:41
to make me wet and I don't appreciate it.
17:43
But they're still going to get up there when you're not around.
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They you didn't teach them that what they did was wrong.
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This has to be a consequence that can be, you know, repeated
17:53
and be consistent. Consistency is everything.
17:56
Consistency is key. It is a.
17:58
Tough one for a lot of us humans.
17:59
Yeah, yeah. For all of us.
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This included. Next up all Carol I have a 2
18:04
year old cat who might see a cat outside and turns and attacks me
18:08
or my dog. I could be asleep.
18:11
Please help. This is a.
18:14
Indulged aggression. Those cats outside, that's
18:18
scary. That's, you know, imagine if you
18:20
heard a mass murderer had escaped and had been seen in
18:23
your neighborhood, right? It's scary now I see this cat.
18:27
Oh my gosh, it's coming and it's going to take everything I got
18:29
to get everybody moving. You're laying there like easy
18:32
prey while the boogeyman is outside the door and it causes
18:36
tremendous anxiety. The biggest thing I can tell you
18:39
is either cat Mace or the solar cat repellents to keep those
18:43
cats back because there's just, you can't combat that.
18:47
That's, you know, a cat spraying your house is like somebody
18:50
coming to your door with a loaded weapon.
18:51
It's just it's that scary and there's nothing we can do to
18:55
change that with the cat. We got to keep the cats.
18:57
Back. Yeah, those solar repellents
18:58
have been really helpful in our home for for the same issue
19:02
because we have the same issue, Carol, we have had the same
19:05
issue several times where you know, the the cats see one or
19:10
two of the cats see a one of the neighborhood cats, right.
19:13
It's not like a bunch of feral cats outside in in city where we
19:16
live or in our neighborhood. But we have to block walls too,
19:19
so the cats will walk on the block walls, yeah.
19:22
And but they see them, they, they turn and they trigger on
19:26
each other because they can't fight that cat, right?
19:28
They would prefer to fight that cat, but they're not going to
19:30
fight that cat because they can't get to that cat You turn
19:33
on is. There anybody in here that
19:35
hasn't been at that anxiety level where you would just pop
19:37
off at somebody you really love because you're just that close
19:40
to blowing, right? Yeah, I like Adrian's like me.
19:45
She's like her. She's like the most like the
19:49
happiest person you know, but. I get to that level when.
19:52
We go, we go, we try to keep it down and talk ourselves out of
19:56
it. And then I'm I'm like that when
19:59
I go. I'm a ball.
20:00
Pain in that level and I'm like, I'm out, I'm out.
20:02
Exactly, exactly. So you just got to go.
20:06
Carol, I would say, you know, one of our big concerns, I know
20:09
everyone asks us this about those solar repellents, cat
20:12
Mace. Just so you guys know when, when
20:14
Linda said that that is a completely safe substance.
20:17
It smells terrible. It it can help, but you have to
20:20
reapply it. So, and we have tried that
20:22
before and it it really didn't help with because they're coming
20:25
in over the block walls and all. And we were consistent.
20:28
And we weren't very consistent with it, but the solar their
20:32
ultrasonic sound and and light. So it will and it's 180° motion
20:39
detection that has that has helped.
20:43
We have not had a single redirected aggression since we
20:47
put those and. Yeah.
20:50
And what they right and what and what people will ask is, well,
20:53
you know, I don't want to scare the birds away in my in my it
20:56
doesn't. We were scared about that too.
20:58
All of our and all of our pigeons are still here.
21:00
So yeah, really worth checking out.
21:03
We have a couple of you can find.
21:05
Them on Amazon? Yep.
21:06
Yeah, I love the birds, but honestly, for what the mayhem
21:10
that caused in my house, having cats outside, I'd get rid of the
21:13
birds. But no, it doesn't get rid of
21:15
the. Birds.
21:15
Yeah, we definitely would give a shit because we had Zorro and
21:18
Jack, Our boys, they love each other, turn on each other and
21:22
draw blood like dripping. Blood.
21:24
Oh yeah. Oh yeah.
21:28
Scared that yeah I can't see. So Leah is up next and she said
21:31
hi. We have two FIV positive boys.
21:34
We've had the first one since February 24th and the second
21:37
since November 24th. They just started becoming OK
21:40
with each other in the same room.
21:42
Any tips for getting them fully happy?
21:45
Yes, thank. You for taking me an IV board?
21:48
Yes, I I just lost my FIV baby about six months ago Kismet and
21:54
he was the best and he made it to 15.
21:56
So it's they can still live pretty decently long lives.
22:01
So first of all, let's keep their immunity up because a sick
22:04
cat is not a happy cat toxic catalyst.
22:09
And then I added PEA towards the end.
22:11
We're in every single meal kismet ever ate and it really
22:16
stopped all of his flare ups and things.
22:17
And when he was getting the flare ups of the itchys, Meow
22:20
Mist was my answer that just because they wanted to put the
22:23
cat on steroids and I'm like, yeah, he's FIV positive.
22:26
This is not a great idea. Plus what forever, you know,
22:30
like if it was temporary, I'd consider it, but no so meow
22:34
mist. But yes, now that they're
22:36
getting along together, just just keep it happy.
22:39
You know, when, when let's say cat number one has an absolute
22:43
favorite treat Churu. That's what I hear, a nonstop
22:46
churu. So we only get the churu when
22:50
they're together. And I like things like that that
22:53
you can squeeze off because you can give one a lick and 1A lick
22:55
and 1A lick and share Play is bonding.
22:58
When our cats play with us, it's bonding to us.
23:00
When they play with each other, it's bonding to each other.
23:02
Think of a sports team, the debate team, anything those
23:06
those participants have a different relationship and bond
23:09
with each other because they're teamed up for the common goal.
23:13
So if you can get your cats playing together, then often
23:16
they have that team mentality that really, really helps.
23:20
Just keep it positive. You know when this cat's around,
23:23
good things happen. I love that, yeah.
23:27
That treat thing though I think is a big deal.
23:29
Keeping a high value treat to help you know recognize.
23:33
And I think it's, you know, it is it is pretty important that
23:36
you keep that tree for that occasion, right, For that you.
23:41
Don't get it any other time if if I thought that I had to see
23:44
somebody I didn't like every time I got, I don't know, my,
23:46
my, my maternal grandmother made the best fried chicken.
23:49
I would sit in a room with my first husband if I had a platter
23:52
of my grandmother's fried chicken.
23:53
And that's saying a lot, OK, it's the level of the reward.
23:57
And I might actually start looking forward to running into
23:59
him if I if I knew he came with chicken.
24:04
Grandma's chicken there you. Go oh man, that was the best.
24:07
That was the best. Oh my God, Mr. Marvelous is
24:11
here. Hello, Ronald.
24:13
We also have Nina saying my cats and I just moved.
24:16
Oh, how can I help them? My girl cat isn't eating much,
24:19
but I think it's nerves. Ah, Nina.
24:22
Yeah. Yeah.
24:24
And is it the cat's nurse or is it your nurse?
24:26
Because we're both. So number one, we have to keep
24:29
ourselves under control. Y'all, they get it.
24:32
And I, that's a hard thing to say.
24:33
I always kind of choke on my tongue when I'm telling somebody
24:36
who's working on an integration that they have to stay calm when
24:39
they have witnessed an attack. That was really, really scary.
24:42
I don't know how to tell you to do that.
24:43
I just know it's super important.
24:45
And Rob Milligan, somebody say chicken.
24:50
Yes. So first of all, I know that I'm
24:54
closing the barn door after the cows got out or whatever that
24:56
cliche is. But if you are planning on
24:59
moving, I always tell everybody, first of all, do not throw away
25:03
any of the cats. Things like we're moving to a
25:05
new house, Ohio, this ratty bowl should go.
25:07
No, it should not. You can get a new bowl in a
25:10
couple of months. I want everything that has the
25:12
cat smell with them. And I always suggest you move
25:15
them into a small room first so that they can get used to the
25:18
sights, the sounds and the sense before having a whole place.
25:21
Also, you can put them in that room and then you can put a sign
25:24
on the door that says, you know bad things will happen to you if
25:26
you open this door so that the cats don't get out because
25:28
that's always a horrible fear right when you're moving.
25:31
But now that you're in there, you know, scent mark things.
25:34
First of all, I suggest strongly if you don't have a black light,
25:37
that you get a black light and look over all those carpets.
25:39
Make sure that the person who lived there before did not have
25:42
an animal that left pee or something that your cat is
25:45
smelling because that's going to make them scared.
25:47
There's another cat here somewhere.
25:49
I don't know where, but there's another cat here somewhere.
25:52
You can take something that you have worn.
25:54
Speaking of nasty, nasty scents and dirty clothing, they love
25:59
our funk. Take your shirt that you've
26:01
sweated in and had some good old beo and lay it out for them to
26:04
lay in. That's going to bring them
26:05
comfort, especially if you're gone.
26:08
David Thai's music for cats, leave it running.
26:10
Anything for calming, cat calm, anything that you can do to just
26:14
kind of keep it down, offer favorite things.
26:17
You know, it's scary when our cats won't eat and it doesn't
26:20
take long for us to go fatty liver.
26:21
So I encourage, even if it's treats, even if it's, you know,
26:26
babe meat, baby food is always something that they're suckers
26:29
for and will eat. You know, it's not great for the
26:31
long term diet. It doesn't have everything they
26:33
need, but we need to get the calories in them.
26:36
So and there are there are calories supplements that that
26:39
you can give too that will put some extra calories in them.
26:42
But yeah, it's just going to take getting comfortable and
26:44
keep up any routines that you did in your old place, try to
26:47
keep them up in the new place. Yeah.
26:49
And keep the energy level high too, like that positivity like
26:52
you were saying before, like keep your positivity and and,
26:56
and keep your nerves in as as much in check as possible.
26:59
I can. It's not easy, I know.
27:02
That sanctuary space though, I think it can be, it can really
27:05
be a game changer because like I do see that where it can be
27:08
overwhelming to have, you know, even when Annie came to us, you
27:11
know, it's like when you have a new baby come into your home.
27:14
Having that sanctuary space was amazing for her with all the
27:18
things that we are getting for because when we when it was time
27:21
to start exploring, you could tell that it was, it was, it was
27:25
a lot for her. So those little hidey holes and
27:29
beds and all that kind of stuff would be helpful.
27:33
Too think about those horror shows, right?
27:34
And you're you're lost in the woods and you come upon a
27:36
building. Would you like it to be a one
27:39
room cabin or a three story old mansion?
27:42
Because the boogeyman could be hiding anywhere.
27:45
I want the one room cabin where I can really investigate and
27:48
keep my eye on everything and not get a surprise.
27:50
Same thing for the cats. Yes, well said I.
27:53
Love your analogies. My brain works an analogy.
27:56
I'm so checking out that. Here she said hello.
28:01
Davinci and Balu have haven't been able to be together for
28:04
four years. Been trying like crazy to get
28:07
them together. Site swapping, trying to feed on
28:09
either side of a screen door, Individual time that's.
28:15
Not good. Use those words again though,
28:17
you know, keep these sessions short and make sure the solid
28:20
door is shut when you aren't there.
28:22
This is so important because if somebody jumps and attacks the
28:25
screen, even though this cat doesn't get hurt because the
28:28
screen was there, this cat's like, you know, boogie man,
28:31
boogie man. So we're not going to want to be
28:33
together. So keep it shut when you're not
28:35
doing a session. When you're doing a session,
28:37
pick a word for what you want them to be.
28:39
My word is nice. Anything that's not negative is
28:41
nice if they're just staring at each other.
28:44
So nice treat, right? Anything to really.
28:47
Rewards come when you behave this way.
28:49
And if somebody tries to launch and jump on that screen, the
28:52
solid door goes shut. It's a time out.
28:54
Again. This isn't the way to get to
28:56
that person. And in fact, the doors going to
28:57
go shut and now you can't even see them.
28:59
So you better find a different tact and that'll stop you from
29:03
some of that jumping once they're together in the same
29:05
space. Keep it up.
29:07
Consistency. Consistency.
29:10
Yeah, it's hard when it's an existing issue.
29:15
I've seen it, I've seen it, I've seen it where it's gone on for
29:18
years like that. And it's, it's frustrating, but
29:21
it can be done all right. 16 GS and how my cat used to come
29:26
upstairs and sometimes she sleeps on the steps but now for
29:30
some reason he's afraid to come up all the way up the stairs and
29:35
if she does she runs like crazy. Aw.
29:40
When she sees us and when she's doing her zoomies, she zooms up
29:43
and down the steps, never stays upstairs.
29:45
We can't. We can't figure out what she's
29:48
afraid of. You know, something could have
29:51
fallen that you didn't even hear or know about.
29:54
You may have walked it and seen it on the floor and not thought
29:56
anything of it. It could have scared the snot of
29:59
the cat. And then the cat's like I'm
30:00
going up there again. You know, you can lure them a
30:03
little further up the stuff. You know, if they're only going
30:06
6 steps up comfortably, I would put a treat on the 7th step and
30:10
I would do that every night for a while and then the 8th step
30:12
and the 9th step and get them. But you know, we can't force it
30:16
because that just makes it scarier.
30:18
If I'm being forced to go somewhere I don't want to go, we
30:20
have to let them get more comfortable.
30:22
But you know, treat play something, you know, if you're
30:26
playing like a laser pointer, give a catch at the end, run it
30:28
up a little step and then bring it down.
30:30
You know, let them know that good things happen up there and
30:34
be encouraging with it. Love that OK farm girl says my
30:40
orange. My orange tabby is waking me up
30:43
every morning at 4:00 AM if I don't get up.
30:47
If I don't get up he starts scratching my door, my door
30:51
facing. I don't know what to do.
30:53
I feel like I've tried everything.
30:55
Thank you. Yeah, yeah.
30:57
So, you know, you can leave something out like a treat ball
31:00
or get an automatic dispenser or something.
31:02
The worst thing you can do is get up.
31:04
And I know that that's horrible. You can put like those vinyl
31:07
sticky sheets on the door or something.
31:09
If you're worried about the door getting tore up, you can get up.
31:12
I always say do this on a Saturday or something and you
31:14
don't have to work the next day. And when she comes in to do
31:17
that, tell her that's enough night time, whatever you
31:20
whatever you want to say. And when she continues it, say,
31:22
all right, time out. Put her in the bathroom, shut
31:24
the door for a minute, let her back out.
31:26
Go back to bed. The worst thing you can do is to
31:29
give in and give it to her because she'll never stop.
31:32
You know, I don't know how electricity works, but I know
31:34
when I flip the switch the light goes on, so I flipped the
31:37
switch. If scratching on your door will
31:39
get you up to feed me, I'm a scratch your door.
31:42
I don't know I'm burning your door.
31:43
I don't know what your door has value.
31:45
I don't know any of that stuff. I just know it gets you up and
31:48
lets you feed me, yeah. It's true.
31:51
Would you ever? I mean, so I think it's
31:54
important for all of us to recognize that we can help alter
31:57
behavior by how we respond to it.
32:01
For a cat like this, though, that seems extra intense about
32:05
feeding time at 4:00 AM and, and maybe it's not feeding time or
32:10
just that he's waking her up beforehand.
32:12
What? How do you feel about like time
32:14
feeders? You know, like a little.
32:16
Problem with time feeders and they have them for wet food too
32:18
that have like ice packs and things in it and have it to go
32:21
up or they have them drop stuff down.
32:23
You can use the dehydrated, some raw stuff in there, drop it down
32:28
or whatever and that way they got something.
32:30
It may just be attention, but again, if you don't want to keep
32:33
getting up at 4, AMI had a client.
32:35
It was a couple of years ago that I jokingly referred her as
32:38
the Zoom lady. She was going into a very
32:40
important work Zoom and her cat was being really vocal and
32:42
obnoxious. So she thought, oh, I got 5
32:45
minutes and she ran out. She got him some wet food and
32:47
she set it down. After that, every time she went
32:49
into a Zoom meeting, the cat acted obnoxious because
32:51
apparently this means you get me food.
32:54
Yeah, Yeah. Isn't it interesting?
33:00
I will also say, so I think I learned this from Doctor Karen
33:04
Becker or maybe somebody that she interviewed, I don't know.
33:06
But she was talking about like, if your cat is waking you up
33:10
early, you're, you want to train them to not, you know, this is
33:14
specifically for food, right? Like your cat wakes you up at
33:17
4:00 AM for food every morning and you get up.
33:20
My sister does this like, still to this day.
33:22
She's like, oh, yeah. I was up at 3:30 to feed tattoo.
33:24
And then I went, you know, like, it's just a very normal thing.
33:27
He's like 18 years old now, 17 or 18 years old now.
33:30
And she's had him his whole life.
33:32
It's a thing. It's never going to change now.
33:34
Yeah, It's too late. It's too late.
33:36
But. She said, you know, try, try
33:39
ignoring and pushing it off off if especially if this is hard
33:42
for you, right and it's usually harder on us and it really even
33:45
is on the cats. But try pushing it off to 4:15
33:49
and then you. Know if you're.
33:50
Still getting up at 4:00 and then you're getting up at 4:15
33:53
instead of 4:00. And then they get trained to
33:55
that and then you go to 4:30, right.
33:58
And then, you know, like you can't, you can kind of like
34:00
slowly train if it, yeah, push it back a little bit further.
34:04
To kind of get them into a. Yeah, tell people.
34:07
Look. You don't mind getting up at
34:08
3:30 and feeding tattoo and knock yourself out like it's
34:11
not, you know, it's not bothering you.
34:12
This is about our comfort though, too.
34:14
We have a right to have something and you know, so if
34:17
it's bothering you, then yeah, we got to put a stop to it.
34:20
Just make sure, you know, whatever it is, they have things
34:22
out there to do. Every night before I go to bed,
34:25
I put treat balls out, I rotate toys, put something out that
34:29
they haven't seen. I might put out some cat grass
34:31
or something so that when they wake up, cats are capuscular.
34:34
Y'all, They're waking up at dawn to go hunting and they're
34:37
chasing around the house and running around like crazy and
34:40
they want attention and they want to play or they want food
34:42
or whatever. So yeah, we have to teach them
34:45
that we're not going to give it so, but we have to provide
34:48
things for them that do. Yeah, and Paula said and then.
34:52
We have daylight savings time actually I that it's funny that
34:55
you say that, because I think that's actually what the tip
34:57
was, is when you have the daylight savings time and your
35:01
cat is saying get up to adjust, you can get just adjusting in
35:05
increments. All right, He just wants to.
35:07
Go outside. So yeah.
35:10
It's the 4:00. Yeah.
35:14
Yeah, because he wants to go out.
35:15
And hunt. So the worst thing you could do
35:17
is let him outside because then he's going to keep waking you up
35:20
to do this. It's going to be non-stop.
35:22
So that would be when the indoor.
35:25
Hunting theaters and that just means like you don't have to buy
35:28
them. You can buy them, but you you
35:30
just make like favorite treats, right?
35:33
Like for us, we'll do freeze dried, but you you basically
35:36
hide those indoor those those feeders around the house and
35:42
like really like you wouldn't even think he would know.
35:44
Try again. They find it absolutely it's me.
35:48
Try again. You wouldn't even.
35:50
Think that they would know? Where to find it or how to find
35:52
it? But if they have that hunting
35:53
instinct at 4:00 AM, you could also, yeah, try that, try, try,
35:58
try hiding stuff somewhere so he has something to hunt, right?
36:02
Absolutely, yes. But inside, OK, there's only.
36:05
One question we are good on. We are perfect on time.
36:07
So there's only one more question.
36:09
Don't miss Danny. There's Danny.
36:11
My find. My there's one more after that.
36:13
My 5 month old cat is peeing in my bed.
36:16
I'm so glad. You chose this one because I saw
36:19
it over there and I was going to answer it whether you trusted or
36:21
not. We're trying to get.
36:24
All of them, but we're also trying to be mindful of this has
36:28
nothing to do. With the litter box, the cat is
36:31
peeing on your bed and only your bed because they are trying to
36:34
protect you and preserve you. You either have cats that are
36:37
bullying, that they're afraid of taking their resources.
36:39
Are you fostering cats? Did you bring a new cat in?
36:41
Or you've got cats outside? There is a perceived threat, and
36:45
they need to mark you with their set so that everybody knows you
36:48
belong to them. It's actually a compliment, Jay.
36:51
How much do we like that compliment?
36:53
Oh, not at all. But.
36:55
Thanks, I'll take your peeing on the bat.
36:58
And raise you one. Jay's peed on head.
37:00
OK, Annie was peeing on her head.
37:04
Annie was alone and abandoned. And Jay is the one who picked
37:09
her up and brought her home. And I knew I said to you guys, I
37:12
already know the answer to this. But who picked her up because
37:14
she wasn't peeing on Adrian's head.
37:16
She loves Adrian, but Jay is literally her savior who plucked
37:21
her up and took her home. And she has got to protect that
37:25
woman at all costs. So she pees on her.
37:28
Yep, it is a weird compliment. So how do you how do you help
37:33
people find out? Like what is the perceived
37:35
threat like? Once you understand it, then
37:36
how? Do you?
37:38
Yeah. Well, get a black.
37:40
Light and go outside after dusk and walk around your house.
37:42
I want the bushes, I want the doors, I want the windows, I
37:44
want your siding. I want all of it.
37:46
If you've got a basement, those little window, well, if
37:48
something glows, A bodily deposit is the left there.
37:52
These cats want to protect their spot.
37:54
I have a Bush on the opposite side of this wall that was
37:56
hiding ferals and I didn't know it until my daughter's 20 year
37:59
old cat waltz down here in the middle of the day, walked over
38:02
the wall, turned his butter on and sprayed it right in front of
38:04
me. Thanks, tiger.
38:07
But they were under there and I didn't know it.
38:10
So they when they go out hunting or whatever, if it's somebody's
38:13
inside, outside cat, they go home.
38:15
They don't want to come back and find somebody took their Primo
38:17
spot. It's it's valuable to them.
38:19
So they spray it. And the message they're trying
38:21
to send is this is mine. The message our cats get is this
38:24
is mine. I'm gonna take all of your
38:25
stuff, including yo Mama. So now we got to protect it.
38:29
So, yeah, there's cats outside. And then get the solar
38:31
repellents. I'm telling you, that's
38:33
everything. If it's another cat and there's
38:36
some bullying, then, well, everybody needs some calming and
38:39
we need to work on integration. But yeah, there's a perceived
38:43
threat there somewhere. Yeah.
38:45
Wow. Trying to protect you.
38:47
Because you are. So stinking important that is,
38:51
that is. Probably one of those things
38:54
that many, many cat parents deal with.
38:56
So I'm glad that that wrapped up the and I do have to say like
38:59
with with. With Annie real quick, this is a
39:02
5 month old little 1. So it could be, you know, that
39:05
same kind of Oh my God, you've just saved me.
39:07
So being extra affirming the special time that Jay spends
39:11
with Annie has been at your direction, using verbal cues,
39:16
being attentive to reach needs attention Jay, which is hard for
39:21
Jay to stop. Jay is non-stop all day.
39:24
Oh, I know it long. So we advertiser.
39:27
Bunny. Right when Annie comes up and.
39:29
Wants attention now Jay will stop and give her a few moments
39:33
of attention and Annie has not peed on her face ever again.
39:37
Ever again and. She stopped peeing.
39:40
On her bed and our yes, yes they.
39:43
Shouldn't have that anxiety. She's going to lose you.
39:45
You are there for her and she's trusting it from what you have
39:48
done. That's amazing and she knows it.
39:52
Yes. Yeah, OK.
39:54
And Danny said indoor. Only.
39:55
Yeah, your cat's inside, but there's outside cats, right
39:59
there Could be. There could be.
40:00
Yeah, our cats are indoor. Only as well, but the but the
40:04
outdoor cats that are coming around or that were coming
40:08
around at least, we're wreaking havoc.
40:11
In this House. Especially with our boy cats who
40:15
who are perfect, they are so. Perfect like they're.
40:19
Perfect for the beings, but. But.
40:20
It it, but instinct is everything.
40:22
I mean, I really hammer that home that cats don't do anything
40:26
without a reason. It's all instinct.
40:28
It's all about survival. So understanding that it helps
40:31
with the compassion point to help you and make their home
40:36
feel more secure. And yes, yes.
40:40
Thank you, Linda. Everybody is saying so.
40:41
Much great information Now kitties, thank you so much.
40:44
This is full of amazing info. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
40:47
We will have Linda back the cat behaviorist again and again and
40:52
again if you answer your question.
40:55
Follow her on social. You're.
40:56
Always. Dropping really helpful on a
40:59
daily. Basis you're getting helpful
41:01
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41:06
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41:10
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41:13
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41:17
So if you're like I'm not sure if she can help or not.
41:19
Let's see you, you have free 15 minutes find out and you'll find
41:24
out all the tips and. The tricks and what I'm doing
41:26
lately, you can also go to my website and sign up for my my on
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my e-mail list and you're going to get all the information when
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we're running discounts or having a class or anything like
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that, you're going to you're going to be in the know.
41:36
Yes, yes. So so that's your homework.
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She's on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
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So go subscribe, go follow so you don't miss out.
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And thank you so much for joining us once again.