Quick Cat Behavior Tips – Counter Surfing
Is Your Cat Counter Surfing? The PPG Cat Committee Has an Answer!
Getting up high is a natural feline behavior that enables cats to survey their territory and feel safe. Other reasons cats might jump onto counters include to obtain food, look out a window, get attention, find something to play with, hide, or avoid a dog, toddler, or another cat. High spaces that cats consider acceptable or desirable need to be in places that are interesting to them and/or where they feel safe—which, depending on the circumstances, may mean near you. Punishing counter surfing when you see it happen will not… Continued
Quick Cat Behavior Tip: Counter Surfing
By the Pet Professional Guild Cat Committee Important Reminders about the Behavior Getting up high is a natural feline behavior that enables cats to survey their territory and feel safe. Other reasons cats might jump onto counters include to obtain food, look out a window, get attention, find something to play with, hide, or avoid a dog, toddler, or another cat. High spaces that cats consider acceptable or desirable need to be in places that are interesting to them and/or where they feel safe—which, depending on the circumstances, may mean… Continued
Common Stumbling Blocks to Behavioral Recovery for Dogs and How to Overcome Them
by Diane Garrod In response to a survey of more than 1,000 pet parents in the United States by Kinship Partners (2021), 62% said their top priority is their pets’ happiness, and 80% said their pets deserve more of their time. Seventy-one percent said they could not have survived the pandemic without their pets. (A link to the full results of the survey and infographics can be found in the references.) Even so, pet parents often have unrealistic expectations of their dogs, and when addressing a behavior problem, these… Continued
Meet Laura Cassiday of Pawsitive Vibes Cat Behavior and Training
Laura Cassiday takes cat owners from hopeless to hopeful using her feline expertise and force-free training techniques. Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you first get into animal behavior and training, and what you are doing now? I studied English and professional writing in college and grad school, and worked a couple of writing and editing jobs. In 2017, I was so bored and miserable that I just quit without any real plans. I took some time to figure out what I wanted to do with… Continued
Practical Training Tips for Pet People
At Pets and Their People, we’re on a mission to provide resources and practical tips to pet people…with a dose of encouragement and humor! So, if your cat is counter surfing or your dog’s digging up the garden, we’re here for you! Take a deep breath and enjoy diving into these helpful tips from our expert contributors: Is Your Cat Counter Surfing? The PPG Cat Committee Has an Answer! If the cat is getting on the counter to access a window, cover the window with a temporary blind or… Continued
It’s Not Them – It’s You
By Andrea Carne Aggression in cats. It’s a sensitive and difficult issue for many cat owners and one that can lead to relinquishment or even euthanasia – particularly when the behavior is directed towards the humans of the household. In such situations, in my experience at least, the blame is often placed directly on the cat itself. I have lost count of the number of owners who have contacted me about their cat’s aggressive behavior, saying the cat is “wired wrong” (or called them various names which aren’t fit for… Continued
Leave It: Not Just for Dead Men Anymore
The other day I was pondering the trend of talking about teaching “self-control” and “impulse control” in our dogs. I got to thinking about “leave it,” both the term and the behavior. I realized a couple things. First, the term “leave it” doesn’t pass the dead-man test. (I’ll get to that below.) Second, the behavior “leave it” is not just one, but several behaviors. Third, I realized that this combination of problems could present some difficulties when training. What is your dog actually doing when she successfully “leaves it”? You know what that means:… Continued