Summary of Introduction The Cat Whisperer

  Summary: Are you looking for answers to your cat's behaviors? There are few books that offer solutions to negative cat behaviors such as overgrooming, out-of-the box urination/defecation, aggressions and many others. Some negative behaviors I want to solve with my four cats include overgrooming, aggressiveness towards myself and bringing the cats together instead of them living in different rooms. I finally found a book that has not only offered solutions, but has laid out a step by step plan to help my cats. The name of the book is The Cat Whisperer by Mieshelle Nagelschneider. I will write several articles giving summaries of what I have read in the chapters of the book. This gives a "kills two birds with one stone", I have articles to write for one, but also in writing the articles, I internalize the information Mieshelle states.
Let's begin:
In the introduction of the book Mieshelle discusses what the definition of a cat is. She states cats are confident and relaxed, sociable and secure. A cat is his/her own being. They are not valued as much as dogs, because of a misunderstanding on why cats do what they do. This includes when cats act out with inappropriate behaviors. The sad truths as a result of this lack of understanding, cats end up in shelters, abandoned or euthanized. However, according to Mieschelle, there is behavioral help for cats where medications is for the most part NOT necessary (there are exceptions though, which are discussed in later chapters of the book). When you change the environment, you change the cat's behavior. The bottom-line is "you can't make a cat do what you want, but you can change your own behavior slightly to get a result that will make both of you happy" (p.8).
Throughout the introduction, Mieshelle discussed how she would observe and interact with feral felines starting at a young age. She gained much experience trying to get to know these feral felines. During one such experience she learned the art and meaning of slow-blinking. As a result for her love for cats, Mieshelle became a vet assistant leading to cat-sitting and discovering a need for cat owners in solving cat behavioral issues, she became a cat behaviorist.
The lesson she learned throughout her experiences with thousands of cats and clients throughout the world, in helping them solve the behaviors of their cats was "that the unwanted behavior is often a result of something the owner has done or is still doing"(p22). The owners need to take full responsibility for their cat, the environment everyone is in and the solution to the behaviors.
When I first read the introduction chapter, it was quite a pill to swallow. I had to reread the part on p. 22 about the owner is responsible for the cats behaving as they are. I absolutely LOVE my cats. They are my children and I believed I was doing the best for them. The reason I have turned to this book is for the following: As I stated earlier, I have four cats. Zippy is currently on a Nuturecalm collar for overgrooming issues and anxieties. Wolverine can only have home visits from the vet due to aggressive behaviors. Snoopy also has issues where she stays in the bedroom. Biskers is a cat that enjoys hanging out in the man cave (my normal one). To aid in the solving of the behavioral issues displayed by Zippy and Wolverine I have decided to delve into this book and put aside my pride and try these solutions.