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The Way of Cats Blog

  • Help the cat re-train us

    from The Way of Cats Blog

    on Sunday May 19th, 2013 at 03:47 PM

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    If we do not like the way the cat has trained us, we can get them to re-train us in a way we like better.

    Cats who open the bedroom door by walking on our heads, cats who get us up to feed them because all our change is being knocked off the dresser, and cats who get us to clean the litter by not using the litter; these Training Methods all have one thing in common.

    Its our fault.

    In each case, our own training process resulted in our cat using a signal we did not like. Theres the problem. If we...

  • Keeping our cats flexible

    from The Way of Cats Blog

    on Friday May 17th, 2013 at 03:47 PM

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    Why would our cat need flexibility help? Just look at them!

    But while they have marvelously flexible bodies, their minds could sometimes use a bit of adjustment.

    Cats are Masters of Scheduling. This comes from their hunting style, based on studying their prey for ambush opportunities. In addition, cats love to know what is going to happen. They also have a good sense of the passage of time, though it is not quite the same as ours.

    While all of this can be turned to our advantage, it leaves cats...

  • How to switch vets

    from The Way of Cats Blog

    on Wednesday May 15th, 2013 at 03:47 PM

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    As a commenter said recently:

    Ive learned if your kitty is afraid of the vet, you need a new one.

    This struck me as an excellent point to make about our veterinarian, and their office staff.

    Of course, some cats are not going to ever enjoy leaving the house in a carrier. It doesnt matter what the destination may be, they prefer home. And theres the inescapable fact that unhappy things, even if its only handling by strangers, happens at the vets office.

    But while, just as with small children, we...

  • Accepting inefficiency

    from The Way of Cats Blog

    on Sunday May 12th, 2013 at 03:47 PM

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    There are times I dont get stuff done the way I planned. Sometimes, its because Tristan is sitting in my lap.

    Webcam photo of cat in my lap

    As I discussed in Is it our lap? Might be!, there are different kind of lap cats.

    James Bond and RJ are the kind where you cannot get them off your lap if they are determined to be there.

    Tristan is sensitive. Shifting my weight too much, trying to get my Chromebook into a position where I can type on it without disturbing him (at this point, its balanced...

  • Bringing them home

    from The Way of Cats Blog

    on Friday May 10th, 2013 at 03:47 PM

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    What does our new kitten or cat need?

    Heres some basic cat equipment we should have waiting for our new arrival. Some of these suggestions are because of the tender age of our new baby if we are bringing home a kitten, while others are needed for a cat of any age.

    Litter box. Litter can be poured into almost any box, once its lined with a garbage bag. While adults appreciate a deep box, kittens need easier access. It can be as simple as a ramp, or as disposable as a box lid.

    Placement is just as...

  • Podcast 1: The Cat’s Public Relations Problem

    from The Way of Cats Blog

    on Thursday May 9th, 2013 at 05:30 PM

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    Let the podcasts begin!

    Tristan loves podcasting! Of course.

    My inaugural podcast covers a most pressing issue: how cats are perceived in negative ways which impact their pet acceptance. And then their people get no respect, either.

    Topics include: They are Not Dogs, What causes the Cats From Hell, and the Future of Cat Appreciation.

    See my page on PetLifeRadio for the latest broadcast!

  • Willing to Be Manipulated

    from The Way of Cats Blog

    on Wednesday May 8th, 2013 at 03:47 PM

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    Do cats manipulate us to get what they want? Of course they do!

    Do we enjoy being manipulated? Of course we do!

    A while back, this was actually the subject of some scientific controversy. A study was done using recorded cat sounds, and humans rated them on their appealing qualities.

    Nicastro, who is a student in the laboratory of Cornell psychology assistant professor Michael Owren, found a clear negative relationship between pleasantness and urgency, rooted in how the calls sounded. The sounds...

  • The Heart of Skepticism

    from The Way of Cats Blog

    on Sunday May 5th, 2013 at 03:47 PM

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    Cat skeptics find it difficult to believe Cat Appreciators claims that cats are delightful, devoted, pets.

    That is because their own experience is the exact opposite.

    When we have a person who has enthusiastically rubbed the belly of a less-than-thrilled cat; and come away with a rebuff or worse, the situation is simple and inarguable. I tried my best to be friendly with that cat, and it ran away. It looked like it wanted to rip my arm off!

    It is as though, in their native country, cat skeptics...

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