CatWise: America's Favorite Cat Expert Answers Your Cat Behavior Questions

Understanding why your cat does certain things—from friendly biting to scratching the sofa in the living room—is essential for a happy home shared with these wonderful creatures. And this book by Pam Johnson-Bennett will go far in answering almost any question you may have about your cat's behavior. Even if you have been a cat parent for years or decades (as I have), you're still bound to learn some new tips and tricks.The author is one of the top cat behavior experts, and as part of her business receives and answers many questions about cat behavior. For this book, she has assembled the most common questions she receives and has organized the text into a question-and-answer format with chapters divided by topic. This also makes it a great reference tool. Read it through once but keep it handy for later when your cat does something confounding and you want a quick answer.Find out many, many things, including:• The best ways to play with your cats.• How to keep your cat from jumping on the kitchen counter.• Why your cat misbehaves (and no, he doesn't have it in for you).• How many litter boxes you really do need (and the answer may surprise you).• Why some cats insist on scratching the furniture and how to stop this behavior.• Why some cats really do experience separation anxiety when you leave them alone.• How to make your cat less fearful of everything from thunderstorms to strangers in the house.• How and when to use catnip and why some cats seem immune to it.• How to handle picky eaters.• How to travel with a cat, as well as the best way to care for cats at home when you travel without them.• The best way to care for a geriatric cat in the last years of his life.Do note: A very large portion of the book is devoted to multi-cat households, specifically ensuring that two or more felines get along. If you have only one cat, a big chunk of the content will be irrelevant to you.I have only one quibble with this book, which is why it's four stars and not five: There is a LOT of repetition. Since the book's format is question-and-answer and some of the questions are similar in nature, the answers are often repetitive. Better editing would have merged these similar questions into one and probably cut the length of the book in half. (Yes, that is how often this happens!)

Until I read this book, I thought I knew cats. I actually had a lot of information needing to be corrected or things I did not know. Great book for taking good care of cats.

I recently was having some behavioral problems with a cat I rescued. Despite talking to the vet and researching information on the internet, I was not having much success. He is younger, and it seemed everything I was doing was eroding his trust in me (that I worked very hard to develop). I was raised that once you have a pet, you keep them for life. I came across several cat behavioral books on Amazon, and dowloaded the free samples. Of the five I found, this one had the style of reading that seemed simple and informative. The author also includes some funny commentaries that I found amusing. This book is slam packed with information! There are also many questions asked that I had been wondering myself. I started implementing many of the tools offered. Slowly, but surely, I noticed a positive change in my relationship with my cat. I wish I had started reading this sooner! Even simple knowledge on finding the right litter box or litter made a change in my cat's going to the bathroom behaviors. A lot of advances in technology for cat litter boxes and liters has been made for human convenience- not a cat's. The result has been that while a person likes it, a cat does not. And the cat is the one having to use it. If you are having any sort of behavioral issue, I strongly recommend this book. Even if it is more minor, the book helps you to have a better relationship with your cat. And isn't that the point of having a cat be part of your family anyway?

Very good basic information about our feline friends, and sound advice about 'going slow' when getting to know your own, or another's cat. However, I'm not a fan of food-rewards when training pets, and have never used either a clicker, or food to train our dogs and cats to respond to simple commands like 'come', 'get in bed', 'down', and the all important 'no'. I prefer using praise, and touch, and find both species want to know they've pleased their pack/pride leader as much, if not more than have a snack. The author offers lots of possible reasons for certain behaviors, and symptoms of distress/illness. We know when our cat is 'not herself', and rather than trying to diagnose through trial and error, while the behavior or distress persists, or gets worse, it's better to consult with your veterinarian. I thought there was too much about litter boxes, liners, and litter itself. We've used 'covered' boxes, with liners, and a variety of litters over the past 20 years, and never had an issue with a cat failing, or refusing to use the litter box, and we scoop only once every 1-2 days instead of the author's twice a day. Having a cat should be fun, and enjoyable. Sometimes having too much information gets in the way.

I was recently certified as a cat behavorist. The top two people that I studied and researched during my 7 plus years of cat ownership was Pam Johnson and Jackson Galaxy. I worked with a myriad of cats in the shelter environment and in home environments. I can say that all of her tactics that I have learned and utilized over the years have worked great for the cats and the owner. Her tips and answers are spot on with what I routinely recommend to clients and on my website. If you could choose any one book to learn about cat behavior... it would be this one! I find that question and answer format is often the best way to learn something - at least, that was me when I was in vet tech school and learning everything I needed to become certified as a cat behavorist.

Good guide for quite a variety of behavioural issues- gives an explanation and advices

This book was brought as a present for my daughter who has cats. She is absolutely loving reading it and she is not normally a reader.

great book!

Le livre reprend les conseils qu'on trouve dans un bon livre d'éthologie dédié aux chats - dont ceux de PJ Bennett. La présentation sous forme de questions le rend plus pratique à utiliser pour ceux qui n'auraient pas déjà lu d'autres livres dans ce domaine. Il s'adresse à tous, "débutants en chats" comme "habitués des matous", il y a toujours une idée à prendre. La dame reste parmi les experts les plus pertinents avec J.Galaxy . Les deux donnent les mêmes conseils de la manière la plus efficace parmi tous les ouvrages du genre.

J'ai reçu assez vite ce livre paru fin Octobre aux Etats unis. J'y ai trouvé des réponses à des questions que je me posais en voyant les attitudes des chats .Le seul point négatif, c'est que nous n'avons pas toujours les mêmes lois ou approches médicales !