I think that we can all agree that cats in hats, capes, or other clothes are quite adorable. However, many of our cats find the experience to be less than enjoyable.
Here are a couple of solutions if you would like to dress your cat up!
You can use a training trick as a “costume”, use a costume that your cat prefers, or desensitize your cat to wearing clothing.
Read MoreSome cats will take their stress of a changing environment out on the other cat. One frequently asked question is how aggression looks different from play. The biggest difference is that play will be quiet. Their claws will be retracted and both cats will go back to continue playing. Aggression is loud, involves low vocalization and higher yowls. Their claws will be out, their ears back and their backs arched with fur standing up.
Read MoreTraining your cat is one of the best ways to build a strong relationship with them. Actively interacting with your cat not only helps boost their mental wellbeing, but your cat will also positively associate solving puzzles and training with getting rewards from you. Peak Purrformance is the official certifying body for cats that provides certifications in cat tricks, sports, and cat behavior.
Read MoreOne of the biggest challenges during the holiday season is keeping your cats safe from your holiday decorations, or maybe keeping your decorations safe from your cat. Winter is a time to get cozy. Blankets, fireplaces, comfort food, and of course holiday decorations. It can also be a time for all of the feelings to emerge, especially in a year like 2020. Whether the feelings are stress or a time to kick back and relax, one thing is for sure… we still don’t want our cats to disrupt our holiday decorations.
Read MoreWe all know that if the match between you and your pet sitter is not perfect, then you will be stressed the whole trip. Are the animals okay? Are they happy? That’s where finding the perfect match comes in. One of the biggest recommendations is to have a pet sitter who can replicate your pet’s regular schedule. Michelle lives with them full time while we are gone so that she can monitor their behavior and keep up with their regular feedings, activity schedules, etc. If your cats eat twice a day, we recommend that they have at least two visits a day to keep them on their schedule.
Read MoreWhat if I told you that you would never have to clean the litter box again if you toilet trained your cat? Toilet training your cat in and of itself is not particularly hard, it is a bit time consuming but so is cleaning the litter box every day. It sounds like a pretty sweet deal. Yet if you were to walk into a room full of cat owners and ask them their opinion on toilet training you would get many impassioned answers from “yes, it's fantastic and I will never go back to litter boxes!” to “it is unethical and I would never toilet train my cat!” to “I tried to but my cat scratched up my toilet!”.
Read MoreWe were immediately impressed by the modern design and the structure of the feeder. It is well built and goes with our design in our home. It holds 4 liters of dry food so that you have peace of mind that it holds enough food for your cat or small/medium dog. You can program up to four feedings a day to customize your pet’s feeding schedule and the amount based on your pet’s weight and activity level.
Read MoreIs it a ghost or a shadow, a string or a snake? What does your cat see as they chase empty air or focus on the twitching tip of a string? Well, their vision very different from your own due to how their eyes adapted to their crepuscular lifestyle. Crepuscular creatures are most active in the early morning and late evening Due to this, they adapted to requiring less light to hunt. The differences between your eyes and your cat’s eyes affects both how they take in light and the images that they see.
Read MoreAs your cat is trotting confidently in the dark they avoid every obstacle with ease, slipping around the corner and under a chair, as they navigate to their destination. This ability cannot be attributed solely to their exceptional sight in sparsely lit environments. Their whiskers, which serve as an extended form of a cat’s sense of touch, are just as important.
Read MoreDr. Anne Beall wrote a book called “Heroic, Helpful and Caring Cats: Felines Who Make a Difference” and featured Peach and me in one of the chapters among a diverse group of seriously amazing cats. It is an honor to have our relationship published in “Chapter 5: Peach, pushing the boundaries of what we believe cats can do.” The title of the chapter itself makes me both incredibly proud of my amazing little orange cat, but also a bit emotional for just how much she has had an impact on my life.
Read MoreYou are your cat's advocate, not their dictator. We are often too commanding of our pets, because when our wants don't align, we—the—humans win. We tell them what to eat, where to sleep, what to play with, and where to be. Living arrangements of domestic cats is so much about control. We try to protect the sofa at the expense of limiting our cat's ability to express a full range of natural behaviors.
Read MoreA sorcerer? A sadist? What are these labels? These are names that I have been called in comments on Instagram. Obviously, I’m neither a sorcerer or a sadist. These are labels assigned to me by people who have seen my video of Peach washing her paws in the sink. People just cannot believe that a cat can do the same things that dogs can.
Read MoreYou and I are standing in a room. You start walking towards me. I tell you no. You stop moving. I tell you no. You move to the right. Again, I tell you no. You are now frustrated because I’ve given you no other information or feedback other than saying no. In my head, I think what I want from you is simple. I wanted you to back up. But to you, all you heard was no. This is the same thing that we do to our animals.
Read MoreBefore Space Cat Academy, I lived in New Jersey. Since most of my family still lives there, we make the trek from Wisconsin to New Jersey a couple of times a year. The drive takes about fifteen hours with stops. A few years ago we decided to bring Peach and our dog Niki with us. Niki is used to traveling in the car and has experience with long trips. We decided to bring them because Peach is very social with us and we would be gone for a week.
Read MoreAcross the world, adventuring with your cat can be complicated by temperature. Some areas of the world are too warm or cold for comfort at certain times of the year or all the time for cats! If you’re planning on hiking with your indoor cat, remember that they likely live 24/7 in a climate controlled space. They may not be as adjusted to temperature changes as us humans. Even if it feels okay to us, it’s crucial to make sure that your cat is not too hot or cold.
Read MoreWhen I train animals, there are people who get snarky and ask me why we’re working on “party tricks.” These people want “real world” applications to training. Here’s the thing. Every trick that you work on with your cat has a real world application.
Read MoreBe prepared the next time your cat tries to use one of their nine lives. With cats it is best to expect the unexpected since they are masters of getting into trouble. This article is geared towards making a kit that can be used on the go for adventure cats, in addition to a general kit to have in your home. Adventuring with cats is an exciting activity where your feline friend goes with you on hikes, boat rides, camping trips, etc. You won’t want to forget your cat’s first aid kit on trips, it’s important to stay safe.
Read MoreAre your training inconsistencies making your cats negative behaviors stronger? Short answer is yes. Cats are incredibly intelligent. They receive sensory input constantly and they make a decision on how to act on it. Your cat will learn that the behaviors they do, make you respond in a certain way. We do this as well. It’s a very subtle process and you may not even notice that it’s taking place.
Read MoreCats haven’t lost the instinct to hunt. Without proper exercise and stimulation, cats can exhibit behavioral issues. There is a cycle of needs that your cat needs to complete during the day to stay healthy and satisfied. When your cat is satisfied, they are are also well behaved in the home. Cats hunt, catch, groom, and sleep. Allowing your cat to engage in these actions are an important part of your cat’s welfare.
Read MoreAdventure cats are a growing interest in the cat community. This generally involves packing your confident cat in the car and going on a hike! Whether you’re new to adventuring with your cat or you’re a seasoned hiker, you may wonder what you should include on your trip checklist. The worst feeling is getting to your destination and realizing you forgot something important.
Read More
