HOW IT WORKS | Cat Behavior

I see clients in the five boroughs of New York City, wherever public transportation will take me. Here’s how my consultations work.***

First, we’ll talk a bit on the phone to get an idea of the cat’s history and the history of the problem you are experiencing. That tends to be a long phone call, so we need make an appointment for it to make sure we all have about half an hour to talk on the phone. This is preparation for my visit to your home.

During the call, I may give you a little homework to do before I come—some observations to make or a few exercises to try with the cat(s)—so during my home visit we can talk about how they worked .

We’ll make an appointment during that phone call for me to come to your home and meet you and your cat(s). It’s best to schedule the home visit when everyone who lives in the household is at home. (I am available some evenings and weekends, if that’s better for you.)

During the home visit, I’ll meet your cat(s) and you and watch the way you all interact. I’ll also look at the environment, and we’ll talk about what you can do to resolve the problem. You can ask me all the questions you want—about other topics, too. The typical consult tends to be about 1½ to 2 hours, but of course, yours may be more or less.

I will leave you with a behavior modification and training plan for you and your cat(s). Then we’ll keep in touch by phone, text and e-mail to see how you’re doing. There’s no charge for that. You get as much e-mail, text and phone support as you need, for as long as you need it.

Any change in litterbox habits (not using the box, urinating or defecating more frequently or less frequently, changes in the appearance and/or smell of the urine or stool)
Aggressive behavior toward humans
Aggressive behavior toward other cats (the cat getting picked on also needs a check-up, because that can also be a sign of illness)
Any change in sleep patterns (sleeping more or sleeping less)
Any change in grooming habits (grooming more, grooming less or grooming one particular spot)
Increases in vocalization
Any change in play behavior (playing more or playing less, or playing in a different way)
Reluctance to jump up or jump down
Any change in social interactions (being clingy, or hiding and/or wanting to be alone)
Any change in appetite (more hungry or less hungry, or picking food up and then dropping it)
Any change in water consumption (especially drinking more)
Any rapid change in weight
Any vomiting (it’s not true that cats “just vomit a lot”)

*** If your cat is showing any of the following signs, they need a checkup with a veterinarian before you contact me. There’s a long list of medical problems that show up only as a change in behavior. If your cat has a medical problem, no amount of behavior work will fix it. And sometimes, behavior issues have both a medical and a behavioral component. So visit the veterinarian first if you see any of these: