Molly Grim, B.A. We’ve all felt it: The late-afternoon energy crash between lunch and a second cup of coffee, or the on-edge irritability that preceeds that hours-overdue dinner. As humans, we know that food is a vital tool in stabilizing our mood and energy levels, and for maintaining overall health. Providing all the necessary brain… [Read More]
Kitten Socialization
Jim Ha, PhD, CAAB Cats, like all mammals, are social creatures. While cats are far less social than dogs, to think of cats as asocial is wrong. The degree of social behavior and the ability of an individual to adapt to a changing social environment varies with species (certainly cats are less social than dogs),… [Read More]
Tips For Getting Your Cat To The Veterinarian
Miles Bensky, BA, CTC When I read the September edition of the Animal Behavior Associates newsletter, I found a statistic that was quite alarming. It was estimated that 36% of the 81 million cats in the United States did not see a vet in 2006. Why are so many cats not receiving regular healthcare? Regular… [Read More]
Pass It Along: Redirected aggression in cats and dogs
Dr. Jim Ha, CAAB (Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist) Most pet owners are familiar with the situation: your dog or cat is upset about something, perhaps has been challenged or even attacked. But rather than an understandable response in which the animal lashes out at the challenger, or turns and runs, it will turn and attack… [Read More]
Cat behavior and misbehavior
Jim Ha, PhD, CAAB Cats are a mystery to many of their owners, perhaps more so than dogs. Dogs are social, like we primates, and so we can often understand their need for attention, the reward of social contact and praise, and even, at a deeper evolutionary level, perhaps a lot of their signals and… [Read More]