What if we changed the way we think about helping fearful cats? What if, instead of focusing on getting a cat to accept us, we focused on helping that cat feel safe enough to choose to interact with us? There is a word borrowed from the world of horse training that might help us rethink our approach: gentling. What Is Gentling? In the world of horse training, the term gentling is sometimes used to describe the process of helping a wild or minimally handled horse become more c

Think you're the one training your cat? You might want to think again. Your cat is watching you. Your movements. Your routines. Your sounds. Your body language. Your habits. And they're learning what all of those things predict. Want to hear the whole story? 🎧 Listen to this week's Cat Talk Radio episode, Your Cat Is Training You, and discover just how much your cat may be learning from you. You have the treats. You have the clicker. You've watched the videos. You've learned

Have you ever called your cat and watched them look directly at you…only to turn around and walk away? Maybe you've taught your cat to come when called, and they do it beautifully—until there's a bird outside the window. Or perhaps your cat knows they're not supposed to be on the kitchen counter. You say, “Get down.” They look at you. You put them on the floor. Four seconds later, they're back up there. And you think: “My cat KNOWS better!” Maybe they do. But there's an impor

Can you live with a cat if someone in your household is allergic? It may be possible—but the answer isn't to find a “hypoallergenic” cat or rely on one miracle product. The better approach is to think about cat allergies as an exposure-management problem. 🎧 Want the full conversation? Listen to this week's Cat Talk Radio episode, “Allergic to Cats? Don’t Give Up Yet!” Molly breaks down what causes cat allergies, the products that may help, and how to create a practical cat a

You’ve most certainly heard about probiotics for your own gut health. But do probiotics really work for cats? And what exactly is a probiotic, anyway? To understand that, we need to talk about your cat’s gut microbiome—the complex community of microorganisms living in the digestive tract. Think of it as a tiny ecosystem inside your cat. The microbiome includes bacteria and other microorganisms that interact with the digestive system, food and the immune system. Researchers ar

Have you ever wondered why your cat rubs their face against your legs, furniture, doorways, or even the corners of your house? Or why your cat scratches a particular piece of furniture over and over—even though they have a perfectly good scratching post? Your cat may be communicating through scent. Cats live in a world that is heavily influenced by smell. While humans tend to experience their environment primarily through sight and sound, cats gather an enormous amount of inf

Your cat is peeing on the bed. Pooping next to the litter box. Going in the bathtub. Choosing the rug. And you're thinking, “What the heck is wrong with this cat?” But here's another possibility: Your cat may not be the problem. The bathroom might be. Litter box problems are incredibly common, and the solution isn't always about changing the cat's behavior. The litter box is an important resource in your cat's environment, and small details can determine whether your cat feel

When a cat loses a longtime feline companion, the surviving cat may suddenly seem different. They may sleep more, hide, play less, follow you around, eat differently, or simply seem quieter. It's natural to think: “My cat is lonely. My cat is grieving. My cat needs another cat.” But does a cat who lost a companion actually need a new one? Not necessarily. Your Cat May Have Loved THAT Cat Cats absolutely can form meaningful social relationships with other cats. Some cats sleep

Well... apparently I touched a nerve. Last week's Cat Talk Radio episode, “My Cat Never Goes Outside — Does It Really Need a Rabies Vaccine?”, generated a lot more conversation than we expected. There were thoughtful questions. Personal experiences. Strong opinions. Some excellent points. And, yes, a few comments that made us think, Okay... let's go back and check the facts. And that's exactly what we did. Because when a topic gets emotional, that's usually when it's most imp

One of the most common questions I ask myself and hear from cat owners is: "My cat never leaves the house. Why does it need a rabies vaccine?" It's a logical question. If your cat spends every day indoors, where would rabies exposure even come from? The answer is more complicated than many people realize. Why Rabies Is Different Rabies isn't treated like other vaccines because it isn't just about protecting your cat—it's also about protecting people. Once symptoms develop, ra

Walk down any pet food aisle and you'll find products designed to let cats eat whenever they want. Many people believe this is the most "natural" way to feed because they've heard that cats are grazers. But here's the truth: cats may eat several small meals each day, but they are not natural grazers. Wild cats don't stroll over to an always-full food bowl. Every meal begins with hunger, followed by searching, stalking, chasing, catching, and finally eating. This hunt-eat-groo

Have you ever wondered why your cat races after a feather wand, proudly parades a toy mouse through the house, or suddenly tears through the living room at midnight? The answer lies deep inside your cat's brain. Cats are hardwired predators, and their brains evolved to reward behaviors that helped them survive. While food is certainly important, the act of hunting itself triggers a series of neurochemical changes that make the experience both exciting and deeply satisfying. D

One of the most common questions I hear is, "Why did my cat suddenly do that?" Whether it's biting during petting, avoiding the litter box, hiding from visitors, or attacking another cat, many people assume the behavior appeared out of nowhere. It didn't. Every behavior has a beginning. I call the study of that beginning Triggerology™. What Is a Trigger? A trigger is anything that causes an emotional response that leads to behavior. Notice I didn't say behavior comes first. E

Indoor cats have never been safer, healthier, or lived longer lives. Yet many are missing something just as important as food, water, and veterinary care: opportunities to behave like cats. Cats evolved as solitary hunters. Long before they caught a meal, they searched, observed, stalked, chased, pounced, captured, ate, groomed, and rested. That hunting sequence isn't simply how cats obtain food—it's how their brains are designed to work. Today's indoor cats often experience

One of the biggest myths about cats is that they're unpredictable. In reality, most aggressive behavior is anything but random. Cats communicate constantly through body language, and when those signals are overlooked, they may eventually resort to behaviors that are impossible to ignore. Overstimulation occurs when a cat's nervous system receives more sensory, emotional, or cognitive input than it can comfortably process. While many people associate overstimulation with petti

When most people think about arthritis, they picture an elderly dog struggling to walk. Few realize that arthritis is incredibly common in cats—and even fewer recognize the subtle ways cats communicate chronic pain. Research shows that approximately 60% of cats over six years of age have evidence of arthritis, and by the time cats reach twelve years old, nearly 90% are affected. Yet many are never diagnosed because cats instinctively hide pain. Instead of limping or crying, t