Take a photo of a barcode or cover
17 reviews for:
The Cat Whisperer: Why Cats Do What They Do--and How to Get Them to Do What You Want
Mieshelle Nagelschneider
3.78 AVERAGE
17 reviews for:
The Cat Whisperer: Why Cats Do What They Do--and How to Get Them to Do What You Want
Mieshelle Nagelschneider
3.78 AVERAGE
I have always had cats and have been able to work with some hard cases to turn them into happy felines with contented families. I personally love to civilize feral cats and find homes for them.
If you are having any issues with your cats at all I highly recommend picking up THE CAT WHISPERER. Rather then reading like a dry training manual, I felt as though I was sitting down with Ms. Nagelschnieder drinking a cup of tea and discussing just how to get all my cats to get along better. I picked up a lot of tricks that I wasn't aware of even after forty plus years of living with them. I just loved the stories of the various cats that she includes to illustrate the methods being discussed.
I rate this book a 5 as this is the best book I have ever read about understanding your cat and how to live with them in a more comfortable atmosphere.
*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.
If you are having any issues with your cats at all I highly recommend picking up THE CAT WHISPERER. Rather then reading like a dry training manual, I felt as though I was sitting down with Ms. Nagelschnieder drinking a cup of tea and discussing just how to get all my cats to get along better. I picked up a lot of tricks that I wasn't aware of even after forty plus years of living with them. I just loved the stories of the various cats that she includes to illustrate the methods being discussed.
I rate this book a 5 as this is the best book I have ever read about understanding your cat and how to live with them in a more comfortable atmosphere.
*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.
I didn’t read this book because I have a cat problem. I read it just to learn more about cats and cat behavior. I was so impressed that I ordered copies for three more family cat households. Chapter Four provided us excellent guidance (we followed closely but on a schedule to seemed to fit out cats) when we added a second four-month-old kitten to our house. We now have two kittens who are definitely best friends. They groom each other, play together, sleep together, and have a rollicking good time. The book is full of details about cat behavior that I find endlessly intriguing.
Very interesting, with good tips and tricks for training both the humans and the felines in the house to get along better.
Very helpful - practical tips with good explanations of why they work.
I think the strength of this book is the explanations on why cats act like they do - how they learn cat social skills, how their brains works, how they view the world, etc. I was impressed by that and some of this did make me think. And I think that most of her ideas would work if the humans involved are willing to do them.
However, there wasn't really that much new information in here about the techniques to change your cat's behavior. MN does go into a lot more detail that many other books, although at times I wish there had been more. For example, she talks about using wand toys and doing the "prey sequence." And while she describes this generally, with as much as she talked about it as a tool (and as much as she was willing to give detailed, step-by-step instructions for other things), she didn't really describe anything new. I was hoping for some really developed technique there. Instead, I learned nothing I didn't already know about how to use wand toys. I will be trying some of the techniques regarding aggression.
I think a lot of people are going to find her techniques too slow and time-consuming. Based on my experience working in animal care, people are looking for a quick fix. I don't know anyone who is going to take weeks (perhaps months) to introduce two cats. And people with small homes are going to find some of the techniques challenging just from a space perspective. I also found her writing to be a bit arrogant (especially that introduction) and I think she could have mentioned her product website a lot less. It started to feel like she was promoting that every couple of pages.
However, there wasn't really that much new information in here about the techniques to change your cat's behavior. MN does go into a lot more detail that many other books, although at times I wish there had been more. For example, she talks about using wand toys and doing the "prey sequence." And while she describes this generally, with as much as she talked about it as a tool (and as much as she was willing to give detailed, step-by-step instructions for other things), she didn't really describe anything new. I was hoping for some really developed technique there. Instead, I learned nothing I didn't already know about how to use wand toys. I will be trying some of the techniques regarding aggression.
I think a lot of people are going to find her techniques too slow and time-consuming. Based on my experience working in animal care, people are looking for a quick fix. I don't know anyone who is going to take weeks (perhaps months) to introduce two cats. And people with small homes are going to find some of the techniques challenging just from a space perspective. I also found her writing to be a bit arrogant (especially that introduction) and I think she could have mentioned her product website a lot less. It started to feel like she was promoting that every couple of pages.
Interesting read. However, she apparently does not consider picky eating a problem. She doesn't even mention that cats can love a food one day, but a few days later, open another can of the same food and they act as if you're trying to poison them. Are our cats unique?
The author claims a 90% success rate, but only if you follow her methods. She has a lot of good ideas, but damn, it would take a hard core committment (not to mention money) to really follow her requirements. Take, for example, litter boxes. One litter box per cat plus one extra, can't be in the laundry room (too scented) or the bathroom (too damp), can't be tucked away in a corner or hidden, can't be the covered kind of litter box, must be at least a foot away from all walls. In my very small house with my three cats, this means that I need to have an open litter box in my living room, kitchen, and each bedroom, somewhere close to the middle of each room. I really love my cats and I wish they were happier with each other, but I am just not willing to turn my house over to the litter boxes.
The author does make some good suggestions that I've implemented with at least a bit of success (working to create a group scent, distracting my more aggressive cats when they are staring each other down), and a few more that I think will also help, and I think her basic C.A.T. plan is good, but it would be nice if the plan were presented in a way that would make it more doable for the average person, instead of just leaving us feeling guilty for apparently not being truly committed to the happiness of our cats.
The author does make some good suggestions that I've implemented with at least a bit of success (working to create a group scent, distracting my more aggressive cats when they are staring each other down), and a few more that I think will also help, and I think her basic C.A.T. plan is good, but it would be nice if the plan were presented in a way that would make it more doable for the average person, instead of just leaving us feeling guilty for apparently not being truly committed to the happiness of our cats.