71 of 72 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Probably The Best I've Read On Behavioral Problems..., Feb 20 2009
By realtime "MB" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Starting from Scratch: How to Correct Behavior Problems in Your Adult Cat (Paperback)
Anti Icky Poo! Starter Kit, Feliway (75mL) Spray and This Book started me and my cat- a 2 year old scottish fold- on the road to recovery after I found she'd been peeing out of the box for some time. She's extremely timid.
I consider myself pretty hands-on & knowledgeable about all things cats- I've never had a 'pee-er- but this book had not 1, not 2, but SEVERAL important points and things to try I hadn't known or thought of.
The importance of interactive playtime and bonding is stressed and I
have seen a change already. I would highly recommend this
book before you spend tons of money on flower remedys, and please, please always remember it's NOT the cat so do not ever punish, grumble, or emit any sort of negativity your cat will feel.
If you only get one book I'd get this one- I got 3 others- twisted whiskers, psycho-kitty, and cat behavior book- none compared to this book, even for considerate and knowledgeable 'cat-people' it's full of revelations. And Rmember-SPAY, NEUTER, and DON'T DECLAW!
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Can't miss with this author!, Aug 13 2008
By noel_nicole "cat mom" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Starting from Scratch: How to Correct Behavior Problems in Your Adult Cat (Paperback)
Pam Johnson-Bennett is one of the best authors in the newly emerging field of cat behavior and this book is no exception. She offers no-nonsense, practical ways of understanding and dealing with your cat's quirks and problems. Her solutions are rarely the "QUICK AND EASY" variety (if you wanted that, I guess you should have gotten a pet rock). But this book goes a long way toward helping you understand your complex and mysterious little housemate. If you take the time to follow her instructions and do what she says, you will get results. Do it for your cat!
35 of 37 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Encyclopedia of Feline Behavior, Sep 24 2008
By Denise N. Davis - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Starting from Scratch: How to Correct Behavior Problems in Your Adult Cat (Paperback)
I had picked up one of the author's older books a while ago and was pretty impressed, but it was mostly a collection of stories. So, while interesting, it was no where near complete.
This book, on the other hand, is practically an encyclopedia of feline behavior. VERY cool. She starts with body language, her recommendations for setting up their environment and building confidence, and then goes onto common problems and how to solve them.
The only real blank is that she seems to assume that your cat is used to and at least somewhat trusts YOU. The section on a shy cat assumes that the cat is afraid of visitors.
I just skimmed it, so perhaps it's in one of the introductory sections that I missed (like the play therapy section, which she covered a bit in her other book so I didn't read it in this one). I'll reread it more in depth later and update.
I really like her approach, though, because she does not recommend discipline that the cat will associate with the person - like water bottles, noise makers, yelling, and stuff like that. Instead of negative approaches (like locking the cat out of the bedroom) she suggests positive approaches (like creating an interesting environment in another room). Definitely more work, but I think more successful in the long run.