Why Cats Do What They Do--and How to Get Them to Do What You Want

Very useful book if you have problems with cats. Excellent insights into cat behavior and good and practical suggestions for ways to deal with it. I agree with other reviewers that the last half of the book is the best part, but I understand why the author includes the information in the first part of the book.

It's my entire fault, now I know that.

I found out that no matter what my cat does it’s pretty much my fault. It got to purchase a bunch of cat toys and, yes something like aroma therapy dispensed for an air freshener devise plug into the wall socket. Oh well, when you have a cat you are just obligated to make them happy. The one thing my cat loves is the feathers I pull around for her to attack. Problem is if she is awake she is sitting by that damn toy waiting for me to play with her. The unintended consequence of this toy is that it also makes you her toy.

This book helped me understand my cats better. However, it almost made me wish I hadn't adopted the second one. My kitties get along great now, without some of the introduction steps described in this book. People with normal lives may want to rethink owning cats if everything in this book is true.

My cat was driving me to distraction jumping and climbing on counters and knocking things off. I adopted the C.A.T. plan as described in this book, and she has not climbed on the counters since.

This author is wise!

I am so grateful that the frustration and stress are gone, and my sweet kitty and I can again focus on playing and having fun together.

The book really works. My cats have changed dramatically but you must set aside to play wit them, their boxes must be open and cleaned continuously but most important,
the litter herb additive is magic.

If you love cats, this is a MUST READ!

I learned so much in just the first few chapters and re-read it regularly, and reference it when I'm experiencing problems with any of my 6 cats.

Thank you Mieshelle! You changed my life and my cat's life for the better.

Best cat behavior book I have ever read. I have had cats for all my adult life. I also have been involved in trap/ neuter/ release of feral cats. Lots of interesting facts and wow that is why they do, what they do. Author is right on. I first checked this book out at the local library, it was so good I bought one for me and a friend.

This is a wonderful book. I highly recommend it for anyone who owns a cat or as a gift to give to someone whose cat is showing a behavioral problem. There would be fewer animals going into shelters to be euthanized if people would read books like this and take the advice to heart.

Following the recommendations in this book was the only thing that help my cat's behavior problems. He was peeing outside the litter box for months and I tried everything on the market to make it stop. This book is a godsend.

An awesome book with valuable insights into kitty behavior. I learned a lot from this book about how my cat thinks. It's not necessarily about getting cats to do what you want, but more about understanding how their feline minds work.

I have only finished 3 chapters and I'm starting to learn tricks I never knew about indoor cats. I have recommended this to several people I know. I'm hoping that I can finish the book eventually and then give it a 5-star rating. Thanks for writing the book

It was presented in a manner that gave me some credit for being smart.
perhaps a little bit on multiple cats but it is fine.

If sshe writes another book please let me know so i can buy it.

Thank you

William L Schmitt AIC

Everyone with a cat should read this book, even if they're not having behavioral problems. I've followed the plan in this book, and it has helped my four cat household achieve peace. Not an easy task!

I understand that she is promoting CAT PLAN but their are information I was really looking for and I found yet. I can't find the info in the context nor the index. She does explain a lot of cats in and outs and found it useful.

Here's the negative about this book:

* Too much time establishing the author's bona fides as a purported "cat whisperer" based on hours of observation of semi-feral cats
* Disorganized editing, the flabbiness in terms of time spent at the beginning rambling around on the author's credentials continues throughout the book
* A lack of staged responses to problems, such that for example, the advice given to address the introduction of a new cat to an existing cat household is mindblowingly complex.

Here's the positive about this book:

* I think if you really are about to give up on a problem cat due to elimination issues or fighting with other cats, you will find the level of detail here (if you skip right to the middle or back of the book) to address your issues.
* The author makes clear the need for daily playtime with your cats and that you need not always respond to their meows with food -- which I have been guity of. More and more, I now brush the cats or play with them instead of feed them when they interact, even if it's in their feeding area.
* Given her emphasis on toys and play time with cats, I went out and bought some new toys for my cats and try to spend more time with them each day playing with a shoelace that they like. She says they like to plan an attack out based on watching their prey, so it's best not to dangle a lace or wand toy in front of them but move away as a real prey object would.

This is useful detail! I just wish (disclosure: I'm a real-life editor) a tough editor had gone through this book as well as a graphic designer to give it more of an information "pop" than is currently present.

Bottom line: Four stars for information presented that certainly is useful -- if you can find it. One star deducted because this is *not* a book you will want to read cover to cover to learn all the basics of cat behavior and problem solving.

I bought this book to find ways to handle one of my very skittish cats, but was so turned off by the author's tips on feeding that I stopped reading. My vet told me a big reason why so many cats are fat is because their owners "free feed," leave dry food out 24/7. So I feed my two cats twice a day, as per my vet's directions. Both of my cats are a healthy weight, maybe slightly over. This author calls this method "abusive," saying cats should have full-time access to food. Not all cats self-regulate--and wild cats certainly do not have access to food 24/7. Telling a cat owner they're "abusing" their cats by feeding them twice a day angered me so much if this had been a print book and not on my iPad I would've thrown it in the garbage.

I have owned a cat or several cats for 3 decades, the majority of those years just a single cat. I recently saw this book at my local library and the tag line that peaked my interest was "why cats do what they do", and so I picked it up.

"The Cat Whisperer: Why Cats Do What They Do and How To Get Them To Do What You Want" (2013 publication; 336 pages) comes from author Mieshelle Nagelschneider who is a self-proclaimed "cat whisperer" (themed along the lines of the "horse whisperer", I suppose). She bases her advice on having worked with "thousands" of cats and their owners. The book's inner flap notes that she founded the Cat Behavior Clinic, serving clients "all over the world". Nagelschneider is not a veterinarian nor does she have an educational background in cat behavior or pet psychology. The book is nevertheless heavily focused on the remedial side of cat problems, such as not using the litter box properly, or being overly aggressive, or not getting along with other cats. Based on that, if you only own one cat, about half the book, simply does not apply to you. I don't mean this as a criticism of the book, as I really didn't know much of the book before reading it.

What I was hoping to read more of, was only there in drips and drabs. Such as: should you let your cat go outside? The author's position is clear: "As a general rule, if your cat has never been outside, it's best not to start". What to make of a cat's meowing? The author notes: "Meowing is a form of communication that is mainly directed at us. Adult cats rarely choose vocalization to communicate with each other". I wish there were a lot more insights about normal cat behavior (as opposed to problematic cat behavior, which is the main focus of the book). As it happens, I have no problems at all with my current cat whatsoever, and as a result the book didn't give me what I really wanted, which is to understand "why cats do what they do". This book should be tag-lined "why problematic cats do what they do".

This is a manual on cat behavioural issues. First get the cat checked by a veterinarian, to ensure that there is no physical cause such as sore teeth or an infection. After that try thinking like a cat and seeing the world from their perspective. For instance, moving a new adult into a house can cause problems until the cats learn to consider the newcomer among Humans Who Are Not A Threat. If the new adult provides food, this will help.

A Vet Tech and animal surgery administrator, Mieshelle moved full time to caring for cats. An owner may be making an obvious mistake such as providing no stimulation in the home for a cat... or placing a litter box next to the food dish... or placing only one food dish or litter box, or two in the same room, where there are two competing cats. If the main issues are addressed behaviour will quickly improve. Mieshelle says that her clients have been crying out for years that 'there is nothing there for cat owners'. In fact guides to cat behavioural problems have been produced, such as 'Cats On The Couch' and 'Cat Confidential', with similar content. She advises against anthropomorphic interpretation of feline behaviour; physical punishment will not be understood by an animal, which will then see its owner as threatening and unpredictable.

The author digresses to the history of cats and compares them with dogs. Kittens should be socialised to people within the first few weeks of life, and to other cats as early as possible. The kitten learns appropriate play from mother and littermates: claws hurt! A male cat patrols a larger territory than a female, inside a house as well as outside. The human's couch or bed may be a neutral zone, but they all want their own area. Introducing a new cat may be difficult; Mieshelle provides detailed instructions gradually to introduce a newcomer, relying heavily on purchased scent pheromones. Neutering and spaying reduces health issues and unpleasant behaviours as well as preventing unwanted kittens.

I was pleased that the book stresses providing the right environment for cats. We now insist that wildlife parks give animals enough space, a suitable environment and stimulation, so we should not cage a cat in an apartment without adapting the home to its needs. Cats require places where they can feel safe, such as the top of a wardrobe or a cardboard box which people cannot see into; something to use their claws on such as a sisal scratcher (or polystyrene, which they love to sit on), toys that let them mimic hunting, and my cats' favourite, a dish of dry food in an unexpected location, which has them going around checking as for a mousehole. Water is ideally in a separate location to food or litter box, as a wild cat does not want to drink contaminated water. Litter boxes must be cleaned frequently; you prefer to use a clean bathroom, and so does your cat. At least one box per cat, in separate rooms.

The author could have given us more stories from her experience of clients' cats; often she is talking generally, while specific examples tend to be helpful to pet owners. I found it sad that she needed to give a lengthy explanation of how best to play with a cat; apparently some people have no idea of how cats hunt and play, and think that dangling something in its face will work. Behaviour-modifying drugs, such as sedatives, are available but it is famously hard to get cats to take pills and a cat wandering around zonked is more likely to be harmed and to fail to show affection.

By improving its life the author hopes to remove the need for drastic treatments or abandoning a cat, and to make the life of both cat and owner much happier. The language and style are more suited to adult readers than young people and there are few illustrations, which could be helpful in showing cat body language. Pet owners will find it helpful in overcoming problems or just an interesting read.

Some people may like this style of writing, but I don't like pet reference books that read like a collection of short stories. I don't want to know the author's backstory. I don't want case histories and stories about pets with problems and their lives and their owner's lives, and how the Cat Whisperer came to visit and what she observed. I just want the book to cut to the chase and say for this problem: do this. You can explain in a footnote what the psychology is behind doing something, but I know what the problem is. I just need a checklist of solutions I can try.

That said, she seems to know her stuff and her solutions are either similar to what other books recommend or even a little more thorough. My never-ending problem is a vertical surface, anxiety ridden sprayer, and I don't think covering all the windows in my house so he can't see outside cats is a practical solution. It might work, but who is going to do that? My cat saw his first outside cat in the yard in 2005 and has been spraying everything ever since, and not just the outside doors, now he does it when he's upset about not getting attention, not getting his dinner on time, and even when he's satisfied with life and just wants to bookmark his moment of contentment. At this point, I don't think covering all the windows so I live in a cave is going to make a difference, although I am down with having to enzyme clean everywhere he marks. What I would like to know is if there is any possible way to calm his anxiety so he doesn't feel the need to mark. (And no, Feliway does not work on him. Neither does catnip or those flower essence drops of water rip-offs.)

The first part of this book gives a lot of information about cat care and psychology. The later chapters delve into solving specific behavioral problems.

My favorite chapter was five: Purrtopia: Transforming Your Cats' Territory. The author gives good advice for creating a happy, healthy environment for your cats including food, water, toys, cat trees and scratching posts, litter boxes and more.

My purpose in ordering this book was to get ideas for helping my two cats get along. The older female cat is not happy about having a younger male in her house. Although they do not fight, there has been some chasing and hissing. We had already done some of the things suggested in the book (including using pheromone diffusers) and had success, but I was hoping for some "magic" that would further reduce the tension. Although I was not surprised to discover that there isn't a magic solution, it seems to me that someone implementing the author's plan to introduce or reintroduce a new cat to the household might have to quit their job and devote all of their time to their cats. There must be a simpler way.

There is a lot of information about cat behavior here, and if you are dealing with one of the problems addressed in the book (in particular, failing to use the litter box) you will probably find helpful advice. However, the book seemed a bit too long and repetitive in places.

"The Cat Whisperer" is a reference book on solving a variety of common cat behavioral problems. While the instructions were easy enough to understand, I was surprised by how long it took me to completely read through this 254 page book.

The first 68 pages were mostly the author's credentials (why you should believe that she knows what she's talking about), talking about what she thinks is wrong with the system, and speculation about the motives and minds of cats. She places the blame for cat behavioral problems on humans and talked like cat owners are largely abusive toward their cats. I suspect she'd get faster cooperation from humans if she didn't talk so negatively about them.

She did make a few good points in this first section, though: cats are cats, not dogs, not humans. Cats don't act out of a desire for revenge. Getting angry or hitting them isn't generally going to help and will probably make things worse. Simply removing your attention or presence is far more effective.

Unless you're set on reading the whole book, I'd suggest jumping to chapter 2's "Elements of an Effective C.A.T. plan" and then to chapter 3's "Taming the Wild" and continuing from there. The author became more organized and used a more practical and instructional tone at that point. You can also jump directly to the chapter that talks about the problems you're having. The solutions that she suggests are sometimes quite complicated, other times relatively quick and simple. If you're having a problem, her suggestions would probably be good ones to try.

Of her suggestions, though, I would never try to reduce the confidence of a "confident," bully cat. I doubt the cat is actually confident. I've fixed this problem by building up all of my cat's confidence--in my cats' case, confidence that my attention is not a limited resource. I also made different locations my "focused attention" spots for different cats so they all got attention in places that felt safe to them. They're now relaxed and willing to share me in all locations, though they reserve first rights in their special spots.

Anyway, overall I thought that her advice would be helpful. She covered what types of medical problems might cause various behavioral problems, described a case with the problem, what might be causes of the problem, conventional advice NOT to follow, and how to change the cat's behavior using a C.A.T. format: Cease unwanted behavior, Attract to a wanted behavior or location, and Transform the territory.

The main cat problems and techniques that she covered were: introducing new cats or reintroducing known cats in a way that ensures friendly relations afterward; using friendly pheromones; creating enough territory and resources to reduce conflict over resources (which is a cause of many problems); properly playing with your cat using a prey sequence; cat aggression toward people or other pets; pooping or peeing outside of the litterbox; marking with urine or poop; excessive meowing; destructive scratching of items--no need to "declaw!", unwanted jumping up on counters or tables, overgrooming, wool sucking and chewing, and clicker training basics for cats.

I received this review copy as an eBook Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

It is heartening to me that we're seeing more and more books on feline behavior that provide solid, actionable information for cat guardians. Far too many cats are surrendered to shelters, or worse, released into the wild to fend for themselves, because of behavior problems that often aren't all that hard to fix. In this book, Mieshelle Nagelschneider explains cat behavior and provides easy-to-follow solutions to common behavior problems.

From the publisher:

Nagelschneider's approach involves what she calls her C.A.T. Plan:
*Cease the Unwanted Cat Behavior
*Attract the Cat to a Desirable Behavior, Location or Time
*Transform the Territory

According to the author, by following her plan, even the most challenging felines will respond within thirty to sixty days.

The book contains a wealth of information about how cats think, and why they do the things that often puzzle humans. Nagelschneider stresses that cats never do things out of spite or to "get back" at the people in their lives, a perception that is still far too prevalent among cat guardians. Her chapter "Mind Throwing: Inside the Being of a Cat" offers a thought provoking look at who cats really are. I particularly enjoyed the section on anthropomorphism (the attribution of human characteristics to an animal). The author explains both the joy and pitfalls of thinking that our cats are just like us, and cautions us to stick with positive anthropomorphism (appreciating the sweetness and love of our cats) and staying away from the negative (believing that they do things to annoy us.)

This book will leave you with a better understanding of your feline companions, whether they're behaviorally challenged or whether they're little feline angels.

We got 2 cats from a household that couldn't keep them. To our dismay they started using our bath rugs as a litter pan. Awful and we couldn't figure out what was wrong. After reading this book, we made several changes that fixed the problem. Number one was getting rid of our old litter pans that smelled like our old cat. We went with large clear plastic storage containers as recommended in the book. We cut out u-shaped entrances to the boxes. Our cats love them -- one is a high pee cat and this stops the problem of pee leaking out onto the floor. The book gave us a multitude of factors to consider to help make our cats more comfortable. We now have 2 relaxed cats that don't pee on the floor any longer and they are willing to run down to the basement to use their litter boxes. Highly recommend the book. The downside is I found the book to be quite wordy when all I wanted to do was find help for our cats. But the book is easy to scan through and was available from our library. Plus her web site is useful (in addition to the store reviews) to help decide what products are worth buying to make your cat more happy.

According to Mieshelle Nagelschneider*, cats never do anything to please their owners. If this is true, why do I have a cat who likes playing "fetch"? Hard to believe, but Heidi does like to fetch small bits of rolled up paper. This is a game Heidi trained me to do, not the other way around.
All in all, this is a good book but just remember everything in it is not the final word on cat behavior. Cats, just like people, have their own personalities and will respond differently. Get to know your cat and then attempt some of the instructions in the book to eliminate bad behavior.
If you're especially interested in multiple cat households, this is definitely a book for you. M's Nagelschneider has 9 cats and just 3 humans in her household. to me, that's a little too much cat to people, but to each their own.
This is a good book to start off with your cat behavior problems. You can (hopefully) solve some your cat problems with this book and I recommend the book for that.
_enjoy_

*sorry M's Mieshelle Nagelschneider, in my opinion there is only one cat whisperer and his name is Craig Andersen.

Mieshelle Nagelschneider, cat behaviour specialist, covers seven major behaviour problems (litter box issues, spraying, multiple-cat tension, aggression, yowling, destructive and otherwise unwelcome behaviours, and compulsive behaviours), and demonstrates with case studies how each can be overcome using her CAT plan - Cease, Attract and Transform. She guarantees results, but warns that it could take owners 30-60 days of consistent training to achieve a positive result, depending on the severity of the problem and the personalities involved (feline and human).

The Cat Whisperer is a well-written and easy-to-read book, based on over twenty years of experience working with cats (and another dozen or more childhood years playing with and taming feral cats, among other animals). She has a humorous writing style which quotes both Alice in Wonderland and Rudyard Kipling (but not Garfield). It seems to me that used methods such as these to refine cat behaviour is a lot more sensible that banning the domestic cat, especially given Nagelschneider's point about what happened the last couple of times a nation tried to get rid of cats (no cats meant the rats were free to spread the Black Death).

My one area of disagreement with the author is cultural: she prefers that cats live indoors (which she says is the status quo for 75% of domestic cats in the US). I prefer that cats be permitted outside, partly because that is normal in my non- American culture and partly because my cat is a stray who adopted us and was initially scared to come inside. As a result, while she went into great detail about litter box etiquette and providing appropriate environmental stimuli for indoor cats, nothing was said about resources for outdoor or indoor-outdoor cats. Do I need to do prey play with my outdoor cat when she can stalk real birds and rats? And the author's preference for indoor cats means she doesn't provide advice for dealing with one outdoor cat issue: what to do when they bring you a 'present'.

Despite this, I think this is a valuable resource for cat owners whether or not they currently have behaviour issues (after all, prevention is better than cure). It will be especially useful for those with indoor cats or those with more than one cat. Recommended.

Thanks to Bantam and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Even before finishing this book, I began recommending it to all my cat-loving friends. I've lived with cats for 40 years (currently share my home with four) and sometimes find friends calling me for cat advice, but my knowledge and understanding of cats can't even begin to compare with Mieshelle Nagelschneider's. In fact, I volunteer for a cat rescue group, and at a recent meeting, even some of those very cat-savvy people were bemoaning certain problem behaviors of their cats. So naturally, I referred them to this book, and a few orders for it were placed before the meeting was over. Suffice it to say, I'm impressed. This is hands down the best book on cats I've read--most of the others are either too elementary for someone who has lived with cats for a long time or not in depth enough for dealing with some of the thorniest challenges.

Nagelschneider starts out the book by explaining how she came to pursue this line of work and then launches into a fairly detailed explanation of what drives cats generally--their close connections to their wild ancestors and the fact that they are territorial probably being foremost--and cautions against anthropomorphizing, which trips up many cat guardians because cats simply aren't motivated by human emotions such as spite and retaliation, which are often ascribed to them. She has codified her system for modifying unwanted behavior into what she calls the C.A.T. approach--taking measures to cease the behavior (which often involves identifying and eliminating the triggers), attract the cat to other activities and transform the environment. And for each set of behaviors that clients have consulted her for over the years--aggression, inappropriate elimination, spraying, excessive meowing, destructive and compulsive behaviors--she explains why the behavior is happening and maps out a comprehensive course of action for people to follow with their own cats. When presented along with the insights she offers into how cats think and react, it all makes a lot of sense.

Nagelschneider's writing is fluid and accessible, and the book is organized in such a way that you can read it cover to cover, as I did, or browse through it as needed (though I strongly advise reading the early chapters where she lays out how cats think). I can't recommend The Cat Whisperer highly enough if you have cats, whether or not you're dealing with problem behavior. It will provide a rare glimpse inside the minds of these strange, wonderful creatures and arm you with a resource for addressing issues if they come up later.

Five glowing stars.

This is a redone review of this book. I didn't like my approach in the prior review.

This book is a very conservative & cautious approach to dealing with your pet cats, especially if there are problems.
The author explains how she has come into the unique field of cat behaviorist and gives you her backstory. She also suggests that we often project onto our cats, our own expectations of acting like little humans, which of course they are not. They have their own culture, that most of us do not understand. She suggests then how we can meet them halfway, such that we can understand their world or at least why they do what they do. Also, she indicates that our domesticated cats are only a few steps from being the wild animals they once were and still act within those terms.

The rest of the book discusses various issues that you can encounter with your pet.:
* Art of introducing cats
* Transforming your cats territory
* Psychology and Physiology: Does your cat have a medical issue
* Feline aggression
* Litter box issues
* Urine marking
* Excessive meowing
* Destructive and other unwanted behaviors
* Compulsive cats
Several appendices on Clicker training, checklists for litter issues and behavior tools.

Overall she takes a measured-careful approach to stave off issues. I know after having been owned by cats for 30 years, I have not been this careful though still met with success, so this is truly a measured approach, that would work well in difficult situations. It would also seem many of these steps can be remedial and fix problems the humans have unwittingly caused.

I really like that she addresses people who play with a cat too aggressively and then are taken aback when their adult cat is too rough with them. They do get what they deserve, but unfortunately the cat takes the brunt of their bad decision.

She explains in each case what the problem (from the cats perspective) is and how to address it. Most importantly, things that took a long time to evolve, can take a long time to be corrected.

This book can be approached in several ways. Surgically to the topic of your interest, if you are having a problem with your cat, or Comprehensive, where you read the whole book. I like the comprehensive approach, because you might read something that piques your interest or helps you realize there is a budding problem afoot.

We are cat people - good thing since we are sharing our home with 6 of the little fur-people :) I had my calico, my first cat, for almost 19 years with no problems other than she wouldn't share her space with another cat....that was established at the get-go! When she passed we rescued a mother cat and her 4, 1 week old kittens. We flunked Fostering 101...we kept them all - couldn't bear to part with them! All were spayed/neutered and for 5 years we had no problems. Life was great! Then, about 6 months ago we took in a 9 mo old small, brown tabby male with a big cat attitude.........we were determined to make it work despite his intention to create minute by minute havoc in our home by challenging the other cats and by spraying anything and everything vertical he could find. We are still determined to make it work even though he is on very thin ice with me because of the spraying. My husband will never get used to my screaming an "OMG" as I find another dried/wet area where he marked. And, the ultimate insult is when he looks right at me and sprays and then runs like heck so he knows it's wrong for him to do that.....and he does it anyway! Almost to spite me or to show me he can. Oh, he is SO close to going to the humane society, but I know what will happen to him there UNLESS he would do well in a one cat household, and there is no way of knowing that for sure, so we continue to work with him. I am on the second month of Feliway's plugged into several rooms.

All that being said - that is the main reason I wanted to read this book. I am trying the suggestions given - so far nothing has changed. He prefers my husband to me, and we both play with him with cat toys to try and take his attention. I also give him a feline bite-sized chew called Vetri-Science Composure Feline, 30 Bite-Sized Chews available here at the store and that helps a little bit because his other issue is chasing around the mother cat, which she doesn't seem to mind! He is neutered and she is spayed. He just chases her.

Honestly, I have not read all of the book, but I intend to as I get the opportunity. I read the chapters that relate to our situation and found them easy to read, easy to understand and found new information I had been unaware of.

I would recommend it, especially for new cat/kitten owner's - it will simplify things - it will explain things - it will de-mystify things and above all, it will show you how rewarding living with a cat(s) can be...as long as you understand them and why they do the things they do....or you may never understand, but the book will help you adjust!!! :)

This is a very useful book for any cat owner. The basic premise -- to look at problems from the CATS' point of view -- is right on the money. And the author's vehement opposition to declawing -- amputation, she calls it (and it is)-- is appropriate and needs to be emphasized. She offers strategies to solve many problems, and they seem, from my experience, to be quite worthwile. In addition, the book is well written and fun to read. The bulk of it is narrative, with many "case studies" and practical examples, and there are useful summaries at the end.

One can't expect a small book like this to cover EVERY situation from EVERY point of view. And of course one can argue with some of her points. There are differing points of view that are valid when looking at anything. That's irrelevant. Her perspective and insight is worth considering. Some people like to argue for argument's sake, or to attempt to prove that they know "better". I don't know if either of those is the case with Mr. Moran's tepid, equivocal review, but he does the author and potential readers a disservice.

I strongly believe that if you're interested in your cats' behavior, this is a book worth reading, whether you agree with her style and everything she says or not!

I was torn about whether to give this book 4 stars or 5, but ultimately decided on 5 because Mieshelle did not write this book purporting to be a cat health expert, just a behavioral one.

As a behavior book, others are correct that she has a pretty narrow focus on a few specific behavioral problems, but those are, after all, about 95% of the reasons cats are given up to shelters. What I liked about this book is that, in a sea of books about cat behavior (and more than one by a so-called "cat whisperer"), this book gave intense focus to how a cat sees a situation, and why; and laid out some very specific steps toward solving each problem. Unlike other books I've read, I may one day add this to my permanent library as simply a reference book, because after you learn to really see things from a cat's POV, you might be able to solve other problems on your own.

Here are my reservations/warnings about a couple of statements she made, which show a shocking lack of knowledge about cat health:

(1) Feeding a cat only twice a day is inhumane. She makes this claim because cats left to hunt their own food catch and eat mice several times a day.

The problems?
(a) That's IF they can find them. If you read other books on this topic, you will realize that all wild animals only eat when they have a successful hunt. This is no different for feral cats. Do you believe feral cats live in such places where they can find their fill of mice every day, whenever they want? Nature made all of us (humans included) with bodies that are well-designed for periodic fasts. A fast is not just a possible thing, it is a beneficial thing.

(b) The only way to not be inhumane, according to her standards, is to free-feed. Free-feeding has a number of problems.

The first is that, according to many more "experts" on the subject, leaving food out continuously means that cats, with their incredible smellers, are smelling food all day long. This has an effect on their digestive system, whether or not they are eating, and is most decidedly NOT a natural condition.

The second, more important problem with this is that the only way to safely free-feed is to feed them dry garbage "foods". If you do your reading on this subject, you will come to understand that there is NO dry food on the market* -- even premium, I-got-it-from-my-vet brands -- that are good for feeding an obligate carnivore.
(*except perhaps dehydrated raw, 80-90% meat + bone... but that should be rehydrated before feeding)

Cats also thrive on routine. I believe they are just as secure living in an environment where they can count on getting meals at specific times each day, and that there is nothing whatsoever inhumane about this practice. In my experiences with transitioning previous free-feeders to a schedule, they will get very agitated about food for about a week (pestering for food all the time, and getting frantic while it is being prepared for them, come feeding time), after which the agitation will cease and they relax into the knowledge that they can trust their food will show up at predictable times.

(2) She urges cat owners to use silica litters!, and not "food-based" ones (corn and wheat), which she says will confuse your cat, who is smelling food in his litter box.

There are SO many things wrong with this:

(a) Silica litters pose known and serious health risks to both cats and humans. For brevity's sake I won't list them; please just do your research before choosing a cat litter.

(b) Any cat whose corn or wheat litter "smells like food" is already in trouble, because of 1(b) above. Your cat's food should absolutely, positively NOT contain either corn or wheat (or rice, or a bunch of potatoes, or other starchy fillers). Personally, I consider feeding grain-based "foods" to an animal which nature has designed to eat virtually 100% meat, to be inhumane.

By the way, if you are a Mieshelle fan, unlike other cat behavior experts, you can absolutely book an appointment with her, which she will conduct via FB Talk or Skype. Just go to her website.

The author is passionate about cats but also able to bring to her complex subject matter the dispassionate perspective that the well-intentioned, frequently frustrated cat owner may not possess. I've learned to "listen" more attentively to my cats by watching that popular cable show about deviant feline behavior. But "The Cat Whisperer"--through its complete, definitive, and effective information and advice--has helped me actually understand what "Lilly" and "Mina" are trying (admittedly, with no strenuous effort) to tell me. Thanks to the author's expertise, broad experience, and genuine love for these often enigmatic, seemingly inscrutable, creatures, you too will learn not merely to "hear" but to respond to your pet's complaints.

The author offers practical ways to change your cat's behavior based on easily learned, mnemonic principles ("the C.A.T. Principle.) And she goes beyond stressing the importance of the "empathetic" (thinking and feeling like a cat) to the "strategic" (don't think you can outwit a cat without thinking "outside" its box!) Whether you choose to read the book cover to cover or to use it as a reference tool (a handy index is included), the book brings illumination and practical solutions that promise to have both you and your cat purring.

Right now my immediate challenge is to figure out why Lilly is refusing to allow me to complete this review. She's attacking the keyboard and altering my words with each movement of my fingers! If this review appears coherent and intact, give credit to recommendations found in "The Cat Whisperer," which I'm consulting at this very moment!

This book is an absolute godsend for cat lovers and even more so for cat owners who are not particularly loving their cats for the variety of unwanted behaviors which she lists out as: cat-to-cat tension (in multi-cat households), aggression, litter box issues, spraying, excessive meowing, destructive and unwanted behaviors, and compulsive behaviors (such as one cat who licked the same area on his leg till it turned into a bad open sore) -- as well as how to address and actually change each behavior -- in a humane and loving way. That means no hitting, yelling, etc. She provides not only the methods, but the scientific explanation of why these methods work. Plus thousands upon thousands of actual case histories that support her methods. Her decades of case histories makes her theories more than just theories, in my opinion; it turns her theories into actual scientific evidence that these are the correct ways to change unwanted behaviors in cats, and to develop better, happier relationships with our cats.

I personally am lucky to have a wonderful, loving relationship with my cat, but I read this book to gain further understanding. It has enabled me to realize how I can improve my relationship with my cat, and for that alone, I think this book is worth the price times ten. No simple trip to the vet would provide for me what this book has. I highly recommend it, and have already started to share some of its contents with friends of mine who do have aggression problems with their cat, for which they were very grateful.

I give this book 5 stars! And thank you, Mieshelle Nagelschneider for your dedicated caring about cats, and for this wonderful book!

The Cat Whisperer: Why Cats Do What They Do--and How to Get Them to Do What You Want is a wonderful book to help you gain a better understanding of your cat.
The first thing you must to do for any of this work is to get past the concept that your cat actually has emotions and feelings similar to yourself. You are basically just projecting your feelings and emotions onto the cat. Mieshelle Nagelschneider is an outstanding cat behaviorists. She brings her vast years of experience together to help cat owners solve the most complex to the most simplest of cat behavior problems. Not only is there advice on such subjects as litter box issues, spraying and scratching but she also explains why these could be happening. Understanding the cat's thinking process is an important key to a successful outcome. A cats world and needs are entirely different than most cat owners think. They are very territorial, this is the cause of many of the problems cat owners face. As with all animals they need to have a sense of security. One must also bring to the table an understanding of a cats basic nature including the urge to catch and kill prey. Mieshelle offers hope to all cat owners that, yes, you can successfully train a cat. One hint, violence is not the answer. I found this book very easy to read and have gained an understanding of the cat that I have already started to apply to my three cats. I recommend this book to anyone with a desire to know more about their cat and how it's very nature impacts on how it behaves.

As a longtime cat lover and current owner of five rescued cats, I am often quite in need of advice on how to reduce inter kitty conflict, stop the spraying, yowling and turf battles that comes along with multiples. Honestly, I think this is one of the best books I've read on nipping some of these problems in the bud.

The approach of the author is from the cat's POV, in the sense that if you can learn to 'think like kitty' you're going to be able to come up with some out of the box solutions for what may be causing problems. There are good explanations of why cats perceive human behaviors in a certain light, and even a little on the history of how cats came to be domesticated by humans.

This is a really dense tome, more meant to be read cover to cover than just 'skimmed' to find the solution to a problem. That said, it's pretty comprehensive: topics addressed include unwanted elimination, aggression between cats, and a number of other issues you're likely to run into as a cat owner. The only real criticism I have of it is that it doesn't go into the differences between breeds, in the sense that some tend to be more high strung and prone to separation anxiety and similar.

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.

We are owned by two Selkirk Rex cats. One is friendly and mostly at peace with the world, as long as we spend every waking moment with him. (Not that Meriwether is people-centric or anything.) The other is pretty, sweet, affectionate (to me), and as dumb as a box of rocks. She's also the biggest scaredeycat I've ever known, easily intimidated by a rustling paper bag. Which we could handle, except that Shaka decided to be terrified by the CatGenie self-cleaning litter box and concluded that it'd be ever so much more convenient to use a corner of the carpet in the living room.

As you can imagine, I was motivated to choose Nagelschneider's book, The Cat Whisperer, from my the store Vine selections. At least if I wanted to protect my kitty from the terrible fates that my husband was considering.

I've been slow to get through this book, because I'm reading it carefully and paying attention. In fact, I'm still reading it. But I realized that I had already reached my conclusion: that this book IS worth your time and money, if you want to co-exist with cats.

One reason it's taken me a while to read this is that Nagelschneider challenges a lot of my premises about What Cats Want, and hey, I've been owned by cats for decades. Doesn't that make me an expert? I had to practically force myself to set aside my own "knowledge" and listen to her advice and explanations, and then try her suggestions to see if they worked. For instance, she writes, "In reality, cats do not think about us, at least not in our sense of thinking, because they lack the cognitive framework necessary to such thinking. They certainly cannot process the thought, 'I'm going to get back at you,' or 'I know you hate this, but I do it to spite you,' or 'Here is yet another act of mine that, yes, you SHOULD take personally.'" My emotions say NO NO NO but... well, I guess she's right.

And shall I report here that the cat hasn't gone outside her box in months? That the older, friendly cat purrs much more often? The bits that made the difference here were daily incorporating what she calls a "prey sequence" (really, they _need_ to beat up on a cat toy and to go through the whole death-to-catnip-mice ritual), recognizing that they really do need two litter boxes, and learning to withdraw attention from the dumber cat instead of to issue reprimands.

Nagelschneider puts particular focus on the problems that bother us cat-staff most, such as cat aggression, introducing new cats to the household, and litter-box issues, but most of her wisdom comes from the "how to think like a cat" sections. For example, a sidebar on pheromones helped me understand the science ("...cats have five facial pheromones, which they release by rubbing their sebaceous glands on other animals or objects") and how to use this information ("Rubbing your cats' facial areas can help to greatly relax them" -- which absolutely is true! Zero-to-60 purring).

Which is not to say that I have accepted everything as Gospel. She strongly advises against putting a cover on a litter box, for instance, but we discovered that it gets used more often with the cover (because Meriwether LOVES boxes, I guess).

So I take this book as advice rather than "Follow this unthinkingly." It is, however, very good advice.

I already own basic cat care books, so this one does not have a lot of new information. One item, though, makes this a book worthy of space on my shelf: cats are so finicky, they'd starve to death or eat their own young before they'd eat food they consider unpalatable. Furthermore, cats are never used as food testers for new cat food. People are, because cats won't try new food. That's a little hard for me to believe (why not start with kittens?) but then again, knowing cats, I do believe it.

The advice on how to stop scratching? No good. Our Maine Coon knows the rug is forbidden, but he tears into it in the middle of the night, when we're asleep, and he boycotts the many scratching posts we've bought or made and left all over the house. Like our other cat, he boycotts catnip. The first cat, after one year of trying to get him to scratch something other than the chairs, had to be declawed. The second cat was rescued from the pound at age two and is now age 4, or he'd have been declawed too. We really did try everything in the book.

I didn't receive this book soon enough -- our Maine Coon had already come home with us, and our first cat had already made up his mind to destroy the alien invader. Nothing has improved. Little Bobinski continues to terrorize the big Maine Coon. We separated them for 9 months (son at college got the Coon), then reunited them, but cats have long, long memories. It's been two years (minus the 9 months). We tried a 3-week separation again, still with no luck.

This book reminds me of all those those parenting books I bought too late. "If only I'd known that sooner," or "I've tried that and it didn't work," or I do try it, but something goes wrong. The cat (or kid) still isn't doing what I wish it would.

If this book is read BEFORE the cat is brought home, it might be useful. Otherwise, it's just an interesting collection of ideas and information about cats. The only reason I still allow a cat in my home is that the creatures are so darned cute. They have nothing else going for them. They won't sit in my lap. They aren't dogs. And yet somehow they steal into our hearts, willful and sneaky, wily and finicky as they are. Anyone want a Maine Coon? He's a gorgeous creature, but sheds too much, and opens the cupboard doors every night in search of canned tuna. But you should see him play hockey with lids across the wood floor...Wayne Gretzky in cat form... eek! Why do I love evil little cats so much?

When a feral mother cat left her three kittens in our back yard last fall, we ended up adopting all three permanently, and bringing them into the house before winter, even though we'd never owned cats. A few things were easy, like taking them to the vet and having them fixed. Some things we asked friends about.

But this book was very helpful for specifics. How can I play with them so we bond better? What kind of toys are best? (I had no idea that cats like puzzles, but they LOVE their puzzle box!) Also, I couldn't figure out why at least one was spraying. I thought we had enough litter boxes, but I think adding one more in the problem areas a recommended has helped. Since my three have been together since birth, I hope I'll never have to do the "re-introduction" process, but if they should start fighting, at least there's some expert advice handy.

As a cat owner I thought I was well-versed in the attitudes and behaviors of our feline friends. While I'm no dummy, I definitely learned a great deal reading this book.

Mieshelle Nagelschneider imparts invaluable knowledge for anyone that loves cats and wants their pets to be happy, healthy and well-adjusted. While it's a bit difficult to read straight through, The Cat Whisperer: Why Cats Do What They Do--and How to Get Them to Do What You Want is a must have resource. It's laid out in a fashion in which one can easily use it as a reference to solve specific problems without unnecessarily wading through non-pertinent information.

I highly recommend this book to new cat owners and cat aficionados alike.

The Bad News is that uninformed owner response to bad cat behavior tends to be counterproductive.
The Better News is that after more than 33,000 hours of observing cats and investigating client reports of their cats' behavior, Mieshelle Nagelschneider believes most cat behavioral problems can be completely solved using her time tested techniques.

Anyone with any sense realizes that cats are not furry little people, but it is less obvious that cats are not dogs. Dogs are fully domesticated pack animals; cats are only partially domesticated wild animals (African wildcat) that live solitary lives in nature so it shouldn't be much of a surprise that techniques that work on dogs don't work on cats. Most of the reasons dogs are abandoned, dropped off at animal shelters, or euthanized are not behavior related; most of the reasons cats are abandoned, dropped off at animal shelters, or euthanized ARE behavior related, made more tragic by the fact that Ms. Nagelschneider believes her methods could (rather easily) eliminate almost all cat behavior problems.

For the full package read the book, but here are some things that particularly stood out IMHO.

Most cat behavior issues can possibly have a medical cause, so have your vet carefully and thoroughly check for those first.
Most forms of punishment for a cat are counterproductive with the single exception of withdrawal of your attention and presence. This is a method of discipline commonly employed by mother cats, which makes it very effective.
Unlike humans cats are generally too smart to bite the hands that feed them so an effective method of dealing with cat aggression against a new human in the household is to have that human feed the cat.
Most of her techniques, which involve retraining both cat and owner, follow a three step approach: Cease the bad behavior, Attract to better behavior, and Transform the environment to facilitate this.
Cats instinctively do not want to urinate or defecate where they eat, which fact can both cause out-of-the-box elimination and be used to eliminate it.
Bad behavior of any kind is more easily treated the sooner you start, before it becomes a deeply ingrained habit.

Multi-cat households are a double edged sword. On the one hand they can eliminate problems due to boredom or loneliness, on the other hand the more cats you have, the more behavioral problems you tend to have. They tend to work best with litter mates adopted together as kittens, but they are not for the lazy.

In addition Ms. Nagelschneider supports early spaying and neutering for all but breeders, recommends keeping cats indoors, opposes drug use to control behavior in most cases (A stoned cat is not a happy cat even if behavior improves... or ceases altogether, "Wow, man, purr...."). She also emphatically opposes "declawing", which is something of a misnomer anyway, because what you are actually doing is amputating the first toe joints of an animal that walks on its toes. This can result in a lifetime of pain for the animal, all to prevent a destructive behavior that in her experience is so easily corrected.

So in conclusion this book is HIGHLY recommended to cat owners and would be cat owners, even if your cats are not currently acting up so that you will be prepared if they ever start to.

Note: I received this ebook from NetGalley in return for agreeing to review it.

Whether you have a cat problem or just a cat, this book is a GREAT way to better understand them.

The author is a self-made cat behaviorist, and as she says, there are not many of those around...it's not something they teach in veterinary school. You can find lots of theories as to how to deal with cats and why they do what they do, but many of these theories do not seem to work for all (or even most) cats. So rather than ditching your problem kitty or dosing him/her with medication, this book might be a good place to turn...and even your cat is great, this might help you understand your critter better.

What this book is NOT is a book on how to train your cat. It's really about changing the way you interact with your cat and the environment of your household to achieve the behavior you want. This book is also not a "cute" cat book - Mieshelle is simply offering advice and explanations and often provides examples to illustrate the point, some of which may be disturbing (discussing some animals that were put down because their owners could not figure out what to do with them even though it may have been quite resolvable or using a mentally charged description of a kitten bloody and traumatized after declawing).

What you will find inside: a description of what a cat really is, how they think, and how they operate. Mieshelle describes how they evolved and how cats, unlike almost any other "domesticated" animal are not heard animals, do not traditionally live in groups with hierarchies (no pack mentality) and are generally quite capable of living on their own. They do not think like humans (or dogs) and are not interested in being spiteful, revenge (your cat isn't peeing on your bed because it hates you), or pleasing you for your sake (they might do it for their own sake, to get treats or to get your attention, even if that attention is you yelling at them). Somewhere early in the book is a comment along the lines of "a cat is the closest thing to a wild animal that consents to live with you." Mieshelle is very careful to guide the reader away from anthropomorphism. These are not little people in fur coats and if you think of them as such it can often be very frustrating.

Understanding these things really does help the book start off with laying a ground work of how to think of your cat, and the majority of the explanations and solutions for common problems relate back to it. Some of the most useful concepts otherwise include:
1) How cats view resources
2) What makes a cat comfortable (security mainly)
3) The influence of the hunting instinct
4) The influence of the mating instinct
5) The influence of smells and pheremones
6) How cats relate to each others as groups and individuals (including bullying)
7) How cats seek out attention and how you may be unintentionally rewarding undesirable behavior
8) Why medication is not generally the best solution, but also a description of when it might be
9) How cats express discomfort
10) Clawing and marking behaviors

The book primarily advocates for changing your behavior and the environment to achieve results. (The "CAT" method is advocated - cease unwanted behavior, attract the cat to desirable behavior, and transform the environment). After laying the groundwork, specific behavioral topics are covered along with explanations of what might cause them and how you might be able to deal with them. These topics range the gamut from:
1) Cat to cat behavior - introductions, aggression, socialization, etc
2) Detecting medical issues
3) Aggression to other household members (cats, humans, dogs, etc)
4) Elimination and marking outside the litterbox
5) Clawing and destruction
6) Excessive meowing and other distracting or unwanted behavior
7) Obsessive/compulsive behaviors (including self-injuring)

I DEFINTELY think this book is helpful for multi-cat households if there are any issues. Mieshelle talks about how to introduce the cats right even if they've had bad experiences with one another in the past and how to smooth interaction. She also discusses how a lot of the problems you might find relate to having multiple cats and how to deal with it when more than one animals in involved.

As for myself - I am the proud...roommate? of one cat who came to us slightly used and dog eared. While all of us tolerate each other well, this book did give me an understanding of what some of his behaviors might be about and what I can do to fix them. I've shared some of these with my veterinarian mother who has also found the lessons from the book quite interesting.

As for my cat:
-I have more insight into his mealtime meowing. I am considering trying a timed feeder to try transfer his anticipation from me to it.
-I've bought a clicker and am excited to try it. Apparently clicker training DOES work with cats if done right.
-I bought a bigger uncovered litter box. I had no idea that the covered the box I had for him was too small (apparently box should be at least 1.5 time the length of your cat) and that the covered box might be why kicked out litter and sometimes used the bathtub. Happy to report that's going very well! Put the new box next to his old one at first...he used the old one once and then used the new one forever more as he strongly prefers it. So far, I do too.
-I took him to board recently and brought him items that he'd facially marked a lot as well as spraying the items that the boarding facility had in the kennel (with their permission) with Feli-Way Comfort Spray (book recommends a hormonal spray, this was the one on the website). He was apparently much more comfortable this time and did not go on as nearly as long of a hunger strike (he tends to stop eating for a few days at the kennels)
-I already have cat trees and other places designated particularly for him, but had I not, this book would definitely inspire more of that.
-It never really occurred to me that having litter boxes, food bowls, and water bowls nearby was a bad thing...apparently all three should be further apart and now they are.
-Even though I know how to play with my cat (take him through hunting sequences) reading the book inspired me to do it more...playing with the cat is fun again and he like it too!

Final comment: author recommends a lot of types of items. She also offers examples of them for sale on her website (linked with the store) so you can pick up anything you read about and liked. Personally I took notes and shopped around, but I do actually appreciate the plugs for specific products. Otherwise, it's easy to get confused (I found cat "pheromone" sprays elsewhere that were lavender scented...that's for humans, not cats!) and hard to know what products might cause more harm than good.

Not only do I love and adore cats and couldn't wait to get my hands on a book like this, it's also come in very handy considering we went from one cat to three exactly three months ago today! It came about very quickly, in fact in less than a week, and we were going away over Christmas so they weren't properly introduced to each other ... with all the associated issues.

So, here's a cat "whisperer" with oodles of experience to tell me where I went wrong and what I can do to salvage the situation and get the boys and Daisy get along with one another, and also give me handy tips on how to get the boys off the kitchen counters and maybe even stop one of the boys from over-grooming. Awesome.

In fact, I could wax lyrically about how useful this book might be to a problem cat household, and that the author talks to you in a nice way that makes you understand exactly what the problems actually are and what can be done about them. She definitely knows her stuff.

The proof is in the pudding. Since I finished reading this book, have the boys stopped jumping on the counter? Has li'l ginger stopped over-grooming? Do they all get along like they're best friends ever?

Yes and no. The counter-jumping has definitely got better, because I took the advice (technically related to another problem in the book) of blocking off the window - they enjoyed jumping up to the sink to look out the window. I pulled down the blinds, so now there's nothing to see there. The bird table outside was moved so they could look at it from their perch on a shelf. We still can't get them to not jump on the table, but then I'm way too nice and don't necessarily shoo them off straight away, so that's my fault.

Li'l ginger hasn't stopped over-grooming, but from what I could tell, he was over-grooming before we got him. However, I took the advice from the book and got a bottle of Bach Rescue Remedy (flower essences) and dripped in their water bowls. It has definitely made them more relaxed. I also got a second Feliway diffuser so we could have one upstairs and one downstairs, which has probably helped as well. The cat in question is fairly introverted and quiet, not to mention easily startled, so it's just something to work on.

They're not all best friends, though. The boys lived together since they were kittens so they're fine with each other, but Daisy's not happy about the company. I've got a brush and am trying to create a "group scent" as per instructions. That they all got fleas has complicated things, though ... but I'm working on it. The book didn't go into details for how to introduce two new cats to a one-cat household (it did one new cat to a one or multi-cat household), but the basic idea remains the same.

A big thing, if you go by the contents of the book, seems to be to do with soiling outside the box. I don't actually have that problem (thank goodness), so sometimes I wanted to skip ahead to the bits relevant to our household. The chapters also cross-referenced one another, saying "read more about this in chapter X" which is fine when you're reading a physical book. I was reading it on the Kindle, however, so jumping to the relevant sections wasn't really workable. For that reason, I'd recommend getting a physical copy of "The Cat Whisperer" instead, because it's one of those books that's good to have in your bookshelf as a reference, so that when you need it, you can go look things up easily.

If you're into cats and want to know more about their behaviour, and how to solve behavioural issues that crop up, this is a great resource. Mieshelle Nagelschneider clearly cares about cats, and wants them all to have the best life we can give them, and has written a nice, easily understood book to help the rest of us along who love our pets but aren't quite sure how to solve potential problems.

I live in a household with five cats so when the opportunity to review this book was presented, I jumped on it. And now that I have finished the book, I am very, very impressed.
Most of us would read a book like this because a cat has undesirable behavior that we have been unable to change. Mieshelle writes, "Many unwanted behaviors can be remedied by mimicking aspects of a cat's natural environment." (96)

She addresses all kinds of cat behavior in this book: aggressive behavior (play, human caused, predatory, redirected, territorial), unwanted spraying, unwanted scratching, out of the box eliminating, and much more. For each behavior, she has a C. A. T. plan. Cease the undesirable behavior, Attract to new behavior, and Transform the Territory.

One of our cats had been over grooming, literally pulling her hair out. We added three more feeding stations, in various parts of the house and, I am happy to say, the over grooming has ceased!

Some parts of the book were disturbing, such as what declawing really means and why it is unnecessary because unwanted scratching is an easy problem to solve.

And cats are trainable! She trained her cats to "high-five." In an appendix, she explains how you can do it too.

"The secret to being a 'cat whisperer,' as it were, is to be a cat listener - to learn to listen to what they are telling you about their needs and desires, and to see the world through their eyes." (237) Cats aren't like dogs. Cats are out to please themselves. Nonetheless, reading this book will help you understand how you can have a relationship with your cats that is very rewarding.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

We have 12 cats - too many I know, but tell that to the feral cat who had kittens in our yard and another litter in the neighbor's yard before we could catch her. (She's now fixed, and so are her babies!) She had them right after the economy melted and people were losing their houses and taking their pets to the pound, so we knew we couldn't take them to the pound. We tried to adopt them out, but that didn't work. So now we're overloaded.

So we have 12 - which means the house smells like we have cats. Which means this book is a Godsend! Being a cat guardian for more than 20 years, I knew a lot of things (clean the litter boxes regularly, have lots of perches and places for kitties to snooze, high quality food means less poop, etc). But having things spelled out about WHY the kitties do what they do and more importantly, suggestions to get them to change their unwanted behaviors is so helpful.

Sunny likes to pee on the floor and the sofas. He's a sweetheart and loves petting and playing, but he hates the boxes. So I tried a couple of suggestions from the book. I keep the boxes cleaner (you're supposed to have 1 box for each cat +1, but the house doesn't hold 13 boxes, so that just means scoop more and have them in different places that are easy to get to), I've moved some of the food dishes to different parts of the house so he doesn't have to eat in the middle of 11 other cats. We've played more with them all. We've sprayed pheromones places that he likes to mess. We don't yell at him when we see him "eliminating inappropriately".

Guess what - I saw him using the box the other morning! That's the first time I've seen him do that in over a year. (Of course, he used the floor the next morning, but it's a start!) The bedroom smells better, so I think he's used the boxes even more!

This book is quite readable. I did switch around the chapters while reading, but I've read almost everything. I've also checked out her website, which she mentions in the book. She has some favorite cleaners and other products, but she doesn't name them in the book - just refers you to her website. That's smart since products change. I have purchased a couple of the products, and have had some success with the odor neutralizer that she likes. (I bought it through the store. Same price, but no shipping with Prime. :) )

I gave this 5 stars because Sunny started using the box occasionally (better than never!!) and that's only after making a couple of suggested changes. I have high hopes for the future!

I picked this as a Vine Request because I am a cat person; my husband is not. We recently adopted a Bengal kitten. (I know, some say the most active of all cats!) I love everything about her, my husband dislikes most things about her. (I don't think we've fought over anything more than we have this cat!!) I feel he really does expect her to behave like a dog and be trainable like a dog. I, however, expect her to be what she is....a cat.

I requested this book in hopes that it would help him understand cats better.

I feel that this book is fabulous. To quote the Author of the Preface; "Mieshelle outlines techniques in this book to start the behavior modification process. From the basics, such as out-of-the-box urination and defecation, to the more complicated issues, like over-grooming, and aggressive and destructive behaviors, Mieshelle can help you and your cat navigate through these distressing problems and emerge with a happier, more rewarding relationship." The author uses humor, real life experience, and history to help explain why cats behave the way they do and what we can do about it. She specifically addresses 7 issues: cat to cat tension, aggression, litter box issues, spraying, excessive meowing, destructive and unwanted behaviors and compulsive behaviors.

The book is an easy read and flows smoothly. She divides behavior concerns up into different chapters so it is easy to go back for a quick reference, or skip over chapters that do not apply to your cat. (With that said, I still recommend reading the entire book.) She explains the why and then provides the how. She does this by using a C.A.T. Plan. (Cease the unwanted behavior, ATTRACT the cat to a desirable behavior, location, or time and TRANSFORM the territory.) It seems logical and easy to use. She states that most behaviors can be changed within 30 days.

With that said; my husband is not open to any of the ideas in the book (or even reading it for that matter)---so I don't know that it will solve our problems at this point; other than those things I can change myself. However, for anyone who is already a cat person or is willing to learn more about cats....this book is a must have.

We are a 3-catgirls household, and that means we have a lot of spats and ornery-ness going on much of the time. The Cat Wisperer, while perhaps not bringing an end to their nutty behavior, helps us understand it. We've picked up some good tips on dealing with their quirkiness and it seems to be helping - techniques like getting them to develop a common scent, which we are trying to accomplish over the span of a few weeks. We hope it cuts down a bit on the bullying and makes life a little calmer around here. Life is an adventure with 3 catgirls - and I'm happy to have this little guide to help make their ]and our] lives happier and healthier.

From the opening lines of the Introduction, she had me. The cat whisperer does exactly what she says she will do. As a "cat person" I am the caretaker of two cats in a very small house. My cats get along fairly well, but after reading the cat whisperer's advice and implementing what I can of her recommendations, I am finding my little household becoming more content. I now recognize signs of stress previously misinterpreted or not even noticed, and have tools with which to deal with it.

About half way through the book I began deciding which of my friends to share it with. By the time I had finished it, I had ordered another copy and recommended it to several people. The Cat Whisperer Is a fabulous resource for understanding cat relationships - both with people and each other. Mieshelle Nagelschneider is a true cat woman. Her knowledge, experience, and wisdom are unquestionable. Her desire to help others come to an understanding of their beloved pets is commendable. Her experience and ability to share her knowledge is invaluable.

The book is well written and organized in a manner to make reading it a pleasure and referring to sections of it in the future easy. I highly recommend it to both cat lovers and cat haters. Understanding our feline pets can help us understand ourselves as well.

While not a dramatic narrative (cats actually do not liked drama), the book leads one irrevocably down the path of understanding and appreciating feline behavior and personality. Solutions for seemingly incorrigible behavior flow as water from the author's experience. Her compassion for the species is unquestionable and can result in warm, loving relationships with these creatures if we take it to our own hearts. This book has changed my life and that of my cats. Let it change yours.

We have three indoor cats by default (feeding a pregnant mama cat outside - since fixed), so it is not like we were anxious to become "cat people". I have owned cats as well as dogs, and even horses, and each species has its own peculiarities. This book provides excellent insight into the world of cats, and has already provided valuable information on what to do in the event of cats whizzing on a piece of luggage, and what is causing it (anxiety over the connection of luggage and us leaving, and/or constipation due to dry food-only diet. Both easily resolved...) And you can learn how, as well, with this fascinating read!

Cats can be such complicated critters. They're inability to speak doesn't mean they are not talking to you - loud and clear. Mieschelle Nagelschneider's book is a wonderful tool to translate cat to human language barriers.
The Cat Whisperer is incredibly detailed in terms of cat behavior, the reasons behind it and how to stage intervention, reverse course, or just understand what is going on.
I have one cat that loves affection and then turns on you. After reading this book, I grasped what the issue was. One of the things she raises is the reasons a cat might be aggressive while being petted is overstimulation. I changed it up. I pet her and then I have eye contact. She purrs instead of swipes.
I wish there was an index that I could look up behavior and find the page on it (although, in truth I have been reading an advanced copy and that may be present in the final book).
This is just an excellent book chalk full of information for every Cat lover. If you have a cat with some issues that you cannot find an answer for such as avoidance of the litter box, spraying, counter jumping, aggression, over-grooming, scratching, home destruction..... well, this is the book for you!

I have purchased and read many books on cat behavior. However, this book is by far the most thorough and thoughtful about how basic cat instincts drive those behaviors that annoy people the most. Clearly, the author has spent years of time researching felines and has turned this research into useful information in a readily accessible manner.

When relating case studies related to each objectionable behavior, she tells the story from not just the owner's perspective, but that of the cat as well. Since reading this book, I daily observe my five cats' interactions in a different light. Although I have to admit I haven't yet taken all of Mischelle's advice, I do try to be more sensitive to the basic cat instincts when dealing with the feline five.

Key topics include outside the litter box activities, aggression, clawing, and even excessive meowing - all things that come naturally to cats and drive people crazy! The text is interspersed with critical chunks of information, so you can glean key information, without reading the whole text to begin to take action! Truly a must read for anyone who wants cats to do what humans desire.

Full disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher and work as a holistic cat behaviorist at Cat Wisdom 101. Many of the millions of cats euthanized every year in the U.S. lose their lives because of behavioral issues, often by simply being misunderstood. Mieshelle Nagelschneider is determined to the change lives of cats and those who love them. The Cat Whisperer is a rally cry and practical manifesto for a deeper understanding of cats. As a reference book and cat behavior "bible", I have no doubt this book will save cats lives and improve the happiness quotient for cat lovers.

The Cat Whisperer paves the way for a greater understanding of cats with neatly laid out and practical action plans to implement behavioral changes. Of the dozens of cat behavior books I've read over the past 30 years, this is one is easy to follow, no nonsense and a valuable addition to any cat lover's library.

With cats now superseding dogs in popularity, it's time for old myths about cats to be replaced with scientifically-based truth and insight. Ms. Nagelschneider also shines a light for the next generation of cat lovers and future cat behaviorists, our children.

It seems like this book is more geared to cats with all kinds of problems; urinating outside the litter box, new cat in household, cats overgrooming, etc. I found tidbits of helpful information, but had to really search throughout the book. The author suggests buying a synthetic version of pheromones, which I've never heard of doing--not to say it won't work. I wanted a more concise user friendly book. I wanted to know basic cat information. This book was more involved in detailed problem solving that was frankly, more information then I needed to know. I guess if you were having some serious problems with your cat(s), this would be more useful. But I found the book to be written in disarray & completely overwhelming to read.

This is an excellent book. I would recommend it to anyone who is having problems with their cat, most especially if they have a multi-cat household, and/or if they are having litter box issues.

I disagree with all of the negative comments about this book and its author. I have lived with cats my entire life, and considered myself to be pretty savvy about cats in general. When I unexpectedly inherited a cat due to a death, and was obligated to care for the cat, the sudden addition to my household threw the cat I already had into a series of very bad behaviors that he had previously never displayed. The cats did not get along, and my home was in chaos. I tried many different things without success. I was about at my wit's end when I found this book.

The author sees cats realistically, without sentiment or anthropomorphizing. This in itself is refreshing. She also understands a great deal about cat behavior. Despite my extensive experience with cats, I found in this book several potential paths toward resolution of problems that I had not heard of previously. I tried all of them, and in relatively short order the problems diminished. After a few weeks they disappeared completely. All of these solutions were very simple things to do, requiring no purchases of fancy equipment, only my time and attention. Quite simply, Mieshelle's ideas work.

If you are seeking a solid informational book about the cat(s) with whom you live, check this one out. You will not be disappointed.

This book is a little uneven, however there is also a lot of useful information. I rate a book by how many new ideas I get out of it. There are a lot, here. The authors goal is to help people change their behavior so cats change their actions. I think. It is useful to see what is happening from a cat's point of view. Dealing with cats that fight is useful. Lots of good ideas on how to deal with cat problems. I love cats, they are like friends. I want to get along with them better. This book is helpful.

My wife and I have owned cats (usually 2 at a time) for over thirty three years and have learned a few tricks. Nothing the author said in this book was new or different and is information that can be found from most vets and brochures in their offices.

If you are a relatively new cat owner, this book may have some validity and be of use to you. If you have already owned cats for a while, this won't tell you very much.

This is a book every cat owner should have. Not only does it explain cat behavior, that to most of us is inexplicable, but gives step by step instructions on how to change it! For so many cat owners the things our cats do are so far outside of our ability to explain why they do what they do. It is really wonderful to have an explanation for problem behaviors. Even more wonderful is finding out a way to change that problem behavior. This is an indispensable reference book for any cat owner! Even better,this is a book to read before you get a cat! That way you won't be making any mistakes you will need to fix later.

I love cats. I own two myself and was interested to read this book. I thought it was very basic. The author's approach to training cats all seem to involve pheromone sprays and plug-ins. I didn't find any of the information to be groundbreaking or revolutionary. The writing was a bit boring and slow paced. The introductory chapters were long and drawn out, while the chapters on changing a cats behavior were short and basic. Overall, I was not impressed.

The author has some excellent experience and insight that she shares in this book. If anything, there was TOO MUCH information as I had to wade through long, detailed descriptions of situations or solutions, to find the answer. Her book addresses extreme situations, which is nice to have, but a bit too "historical" for me in all the background data. I certainly believet it is well-thought-out and complete in content. It is better to have too much information than not enough, and I will retain this book as a reference for any cat issues that may arise in the future.

there is a wealth of good info here, but you're going to have to invest some time in reading!

'problem' cats are generally problems due to previous owners, lack of weaning, etc.; most of the time, it's far easier to adopt and adapt to the cat's foibles than to direct the cat's behavior...

but this book can help - if, and only if you're willing to invest the time, patience, and insight into your problem cat's nuturement...

most breeders and many owners unfortunately turn to far easier solutions...

Firstly, this book did not look like I expected. I was expecting a thin volume with lots of pictures. Instead I got what looked like a novel. Not that I'm complaining--it's full of useful information--I'm just setting the expectation.

As the owner of more than 50 lbs of cats (2 large, one only kinda large) I find the emphasis on multi cat households useful. I don't have any serious behavioral problems with them spraying or destroying stuff, it's more of a social... issue. They tend to do things to annoy us (we think) just for the sake of annoying us. We yell and throw things at them (soft things, and we always intentionally miss) and this book is teaching us better ways to deal with our lovable little furballs. Now if we could only get them to stop waking us up at 5am...

Seriously though, if you have cats and have any issues with them at all, you need this book.

This is a decent book as far as cat behavior books go. I agree with almost all of the points raised in the review by Douglas Moran; namely, that the first part of this book is mostly useless fluff and while the second part does have more useful information, it can still be a bit hard to pull it out of the narrative 'storytelling' format. Given that it is penned as a 'How to' guide, I would prefer if it were structured more like a reference book.

The author took complex behavior problems and came up with step by step solutions that are easy to follow. I found the part about cats crying at night to be especially useful. I would definitely recommend this book and have loaned it to my friends.

The book really works. My cats have changed dramatically but you must set aside to play wit them, their boxes must be open and cleaned continuously but most important,
the litter herb additive is magic.

Very useful book if you have problems with cats. Excellent insights into cat behavior and good and practical suggestions for ways to deal with it. I agree with other reviewers that the last half of the book is the best part, but I understand why the author includes the information in the first part of the book.

My first impression of this book is how large it is. There are 300 pages in the book; I expected a book light on substance and heft.

The author, Mieshelle Nagelschneider, devotes much of the book on curing cat problems, such as going outside of the litter box, scratching up the furniture, and getting on table tops and other high places (to a cat). There are sections on getting two or more cats to tolerate each other, spraying, and engaging in destructive behaviors.

The book seems geared more to the veterinarian or other trained individuals, such as pet behaviorist. But there is much in here for the average cat owner, especially one who loves cats but who wants to change destructive behaviors. It's light on how to figure your cat out in the sense of amusing stories about Fluffy and what he is thinking at any particular time.

Recommended, especially for those who have problem cats. It's worth it to track this book down, and giving your otherwise wonderful cat a second chance.