The Cat Shrink

12/30/2025

Kitty PSA for the day: please stop using your hands as toys with cats.

I know it feels harmless. Kittens are tiny, soft, and ridiculous, and it seems natural to play-wrestle with them using your hands. The problem is that cats do not understand context shifts later. If you teach a cat that human skin is something to grab, bite, or bunny-kick during play, that lesson sticks.

Cats learn through repetition and feedback, not intention. When biting or grabbing hands is fun even once, it becomes part of the rule. Over time, this creates a cat who escalates excitement with teeth and claws, redirects energy onto arms and legs during zoomies, or grabs when arousal spikes. When people later describe this as “random aggression,” it usually isn’t random at all. It’s learned behavior showing up under stress or stimulation.

This is also one of the most common roots of petting aggression. Cats experience touch as cumulative sensory input. When they’ve learned that hands sometimes mean rough play, their nervous system has a much lower threshold for tipping from enjoyment into overload. The bite that seems to come “out of nowhere” during petting is often the cat saying, too much, too fast, and I don’t know another way to stop this.

Using hands as toys also teaches cats to resolve arousal through contact with skin instead of through appropriate outlets. That means when a cat is overstimulated, frustrated, or excited, their learned response is to grab or bite rather than disengage. This is especially true for young cats, high-energy cats, and cats who didn’t have consistent boundaries early on.

Your hands should be boring and predictable. Toys are what move, get hunted, and take bites. Hands are for feeding, petting, grooming, and safety. If teeth touch skin, play should end calmly and immediately, without yelling or punishment. That withdrawal of interaction is how cats actually learn limits.

This isn’t about blaming cats. It’s about not setting them up to fail. A cat who bites hands is almost always doing exactly what was taught, even if unintentionally.

Teach better rules early.
Protect your skin.
And give your cat a much easier time living in a human world.

12/21/2025

Holiday Kitty PSA

The holidays are loud, bright, busy, and full of well-meaning chaos. For many cats, that combo quietly cranks their stress way up. Cats are routine-anchored, territory-oriented animals. Extra people, unfamiliar smells, sudden noises, furniture rearrangement, and schedules going sideways can all register as low-grade threat, even if your cat looks like they’re “handling it.”

One of the most effective ways to reduce holiday stress is to give your cat predictable refuge. A quiet room with a door that closes, familiar bedding, litter, food, and water lets them opt out without being chased, coaxed, or displayed to guests. This isn’t antisocial behavior; it’s self-regulation. Let them choose when and if they engage.

Try to keep daily anchors steady. Feeding times, play routines, and sleep rhythms matter more during busy periods, not less. Even a short, focused play session at the same time each day can bleed off stress hormones and restore a sense of control. Think of it as helping the nervous system finish a sentence instead of leaving it hanging all day.

Visitors should ignore cats unless the cat initiates contact. No reaching, no staring, no “oh but cats love me.” Eye contact, looming, and grabbing are common stress triggers. Calm voices, slow movement, and letting the cat set the distance go a long way toward preventing hiding, aggression, or litter box issues after the guests leave.

Now the serious safety note: tinsel is dangerous. It isn’t a cute toy, it isn’t enrichment, and it isn’t harmless decoration. If a cat swallows tinsel, ribbon, or string, it can act like a linear foreign body in the intestines. This can cause obstruction, internal tearing, emergency surgery, or death. Cats are drawn to shiny, string-like objects because they resemble prey movement. If you decorate, skip tinsel entirely and secure ornaments, cords, and gift wrap where paws and mouths can’t reach them.

Stress in cats doesn’t always look dramatic. It can show up days later as hiding, irritability, vomiting, overgrooming, inappropriate urination, or sudden “attitude changes.” These aren’t bad behaviors; they’re messages. The goal during the holidays isn’t to force cheer, it’s to preserve safety, choice, and predictability.

A calm cat isn’t a spoiled cat. It’s a regulated one.

12/19/2025

Kitty PSA for the day:
Cats don’t p*e outside the litter box just because they “have to go.” Very often, they’re communicating and self-regulating stress the only way they know how.

That said, the very first step is always a veterinary check. Urinary tract infections, inflammation, kidney issues, pain, and other medical conditions can cause inappropriate urination and must be ruled out before assuming a behavioral cause. Even subtle discomfort can change how and where a cat urinates.

Once health issues are excluded, stress-related urination is one of the most common reasons cats go outside the box. Urine is one of a cat’s strongest communication tools. When a cat urinates on specific surfaces or locations, they are leaving information: “I don’t feel safe,” “something here has changed,” “this territory feels uncertain,” or “I am overwhelmed.” It is not spite, revenge, or dominance. Cats do not think that way.

Stress-related urination can happen even in cats who are otherwise litter-trained and physically capable of using the box. Changes like new people, new animals, routine shifts, tension in the home, construction noise, illness elsewhere in the household, or even emotional changes in their humans can overload a cat’s nervous system. Urinating outside the box can temporarily relieve that internal pressure, much like pacing or fidgeting does for humans.

Punishment or scolding makes this worse. From the cat’s perspective, it confirms the environment is unsafe, increasing the need to communicate and self-soothe. The behavior is a symptom, not the problem.

If a cat is p*eing outside the box, the real question isn’t “how do I stop this,” but “what is my cat trying to tell me, and what stressor needs addressing.” Supporting emotional safety, predictability, appropriate litter setup, and overall regulation is what actually resolves the behavior long-term.

It’s frustrating. It’s inconvenient. And it’s still communication, not defiance.

Cats are always talking to us. Sometimes they’re just using a language we wish they didn’t have to use.

12/16/2025

Kitty PSA: When “Out of Nowhere” Cat Fights Happen

If you’ve ever seen two cats who have lived together peacefully for years suddenly turn on each other, it can be terrifying. It often feels like one cat “snapped” or that the relationship is permanently broken.

In most cases, this isn’t true.

What’s usually happening is something called redirected aggression. A cat sees or senses a perceived threat — often another cat outside a window — and their nervous system floods with stress hormones. When they can’t reach the actual trigger, that energy has to go somewhere. Unfortunately, it can be redirected onto the nearest moving thing, including a bonded housemate or even a human.

When this happens, cats may temporarily fail to recognize each other. The aggression can look extreme and disproportionate, and it can escalate very quickly. This isn’t about dominance, jealousy, or a “bad cat.” It’s a nervous system in overload.

This is also why trying to physically intervene can be dangerous. A cat in this state isn’t making conscious choices, and grabbing or restraining them can lead to serious injuries.

The good news is that this type of incident does not automatically mean the bond is broken. With proper decompression, blocked visual triggers, and gradual re-exposure once everyone is truly calm, many cats return to their normal relationship.

If you ever experience this, slow everything down. Give the cats space, remove the trigger if possible, and don’t rush reunions. And if aggression persists or escalates, getting professional guidance can make a world of difference.

Understanding what’s actually happening helps keep both cats and humans safe — and prevents a temporary nervous system event from becoming a long-term problem.

12/15/2025

Daily Kitty Cat PSA: Why kibble is not a species-appropriate diet for cats

Cats are obligate carnivores.
That’s not a preference, a philosophy, or a trendy label — it’s a biological constraint.

A cat’s entire digestive system, metabolism, and nervous system evolved around eating small prey: animals that are high in protein, moderate in fat, extremely low in carbohydrates, and roughly 70–75% water. Cats are not built to adapt their metabolism to whatever food is convenient. They are specialists, not generalists.

Kibble exists because it’s cheap, shelf-stable, and easy for humans. It does not exist because it matches feline biology.

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The metabolism problem (this is foundational)

Cats:
• lack salivary amylase (carbohydrate digestion barely starts)
• have limited pancreatic amylase
• cannot down-regulate gluconeogenesis in the liver
• run their brains and bodies primarily on protein-derived glucose

In plain language:
Cats are always in “protein-burning mode.” When you feed them starch-heavy food, their bodies are forced to compensate every single day.

That compensation comes at a cost.

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The hydration problem (this is the quiet killer)

Cats have a low thirst drive because their natural diet already contains water.

Kibble contains approximately 5–10% moisture.
Prey contains approximately 70–75%.

A kibble-fed cat lives in a state of chronic, low-grade dehydration, even if they drink from a bowl or fountain. Thirst alone does not correct this mismatch.

This matters because hydration directly affects:
• kidney function
• bladder health
• pain perception
• stress physiology

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What we consistently see clinically

Dry-food-heavy diets are strongly associated with increased risk of:
• chronic kidney disease
• feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD / FIC)
• bladder crystals and obstruction
• obesity
• diabetes mellitus
• chronic constipation
• inflammatory gastrointestinal disease

These associations are documented across decades of veterinary literature and clinical practice.

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Behavior and mood are NOT exempt

Metabolic stress and dehydration don’t just affect organs — they affect brains.

We frequently see links between poor diet and:
• irritability
• hypervigilance
• inappropriate urination
• overgrooming
• pain-linked aggression
• “behavior problems” that are actually physiological distress

You cannot separate nutrition from behavior. Ever.

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“But my cat lived to 20 on kibble”

Some individuals survive suboptimal conditions.
That does not make those conditions species-appropriate.

Longevity does not equal optimal health.
Survival does not equal biological alignment.

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What is species-appropriate (realistically)

At minimum:
• wet food as the dietary foundation
• high animal protein
• low carbohydrate
• adequate taurine
• high moisture

Best, when possible:
• balanced raw or fresh diets
• or high-quality wet foods if raw isn’t accessible

Perfect is not required.
Better is better.

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Final note

This is not about blaming guardians.

Most people feed kibble because:
• they were told it was “complete”
• marketing is persuasive
• vets were not trained deeply in feline nutrition
• convenience matters when people are tired, stressed, or broke

You didn’t fail your cat.
The system failed to teach you.

Now you know — and knowing gives you options.

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Reference (for anyone who wants receipts)

Zoran, D. L. (2002). The carnivore connection to nutrition in cats.
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 221(11), 1559–1567.
DOI: 10.2460/javma.2002.221.1559

12/08/2025

Kitty PSA for the Day

A surprising number of people reach out because their cat seems to love them deeply but still reacts with sudden, intense biting when touched. It feels confusing — you’ve got this little shadow who follows you everywhere, sleeps pressed against your head, and wants to be near you every second… yet the moment a hand brushes past, they clamp down hard enough to draw blood.

This isn’t “meanness,” and it isn’t a broken cat. It’s a nervous system issue.

Cats who didn’t get proper tactile experiences early in life often grow up with very low thresholds for touch. They want connection, but actual physical contact overloads them. The part people miss is that trauma can create the exact same pattern. A cat who’s been manhandled, frightened, or pushed past their comfort zone learns to pair touch with threat. Even if they adore you, their brain responds faster than their trust can catch up.

Nighttime makes it worse. A startled, half-asleep nervous system reacts before the thinking part wakes up, and a defensive bite lands instantly. That’s not aggression — that’s a reflex wired for survival.

None of this means the bond isn’t real. In fact, cats like this are often incredibly attached to their person. They’re not rejecting affection; they’re trying to stay safe inside a body that misreads the world.

What helps is predictability, structure, and intentional forms of contact that never push past their threshold. Very short, positive touch experiences, calm routines, and ways to engage that don’t overwhelm them can make a huge difference. Over time, the nervous system recalibrates. I’ve seen these cats go from “shark mode” to stable, relaxed companions who finally understand that touch isn’t a threat anymore.

So if you’re living with a cat who clearly loves you but reacts as if your hand is a danger, don’t give up and don’t blame them. This is absolutely workable once you understand what their behavior is actually communicating.

If you’re dealing with this and need help unraveling it, you’re always welcome to reach out or send a video. You’re not alone, and your cat isn’t beyond help — they just need a way back to safety that their body can understand.

12/06/2025

It’s surprising the amount of pushback I get when I talk about Feliway, but for the most part I see it as the pet companies profiting from it doing an excellent job marketing a product to people who are desperate for help.

I’m going to say something that surprises people every time and I’m going to keep saying it: Feliway isn’t doing what you think it’s doing. The science behind it has never matched the marketing, and when you understand how cats actually use scent, the whole concept breaks down.

Here’s the problem. Cats don’t walk around releasing “universal calming pheromones” that tell all other cats, “Everything is fine.” That isn’t how mammalian chemistry works. What cats deposit when they cheek-rub objects is a signature — an individual scent mixture that identifies that specific cat. Think of it as a name tag, not a mood signal. Every cat has its own biochemical “handwriting,” shaped by diet, genetics, microbiome, environment, and hormones.

Dr. John Bradshaw, one of the most respected feline behaviour scientists in the world, pointed this out years ago. The so-called “F3 pheromone” used in Feliway appears only in patent data, not in p*er-reviewed research, and even if it were perfectly replicated, it would still represent some other cat’s scent, not your cat’s. A synthetic mixture cannot match your cat’s chemical signature, which means your cat isn’t smelling “home safety.” They’re smelling “an unknown cat has been here.” No surprise that studies show wildly inconsistent results. The product is solving a problem it doesn’t understand with a signal it can’t replicate.

So what actually works?

Cats need stability signals they can interpret correctly: predictable routines, human scent as a social anchor, play-driven confidence building, controlled territory gradients, vertical space, and dietary support for stress resilience. If there’s tension between cats, they need structured reintroductions, desensitization work, scent swapping that uses their own signature mixtures, and positive associations built slowly over time. If a single cat is anxious, they need environmental enrichment, agency, and reassurance from familiar sensory cues — not a plug-in that essentially says, “Surprise, a stranger has marked your wall.”

Stress in cats is real, but the solutions are biological, behavioural, and environmental. They are not bottled.

If you want to support your cat through fear, conflict, household changes, or recovery from trauma, build the scaffolding they actually understand. Your scent. Their scent. Play. Predictable rhythms. Safe places. Controlled exposure. Proper nutrition. Space to decompress and confidence to expand again. This is where the real magic happens, and it’s consistent, reproducible, and grounded in decades of feline science.

If you’ve relied on Feliway and haven’t seen results, it’s not your fault. You were sold a shortcut that chemistry doesn’t support.

Your cat isn’t malfunctioning.
The product is.

12/05/2025

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR CAT OWNERS:
Why Feliway Often Fails — and What Actually Works

There’s a persistent belief in the cat world that Feliway is the first line of defense when a household is stressed, disrupted, or introducing change. The truth is that most owners waste money on it and see little to no improvement, and there are clear reasons why.

Synthetic pheromones like Feliway have been tested repeatedly in controlled studies, and the findings are remarkably inconsistent. Some trials show no measurable reduction in stress indicators, no improvement in inter-cat aggression, and no meaningful effect on cortisol or behavior patterns. This is because Feliway attempts to mimic one single chemical signal from a cat’s cheek gland, taken entirely out of context. Cats don’t calm down based on a single molecule. They regulate through a whole ecosystem of sensory, environmental, and social cues that pheromone products cannot replicate.

Real stress reduction for cats comes from scaffolding that actually aligns with feline biology.

Human scent is one of the most stabilizing signals in a cat’s environment. It communicates familiarity, territory security, and predictable caregiving. When routines shift or social tension rises, placing worn clothing or bedding carrying your scent in key areas does far more to regulate a cat’s nervous system than any wall plug-in.

Play is not optional enrichment; it is a regulatory valve. Structured, predictable play reduces frustration, lowers arousal, burns stress hormones, and restores control. A five-minute “zoom toy” session is not adequate. Purposeful predatory-sequence play—hunt, chase, catch, kill, eat, groom, sleep—resets the entire system and dramatically reduces stress-driven behaviors.

Supplemental support such as L-theanine (for mild anxiety), and specific nutritional scaffolds often have measurable effects where pheromones do not. These work because they modulate the body’s internal regulation processes rather than relying on environmental chemical cues that cats interpret variably, if at all.

Environmental structure matters more than any spray. Safe vertical space, stable routines, scent-appropriate introductions, predictable navigation paths, and protected resources create a framework the nervous system trusts. Without that, even the strongest pheromone—synthetic or natural—cannot override insecurity.

If your cat is struggling, skip the plug-ins and invest in interventions that match actual feline neurobiology: your scent, your structure, your play, your predictability, and targeted supplements where appropriate. These are the tools that reliably rebuild confidence and reduce stress, not the chemical air fresheners the marketing departments want you to believe in.

Cats thrive when the environment makes sense to them. Build the scaffolding, not the illusion.

11/25/2025

Travelling With Cats: How to Make It Less of a Nightmare for Everyone

Cats don’t struggle with travel because they’re “dramatic.” They struggle because their entire biology is built around territory, scent continuity, and predictable sensory patterns. A car or plane destroys all three in one hit.

The trick isn’t to make travel fun — it’s to make it survivable in a way that respects what a cat’s nervous system is actually built for.

Start long before the trip. Leave the carrier out as part of normal life, not some once-a-year kidnapping device. Let it be a nap spot. Line it with the bedding they already sleep on so it smells like them. A cat who chooses the carrier at home won’t panic the second you bring it out.

When travel day comes, keep the sensory load as small as possible. Cover the carrier lightly so the visual world doesn’t feel like a threat rushing past them. Keep the temperature cool. Don’t chatter endlessly — your calm silence is more regulating to a cat than constant reassurance.

If your cat gets worked up easily, L-theanine is one of the best pre-travel supports. Give it ahead of time (not at the last second) so it has time to take the edge off the stress response. It’s gentle, safe for most healthy cats, and doesn’t cloud their consciousness — it just softens the overactive alarm system.

For cats who still melt down despite your best efforts, talk to your vet about gabapentin or other anxiolytics. These aren’t “drugging” your cat — they’re giving a prey animal’s nervous system a fighting chance to survive an overwhelming situation without panic.

When you arrive, give them a small, contained “landing zone” so they aren’t thrown into a huge unfamiliar space. Set up their litter, their water, and their bed. Let them explore at their own pace instead of placing them in the middle of the new environment and hoping they cope.

Most cats don’t want adventures. They want stability, scent consistency, and the feeling that their world is predictable. If the trip isn’t essential, it’s often kinder to keep them home with a trusted caregiver.

But when travel is necessary, giving them small pockets of familiarity — their carrier, their scent, your calm presence — makes a tremendous difference.

08/12/2025

Hey everyone. Apologies I haven’t been able to reply- I’ve been quite overwhelmed with responses. I can’t talk to everyone, except I can. You can find my book here. Anything I would tell you is in the book, if I’m honest 🙂. More things coming soon. Thank you!

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01/18/2025

The print version of the book is out! Please check it out!

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10/23/2024

Hey everyone!! We don’t post on this page nearly often enough, but we wanted to share the release of our book to address feline behaviour issues! It’s available on kindle, the print version will be dropping October 28!

Feline Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: Understanding and Shaping Feline Behavior eBook : Hunt, T. A. : Amazon.ca: Kindle Store