[LINK] "Psycho kitty, qu'est-ce que c'est?"

[rfmcdonald]

Rebecca Dube's article in Saturday's Globe and Mail explores the burgeoning field of cat psychology.

Carole Wilbourn, a New York-based cat therapist, has been working on feline problems since the 1970s. The issues have remained basically the same, she says: aggression, timidity, destructive tendencies and not using the litter box are top complaints. What has changed are owners' attitudes. They're more likely to seek her out pro-actively - getting advice before moving with a cat, or introducing another pet into the household. And they're less embarrassed about seeing a cat shrink.

"People still have a hard time calling me, but it used to be harder before," Ms. Wilbourn says.

Cats can be more challenging therapy patients than dogs, she says. "Because a dog wants so much to please. A cat is, like, 'Maybe. If I'm happy, then you're happy.' "

From an evolutionary standpoint, this makes sense. Humans have shaped the evolution of dogs more than any other species. Even when they misbehave, dogs are hardwired to please people. Cats, not so much.

But it's a mistake to think that cats don't care, says Pearl Kam, founder of Gentlecare Natural Pet Products in Port Coquitlam, B.C.

As part of her holistic treatment of cats, dogs and horses, she often uncovers emotional issues beneath the physical problems, she says: especially in felines.

"Most people think dogs are the social animals; but cats, when they live with you, they want to be with you," Ms. Kam says. "They do need that bond."

Difficulties often start when the owner takes a vacation or starts working longer hours, she says. "When they get ignored, and they don't get their hugs and kisses, yeah, they get pissed off."

And cats are quick to anger, Ms. Kam says. "Cats won't take as much crap before they get behaviour issues. Dogs can have a lot of damage before they show you anything. Cats will show you early on."

But frustrated owners looking to lay blame should take a long, hard look in the mirror, says cat behaviourist Mieshelle Nagelschneider of Seattle. "The majority of feline behaviour issues are not true 'behaviour problems,' " says the author of Through the Eyes of a Cat, due out in 2011. "They're part of a cat's natural behaviour repertoire. It's the owners who have issues with how their cat is naturally reacting to the environment the owner has set up."

Go, read, and be enlightened.