128. Celebrating International Cat Day: Cat Behavior, Catification & Creating Happier Cats

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Speaker 1 (00:00):

Pets Ad Life, your guide to the latest in pet trends, products, and the joy of the human animal bond. With Kristen Levine and me, Chris Bonafati, powered by the American Pet Products Association and dog TV. Hello and welcome to another episode of Pets Ad Life. I am one of your hosts, Chris Bonafati, and joining me as always is a grand champion long-haired Persian cat, Kristen Levine. Meow. Kristen, I wanted to go by your full title as this grand champion best in show cat, because we have a very special cat episode today. We do.

 

Speaker 2 (00:43):

We do.

 

Speaker 1 (00:44):

What have we got coming up?

 

Speaker 2 (00:45):

We have International Cat Day coming up, which is August 8th or Catterday.

 

Speaker 1 (00:52):

Catterday.

 

Speaker 2 (00:52):

Catterday. So yeah, this show's dropping on Tuesday before Catterday, and we decided to dedicate the entire show to cats because we haven't done that in a while.

 

Speaker 1 (01:01):

We haven't. And for all the Cat fans out there, we have felt your pain and we have shared in it. And we've come to deliver an episode where we're going to have, I don't want to tease too much, but I got to rope you in. I got to rope you in. We're going to have two repeat guests.

 

Speaker 2 (01:20):

Which means they're great guests.

 

Speaker 1 (01:22):

Which means they're good guests because we don't invite back duds. Not that we've ever had a dun on this show. Never. Never. Not even once. And we've got some cat theme products to talk about, some cat related stories. And then end of the show, we're going to answer two cat related questions, of course, to wrap things up.

 

Speaker 2 (01:41):

Sounds perfect.

 

Speaker 1 (01:43):

I can't believe it's already Catterday. I'm going to have to figure out a way to celebrate. Maybe we'll find. I know here in Connecticut, in New Haven, there's a cat cafe, I believe.

 

Speaker 2 (01:56):

Oh, that's a good idea.

 

Speaker 1 (01:57):

Yeah.

 

Speaker 2 (01:58):

Or even just go to your local shelter and check out the kitties. Well, I know. I know you're not ready to bring one home. I'd leave with one.

 

Speaker 1 (02:05):

The problem is I'd leave with one.

 

Speaker 2 (02:06):

Yeah. Okay.

 

Speaker 1 (02:07):

You know what I mean?

 

Speaker 2 (02:08):

I think the cat cafe is safer for you.

 

Speaker 1 (02:11):

It's well known and well documented that I'm a sucker, a certified sucker. So no visits, no visits, no fun visits to the shelter for me. I'd be coming home with a new friend. But alas, let's go ahead and jump into story time. Kristen and Chris present story time.

 

Speaker 2 (02:34):

Hey Chris, why don't you go first today since you're our cat guy?

 

Speaker 1 (02:38):

And my story today, we are in the middle of a massive heat wave here in Connecticut as we film this one. And we're pushing temperatures of like a hundred for the first time this summer. So it really got me inspired to think, how do we keep our cats cool? We talk about dogs a lot on this show. It's a little bit more necessary because you got to bring them outside for their walks and to do their business and things like that. And we really want to talk about that aspect. But for cats, we're going to be focusing on your indoor kitties because I feel like they don't get enough attention when things get really hot and you're really pushing the limits of your air conditioning inside your home. So the first thing I want to bring up is their source of water. Don't do the stagnant bowl.

 

(03:24):

Get yourself some type of fountain and then throw. You could actually even throw some ice in the tank where it stores water to keep the water a little cooler, rotating through. And here's a tip I picked up. You could add a little bit of tuna water or sardine water from a can into it. Oh,

 

Speaker 2 (03:47):

I love that idea.

 

Speaker 1 (03:47):

Yeah, because cats are notorious for not drinking water. They're just stubborn cats. I don't really know what it is about them, but dehydration is a serious problem. So you really want to encourage them to drink. My next tip, and this is a teaser for my product of the week, is to get a cooling mat. And I'm not going to spend too much time on it because I think we've all figured out what's going on here. If they eat any dry food, take away the dry food, substitute it with wet food. Wet food can pack up to 66% more water than dry food. So again, it's all about getting that water back into them. A little bit of cool water on their paws if they're really hot. Cats won't pant like a dog will. So it's tough to tell when they're hot, but usually if they're doing that full stretch pose and holding it, they're trying to spread out as much as possible.

 

(04:42):

That means they're hot. So a little cool water to the paws and then provide some airflow even if you don't have AC, any sort of fan or anything will do. So hopefully that helps everybody in our fellow cat lovers in these dog days of summer. Those

 

Speaker 2 (05:02):

Are great tips. And I'll tell you what, when you do get another cat, that cat is going to be the luckiest cat ever because I know you're going to go to all the lengths to be a perfect

 

Speaker 1 (05:10):

Cat. It's going to be the most homeschooled, coded cat ever. You know what I mean? Yeah.

 

Speaker 2 (05:20):

Oh, I love it. Well, so I have a cat story too. This one's hot off the press from Frontiers and Veterinary Science, which was just released on June 24th of this year. And it's about how middle age checkups for kitties matter. So research from University of Liverpool, this is the Royal Canaan? I don't know. How do you say it? Royal Canyon Research Center. They followed 209 cats over the course of seven years. They started when the cats were in their middle ages, so like age seven to 10 years old. And they gave them regular vet checkups every six months. Now, by the end of the study, almost all of them, like 96% had developed at least one health issue. And about eight out of 10 of them had developed two health issues. So I want to tell you what the most common issues were. Unless you want to guess, Chris.

 

Speaker 1 (06:15):

No, I'm not guessing today. Okay. Not on atterday. I don't want to embarrass myself.

 

Speaker 2 (06:20):

So the most common health issues were dental disease, joint and mobility issues, and heart murmurs.

 

Speaker 1 (06:29):

I

 

Speaker 2 (06:29):

Though kidney disease would be in there, but it wasn't one of the top three. Anyway, so the good news here is that all three of those most common issues are very treatable and manageable if they're caught early. So dental disease, of course, could be treated with cleanings or extractions. Joint pain management can be handled with medication. And then heart murmurs with either monitoring or when needed, cardiac medication. So the researchers specifically noted that early diagnosis and intervention can reduce the impact that those conditions have on a cat's quality of life. So yeah, good news is that if you. Now, they were checking them every six months and that is technically what is recommended for a senior cat. So that's the ideal, right? But if you can at least take your senior cat to the vet once a year, because I know veterinary costs have been rising, but it's so important because you can catch these things early and give your cat a chance to continue to have quality of life well into their later years.

 

Speaker 1 (07:36):

100%. 100%. Tiger had all three of those. She ran the full gambit on the top three. And none of them is what did her in because - That's amazing. She was going to the vet every six months. They caught that heart murmur. Good. She was really not even medicated for it. They were just like, "We're just going to keep checking that." The joint stuff, they had some supplement recommendations. And then the dental disease, she did have to have a tooth pulled at one point, which I felt so bad because she's just like an old cat losing their teeth. It's just sad. But if you don't address those kinds of things, they can be much more serious.

 

Speaker 2 (08:23):

Absolutely. And you don't want to wait for those senior cat symptoms to show up because by then it's not always too late, but by then you have a bigger problem on your hands. So yeah, so those middle age checkups are very important for kitty cats.

 

Speaker 1 (08:39):

Beyond the leash, exploring the untold stories of pet passion and professionalism.

 

Speaker 2 (08:44):

All right. Joining us now for a second time here on the Pal Podcast is Dr. Michael Delgado. She's a certified cat behavior consultant, researcher at Purdue University and one of the world's leading experts on feline behavior and also the human cat relationship. Now she earned her PhD studying animal behavior and has spent her career helping cat owners better understand why cats behave the way they do. Also, she promotes science-based welfare focused approaches on feline care. Michael is a certified applied animal behaviorist and has worked with thousands of cat owners to solve behavior challenges, improve feline welfare, and strengthen the bond between cats and their people. She's the co-author of Total Cat Mojo with Jackson Galaxy and is a frequent speaker, educator and media expert on topics including cat behavior, enrichment, multi-cat households, and the science of living happily with cats. Welcome, Dr. Delgado.

 

Speaker 3 (09:42):

Thank you so much for having me back. Of

 

Speaker 2 (09:44):

Course. We only have the best back for repeat appearances.

 

Speaker 3 (09:48):

Okay. That means I passed the test. You

 

Speaker 2 (09:50):

Did. You did pass the test. So just remind us, for those listeners who maybe don't remember, what first drew you to feline behavior and why do you think the cats are still misunderstood?

 

Speaker 3 (10:05):

Yeah. So I think I probably said this last time, I wasn't one of those kids who though I was going to grow up to be a veterinarian. I just loved cats. And it wasn't until quite a bit later in life that I ended up working in an animal shelter. And that kind of led me on a long journey of academia and consulting and just really immersing myself in all things cat behavior. And here I am today. Talking about cats, my favorite thing. There we go.

 

Speaker 1 (10:33):

For those listening, you can make cats your career too.

 

Speaker 3 (10:37):

You can. It's not easy. And it's not glamorous, but what do they say? It's a life but not a living. Yeah.

 

Speaker 1 (10:47):

There you go.

 

Speaker 3 (10:49):

But I think you asked what do people still misunderstand about cats? Yeah.

 

(10:54):

Yeah. I feel like I've been working with humans and cats for 25 plus years now. And I feel like I'm still talking about a lot of the same things. So I feel like we've come a long way. Certainly cats are much more popular. We know that cats are being kind of, they're on top of dogs right now as far as like adoption numbers. And so more and more people are welcoming cats into their homes, which is wonderful news. And of course, cats are still popular on the internet. Well, I know that the algorithm tells me what I want to hear. I see a lot of cat videos on my algorithm. But yeah, I think the challenges are really just like understanding cat's basic welfare needs, like what they need to be happy in a home. And also trying to take ourselves out of our own heads and experiences to better understand, again, why cats are the way they are.

 

(11:44):

But a lot of that is just because they are very different from us. They see and smell the world differently than we do. They have different needs and behaviors than we do. And sometimes there's conflict with what people want. People may not want to provide their cat with a tall scratching post or multiple litter boxes. And so I think a lot of it is really about cats and humans living together and the humans kind of taking the initiative as the caregiver. We have the responsibility to meet their needs and that sometimes requires some compromise.

 

Speaker 1 (12:17):

Absolutely. And dogs, they're called man's best friend and the bond between man and dog is ever apparent and well documented. But tell us a bit about the science behind the unique bond that cats and people share.

 

Speaker 3 (12:32):

Well, this I would say is changing. As the relationship with cats has changed, I do think that we're seeing more signs of like people are attached to cats and see them as part of their family.

 

(12:45):

I think not to the extent with dogs. And part of that is because when you adopt or purchase a dog, you tend to take that dog with you. You're walking the dog. Some of those things kind of assist in becoming a more social dog owner. You go to the dog park, you take your dog to your friend's house. And so some of those things are more social, whereas most cats are not well equipped to travel or go to a friend's house. So you kind of have possibly one of two things is like people who are just naturally more a little introverted might be attracted to cats as a pet. Or you have, again, I do get a lot of requests from people who want to turn their cat into an adventure cat. An adventure cat, yes. You see some of those cats on the internet that like to go camping, like to go hiking.

 

(13:35):

And those cats definitely exist, but they are not most cats. We don't prepare most cats for that lifestyle. So what I'll say is, I think again, we're seeing a broader range of people who are interested in adopting cats and they love their cats. They see them as part of their family. But love isn't enough. A lot of people really love their pets. I have no doubt that they love their pets, but they might be doing a lot of things wrong. So I always try to approach those situations with a lot of compassion because again, the intentions are good, but we know there's a lot of just obstacles either within the person or just societal. Certainly now finances are a big issue for being able to care for pets the way they need to be. And we see that that can be really stressful for people.

 

(14:24):

So it's complex. And I think that, again, the science is evolving. We're seeing more people bringing in pets into their homes, more people bringing in cats specifically into their homes. And that is going to, I think, continue to evolve. So I like to think of the science as just not. It's not set. It's not a static thing. It's something that we always have to just be staying up to date on and also just recognizing the bigger issues are still there. Cat welfare needs have really not changed over the past 25 years. They still need things to do. They need safe places in the home. They need things to scratch. They need a clean litter box and all of those things. So that's not going anywhere.

 

Speaker 2 (15:05):

Right. Right. Let's talk about some of the perplexing behaviors that cats do that are just really. Maybe they make perfect sense to cats, but for us people, we don't understand why they do the things they do. So for example, let's take knocking things off shelves. I always see cat videos where cats are just tapping, tap, tap, tap, knocking things off shelves or having zoomies in the middle of the night. Can you kind of give us an idea of what's going on in their kitty brains that innately makes them do those things?

 

Speaker 3 (15:42):

With the knocking things off shelves, my first question, if someone's talking about this with their own cat is, well, does the cat do it when you're not there? Because that is one of the ways we can test whether or not this behavior is an attention seeking behavior. The cat is trying to get a response out of you. And certainly if they're knocking a glass that you like drinking out of or something that's breakable, you are going to very quickly intervene and be like, "Oh, don't do that." And so for some cats, if they're bored, they don't have enough mental and physical stimulation in their day, they are looking for things to play with in their environment, ways to get your attention. And some of those ways might be undesirable to you. To the cat, it's perfectly fine and fun. They're testing physics. What happens if I do this?

 

(16:26):

Ooh, it drops on the ground. And then you put it back up on the coffee table and then they do it again. It's great fun.

 

(16:34):

So I always think about a lot of the behaviors stem from boredom, lack of things to do that are things that the cat enjoys to do. So things like food puzzles or toys to play with or play time with interactive toys with you. Training, cognitive challenges, things to look out at the window. I want to have a bird feeder outside my window so my cats can watch birds. I want to have things that they can climb. So we see those attention seeking behaviors. So other common ones are like walking across your screen while you're on Zoom or scratching at your TV screen. Even playing with the blinds at three in the morning. All of these things that we see as nuisance behaviors are usually a sign of a cat who needs more to do. Things that they enjoy doing. Unfortunately, we can't teach them to like do chores or do anything useful.

 

(17:26):

I haven't been able to train my cats to answer any of my emails.

 

Speaker 2 (17:30):

Oh, that'd be awesome. Well,

 

Speaker 1 (17:32):

Talking about training, there's a lot of myths around cat training and what they can and can't learn and can they really be trained? So if they can, what sort of things are fun or practical that owners can teach and train their cats?

 

Speaker 3 (17:50):

Yeah. Cats are definitely trainable. It's a little different from training a dog, but usually the obstacles are really, again, human focused. So sometimes people who adopt cats aren't thinking about training. Whereas if you have a dog, you kind of have a set idea in your mind of like, oh, I'd like the dog to be able to sit, not jump on people, not do this, not do that. So my approach is always like, well, what do we want the pet to do instead of what do you not want them to do? If you say, I don't want them on the counters. Well, instead, let's say I want them to sit on their cat tree while I'm cooking or I want them to use their scratching post instead of the couch. I want them to go into their carrier on their own. These are all things that we can train cats to do.

 

(18:31):

I recommend using positive reinforcement based training methods. So this is rejecting punishment. We're not trying to implement fear or pain on our animals to get them to do the behaviors we want them to do. Instead, we're going to reward them for doing the things we like, carrot instead of a stick. And yeah, what can you train them to do? You can train cute tricks like sit or high five, but you can also train practical things like following a target or going into their carrier. I've been working with one of my own cats right now to train her to relax on a little bed. I'd like her to see this bed as a place that, kind of like when you tell a dog to go to your bed and lay down. Giving the cat an option to you present the bed and she's like, oh, I want to lay on that because I know I get treats and then I feel kind of relaxed here.

 

(19:22):

This is a place that I've relaxed before and I would like to relax now. So there's lots of things. And I've seen so many cool things that people train their cats to do, jump through their arms like a hoop and more parkour or even agility type stuff. And I always try to keep things really realistic for my clients. What are the things that would be really helpful to you? And I think another thing that's becoming more common is training our cats to accept different types of medical care or grooming, handling. So what we call husbandry or cooperative care where we're encouraging them to see these things as not unpleasant. It takes time and a lot of patience. And I think that's where sometimes people are very rushed or they don't have a lot of time and training isn't something you can do overnight. So you just have to kind of go into it knowing that this is going to be a slow process.

 

(20:14):

But

 

Speaker 1 (20:15):

They're worth it. They're worth it.

 

Speaker 3 (20:17):

Yeah.

 

Speaker 1 (20:17):

It's absolutely worth it. Yeah.

 

Speaker 3 (20:19):

Yeah. So we want to be able to care for our pets throughout their lifetime. And so helping your cat get used to being pilled when they're young is going to help when they're a senior and they need four medications. So these are things that I also want people to think about long term caring for their cat for their entire lifetime and providing a good quality of life for their cat throughout that time.

 

Speaker 2 (20:42):

Yeah. Well, Dr. Delgado, we're running up on time. The book is Total Cat Mojo, but where else can we find you and what you're working on and if people want to reach out to you for help?

 

Speaker 3 (20:55):

Yes. I am on Instagram. That's probably my most frequently used social media. And I have a website. I have a blog, whatyourcatwants.com, where I blog about cats and science. So yeah, I'm on the internet. You can find me. Please find me on the internet. Yeah. Find me, say hello, give me a follow if you like what I do. But yeah, I like to post about cats.

 

Speaker 2 (21:18):

Awesome. No surprise. No surprises there.

 

Speaker 1 (21:21):

No shockers. Well, thank you so much for joining us on this special Tuesday leading up to International Cat Day, this Catterday. So thanks again for hopping on the show and sharing your expertise. And hopefully we'll be able to have you back again soon. Please

 

Speaker 3 (21:37):

Do. Please do. Anytime. Happy International Cat Day, everybody.

 

Speaker 2 (21:40):

Yes. I forgot to ask her about her own cats. I love hearing from these cat experts about their own cats and how many do they have and what are their names? I

 

Speaker 1 (21:51):

Feel like it's always such a unique situation. More so than dog owners. We're so familiar with the archetype of dog owners, but I feel like cat owners, it's pure chaos. Every cat owner has their own unique situation and weird stuff they have to do to make their household function properly. So you are right. But I love the energy that Dr. Delgado brings to this whole approach. You could tell that she really, really, really, really cares about cats and making them happy. And they make us happy in turn. So that's why we're celebrating them. And it is my honor to welcome back to the show Kate Benjamin, a cat style expert, designer, writer, and the founder of House Panther, a leading online resource for stylish cat-friendly living. Since 2007, she has been curating and creating design forward products and ideas that help cat owners build homes that are both beautiful for people and enriching for cats.

 

(22:52):

Kate is also the co-author with Jackson Galaxy of the New York Times bestselling books, Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat and You, and Catify To Satisfy. She has appeared on My Cat From Hell, helping create stylish, functional environments that support cat's natural instincts and improve life at home. Welcome back to the show, Kate.

 

Speaker 4 (23:16):

Thanks for having me. Always good to be here.

 

Speaker 1 (23:19):

Well, let's start. It's International Cat Day is coming up this Catterday and you've built your career around catification. So for those who may not know or for your own sake, what does catification mean to you?

 

Speaker 4 (23:36):

So catification is kind of a blend of two things. It starts with environmental enrichment, which behaviorists have been talking about for decades. That is what do cats need in an indoor environment in order to live their best life. But it blends it with sort of the human side. What do people need in order to do the things that they need to do to give their cat what they need? Because if it looks like the crazy cat lady, people won't do it. So we kind of blend those two things. What do the people need? What do the cats need? So that everybody's happy and you don't have to hide things when guests come over.

 

Speaker 2 (24:15):

I love that. I love that. You mentioned enrichment, Kate, and I think a lot of cat parents tend to think of enrichment as just buying more toys. But what is a truly cat friendly or catified home from the cat's perspective? What does it need?

 

Speaker 4 (24:33):

So there are a few main elements that you need in your environment. Number one, climbing or vertical spaces. And that doesn't mean just way up above your head. It can just be something that's slightly raised off the ground, maybe a raised bed or something at the bottom of a shelf where you put a nice soft pad. Cats like to be up off the ground because it gives them a better perspective of their environment because they're both predator and prey. So they're always kind of on the lookout for what might get them and what they can get. And they need that ability to get away from maybe dogs or toddlers or other cats as they can go up high and kind of have their safe space. The other thing you want to think about are enclosed or semi-enclosed areas. We call them cocoons in the books.

 

(25:21):

So there are actually scientific research studies done in the shelter medicine world that show that when a cat has an enclosed space that they can choose to retreat to, it actually reduces their fear, anxiety and stress. So you want to give them a nice cocoon that you can control instead of just letting them go hide under the bed or in the back of the closet. So something like these on the wall behind me or something like a soft cocoon that you could move throughout the house so that if they're kind of scared at first, you can start to move it more out towards where the action is. So climbing, hiding, and then of course scratching. And anything else that's like a soft surface where cats can leave their scent and their mark. So scratching, it helps them exercise. It helps them groom their claws, but they're also leaving both a visual mark and a scent mark.

 

(26:13):

So it's a territorial thing. So soft surfaces, scratching surfaces, those are all really important. And again, you want to give your cat something that's acceptable to both of you. Otherwise, they're going to find their own place to scratch. Yeah, absolutely. So those are kind of the big categories.

 

Speaker 1 (26:31):

So one of the things I hear back a lot from people when we talk about this whole catification and enrichment in general for cats is that they don't have the space for it. A lot of people are getting cats because they're apartment dwellers or have small condos and they're choosing a cat over a dog. And one of the reasons is they lack the space appropriate to have a dog. And in their heads, they're thinking, "Oh, I can't have these nice things for my cat because I don't have room." So what would you say to those people? Well,

 

Speaker 4 (27:04):

I would say that I live in 1100 square feet with 11 cats. So my rule is kind of 100 square feet per cat, but I don't really recommend that. So really, if you catify well, you're going to increase the usable space. So it's a great thing to do in a small space. And you don't necessarily have to add new big, bulky furniture. You can just look at what you already have. Maybe there's a shelf or a bookcase or something where you can clear off parts of it and dedicate that for your cat's use. And you can integrate the catification in with your own furniture. And especially in a small space, you want to find multifunction pieces. So maybe it's something that gives the cat an enclosed area as well as a raised surface and a soft thing or a scratcher all in one. So multifunction and increasing your usable space, that is what's going to happen as you build vertically.

 

Speaker 1 (28:04):

How do you, and I know you have such a unique style and just looking at the things behind you, it blends into your home so well. How do you recommend somebody get started with having this design centric mentality to create an actually visually attractive space? In

 

Speaker 4 (28:23):

General or about the litter box

 

Speaker 1 (28:25):

Specifically? Yeah. I think in general, well, the litter box I think is the biggest one because you got to have it and they're all hideous. So maybe let's start there.

 

Speaker 4 (28:33):

Yeah. The litter box is definitely the elephant in the room for all cat owners. But you don't have to look very far to find a lot of very attractive and functional litter boxes, things that will work for your cat, but it has to work for you too. It has to be easy to clean. It has to be an aesthetic that you like. And there are covered litter boxes, but that's not necessarily right for every cat. Some cats might not have a problem with it, but you need to test it out. You need to try. And something I recommend is if you're thinking about getting a covered litter box or a piece of furniture that your litter box goes into, maybe get a big cardboard box that's about that same size and cut the holes in it and see if your cat will use this enclosed space.

 

(29:17):

It's kind of like a prototype. So you may or may not want an enclosed litter box, but you could even mask the area off with a cute little screen. There are actual litter box screens or just little folding freestanding designer screens. And then another word about litter boxes, you want to make sure that the whole area is really well designed functionally. Do you have everything you need right at your fingertips, the scoop, the bags, the clean litter, the cleaning supplies, the broom, because the easier you make it to scoop, the more frequent and more often you'll be likely to scoop and then your cat will be happier. So that's a tough one. I personally have most of our litter boxes out on a cat Patio, which is very nice. So you can do different aesthetic things with the litter box or just make it very functional.

 

(30:09):

But as far as climbing and the hiding spaces and all the other resources that you need to give your cat, there are so many things available on the market that are designed specifically for cats in every style and every budget. So you can no longer say, "Oh, there's nothing nice out there for cats." So all these new companies that are showing up, sometimes they write that on their about page. And the second I see that, I think, well, you didn't do your research because there's a lot. It doesn't mean there isn't room for more, but there are a ton of things out there being designed for cats. And if you don't like any of them, it's super easy to DIY. Pretty much everything in both books is a DIY. And it can be anything from a thrift store find. Maybe you find a really cool big flower pot or a basket and you just throw a blanket in there and put it in a corner and now your cat has this cute, cool place to hang out.

 

(31:06):

Or you can DIY shelves with just things from Ikea. There's a shelf at IKEA that costs a couple of dollars. And if you add a non-slip surface on top, if you go down, I love IKEA for hacks. If you go down to the rug department, they have a little floor mat for another like $3 and you can cut it in half, stick it down on top of this $2 shelf and buy a couple of brackets that are 75 cents each. And so for under 10 bucks, you could make a nice little ledge or a shelf for your cat. So you don't have to worry about style or budget. There are so many options out there.

 

Speaker 2 (31:42):

So Kate, I have to ask this question. It wasn't one of my planned questions, but given that you have 11 cats, can you give us your. How does the litter box situation work? You mentioned that it's on the catio, but do you. And also part of the question is, do you have any issues with any of your cats not wanting to use the litter box because there are so many of them?

 

Speaker 4 (32:05):

Shockingly, we don't have any litter box issues right now. Yay. We have most of them out on the catio and the way it's set up, there are cat doors from two different rooms. So they can run circles. Then we do have one indoor litter box, which is the most popular because they're lazy and they don't want to go outside.

 

Speaker 1 (32:29):

Naturally.

 

Speaker 4 (32:31):

Yes. But I use these giant either stainless steel or the big cement mixing tubs because I have them kind of sunken into the ground out in the catio, which is sort of nice because when you sweep, you can just sweep all the loose litter right back in. Yeah. Cool. So yeah, no, they do pretty well. That's cool. Litter box issues are one of the biggest problems a lot of cat owners face and it's a matter of. Yeah.

 

Speaker 2 (33:01):

That's why I asked because we have several cats and it's working out fine. So they have options. They don't feel like they're competing. There's enough places to go indoors and out. So very interesting. Well, we have loved having a conversation with you, especially for this special week or special day coming up on Caturday. We

 

Speaker 1 (33:19):

Can make it a

 

Speaker 2 (33:20):

Full week. Let's just do it all week. Why not? And I want to just remind everybody about the books, Catify to Satisfy and Catification. Still great sellers, I'm sure. I would just love the names. Did you come up with the names?

 

Speaker 4 (33:38):

Yeah. Well, Catification is the name that we coined for what we do. And then

 

Speaker 2 (33:42):

I think I

 

Speaker 4 (33:42):

Did come up with Catify to satisfy. Yep. That's

 

Speaker 2 (33:46):

Awesome. And you have some. We've got to leave everybody with some of your cat's names because you have the best cat names.

 

Speaker 4 (33:54):

Well, my favorite, my three boys, they were all bottle babies are Jeremiah Beandip, Horatio Queso, and Pico Degato.

 

Speaker 1 (34:03):

I love it. Three musketeers.

 

Speaker 4 (34:05):

Yes. Yes. The three Migos. I

 

Speaker 2 (34:07):

Love it.

 

Speaker 1 (34:08):

That is phenomenal. Well, enjoy their company, this International Cat Day coming up. Give them all a big squeeze from their Pal family. And I'm sure we'll see you back here for a three-peat at some point.

 

Speaker 4 (34:22):

Great. Thanks for having

 

Speaker 2 (34:23):

Me. Thanks, Kate.

 

Speaker 1 (34:27):

Well, I think life is a little unfair because if I had 11 cats, there's no way my home would be in as much order as Kate's. I would not have things that look nice. It would not be stylish. It would be pure mayhem and chaos.

 

Speaker 2 (34:44):

She knows what she's doing. She's got it together. She's powerful. She is. I'm so impressed with her, not only her knowledge, but just her style. It's so cool.

 

Speaker 1 (34:54):

Yeah. I mean, the little cat tower in the background is just a small sampling of some of the stuff. There's lots you can learn. If you really want to create a solid multi-cat plan for your home, there's no better expert. Literally, don't take it from me. I would fold under that kind of pressure. So listen to Kate.

 

Speaker 3 (35:19):

The product of the week.

 

Speaker 1 (35:21):

All right. It's time for our product of the week Catterday edition. And Kristen, I'm going to go ahead and let you kick it off with your product of the week.

 

Speaker 2 (35:34):

Okay. So you were talking earlier about how important it is to make sure your cat stays hydrated. So I chose the. This is a cat fountain, but it's special. It's called the Pet Libro Dock Stream. It's a stainless steel. Have you seen this one? Yeah. Yeah. Stainless steel cordless cat water fountain. I love that it's cordless because then you're not so limited where you can place the fountain. Originally, I found it on Chewy, but then when I went to put the link in the show notes, it was sold out. So we've linked you right to the Pet Libro page. Again, a seasonal pick for August heat. Cats have a naturally. I found this out. The reason they have a low thirst drive is because they evolved to get most of their moisture from their prey. So hydration obviously is a little bit more important in the summer, especially if your cat's not really a big drinker.

 

(36:28):

And veterinarians even recommend fountains over static bowls because moving water is more natural and it's typically cleaner because these fountains have filters. This one is, as I said, cordless, it's rechargeable. It says it lasts 30 days per charge. That sounds like a really long time. It's stainless steel, so that's more hygienic than a plastic bowl. I know fountains aren't fun to clean, but stainless steel is a lot easier to clean than plastic. Let's see. It does have a four layer filtration system and it's about anywhere from 70 to 90 bucks, depending on the color you choose and the retailer.

 

Speaker 1 (37:07):

I had the Pet Libro wet food travel feeder, like automatic feeder. They make great products. Oh, good to know. We did consider the fountain at one point and never pulled the trigger on it. But the wet food sort of like refrigerator locker was a godsend for women to do weekend aways and things like that where we could set up three or four meals in advance. So they make great stuff. So I'm sure the fountain is a top tier choice.

 

Speaker 2 (37:40):

Let me just add one more thing. I just remembered, and I saw this on social media. It was a veterinarian giving this tip and I wish I remembered who it was, but they did a study that showed that if you put your cat's water, whether it's a fountain or bowl, put it in a different location than the food bowl. Cats tend to drink more water if it's not next to their food. Did you know that? I didn't know that.

 

Speaker 1 (38:00):

I did know that. Yeah. Because it goes back to their instinct again. What they hunted down creates a corpse and you don't want to drink the corpse water. It's really also interesting that and elevating it, which is why - Wouldn't be funny

 

Speaker 2 (38:18):

If somebody just tuned in when you said it's not good to drink corpse

 

Speaker 1 (38:21):

Water. Don't drink the corpse water, folks. That's the type of advice you get here on pet sidelife. Anyway, let's move on. My product - What's your product?

 

(38:31):

My product of the week is corpse water. No, I teased it during the story section. It is a cooling mat. And this one is also odd chewy and going fast. Like I said, we're in the midst of a heat wave here. So I do have it set for my delivery address. And I'm sure there's a lot of people being responsible pet owners and saw this stuff coming and said, I need to get some stuff to take care of my dog and cat. And this is a product that is great for dogs or cats, but I really consider it a cat thing. If you've noticed the way your cat acts throughout the season, sort of in the cooler seasons, they're always finding that one ray of sunshine and laying down in that. And then during the warmer seasons, they're finding your tiles or your stones or the big pieces of shade and they lay there.

 

(39:24):

This cooling mat is essentially, it will create that feeling of stone anywhere in the house. So you could go ahead and it's weight activated. So once they push this gel that's in it, it creates the coolingness of the pad. I don't know how these things work. I have a human version of it for the neck for after you get back from a run and stuff. And in my opinion, it is magic and we shouldn't ask questions. We should just appreciate the nice things we have that keep us cool. So they have it in all sorts of sizes. Right now for my dress, only the large size is available, but it goes from extra small to extra large, depending on the size of your pet. It's got like a whole size and guideline based on the weight and length of your animal. So you could pick the best one.

 

(40:18):

And I just think that for an indoor pet, when it's really hot, giving them that comfortable place to sit. Imagine being forced to use your winter comforter during like a August night and trying to sleep. Be awful.

 

(40:37):

Yeah. You would not like that. So give your pets the same luxury. I think let's see what the price point is here on the large one. So only large is available and it's currently $55 for one of the biggest ones. So check it out, link in the show notes as always. Q and A's. All right. It is time for our favorite part of our episode. That's right. We're going to go ahead and answer two questions from our lovely audience. And I know what you're thinking, lovely audience. How do I have my question answered by Chris and Kristen? Well, could it be easier? Head on over to petsadlife.org/podcast. Scroll on down to the bottom of that page and you'll see a form to submit your question. Or if you're feeling as brave as a scaredy cat, you can submit a voice memo and you may hear your question played live on our show.

 

(41:27):

So without further ado, let's get into today's questions.

 

Speaker 2 (41:33):

Yes. And I've got one for you, Chris. This one's from Melissa in San Diego. And she says, "My cat's..." Wait, sorry. You wanted number one. All right, let's start over. Okay, Chris, I've got one for you here. This is from Emily in Minneapolis. And she says, "My indoor cat seems to sleep most of the day and doesn't seem interested in playing anymore. How can I tell the difference between a relaxed cat and one that's bored or not getting enough mental stimulation?"

 

Speaker 1 (42:04):

That is a great question, Emily. And the reality is, is that as cats get older, they get a little bit less interested in play. And what I'll say is based on what you're saying here, I would not say your cat is bored and not getting enough mental stimulation. Cats tend to overact when they're bored and understimulated rather than underact. If you were saying, "My cat's now refuses to play with me, but he's also bouncing off the walls and scratching up my furniture and meowing all the time," then I'd say, "Okay, something weird is going on here." It just kind of sounds like your cat has gotten okay with not playing. Now, here's the thing. You might just want to introduce some new forms of mental stimulation. So I don't know. In the question, you're not really saying how you play with your cat, but let's say you usually use one of those cat wand things.

 

(43:06):

Maybe try getting one of those automatic rug toys that's going to create a different experience and see if that inspires your cat to play again. But cats, they sleep for anywhere between 12 and 16 hours a day, and that's normal. That is healthy, normal cat behavior. So none of this screams problem. Maybe try to mix it up a little bit if you miss that time bonding with your cat and playing. And good luck having an apathetic older cat. That's sometimes just how they turn out.

 

Speaker 2 (43:43):

True. I wouldn't mind being a cat just for a couple days just to get 12 to 16 hours of sleep.

 

Speaker 1 (43:48):

I know, right?

 

Speaker 2 (43:50):

I could use that.

 

Speaker 1 (43:51):

Those naps must be amazing. Like I said, when they're in that ray of sunshine and you're just like, "Man, it must be great." Anyway, I've got a question for you, Kristen. All right. Rare opportunity for Kristen to answer a cat question. I

 

Speaker 2 (44:06):

Know.

 

Speaker 1 (44:07):

So she must be excited. I'll give it my

 

Speaker 2 (44:09):

Best

 

Speaker 1 (44:10):

Shot. Is from Melissa in San Diego. And Melissa asks, "My cat scratches the furniture, even though she has scratching posts all over the house. Is she trying to tell me something? And how can I encourage her to use the right places instead?"

 

Speaker 2 (44:27):

Okay. And I really like this question because I've actually learned about this and written about it way in the past. So scratching, as you probably know, as a cat mom, it's scent marking and also claw maintenance. And cats have scent glands right in their pop pads. So it's kind of how they mark their territory. And if she's skipping all those posts for the couch, it's usually a placement issue or a material issue rather than a behavior problem or her just trying to tell you something. So if your posts, I don't know where you have those posts, Melissa, but if they're tucked in a corner or just in a place that she doesn't typically hang out, those posts are going to get ignored. Cats want to scratch where they already spend time. So maybe try putting those posts next to the sofa because she clearly likes to hang around the sofa.

 

(45:23):

Another thing, I mentioned the texture's important too. Some cats prefer the kind of sizal rope type of scratchers. Some prefer cardboards, some prefer fabric. So you might want to test out a couple of different textures for the scratching posts. And then also, this is an important one too, you want to make sure that it's tall enough and sturdy enough for her to get a full body stretch on it. So if you can imagine a cat, when they go to scratch a vertical scratching post, they have to kind of lean into it. And if it's wobbly or just not secured, that's not a very attractive place for her to stretch and claw into. And then the last thing I wanted to mention is that some cats prefer a horizontal scratching surface. So on the sofa, I don't know if she's scratching the cushions like horizontally or vertically, but that's another sign about her preference for scratching.

 

(46:19):

So if she's a horizontal scratcher, then maybe get one of those cardboard or fabric wrapped horizontal scratching posts. So give this a try, placement, fabric and orientation. Those are all important for cats.

 

Speaker 1 (46:37):

You're like the cat scratch feng shui expert. Does it spark joy? What was her name? Oh man, we're going to get ripped apart in the comments for not knowing this one.

 

Speaker 2 (46:50):

I know.

 

Speaker 1 (46:52):

Anyway, you're like her, but for cats and scratching.

 

Speaker 2 (46:57):

I love it. Kate Benjamin probably knows a lot about feng shui and cats.

 

Speaker 1 (47:02):

I'm sure she's probably in the back room right now yelling the name. Wherever she is, she's screaming into the ether the name of this person. Anyway, that is the end of our very special International Cat Day episode. We hope you had a spectacular time. I'm not as good at the puns as you are.

 

Speaker 2 (47:23):

Spectacular.

 

Speaker 1 (47:25):

Spectacular. Yeah, that's a real word now. It is. Spectacular time. And I mean, we're going to be back next Tuesday. No if, ands, or buts about it.

 

Speaker 2 (47:35):

Like it or not. Hey, and just my tail end tidbit is given in honor of International Cat Day. This is a great weekend to spoil your cat or better yet head to your local shelter and meet one who needs a home.

 

Speaker 1 (47:46):

Absolutely.

 

Speaker 2 (47:47):

Now for now.

 

Speaker 1 (47:48):

We'll see you next week. Bye. Pets Ad Life, your guide to the latest in pet trends, products, and the joy of the human animal bond with Kristen Levine and me, Chris Bonafati, powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog TV. And

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Pets Ad Life, your guide to the latest in pet trends, products, and the joy of the human animal bond. With Kristen Levine and me, Chris Bonafati, powered by the American Pet Products Association and dog TV. Hello and welcome to another episode of Pets Ad Life. I am one of your hosts, Chris Bonafati, and joining me as always is a grand champion long-haired Persian cat, Kristen Levine. Meow. Kristen, I wanted to go by your full title as this grand champion best in show cat, because we have a very special cat episode today. We do.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
We do.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
What have we got coming up?

Speaker 2 (00:45):
We have International Cat Day coming up, which is August 8th or Catterday.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
Catterday.

Speaker 2 (00:52):
Catterday. So yeah, this show's dropping on Tuesday before Catterday, and we decided to dedicate the entire show to cats because we haven't done that in a while.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
We haven't. And for all the Cat fans out there, we have felt your pain and we have shared in it. And we've come to deliver an episode where we're going to have, I don't want to tease too much, but I got to rope you in. I got to rope you in. We're going to have two repeat guests.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Which means they're great guests.

Speaker 1 (01:22):
Which means they're good guests because we don't invite back duds. Not that we've ever had a dun on this show. Never. Never. Not even once. And we've got some cat theme products to talk about, some cat related stories. And then end of the show, we're going to answer two cat related questions, of course, to wrap things up.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
Sounds perfect.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
I can't believe it's already Catterday. I'm going to have to figure out a way to celebrate. Maybe we'll find. I know here in Connecticut, in New Haven, there's a cat cafe, I believe.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Oh, that's a good idea.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
Or even just go to your local shelter and check out the kitties. Well, I know. I know you're not ready to bring one home. I'd leave with one.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
The problem is I'd leave with one.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
Yeah. Okay.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
You know what I mean?

Speaker 2 (02:08):
I think the cat cafe is safer for you.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
It's well known and well documented that I'm a sucker, a certified sucker. So no visits, no visits, no fun visits to the shelter for me. I'd be coming home with a new friend. But alas, let's go ahead and jump into story time. Kristen and Chris present story time.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Hey Chris, why don't you go first today since you're our cat guy?

Speaker 1 (02:38):
And my story today, we are in the middle of a massive heat wave here in Connecticut as we film this one. And we're pushing temperatures of like a hundred for the first time this summer. So it really got me inspired to think, how do we keep our cats cool? We talk about dogs a lot on this show. It's a little bit more necessary because you got to bring them outside for their walks and to do their business and things like that. And we really want to talk about that aspect. But for cats, we're going to be focusing on your indoor kitties because I feel like they don't get enough attention when things get really hot and you're really pushing the limits of your air conditioning inside your home. So the first thing I want to bring up is their source of water. Don't do the stagnant bowl.

(03:24):
Get yourself some type of fountain and then throw. You could actually even throw some ice in the tank where it stores water to keep the water a little cooler, rotating through. And here's a tip I picked up. You could add a little bit of tuna water or sardine water from a can into it. Oh,

Speaker 2 (03:47):
I love that idea.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
Yeah, because cats are notorious for not drinking water. They're just stubborn cats. I don't really know what it is about them, but dehydration is a serious problem. So you really want to encourage them to drink. My next tip, and this is a teaser for my product of the week, is to get a cooling mat. And I'm not going to spend too much time on it because I think we've all figured out what's going on here. If they eat any dry food, take away the dry food, substitute it with wet food. Wet food can pack up to 66% more water than dry food. So again, it's all about getting that water back into them. A little bit of cool water on their paws if they're really hot. Cats won't pant like a dog will. So it's tough to tell when they're hot, but usually if they're doing that full stretch pose and holding it, they're trying to spread out as much as possible.

(04:42):
That means they're hot. So a little cool water to the paws and then provide some airflow even if you don't have AC, any sort of fan or anything will do. So hopefully that helps everybody in our fellow cat lovers in these dog days of summer. Those

Speaker 2 (05:02):
Are great tips. And I'll tell you what, when you do get another cat, that cat is going to be the luckiest cat ever because I know you're going to go to all the lengths to be a perfect

Speaker 1 (05:10):
Cat. It's going to be the most homeschooled, coded cat ever. You know what I mean? Yeah.

Speaker 2 (05:20):
Oh, I love it. Well, so I have a cat story too. This one's hot off the press from Frontiers and Veterinary Science, which was just released on June 24th of this year. And it's about how middle age checkups for kitties matter. So research from University of Liverpool, this is the Royal Canaan? I don't know. How do you say it? Royal Canyon Research Center. They followed 209 cats over the course of seven years. They started when the cats were in their middle ages, so like age seven to 10 years old. And they gave them regular vet checkups every six months. Now, by the end of the study, almost all of them, like 96% had developed at least one health issue. And about eight out of 10 of them had developed two health issues. So I want to tell you what the most common issues were. Unless you want to guess, Chris.

Speaker 1 (06:15):
No, I'm not guessing today. Okay. Not on atterday. I don't want to embarrass myself.

Speaker 2 (06:20):
So the most common health issues were dental disease, joint and mobility issues, and heart murmurs.

Speaker 1 (06:29):
I

Speaker 2 (06:29):
Though kidney disease would be in there, but it wasn't one of the top three. Anyway, so the good news here is that all three of those most common issues are very treatable and manageable if they're caught early. So dental disease, of course, could be treated with cleanings or extractions. Joint pain management can be handled with medication. And then heart murmurs with either monitoring or when needed, cardiac medication. So the researchers specifically noted that early diagnosis and intervention can reduce the impact that those conditions have on a cat's quality of life. So yeah, good news is that if you. Now, they were checking them every six months and that is technically what is recommended for a senior cat. So that's the ideal, right? But if you can at least take your senior cat to the vet once a year, because I know veterinary costs have been rising, but it's so important because you can catch these things early and give your cat a chance to continue to have quality of life well into their later years.

Speaker 1 (07:36):
100%. 100%. Tiger had all three of those. She ran the full gambit on the top three. And none of them is what did her in because - That's amazing. She was going to the vet every six months. They caught that heart murmur. Good. She was really not even medicated for it. They were just like, "We're just going to keep checking that." The joint stuff, they had some supplement recommendations. And then the dental disease, she did have to have a tooth pulled at one point, which I felt so bad because she's just like an old cat losing their teeth. It's just sad. But if you don't address those kinds of things, they can be much more serious.

Speaker 2 (08:23):
Absolutely. And you don't want to wait for those senior cat symptoms to show up because by then it's not always too late, but by then you have a bigger problem on your hands. So yeah, so those middle age checkups are very important for kitty cats.

Speaker 1 (08:39):
Beyond the leash, exploring the untold stories of pet passion and professionalism.

Speaker 2 (08:44):
All right. Joining us now for a second time here on the Pal Podcast is Dr. Michael Delgado. She's a certified cat behavior consultant, researcher at Purdue University and one of the world's leading experts on feline behavior and also the human cat relationship. Now she earned her PhD studying animal behavior and has spent her career helping cat owners better understand why cats behave the way they do. Also, she promotes science-based welfare focused approaches on feline care. Michael is a certified applied animal behaviorist and has worked with thousands of cat owners to solve behavior challenges, improve feline welfare, and strengthen the bond between cats and their people. She's the co-author of Total Cat Mojo with Jackson Galaxy and is a frequent speaker, educator and media expert on topics including cat behavior, enrichment, multi-cat households, and the science of living happily with cats. Welcome, Dr. Delgado.

Speaker 3 (09:42):
Thank you so much for having me back. Of

Speaker 2 (09:44):
Course. We only have the best back for repeat appearances.

Speaker 3 (09:48):
Okay. That means I passed the test. You

Speaker 2 (09:50):
Did. You did pass the test. So just remind us, for those listeners who maybe don't remember, what first drew you to feline behavior and why do you think the cats are still misunderstood?

Speaker 3 (10:05):
Yeah. So I think I probably said this last time, I wasn't one of those kids who though I was going to grow up to be a veterinarian. I just loved cats. And it wasn't until quite a bit later in life that I ended up working in an animal shelter. And that kind of led me on a long journey of academia and consulting and just really immersing myself in all things cat behavior. And here I am today. Talking about cats, my favorite thing. There we go.

Speaker 1 (10:33):
For those listening, you can make cats your career too.

Speaker 3 (10:37):
You can. It's not easy. And it's not glamorous, but what do they say? It's a life but not a living. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (10:47):
There you go.

Speaker 3 (10:49):
But I think you asked what do people still misunderstand about cats? Yeah.

(10:54):
Yeah. I feel like I've been working with humans and cats for 25 plus years now. And I feel like I'm still talking about a lot of the same things. So I feel like we've come a long way. Certainly cats are much more popular. We know that cats are being kind of, they're on top of dogs right now as far as like adoption numbers. And so more and more people are welcoming cats into their homes, which is wonderful news. And of course, cats are still popular on the internet. Well, I know that the algorithm tells me what I want to hear. I see a lot of cat videos on my algorithm. But yeah, I think the challenges are really just like understanding cat's basic welfare needs, like what they need to be happy in a home. And also trying to take ourselves out of our own heads and experiences to better understand, again, why cats are the way they are.

(11:44):
But a lot of that is just because they are very different from us. They see and smell the world differently than we do. They have different needs and behaviors than we do. And sometimes there's conflict with what people want. People may not want to provide their cat with a tall scratching post or multiple litter boxes. And so I think a lot of it is really about cats and humans living together and the humans kind of taking the initiative as the caregiver. We have the responsibility to meet their needs and that sometimes requires some compromise.

Speaker 1 (12:17):
Absolutely. And dogs, they're called man's best friend and the bond between man and dog is ever apparent and well documented. But tell us a bit about the science behind the unique bond that cats and people share.

Speaker 3 (12:32):
Well, this I would say is changing. As the relationship with cats has changed, I do think that we're seeing more signs of like people are attached to cats and see them as part of their family.

(12:45):
I think not to the extent with dogs. And part of that is because when you adopt or purchase a dog, you tend to take that dog with you. You're walking the dog. Some of those things kind of assist in becoming a more social dog owner. You go to the dog park, you take your dog to your friend's house. And so some of those things are more social, whereas most cats are not well equipped to travel or go to a friend's house. So you kind of have possibly one of two things is like people who are just naturally more a little introverted might be attracted to cats as a pet. Or you have, again, I do get a lot of requests from people who want to turn their cat into an adventure cat. An adventure cat, yes. You see some of those cats on the internet that like to go camping, like to go hiking.

(13:35):
And those cats definitely exist, but they are not most cats. We don't prepare most cats for that lifestyle. So what I'll say is, I think again, we're seeing a broader range of people who are interested in adopting cats and they love their cats. They see them as part of their family. But love isn't enough. A lot of people really love their pets. I have no doubt that they love their pets, but they might be doing a lot of things wrong. So I always try to approach those situations with a lot of compassion because again, the intentions are good, but we know there's a lot of just obstacles either within the person or just societal. Certainly now finances are a big issue for being able to care for pets the way they need to be. And we see that that can be really stressful for people.

(14:24):
So it's complex. And I think that, again, the science is evolving. We're seeing more people bringing in pets into their homes, more people bringing in cats specifically into their homes. And that is going to, I think, continue to evolve. So I like to think of the science as just not. It's not set. It's not a static thing. It's something that we always have to just be staying up to date on and also just recognizing the bigger issues are still there. Cat welfare needs have really not changed over the past 25 years. They still need things to do. They need safe places in the home. They need things to scratch. They need a clean litter box and all of those things. So that's not going anywhere.

Speaker 2 (15:05):
Right. Right. Let's talk about some of the perplexing behaviors that cats do that are just really. Maybe they make perfect sense to cats, but for us people, we don't understand why they do the things they do. So for example, let's take knocking things off shelves. I always see cat videos where cats are just tapping, tap, tap, tap, knocking things off shelves or having zoomies in the middle of the night. Can you kind of give us an idea of what's going on in their kitty brains that innately makes them do those things?

Speaker 3 (15:42):
With the knocking things off shelves, my first question, if someone's talking about this with their own cat is, well, does the cat do it when you're not there? Because that is one of the ways we can test whether or not this behavior is an attention seeking behavior. The cat is trying to get a response out of you. And certainly if they're knocking a glass that you like drinking out of or something that's breakable, you are going to very quickly intervene and be like, "Oh, don't do that." And so for some cats, if they're bored, they don't have enough mental and physical stimulation in their day, they are looking for things to play with in their environment, ways to get your attention. And some of those ways might be undesirable to you. To the cat, it's perfectly fine and fun. They're testing physics. What happens if I do this?

(16:26):
Ooh, it drops on the ground. And then you put it back up on the coffee table and then they do it again. It's great fun.

(16:34):
So I always think about a lot of the behaviors stem from boredom, lack of things to do that are things that the cat enjoys to do. So things like food puzzles or toys to play with or play time with interactive toys with you. Training, cognitive challenges, things to look out at the window. I want to have a bird feeder outside my window so my cats can watch birds. I want to have things that they can climb. So we see those attention seeking behaviors. So other common ones are like walking across your screen while you're on Zoom or scratching at your TV screen. Even playing with the blinds at three in the morning. All of these things that we see as nuisance behaviors are usually a sign of a cat who needs more to do. Things that they enjoy doing. Unfortunately, we can't teach them to like do chores or do anything useful.

(17:26):
I haven't been able to train my cats to answer any of my emails.

Speaker 2 (17:30):
Oh, that'd be awesome. Well,

Speaker 1 (17:32):
Talking about training, there's a lot of myths around cat training and what they can and can't learn and can they really be trained? So if they can, what sort of things are fun or practical that owners can teach and train their cats?

Speaker 3 (17:50):
Yeah. Cats are definitely trainable. It's a little different from training a dog, but usually the obstacles are really, again, human focused. So sometimes people who adopt cats aren't thinking about training. Whereas if you have a dog, you kind of have a set idea in your mind of like, oh, I'd like the dog to be able to sit, not jump on people, not do this, not do that. So my approach is always like, well, what do we want the pet to do instead of what do you not want them to do? If you say, I don't want them on the counters. Well, instead, let's say I want them to sit on their cat tree while I'm cooking or I want them to use their scratching post instead of the couch. I want them to go into their carrier on their own. These are all things that we can train cats to do.

(18:31):
I recommend using positive reinforcement based training methods. So this is rejecting punishment. We're not trying to implement fear or pain on our animals to get them to do the behaviors we want them to do. Instead, we're going to reward them for doing the things we like, carrot instead of a stick. And yeah, what can you train them to do? You can train cute tricks like sit or high five, but you can also train practical things like following a target or going into their carrier. I've been working with one of my own cats right now to train her to relax on a little bed. I'd like her to see this bed as a place that, kind of like when you tell a dog to go to your bed and lay down. Giving the cat an option to you present the bed and she's like, oh, I want to lay on that because I know I get treats and then I feel kind of relaxed here.

(19:22):
This is a place that I've relaxed before and I would like to relax now. So there's lots of things. And I've seen so many cool things that people train their cats to do, jump through their arms like a hoop and more parkour or even agility type stuff. And I always try to keep things really realistic for my clients. What are the things that would be really helpful to you? And I think another thing that's becoming more common is training our cats to accept different types of medical care or grooming, handling. So what we call husbandry or cooperative care where we're encouraging them to see these things as not unpleasant. It takes time and a lot of patience. And I think that's where sometimes people are very rushed or they don't have a lot of time and training isn't something you can do overnight. So you just have to kind of go into it knowing that this is going to be a slow process.

(20:14):
But

Speaker 1 (20:15):
They're worth it. They're worth it.

Speaker 3 (20:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (20:17):
It's absolutely worth it. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (20:19):
Yeah. So we want to be able to care for our pets throughout their lifetime. And so helping your cat get used to being pilled when they're young is going to help when they're a senior and they need four medications. So these are things that I also want people to think about long term caring for their cat for their entire lifetime and providing a good quality of life for their cat throughout that time.

Speaker 2 (20:42):
Yeah. Well, Dr. Delgado, we're running up on time. The book is Total Cat Mojo, but where else can we find you and what you're working on and if people want to reach out to you for help?

Speaker 3 (20:55):
Yes. I am on Instagram. That's probably my most frequently used social media. And I have a website. I have a blog, whatyourcatwants.com, where I blog about cats and science. So yeah, I'm on the internet. You can find me. Please find me on the internet. Yeah. Find me, say hello, give me a follow if you like what I do. But yeah, I like to post about cats.

Speaker 2 (21:18):
Awesome. No surprise. No surprises there.

Speaker 1 (21:21):
No shockers. Well, thank you so much for joining us on this special Tuesday leading up to International Cat Day, this Catterday. So thanks again for hopping on the show and sharing your expertise. And hopefully we'll be able to have you back again soon. Please

Speaker 3 (21:37):
Do. Please do. Anytime. Happy International Cat Day, everybody.

Speaker 2 (21:40):
Yes. I forgot to ask her about her own cats. I love hearing from these cat experts about their own cats and how many do they have and what are their names? I

Speaker 1 (21:51):
Feel like it's always such a unique situation. More so than dog owners. We're so familiar with the archetype of dog owners, but I feel like cat owners, it's pure chaos. Every cat owner has their own unique situation and weird stuff they have to do to make their household function properly. So you are right. But I love the energy that Dr. Delgado brings to this whole approach. You could tell that she really, really, really, really cares about cats and making them happy. And they make us happy in turn. So that's why we're celebrating them. And it is my honor to welcome back to the show Kate Benjamin, a cat style expert, designer, writer, and the founder of House Panther, a leading online resource for stylish cat-friendly living. Since 2007, she has been curating and creating design forward products and ideas that help cat owners build homes that are both beautiful for people and enriching for cats.

(22:52):
Kate is also the co-author with Jackson Galaxy of the New York Times bestselling books, Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat and You, and Catify To Satisfy. She has appeared on My Cat From Hell, helping create stylish, functional environments that support cat's natural instincts and improve life at home. Welcome back to the show, Kate.

Speaker 4 (23:16):
Thanks for having me. Always good to be here.

Speaker 1 (23:19):
Well, let's start. It's International Cat Day is coming up this Catterday and you've built your career around catification. So for those who may not know or for your own sake, what does catification mean to you?

Speaker 4 (23:36):
So catification is kind of a blend of two things. It starts with environmental enrichment, which behaviorists have been talking about for decades. That is what do cats need in an indoor environment in order to live their best life. But it blends it with sort of the human side. What do people need in order to do the things that they need to do to give their cat what they need? Because if it looks like the crazy cat lady, people won't do it. So we kind of blend those two things. What do the people need? What do the cats need? So that everybody's happy and you don't have to hide things when guests come over.

Speaker 2 (24:15):
I love that. I love that. You mentioned enrichment, Kate, and I think a lot of cat parents tend to think of enrichment as just buying more toys. But what is a truly cat friendly or catified home from the cat's perspective? What does it need?

Speaker 4 (24:33):
So there are a few main elements that you need in your environment. Number one, climbing or vertical spaces. And that doesn't mean just way up above your head. It can just be something that's slightly raised off the ground, maybe a raised bed or something at the bottom of a shelf where you put a nice soft pad. Cats like to be up off the ground because it gives them a better perspective of their environment because they're both predator and prey. So they're always kind of on the lookout for what might get them and what they can get. And they need that ability to get away from maybe dogs or toddlers or other cats as they can go up high and kind of have their safe space. The other thing you want to think about are enclosed or semi-enclosed areas. We call them cocoons in the books.

(25:21):
So there are actually scientific research studies done in the shelter medicine world that show that when a cat has an enclosed space that they can choose to retreat to, it actually reduces their fear, anxiety and stress. So you want to give them a nice cocoon that you can control instead of just letting them go hide under the bed or in the back of the closet. So something like these on the wall behind me or something like a soft cocoon that you could move throughout the house so that if they're kind of scared at first, you can start to move it more out towards where the action is. So climbing, hiding, and then of course scratching. And anything else that's like a soft surface where cats can leave their scent and their mark. So scratching, it helps them exercise. It helps them groom their claws, but they're also leaving both a visual mark and a scent mark.

(26:13):
So it's a territorial thing. So soft surfaces, scratching surfaces, those are all really important. And again, you want to give your cat something that's acceptable to both of you. Otherwise, they're going to find their own place to scratch. Yeah, absolutely. So those are kind of the big categories.

Speaker 1 (26:31):
So one of the things I hear back a lot from people when we talk about this whole catification and enrichment in general for cats is that they don't have the space for it. A lot of people are getting cats because they're apartment dwellers or have small condos and they're choosing a cat over a dog. And one of the reasons is they lack the space appropriate to have a dog. And in their heads, they're thinking, "Oh, I can't have these nice things for my cat because I don't have room." So what would you say to those people? Well,

Speaker 4 (27:04):
I would say that I live in 1100 square feet with 11 cats. So my rule is kind of 100 square feet per cat, but I don't really recommend that. So really, if you catify well, you're going to increase the usable space. So it's a great thing to do in a small space. And you don't necessarily have to add new big, bulky furniture. You can just look at what you already have. Maybe there's a shelf or a bookcase or something where you can clear off parts of it and dedicate that for your cat's use. And you can integrate the catification in with your own furniture. And especially in a small space, you want to find multifunction pieces. So maybe it's something that gives the cat an enclosed area as well as a raised surface and a soft thing or a scratcher all in one. So multifunction and increasing your usable space, that is what's going to happen as you build vertically.

Speaker 1 (28:04):
How do you, and I know you have such a unique style and just looking at the things behind you, it blends into your home so well. How do you recommend somebody get started with having this design centric mentality to create an actually visually attractive space? In

Speaker 4 (28:23):
General or about the litter box

Speaker 1 (28:25):
Specifically? Yeah. I think in general, well, the litter box I think is the biggest one because you got to have it and they're all hideous. So maybe let's start there.

Speaker 4 (28:33):
Yeah. The litter box is definitely the elephant in the room for all cat owners. But you don't have to look very far to find a lot of very attractive and functional litter boxes, things that will work for your cat, but it has to work for you too. It has to be easy to clean. It has to be an aesthetic that you like. And there are covered litter boxes, but that's not necessarily right for every cat. Some cats might not have a problem with it, but you need to test it out. You need to try. And something I recommend is if you're thinking about getting a covered litter box or a piece of furniture that your litter box goes into, maybe get a big cardboard box that's about that same size and cut the holes in it and see if your cat will use this enclosed space.

(29:17):
It's kind of like a prototype. So you may or may not want an enclosed litter box, but you could even mask the area off with a cute little screen. There are actual litter box screens or just little folding freestanding designer screens. And then another word about litter boxes, you want to make sure that the whole area is really well designed functionally. Do you have everything you need right at your fingertips, the scoop, the bags, the clean litter, the cleaning supplies, the broom, because the easier you make it to scoop, the more frequent and more often you'll be likely to scoop and then your cat will be happier. So that's a tough one. I personally have most of our litter boxes out on a cat Patio, which is very nice. So you can do different aesthetic things with the litter box or just make it very functional.

(30:09):
But as far as climbing and the hiding spaces and all the other resources that you need to give your cat, there are so many things available on the market that are designed specifically for cats in every style and every budget. So you can no longer say, "Oh, there's nothing nice out there for cats." So all these new companies that are showing up, sometimes they write that on their about page. And the second I see that, I think, well, you didn't do your research because there's a lot. It doesn't mean there isn't room for more, but there are a ton of things out there being designed for cats. And if you don't like any of them, it's super easy to DIY. Pretty much everything in both books is a DIY. And it can be anything from a thrift store find. Maybe you find a really cool big flower pot or a basket and you just throw a blanket in there and put it in a corner and now your cat has this cute, cool place to hang out.

(31:06):
Or you can DIY shelves with just things from Ikea. There's a shelf at IKEA that costs a couple of dollars. And if you add a non-slip surface on top, if you go down, I love IKEA for hacks. If you go down to the rug department, they have a little floor mat for another like $3 and you can cut it in half, stick it down on top of this $2 shelf and buy a couple of brackets that are 75 cents each. And so for under 10 bucks, you could make a nice little ledge or a shelf for your cat. So you don't have to worry about style or budget. There are so many options out there.

Speaker 2 (31:42):
So Kate, I have to ask this question. It wasn't one of my planned questions, but given that you have 11 cats, can you give us your. How does the litter box situation work? You mentioned that it's on the catio, but do you. And also part of the question is, do you have any issues with any of your cats not wanting to use the litter box because there are so many of them?

Speaker 4 (32:05):
Shockingly, we don't have any litter box issues right now. Yay. We have most of them out on the catio and the way it's set up, there are cat doors from two different rooms. So they can run circles. Then we do have one indoor litter box, which is the most popular because they're lazy and they don't want to go outside.

Speaker 1 (32:29):
Naturally.

Speaker 4 (32:31):
Yes. But I use these giant either stainless steel or the big cement mixing tubs because I have them kind of sunken into the ground out in the catio, which is sort of nice because when you sweep, you can just sweep all the loose litter right back in. Yeah. Cool. So yeah, no, they do pretty well. That's cool. Litter box issues are one of the biggest problems a lot of cat owners face and it's a matter of. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (33:01):
That's why I asked because we have several cats and it's working out fine. So they have options. They don't feel like they're competing. There's enough places to go indoors and out. So very interesting. Well, we have loved having a conversation with you, especially for this special week or special day coming up on Caturday. We

Speaker 1 (33:19):
Can make it a

Speaker 2 (33:20):
Full week. Let's just do it all week. Why not? And I want to just remind everybody about the books, Catify to Satisfy and Catification. Still great sellers, I'm sure. I would just love the names. Did you come up with the names?

Speaker 4 (33:38):
Yeah. Well, Catification is the name that we coined for what we do. And then

Speaker 2 (33:42):
I think I

Speaker 4 (33:42):
Did come up with Catify to satisfy. Yep. That's

Speaker 2 (33:46):
Awesome. And you have some. We've got to leave everybody with some of your cat's names because you have the best cat names.

Speaker 4 (33:54):
Well, my favorite, my three boys, they were all bottle babies are Jeremiah Beandip, Horatio Queso, and Pico Degato.

Speaker 1 (34:03):
I love it. Three musketeers.

Speaker 4 (34:05):
Yes. Yes. The three Migos. I

Speaker 2 (34:07):
Love it.

Speaker 1 (34:08):
That is phenomenal. Well, enjoy their company, this International Cat Day coming up. Give them all a big squeeze from their Pal family. And I'm sure we'll see you back here for a three-peat at some point.

Speaker 4 (34:22):
Great. Thanks for having

Speaker 2 (34:23):
Me. Thanks, Kate.

Speaker 1 (34:27):
Well, I think life is a little unfair because if I had 11 cats, there's no way my home would be in as much order as Kate's. I would not have things that look nice. It would not be stylish. It would be pure mayhem and chaos.

Speaker 2 (34:44):
She knows what she's doing. She's got it together. She's powerful. She is. I'm so impressed with her, not only her knowledge, but just her style. It's so cool.

Speaker 1 (34:54):
Yeah. I mean, the little cat tower in the background is just a small sampling of some of the stuff. There's lots you can learn. If you really want to create a solid multi-cat plan for your home, there's no better expert. Literally, don't take it from me. I would fold under that kind of pressure. So listen to Kate.

Speaker 3 (35:19):
The product of the week.

Speaker 1 (35:21):
All right. It's time for our product of the week Catterday edition. And Kristen, I'm going to go ahead and let you kick it off with your product of the week.

Speaker 2 (35:34):
Okay. So you were talking earlier about how important it is to make sure your cat stays hydrated. So I chose the. This is a cat fountain, but it's special. It's called the Pet Libro Dock Stream. It's a stainless steel. Have you seen this one? Yeah. Yeah. Stainless steel cordless cat water fountain. I love that it's cordless because then you're not so limited where you can place the fountain. Originally, I found it on Chewy, but then when I went to put the link in the show notes, it was sold out. So we've linked you right to the Pet Libro page. Again, a seasonal pick for August heat. Cats have a naturally. I found this out. The reason they have a low thirst drive is because they evolved to get most of their moisture from their prey. So hydration obviously is a little bit more important in the summer, especially if your cat's not really a big drinker.

(36:28):
And veterinarians even recommend fountains over static bowls because moving water is more natural and it's typically cleaner because these fountains have filters. This one is, as I said, cordless, it's rechargeable. It says it lasts 30 days per charge. That sounds like a really long time. It's stainless steel, so that's more hygienic than a plastic bowl. I know fountains aren't fun to clean, but stainless steel is a lot easier to clean than plastic. Let's see. It does have a four layer filtration system and it's about anywhere from 70 to 90 bucks, depending on the color you choose and the retailer.

Speaker 1 (37:07):
I had the Pet Libro wet food travel feeder, like automatic feeder. They make great products. Oh, good to know. We did consider the fountain at one point and never pulled the trigger on it. But the wet food sort of like refrigerator locker was a godsend for women to do weekend aways and things like that where we could set up three or four meals in advance. So they make great stuff. So I'm sure the fountain is a top tier choice.

Speaker 2 (37:40):
Let me just add one more thing. I just remembered, and I saw this on social media. It was a veterinarian giving this tip and I wish I remembered who it was, but they did a study that showed that if you put your cat's water, whether it's a fountain or bowl, put it in a different location than the food bowl. Cats tend to drink more water if it's not next to their food. Did you know that? I didn't know that.

Speaker 1 (38:00):
I did know that. Yeah. Because it goes back to their instinct again. What they hunted down creates a corpse and you don't want to drink the corpse water. It's really also interesting that and elevating it, which is why - Wouldn't be funny

Speaker 2 (38:18):
If somebody just tuned in when you said it's not good to drink corpse

Speaker 1 (38:21):
Water. Don't drink the corpse water, folks. That's the type of advice you get here on pet sidelife. Anyway, let's move on. My product - What's your product?

(38:31):
My product of the week is corpse water. No, I teased it during the story section. It is a cooling mat. And this one is also odd chewy and going fast. Like I said, we're in the midst of a heat wave here. So I do have it set for my delivery address. And I'm sure there's a lot of people being responsible pet owners and saw this stuff coming and said, I need to get some stuff to take care of my dog and cat. And this is a product that is great for dogs or cats, but I really consider it a cat thing. If you've noticed the way your cat acts throughout the season, sort of in the cooler seasons, they're always finding that one ray of sunshine and laying down in that. And then during the warmer seasons, they're finding your tiles or your stones or the big pieces of shade and they lay there.

(39:24):
This cooling mat is essentially, it will create that feeling of stone anywhere in the house. So you could go ahead and it's weight activated. So once they push this gel that's in it, it creates the coolingness of the pad. I don't know how these things work. I have a human version of it for the neck for after you get back from a run and stuff. And in my opinion, it is magic and we shouldn't ask questions. We should just appreciate the nice things we have that keep us cool. So they have it in all sorts of sizes. Right now for my dress, only the large size is available, but it goes from extra small to extra large, depending on the size of your pet. It's got like a whole size and guideline based on the weight and length of your animal. So you could pick the best one.

(40:18):
And I just think that for an indoor pet, when it's really hot, giving them that comfortable place to sit. Imagine being forced to use your winter comforter during like a August night and trying to sleep. Be awful.

(40:37):
Yeah. You would not like that. So give your pets the same luxury. I think let's see what the price point is here on the large one. So only large is available and it's currently $55 for one of the biggest ones. So check it out, link in the show notes as always. Q and A's. All right. It is time for our favorite part of our episode. That's right. We're going to go ahead and answer two questions from our lovely audience. And I know what you're thinking, lovely audience. How do I have my question answered by Chris and Kristen? Well, could it be easier? Head on over to petsadlife.org/podcast. Scroll on down to the bottom of that page and you'll see a form to submit your question. Or if you're feeling as brave as a scaredy cat, you can submit a voice memo and you may hear your question played live on our show.

(41:27):
So without further ado, let's get into today's questions.

Speaker 2 (41:33):
Yes. And I've got one for you, Chris. This one's from Melissa in San Diego. And she says, "My cat's..." Wait, sorry. You wanted number one. All right, let's start over. Okay, Chris, I've got one for you here. This is from Emily in Minneapolis. And she says, "My indoor cat seems to sleep most of the day and doesn't seem interested in playing anymore. How can I tell the difference between a relaxed cat and one that's bored or not getting enough mental stimulation?"

Speaker 1 (42:04):
That is a great question, Emily. And the reality is, is that as cats get older, they get a little bit less interested in play. And what I'll say is based on what you're saying here, I would not say your cat is bored and not getting enough mental stimulation. Cats tend to overact when they're bored and understimulated rather than underact. If you were saying, "My cat's now refuses to play with me, but he's also bouncing off the walls and scratching up my furniture and meowing all the time," then I'd say, "Okay, something weird is going on here." It just kind of sounds like your cat has gotten okay with not playing. Now, here's the thing. You might just want to introduce some new forms of mental stimulation. So I don't know. In the question, you're not really saying how you play with your cat, but let's say you usually use one of those cat wand things.

(43:06):
Maybe try getting one of those automatic rug toys that's going to create a different experience and see if that inspires your cat to play again. But cats, they sleep for anywhere between 12 and 16 hours a day, and that's normal. That is healthy, normal cat behavior. So none of this screams problem. Maybe try to mix it up a little bit if you miss that time bonding with your cat and playing. And good luck having an apathetic older cat. That's sometimes just how they turn out.

Speaker 2 (43:43):
True. I wouldn't mind being a cat just for a couple days just to get 12 to 16 hours of sleep.

Speaker 1 (43:48):
I know, right?

Speaker 2 (43:50):
I could use that.

Speaker 1 (43:51):
Those naps must be amazing. Like I said, when they're in that ray of sunshine and you're just like, "Man, it must be great." Anyway, I've got a question for you, Kristen. All right. Rare opportunity for Kristen to answer a cat question. I

Speaker 2 (44:06):
Know.

Speaker 1 (44:07):
So she must be excited. I'll give it my

Speaker 2 (44:09):
Best

Speaker 1 (44:10):
Shot. Is from Melissa in San Diego. And Melissa asks, "My cat scratches the furniture, even though she has scratching posts all over the house. Is she trying to tell me something? And how can I encourage her to use the right places instead?"

Speaker 2 (44:27):
Okay. And I really like this question because I've actually learned about this and written about it way in the past. So scratching, as you probably know, as a cat mom, it's scent marking and also claw maintenance. And cats have scent glands right in their pop pads. So it's kind of how they mark their territory. And if she's skipping all those posts for the couch, it's usually a placement issue or a material issue rather than a behavior problem or her just trying to tell you something. So if your posts, I don't know where you have those posts, Melissa, but if they're tucked in a corner or just in a place that she doesn't typically hang out, those posts are going to get ignored. Cats want to scratch where they already spend time. So maybe try putting those posts next to the sofa because she clearly likes to hang around the sofa.

(45:23):
Another thing, I mentioned the texture's important too. Some cats prefer the kind of sizal rope type of scratchers. Some prefer cardboards, some prefer fabric. So you might want to test out a couple of different textures for the scratching posts. And then also, this is an important one too, you want to make sure that it's tall enough and sturdy enough for her to get a full body stretch on it. So if you can imagine a cat, when they go to scratch a vertical scratching post, they have to kind of lean into it. And if it's wobbly or just not secured, that's not a very attractive place for her to stretch and claw into. And then the last thing I wanted to mention is that some cats prefer a horizontal scratching surface. So on the sofa, I don't know if she's scratching the cushions like horizontally or vertically, but that's another sign about her preference for scratching.

(46:19):
So if she's a horizontal scratcher, then maybe get one of those cardboard or fabric wrapped horizontal scratching posts. So give this a try, placement, fabric and orientation. Those are all important for cats.

Speaker 1 (46:37):
You're like the cat scratch feng shui expert. Does it spark joy? What was her name? Oh man, we're going to get ripped apart in the comments for not knowing this one.

Speaker 2 (46:50):
I know.

Speaker 1 (46:52):
Anyway, you're like her, but for cats and scratching.

Speaker 2 (46:57):
I love it. Kate Benjamin probably knows a lot about feng shui and cats.

Speaker 1 (47:02):
I'm sure she's probably in the back room right now yelling the name. Wherever she is, she's screaming into the ether the name of this person. Anyway, that is the end of our very special International Cat Day episode. We hope you had a spectacular time. I'm not as good at the puns as you are.

Speaker 2 (47:23):
Spectacular.

Speaker 1 (47:25):
Spectacular. Yeah, that's a real word now. It is. Spectacular time. And I mean, we're going to be back next Tuesday. No if, ands, or buts about it.

Speaker 2 (47:35):
Like it or not. Hey, and just my tail end tidbit is given in honor of International Cat Day. This is a great weekend to spoil your cat or better yet head to your local shelter and meet one who needs a home.

Speaker 1 (47:46):
Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (47:47):
Now for now.

Speaker 1 (47:48):
We'll see you next week. Bye. Pets Ad Life, your guide to the latest in pet trends, products, and the joy of the human animal bond with Kristen Levine and me, Chris Bonafati, powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog TV