Cat Behavior and Nutrition Consultations

Does your resident cat not accept the new cat?

Does your cat not use the litter box?

Do you have a food aggressive cat?

Would you like to prepare a complete and balanced diet for your cat?

Does your cat show unwanted behavior like scratching or counter surfing?

Is your cat overweight and the weight management diet is not working?

Training, enrichment and nutrition plans for cat parents to strengthen the human - cat bond and help you understand your cat better:

My goal is to equip cat parents with tools and strategies to address behavior and nutrition issues.

My plans are backed by science, created with empathy, and have the best outcome for you and your cat(s) in mind.

tabby mama cat licking her kitten displaying care behavior

Cats are not small dogs.

Cats have been domesticated for a much shorter time compared to dogs. Feline physiology, anatomy and behavior is very different compared to our canine friends. Cats have been evolving separately from dogs for at least 50 million years! And still many pet owners believe these two species have much in common. Just remember, the pocket panther in your house is still a very independent creature.

Multiple resources and research are available for dogs. Resources and research for cats are still very limited. Even though in many parts of the world cats have become the number 1 pet in people’s homes.

I want to help both, cats, and their guardians, to live a happy, healthy, and peaceful life together.

Client education is the foundation of these consultations.  And it is important to understand cat body language and get science backed information about nutrition and behavior. Every cat is unique and it is important to respect this. As we learn more about cats every day it is important for me to stay on top of the latest information regarding feline nutrition, behavior and veterinary medicine. My plans are customized and adjusted to your cat’s and your personal needs.

As a cat owner many of you have questions:

  • Why is my cat such a picky eater?

  • This litter was highly recommended. Why does my cat not seem to like it.

  • I adopted another cat, hoping to have a playmate for my resident cat. Why do they not get along?

EVERY cat is an individual and may react differently to a situation. I want to help you understand YOUR cat(s) better. And find a customized solution for your daily needs.

Don’t know which consultation is best for you?

Contact Us to see how we can help you!

In- house consultations only in the Des Moines, IA area.
Virtual consultations for anyone living in the US or other parts of the world.

PREPARING FOR YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT

We will use Zoom for the online/virtual consultations.

You don’t need a zoom account on your computer or phone, but I want to encourage you to check your microphone and camera ahead of time.

  • BLOODWORK RESULTS/URINALYSIS/VETERINARY NOTES

    Please share any lab results from your veterinary clinic with me ahead of the consultation. This can be bloodwork results, urinalysis, or diagnostic notes. If your vet has recommended or performed an allergy test, please also share the results with me.

    Many vets share the diagnostic results with their clients automatically via a client portal. If you did not received any lab results, contact your vet.

    If we are discussing a weight management case please be prepared to share BCS and MCS with me. If you have recently visited a veterinarian with your cat both should be noted on the medical report. If not, WSAVA is a great resource:

    https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Cat-Body-Condition-Scoring-2017.pdf

    https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Muscle-Condition-Score-Chart-for-Cats.pdf

    If we are discussing a diagnosed condition like diabetes or IBD I would also need to see the official diagnosis of your vet. I am not a veterinarian, and will not diagnose, treat or cure any disease. My services are to help you understand the importance of dietary management and provide information on clinical nutrition only.

  • VIDEOS AND PHOTOS

    To get photos and videos in advance of our appointment that show the behavior you are concerned about is very helpful. Please collect any videos/clips from your nest camera or phone in advance and send them to me. We can go over the behavior/body language of your cat/s together. This is particularly important for cat to cat, or cat to human aggression cases.

    Pictures or videos are very helpful to describe the home situation or distribution of resources. I would appreciate if you can lead me through your house during a virtual walk through. Information about resources like food, water, litter boxes and resting places is important. If you prefer to provide a drawing of the set-up of your resources that is also fine with me.

FAQS

  • We will walk through the intake form together to make sure I understand the situation and chronological order of the story correct. When working behavior cases small details can make a big difference. And I want to make sure I understand your concerns correctly. Sometimes there have been updates, or lab results came in on short notice and I want to make sure to not miss out on anything.

    For behavior cases I would like to go on a virtual tour of your home and meet all the animals and humans in your family. The set-up of your resources (litterboxes, feeding stations and resting places) is important information to me.

  • Virtual consultations are not very different from personal meetings. The intake form is a great way for you to summarize the case, and for me to understand the situation. Zoom allows for a very efficient way to communicate over long distance without traveling.

    Before we spend valuable time together via Zoom I have already put in a great amount of time and effort to understand the situation. And most times it is very beneficial to just see the facts on paper before we talk. During the virtual consultations I will ask you for a tour of your home to understand the distribution of resources. (Virtual tour of your home is not needed in case of nutrition consultations).

  • Email is a great way for me to communicate effectively and thoughtful. When it comes to nutrition consultations, we often discuss very detail-oriented topics. And I want to make sure my clients have a chance to go back and forth between what was discussed during our sessions, and what they have been talking to the vet about. Many nutritional terms sounds alike (e.g. Arachidonic acid, arginine, taurine, MER, RER). Seeing all these terms in writing will help us both to be on the same page when it comes to caring for your four-legged child.

    Email is also a very convenient way of communication via several time zones. Many of my clients live in other parts of the world and via email we can both conveniently keep up communication.

  • This is a very good question! It depends on the situation or case. You can always send me an email to ask.

    We also offer 30-minute quick sessions. This quick session will answer any pressing questions you have, go over different options and we will both better understand what is needed in your case. Many factors play a role. For example how long has the unwanted behavior been going on or what have you already tried.

    Most nutrition consultations require one session to help develop a diet management plan. Most behavioral cases require multiple sessions. This is why we offer follow ups that are included in the session.

  • In our line of work a guarantee would be highly unethical. And whilst we cannot guarantee that will be able to fix your problem, we promise you will understand the situation, problem or “why is my cat behaving that way” much better. You may see other behaviorist promise they can fix all your problems. We don’t operate that way. Behavior issues can take months or years to resolve. Depending on the length the unwanted behavior has been going on, and many other factors.

    A good example are cat to cat aggression cases. The goal is not that these two cats become best friends. The goal is that they tolerate each other in the same space. So we do not need to rehome a cat and contribute to the already dire situation in rescues and shelters.

  • Punishment can harm the relationship with your cat. Our goal is to teach your cat what to do, and not what not to do. Squirt bottles are a thing of the past, and so is scruffing. Many research studies have shown the downfall of punishment. We want to help you improve the relationship with your cat. And rewarding good behavior has proven to be a much better way to do so.