| | |  | Brushes, Combs & Dematting | Home » » » » Starting from Scratch: How to Correct Behavior Problems in Your Adult Cat | | | | | | | Description: | | The award-winning author of Think Like a Cat tells how to turn problem cats into purr- fect pets
Certified Animal Behavior Consultant Pam Johnson-Bennett, author of Think Like a Cat, is back to help readers bring out their pet's inner pussycat regardless of the cat's age. Geared specifically for owners of adult cats, be they recently adopted or long time family pets, this book illustrates how it's never too late to correct behavior problems. With her trademark wit and common sense, Pam covers every aspect of a cat's lifestyle, behavior, and environment and gives cat owners specific techniques to help seemingly set-in-their-ways cats change for the better. Authoritative and entertaining, Starting from Scratch is the next best thing to a house call from the world's top feline behaviorist.
| | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Pam Johnson-Bennett | | Paperback:
| 400 pages | | Publisher:
| Penguin (Non-Classics) | | Publication Date:
| November 27, 2007 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0143112503 | | Product Length:
| 7.98 inches | | Product Width:
| 5.34 inches | | Product Height:
| 0.82 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.72 pounds | | Package Length:
| 7.9 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.3 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.9 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.75 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 25 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 25 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
65 of 66 found the following review helpful:
Probably The Best I've Read On Behavioral Problems...Feb 20, 2009
By realtime
"MB"
Anti Icky Poo! Starter Kit, Feliway (75mL) Spray and This Book started me and my cat- a 2 year old scottish fold- on the road to recovery after I found she'd been peeing out of the box for some time. She's extremely timid.
I consider myself pretty hands-on & knowledgeable about all things cats- I've never had a 'pee-er- but this book had not 1, not 2, but SEVERAL important points and things to try I hadn't known or thought of.
The importance of interactive playtime and bonding is stressed and I
have seen a change already. I would highly recommend this
book before you spend tons of money on flower remedys, and please, please always remember it's NOT the cat so do not ever punish, grumble, or emit any sort of negativity your cat will feel.
If you only get one book I'd get this one- I got 3 others- twisted whiskers, psycho-kitty, and cat behavior book- none compared to this book, even for considerate and knowledgeable 'cat-people' it's full of revelations. And Rmember-SPAY, NEUTER, and DON'T DECLAW!
31 of 32 found the following review helpful:
An Encyclopedia of Feline BehaviorSep 24, 2008
By Denise N. Davis
I had picked up one of the author's older books a while ago and was pretty impressed, but it was mostly a collection of stories. So, while interesting, it was no where near complete.
This book, on the other hand, is practically an encyclopedia of feline behavior. VERY cool. She starts with body language, her recommendations for setting up their environment and building confidence, and then goes onto common problems and how to solve them.
The only real blank is that she seems to assume that your cat is used to and at least somewhat trusts YOU. The section on a shy cat assumes that the cat is afraid of visitors.
I just skimmed it, so perhaps it's in one of the introductory sections that I missed (like the play therapy section, which she covered a bit in her other book so I didn't read it in this one). I'll reread it more in depth later and update.
I really like her approach, though, because she does not recommend discipline that the cat will associate with the person - like water bottles, noise makers, yelling, and stuff like that. Instead of negative approaches (like locking the cat out of the bedroom) she suggests positive approaches (like creating an interesting environment in another room). Definitely more work, but I think more successful in the long run.
24 of 24 found the following review helpful:
Can't miss with this author!Aug 14, 2008
By noel_nicole
"cat mom"
Pam Johnson-Bennett is one of the best authors in the newly emerging field of cat behavior and this book is no exception. She offers no-nonsense, practical ways of understanding and dealing with your cat's quirks and problems. Her solutions are rarely the "QUICK AND EASY" variety (if you wanted that, I guess you should have gotten a pet rock). But this book goes a long way toward helping you understand your complex and mysterious little housemate. If you take the time to follow her instructions and do what she says, you will get results. Do it for your cat!
18 of 18 found the following review helpful:
Learning new tricks!Feb 12, 2009
By Tulip
I have lived with cats my whole life, and even worked in a veterinarian's office as my first job out of high school, so I thought I knew plenty about cats. Boy did I have a lot to learn!
I originally checked this book out from the library in hopes of finding a few pointers on how to train a cat to stay off of the kitchen counters. As I started reading it, however, I realized it had MUCH more to offer. It truly is an encyclopedic reference for anyone sharing life with a cat (or several). This book is NOT just about behavior problems.
Everything from setting up the environment, to how to use play, to grooming, to common health issues is covered. I only wish I could go back in time and use Johnson-Bennet's insights with my previous cats.
There is quite a bit of overlap between this book and the author's previous work, Think Like a Cat. If you are getting a young kitten, Think Like a Cat has some useful pointers on selection and preparation. Other than that, everything from this earlier book is covered in Starting From Scratch--plus a whole lot more.
Highly recommended!
11 of 11 found the following review helpful:
Already making a huge difference!Apr 05, 2010
By zelda
"zeldafitzgerald"
If you are looking for a quick and easy fix to feline behavior problems, then this book is not for you. And frankly, you need to rethink your strategy and look at long term. There are no easy fixes to hard problems.
I have a formerly feral young cat with some behavior problems--mix that with a foster cat who chases her and you get some big ugly. I have read almost half this book over the past few days, have started some of the techniques she recommends, and I have already seen a difference.
We still have a way to go, but this evening has been more peaceful than the last two weeks combined. The cats are even napping in the same room, although of course not together. I can easily distract and redirect the aggressive cat's (the foster) stalking behavior, and my cat is already more relaxed and showing much less fear aggression.
I have been a cat person my whole life and consider myself pretty fluent in cat. There is still so much this book has taught me. The main thing being that you have to throw out your personal conception of what YOU believe is going on and really listen to and look at the cat and let her tell you. (the book helps you interpret cues) I never thought my cat would be fear aggressive as she appears (to me) to be fearless. But I now clearly see a lot of her problems come from anxiety and being uncertain, which = fear to a cat.
I have also identified behaviors which are affectionate and indicate deep trust on the part of my cat, and it's very touching to know she DOES trust me and loves me.
I have gone from being committed to hanging in there until things change to being extremely confident not just that they WILL change, but confident on HOW they will change and what I can do to get there. I have a plan, and now all I need is time and consistency.
I cannot say how highly I recommend this book, even to a life long cat person.
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