What causes the cats in My Cat From Hell?

This question is regarding the Animal Planet TV show, My Cat From Hell. Jackson Galaxy, cat behaviorist, arrives at the homes of couples who are at their wit’s end with misbehaving cats.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much of Mr. Galaxy’s advice mirrors my own approach to such problems. While his solutions vary according to the situation, (and this is as it should be,) it becomes abundantly clear that this is not about bad cats. Nor is it about bad people.

It’s about bad cat advice.

These people genuinely care about their cat. They don’t want to get rid of the cat. They only want to stop the bad behavior, and they don’t know how.

Here is where they went wrong:

They attempt to train the cat as they would a dog. This is one of my “pet peeves.” We cannot train a cat with authoritarian methods. They are disastrous choices for cats.

They don’t seem to play with the cat. It is telling that Mr. Galaxy seems to bring out his own wand toy, and must encourage the people to play with their cat. When our cat’s energy is not drained, it builds up inside of the cat, causing anxiety and poor temper. Remember, cats need to explode.

They express affection or attention in confusing ways. One woman overwhelmed her cat with in-yer-face demands for affection. One man insisted on holding the cat upside down, like a human infant. Poor methods create a situation where the downside of getting love and bonding is greater than its upside; for both parties. We must first show a cat affection in their favorite ways, before we get to express it in our favorite ways.

They do not understand a cat’s view of territory. From opening up an outpost to walking their cat on a leash, expanding their cat’s territory gave the cat what they need, and helped them feel loved and understood. A favorite moment was how Jackson Galaxy solved one cat’s claiming of expensive exercise equipment by making her a smaller version she could call her own. This was an excellent demonstration of the training concept I call Yours and Mine.

They blamed the cat instead of themselves. The most insidious problem was that they often had other cats… who were no problem at all. So they never thought they might be doing something wrong. Until they were shown that it was what they were doing.

This meant that the mistakes the people made, they made with their other cats, too. But those cats could shrug them off. Their problem cats could not.

To avoid having a “cat from hell,” we need to consider any feedback we get from our cat, and use it to shape our own responses. If we don’t like what we are getting back; we need to change what we are putting forward

This is a common problem with human brains. We find it very difficult to change from what has worked before.

Even if it doesn’t, now.

Read more about the show in this review of My Cat From Hell.

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Which is a good thing. Because focusing on the question Hasn’t Michael Vick paid for his crimes? leads, again and again, to a definitive answer: Not even close.

As detailed in the book, The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick’s Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption, the only money Vick has supplied to the entire humane movement has been court-ordered.

Did he donate to the people who rehabilitated an amazing three-fourths of his canine victims?

Did he cover their staggering medical bills?

Does he even show up at fundraisers designed to help with these expenses?

When the answer to these questions is No, the whole concept of “paying for one’s crimes” gets thrown into the spotlight, and we know that while Vick has been punished for his offenses against helpless animals, he hasn’t paid for much of it at all.

Many people point to his association with the Humane Society of the United States as an example of his rehabilitation efforts, yet talks with kids about dogfighting has, as yet, led to very little support of the dogs involved. Oh, there was fundraising:

Michael Vick was indicted for his dogfighting operation on July 17, 2008. By the very next day, HSUS was making an online fundraising pitch, asking Americans to:

… make a special gift to help The Humane Society of the United States care for the dogs seized in the Michael Vick case … your gift will be put to use right away to care for these dogs.

In fact, HSUS felt the “humane” action was to kill the dogs:

Wayne Pacelle, the president and chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States, said in a telephone interview Tuesday [that] … “The fate of these dogs will be up to the government, but we have recommended to them, and believe, they will be eventually put down.”

While it’s kind of heartwarming that Michael Vick and Wayne Pacelle have found each other, since they share a strong interest in making money from animal cruelty; that’s not helping any animals, is it?

It’s a fundamental human issue, wondering when we should forgive. It came up recently in this article, Should Tom Otterness ever work in this town again? about a sculptor who adopted a dog from a pound in 1977, for the purpose of tying them to a fence and shooting them for an “artistic” film.

When it was announced that he was getting a large commission from the San Francisco Arts Commission, the public outcry led to the offer being rescinded. I’m fine with that, because:

In 2008, Tom Otterness gave this statement:

“Thirty years ago when I was 25 years old, I made a film in which I shot a dog. It was an indefensible act that I am deeply sorry for. Many of us have experienced profound emotional turmoil and despair. Few have made the mistake I made. I hope people can find it in their hearts to forgive me.”

When we speak of forgiveness, the right answer is still “when they show signs of remorse and work to make up for the wrongs they have caused.” Mr. Otterness took 30 years to reach the first condition; he might not have 30 more years to address the second.

When that happens… then we’ll all talk about forgiveness. Because doing both those things means the person really, truly, wants some.

Forgiveness is too special to go where it’s not wanted.

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What keeps this thinking alive is the many ways cats seem to exhibit this behavior. Along with the many ways people don’t realize they are the ones who created this behavior in their cat.

Ironically, people who think this way do not regard cats as beings with intelligence; yet this accusation attributes cats with capabilities that are more than they actually have.

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So why do many people think cats are capable of revenge?

Cats do plot and plan. Cats possess the ability to project future events based on past experience. This always has a negative component with Cat Detractors: it winds up as cats are so sneaky instead of the equally logical cats are so intelligent.

But cats do not have the ego differentiation required for revenge: to inflict pain on others so we can feel we’ve “evened the scales.” (This must be the source of the common phrase, “getting even.”)

This is an important distinction, because attacking in order to get away is self-defense; and of course, cats do that. But while they do have a sense of fairness, it’s a real conceptual stretch to transform this into Cat Justice.

Cats do get treated poorly. I’m often shocked at how online discussions of cat discipline so frequently include a person explaining that whenever their cat does something they don’t like, they throw them in a running shower.

They do this because they consider it an improvement over actually beating the cat. So when we have people knowing they have treated the cat badly, they will expect the cat to feel wronged and betrayed. Because the cat has been.

I think people get wrong and stupid ideas about discipline because they were once disciplined wrongly and stupidly. While what is done to us is not our fault, what we do to others, is. The beauty of positive discipline is how it works; and that it works for everyone. Human, or not; the one who gets, or the one who gives.

Cats do react in a way that looks like retaliation. I’ve had people point to their stuff being shredded or whizzed upon as proof that cats take revenge on people they don’t like. And if pressed, they admit that if the cat did take revenge upon them; the cat had a good reason.

This behavior in cats is the way they try to control a difficult situation, as I explain in my post, Dear Pammy, Is it true about Cats and Shoes? Cats use scratching and urination as territory marking strategies. I interpret this behavior as their way of trying to get us under control again; and stop hurting them.

We don’t have to mistreat our cat to get this problem to occur; it just ups the odds enormously. Because this is the cat’s lowest form of communication. If we have better forms of communication with our cat, they will use them.

I believe cats do have what might be thought of as an Ego Construct. This is the part of the brain which puts together our pattern of dealing with the world. The fact that cats can mask their vulnerabilities to protect themselves from predators means cats have an imagination and the ability to use it.

In their natural state, their overwhelming default is to avoid danger, not seek it out. It’s enforced sociality that triggers teasing and bullying and revenge; these are all attempts to drive away others we cannot get away from.

That’s why cats who don’t get along in the home will fight with each other. It’s how revenge in humans starts as an attempt to keep trouble away in the future; and then degenerates into vendettas of unending retaliation.

Since the power differential between humans and cats is so wide, cats tend not to attack unless they feel they they are somehow cornered and have no choice. While there are aggressive cats, it is far more common for these cats to attempt to control us by using their territory behaviors; “marking” us with scratching and urination.

If we are experiencing bad behavior from our cats, we might have triggered it. If so, this means we can fix it. We should provide the care that is missing, we should improve our training strategies, and we should repair our broken relationship.

Because when we love each other, we are incapable of treating each other badly.

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No.

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That’s because kittens are born knowing how to use the litter box.

In fact, it’s one of my “pet” peeves; cat advice that starts out telling people what they should teach their cats. It’s a sure way of confusing a kitten or cat who was doing fine before they got mixed signals. It also avoids the truth of the matter; it’s the human who needs the training.

So much of successful cat enjoyment comes from simply getting out of their way. If we do not put barriers in the way of our kitten using their litterbox, they will happily use it for the rest of their lives.

Here’s what worked for orphaned Tristan, who started using it around five weeks old, pretty much on schedule.

Introduction. After each meal, we placed him in his litterbox, and he was curious about it right away. Since his mother wasn’t there to model the correct behavior, we used his little paw to dig holes.

It was full of a wheat based litter, because he usually tipped over onto his nose and might ingest some crumbs. Clay based litter would clump in his little tummy; we don’t want that.

Nearness. We made sure it was only a few steps away, because tiny kittens only notice the signal when business is imminent. If we can’t supervise our kitten to hustle them over to the box when they start to circle, sniff, or squat, they should be in a restricted area so they don’t need help to get there in time.

Once he started running over to the litter, we used his paw to encourage him to cover; another thing his mother would have showed him if she was around.

Access. We used an old cake pan with short sides that he could easily climb over. Little kittens often have very little clearance between their fat bellies and the ground. A ramp is another solution if we have other cats and a full-sized litterbox.

As he got older, he took to our Litter Robot just like the big cats. Modeling can’t be underestimated in how much, and how easily, it teaches kittens the rules of the house.

Fuss. We would absolutely drip with baby talk when Tristan was anywhere near his litter; we wanted him to know this is a safe place for him! At any age, cats feel vulnerable in their litterbox, and need it to be a quiet sanctuary.

No Fuss. We would leave the room when a cat was using the Litter Robot; privacy is important, and we never want our cats to feel nervous around their box.

So while we did help “train” baby Tristan, it was only because his mother hadn’t been around to do it. It’s part of raising orphaned kittens. We take these little extra steps because a kitten who grows up to have good litter box manners will be welcome wherever they may go.

It’s also such a strong instinct that kittens who don’t get this benefit also wind up fine most of the time. What usually messes up our litter box situations is when we use a box that’s too small, put it in a place the cat can’t feel comfortable in, and then neglect to clean it properly.

No amount of training is going to overcome this kind of bad situation.

We invented a litter box deodorizer that also signals cats “the litter box is clean!” Read more about Littermint.

For more about “training the human” watch my video on Litter Box Basics.

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Because we often make wrong assumptions about cats. This happens when we based our cat-thinking on other animals, or on ourselves.

For some things, cats have their own “laws.”

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How can we tell we are making wrong cat assumptions? Any time we expect a different result… from the one we got.

How long it takes to accept a new cat or kitten is a variable which can stretch from an hour to a year. Of course, we prefer the hour version. Here lies the problem.

When our cats woefully undershoot our wished for deadline, we often get impatient, and try to hurry them. This usually leads to embedding the unwanted behaviors even more deeply into our cats. A few rounds of that, and both of us are worn down and frustrated.

Cats can take some time to accept a newcomer; and we can mess it up right at the start, thus stretching it out for everyone. See Fixing Cat Conflicts: Bad Beginning for more tips.

How much space it takes to add a new cat or kitten is another aspect of Cat Physics which varies widely, depending on which variables we plug into the equation. A bunch of Gammas can require the same amount of space as only one Alpha.

It’s another “rule” to have as many litter boxes as we do cats; plus one more. It’s a good rule; except I break it. I have one litter box and four cats; but my litter box is automated, and every cat gets a fresh shot at it.

See what I mean with this post; Is there a cat formula for multiple cats?

It can seem that we have too many cats even if we only have two — who don’t get along. And yet, I’m always saying:

The solution to your cat problem is more cats!

Because so often cat conflicts arise when a cat is asking another cat for something they cannot provide; but another cat, can. Disparate interests, energy levels, and outlooks can create a gulf that will often be bridged best by another cat who can provide what at least one cat is asking for. This will lower the stress level all by itself.

We lower the stress level still further when another of the cats is no longer being harassed for something they cannot provide. Find out more about Why third cat is different.

When we use the wrong rules we are always going to make a situation harder on ourselves. For some reason, humans assume they are “doin’ it rong” far sooner than they question the rules they are playing by.

Yet, all too often, there’s your problem.

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Is it true? What does it mean?

It doesn’t necessarily mean the actual reincarnation of our cat, does it?

Cats seemed to lead many lives and have many abilities. They were admired for it by having exaggerated powers fondly bestowed in legend.

Cats are known for their patient, solitary hunting style; setting up the prey for a blazing ambush. This is easily recreated in the home with the right toys and appropriate space. So what we have, for the most part, is a cat who also does well inside. In fact, a condition of the vet I adopted Tristan from was an “all indoor home,” even though he had been found in the most rural of circumstances.

Another part of the legend would be the cat’s ability to right themselves in mid-air. This has allowed them to survive falls a human could not. This impresses a human. A cat does have remarkable gymnastic skills, but it’s not a magic power.

A cat’s ability in adverse circumstances kept them able to bounce back from serious depopulation at certain times and places, such as during the Black Death in Europe, and yet be able to make a quick resurgence when they could.

Often, a cat would move from home to wild to home again so successfully that the legend would grow around particular cats who successfully negotiated it several times. This “magic power” is how adaptable and flexible a cat’s survival strategy can be.

But these were cats who led half-wild lives anyway. And the wilderness they were loosed in worked for their instincts far better than the “wild” most of our cats would escape to. This is not a world they have made.

So we should shield them from indiscriminate exposure to potentially deadly events, because this is only a magical power in fairy tales.

We don’t need to push them past their reputation.

See more with Does a cat always land on their feet? and What is the biggest cat myth of all? or The unluckiest color in cats?

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They have told me, “Cats think they are better than me.”

I find this kind of attitude to be quite the mental leap.

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Strangely enough, these are probably the first people to complain that I am attributing human emotions to cats. Yet, they will project highly human emotions on cats to explain why they don’t like cats.

Why would anyone believe cats possess such a complicated concept, and then apply it to us humans? While cats do need confidence to get through the day, there’s no reason to believe they value their own hunting ability and physical grace over our equally impressive can-opening and treat-gathering skills.

What I think such people mean is: Cats are not servile.

This is true. Cats are not automatically placing themselves in an inferior position. They do not like to ask for something from a place of low power.

But this does not mean cats automatically place themselves in a superior position, either.

I’m not sure what kind of inferiority complex these people might have which demands that all other beings acknowledge their unquestioned authority. I only hope, for their sake, that they don’t meet a hungry tiger or killer whale at exactly the wrong time.

What these cat complaints do not acknowledge is that there is middle ground; that cats do not want to be our boss, and they also do not want to be our servant.

Cats want to be our friends.

I don’t know of any other pet with such an amazing capability to meet us as equals, despite the vast difference in our sizes, skills, and interests. Cats respond to kindness, they have a sense of fair play, and they can find themselves compelled to look after us when it is obvious we need it.

Does that make them superior to some people?

Yes, it does.

But that’s not the cat’s fault.

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They are both more affectionate now – do they just love me for the wet food?

Dear Readers,

Yes. But not quite in the way we often think.

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The question was asked mostly in fun; this Cat Appreciator did a lot for her cats, and they obviously returned the affection. But this question lurks in the mind of many pet people, and is often sneeringly invoked from those who disparage pets.

They only love you because you feed them!

Well, the same could be said of children. Or first dates. It’s a pretty basic way to show we care, from parents feeding their young to children sharing cookies.

In this case, I suspected these cats’ old food could be aggravating their tummies. If the wet food makes them feel better, and we’re the one who showed we cared for them, why wouldn’t they be more affectionate?

The proper response to a caring gesture is another caring gesture.

It has nothing to do with bribery. It has everything to do with attitude.

Love works because it makes us feel good when we make others feel good. That doesn’t make it a selfish emotion; that makes it a shared one.

One of the deals a pet makes for living in our world is that we take care of them. One of the things we ask for in return is that they acknowledge the gift we give.

We consider gratitude to be a high level emotion; one requiring the emotional and intellectual ability to handle such abstract concepts as obligation and kindness.

Only love us because we feed them?

What else would they feel?

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Black cats are far more than frightening Halloween art. They have the same range of delightful personalities as any other color of cat.

But because of their color, they are less likely to be adopted.

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It’s not just a problem with cats; black dogs also have low adoption rates.

Animal shelter staff have been well aware of the phenomenon for years. They even have a name for it: Black Dog Syndrome and Black Cat Syndrome. Black dogs, cats often overlooked in favor of lighter-colored counterparts

The reasons are many:

Superstition. The delusion that black cats are bad luck seems embedded in every head in the United States, but this is by no means an universal thought.

In Great Britain, black cats are a symbol of good luck. The Scottish believe that a strange black cat’s arrival to the home signifies prosperity. …sailors considering a ship’s cat in general and a black one in particular as luck for their ship. Sometimes, fishermen’s wives would keep black cats at home too, in the hope that they would be able to use their influence to protect their husbands at sea. Wikipedia:Black cat

I’ve found that pointing out widespread contrary beliefs to those frightened of black cats soothes these pointless fears.

Photography. As any devoted pet photographer knows, it’s more difficult to get a pleasing shot of a black animal. They especially need a contrasting background and good light, and the very glossiness of their fur can create distortions in the final product.

However, if properly done, the gleam of their fur and the depth of their eyes creates a lovely portrait. This isn’t always available to those taking pictures in the shelter, though, and might be a drawback for those browsing through Petfinder.

Misconception. Everyone should remember that coat color has a very slippery connection to a cat’s personality; which I maintain is the most important part of the cat.

Orange tabby males have a great reputation among animal trainers, and there seems to be a strong case for “assertive tortoiseshells,” (I have one myself at the moment.) But there are clear genetic patterns which create these kinds of coats, and might well bind other traits to it.

Black coats have no such restriction. They can pop up in many different mixes. About the only thing one can say for certain about black cats is that science has shown they tend to be very healthy; all that melanin tunes up their immune system. Considering all the strikes against them throughout history, a black cat could use an edge like that.

Messybeast has an in-depth discussion on such possible linkages.

Appearance. One thing I’ve always found frustrating is how people sometimes “pick out the prettiest.” While this is a natural and universal impulse, it does not always serve us well.

Of course, everyone’s definition of “prettiest” is subject to their own interpretations. But getting a cat because they look like a previous cat is one of the worst ways of choosing; because there are so many ways a cat’s genetic heritage can be shaped by environment.

Both Reverend Jim and Olwyn were, as a friend of mine says, “the most pathetic kittens in the shelter” when I picked them out. Yet they have both grown into magnificently lovely cats.

Connection. One theory that I also subscribe to is the one which says many people have trouble “reading” the expression on the faces of black cats and dogs. I’ve found most people have difficulty interpreting any cat’s expression, even though their expressive ears and eyes send very clear signals. One has to be looking for them, and also know what they mean.

Considering such challenges, the extra problems of differentiation in a black cat’s face, often poorly lit and under less than ideal circumstances, and I can understand how many people either skip over such a face, or worse, attribute bad intentions to it.

It all comes down to a very simple fact; black cats aren’t any different from any other cats. It’s a lot of a particular pigment that might have given them a hunting advantage in certain environments. But that is all it means.

We should adopt a black kitten or cat because we connect with them in some way.

As always, once love is there, beauty, and good luck, follows.

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That would be: because they are.

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After all, in the wild, what do cats do all day? They come up with plots and plans and what-if scenarios.

Since they are small, solitary, hunters, cats depend on their speed and their wits to keep the hot lunches coming. So they have to think a step ahead of their prey. The cat’s hunting style involves planting themselves in their prey’s path, waiting patiently, and then exploding from cover. Never saw it coming is their motto.

In our homes, all that time and effort has been redirected into studying us. They want to observe our patterns, influence us, and get along with us. This is an excellent skill for any pet to have. We should encourage them.

People who are paranoid about cats have a perspective problem. They think the cat is plotting against them. When the cat is, simply, plotting.

It is actually a compliment for our cats to notice us, plan something for our arrival, and make their excitement known when we appear. We certainly like that side of our cat relationship. But we wouldn’t feel so focused on, so interesting, so important, without the cat’s ability to figure us out.

A cat’s plotting ability makes our cat relationship possible. Of course they’re up to something! That’s what they do.

If someone is uncomfortable with such evidence of intelligence and planning, maybe they’re not ready for the mutual respect and outright equality which cats both demand, and give.

When we trust our cats to not really have designs on our very lives; we will enjoy them that much more. When cats feel our trust, they will become more adorable.

Then thoughts of them plotting against us (and the evidence is there in abundance!) will mean we still won’t mind.

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