Published by: Ingrid King. Last Updated on: February 1, 2023 by Crystal Uys
Steve Dale is one of the most dedicated champions of cats, cat health and cat behavior you’ll ever encounter. He is one of the co-founders of the CATalyst Council, a member of the board of directors of the Winn Feline Foundation, the American Humane Association, and the Tree House Humane Society, a cat shelter in Chicago. This pet expert, writer, radio and tv personality and cat lover extraordinaire is passionate about cats’ health and happiness.
In his new e-book Good Cat! Practical Answers to Behavior Questions, Steve answers common and not so common feline behavior questions. Steve is frequently quoted as saying “Cats are the Rodney Dangerfield of pets; they get no respect,” and sadly, this is true. Cats are more often given up to shelters than dogs, are less often adopted, and more are euthanized.
Much of this is due to the misconception that cats can’t be trained, and that they are often misunderstood. In Good Cat!, Steve dispels these mistaken beliefs, and offers answers and solutions. With input from some of the premiere feline behavior experts in the US such as Pam Johnson-Bennett to Marilyn Krieger, the book covers topics ranging from training your kitten, play therapy, fearful cats and fighting cats to scratching behavior, litter box problems and feline compulsions.
Presented in an engaging Q&A format, this book reads like a conversation with someone who’s as crazy about cats as you are, only he knows a lot more about them than you do. Steve offers solid advice every cat guardian can use. He emphasizes that training doesn’t just address behavior issues, but also intensifies the bond between cat and human. “It seems that when dogs have behavior problems, their owners are more willing to go the extra mile to help their pets before giving them up,” says Steve. “Cats would benefit from similar training.” One way in which training benefits both cat and human is that, according to Steve, “odds are that your cat is a better teacher than you. It seems all cats are more adept at training us than the other way around.”
I particularly enjoyed the section on play therapy titled “Let’s Party! Play is Every Cat’s Passion.” I’m constantly amazed how few cat owners are aware of cats’ need for play. “All cats are hard-wired with a prey drive,” says Steve, “and without an outlet to ‘hunt’, they may direct their pent-up energy or frustration at your legs. They may snack on your fingers, pull at your hair, or attack those costly velvet drapes in the livingroom.” Steve provides many suggestions on how to exercise your cat’s hunting muscle.
The book ends with a section featuring some more offbeat topics, ranging from a kleptomaniac cat to a herding cat, and my favorite, the cat with “Bieber fever.” You’ll just have to read the book to find out what that’s all about.
Educating cat guardians and potential cat adopters about cats’ needs is crucial to reducing the number of cats in shelters, and this book does just that. It belongs in very cat guardian’s resource library. The book is availabe for download for Kindle, Nook and iPad for $2.99.
For more information about Steve Dale, please visit Steve Dale’s Pet World.
This e-book was sent to me by the publisher.
About the author
Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.
