The Cat Whisperer Book Review and Giveaway
The Cat Whisperer Book Review/Giveaway by Layla Morgan Wilde
The latest book on cat behavior is out and you can win a copy! The Cat Whisperer: Why Cats Do What They Do — and How to Get Them to Do What You Want by Portland-based cat behaviorist Mieshelle Nagelschneider is not to be confused with another book by the same title by U.K. based veterinary journalist and cat expert Claire Bessant.
Domino, our former feral liked the book.
To win a copy of The Cat Whisperer: Why Cats Do What They Do — and How to Get Them to Do What You Want simply leave a comment at this post before midnight, EST March 24, 2013. For extra chances to win, social media share and mention in your comment where you shared. Good Luck!
Ms. Nagelschneider says, “Starting at the age of four, I spent many days trying to figure them out and get close to them. I probably logged more hours studying cat behavior by the time I was six years old than most behaviorists today.”
I think most devout cat lovers might agree to disagree on that point. Jackson Galaxy, star of Animal Planet’s My Cat From Hell didn’t even live with cats until his thirties. Providing information for cats to co-exist more happily with their human caretakers is sorely needed more than ever. Of the dozens of cat care and cat behavior books I’ve read over the past thirty years, there’s no question we’ve come a long way but myths and misinformation surrounding cats on the most basic level remains. The information has been out there but the implementation lags. I’ve read cat books written at the turn of the century that were surprisingly prescient and more insightful than some written thirty years ago. Humans need to learn what makes cats tick before there is a behavioral issue.
The only way to see feline lives improve is to recognize what cats are and aren’t: They aren’t pack animals like dogs and yet cats can be trained. Cats communicate in simple and complex ways using scent, body language and vocalizations that humans can easily learn to identify but only if they make the effort. Sadly, every single day I see evidence of simple misunderstanding. My motto is :“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.” The greatest gift we can give our cats is to learn, take action and be consistent with our behavior.
With many cat books repeating the same information, it was refreshing to see a few new twists including a new slant on feeding. Nagelschneider recommends free-feeding and not the twice daily regiment currently in vogue.
The cornerstone of her work is her self-described Nagelschneider Method or C.A.T. a three-part plan meant to be applied simultaneously.
C: Cease the unwanted behavior.
A: Attract the cat to a new, desirable behavior.
T: Transform the environment. (Enriching, stimulating, utopian and conducive to a cat’s survival and territorial needs).
If you haven’t read any cat behavior books, The Cat Whisperer is an excellent primer. There are no magic formulas but practical advice (that I mostly agree with). If you have read books by other behaviorists, you’ll likely see some repeated material. As a holistic cat behaviorist I wondered why Nagelscheider claims to espouse a holistic approach but never mention the body/mind/spirit connection, intuitive animal communication or even the word intuition. I’ll be writing more about the holistic approach in the coming weeks.
Mieshelle Nagelsheider mentioned in an email that she’s been an Associate Certified Cat Behavior Consultant (ACCBC) with IAABC for the past 8 years and unfortunately our slated interview with Mieshelle is delayed, but please visit her website Cat Behavior Clinic I look forward to seeing what she’s up to next. Maybe a TV show? A female Cat Daddy? Mieshelle and Jackson had lunch last week so who knows? Cats need all the help they can get. I’m thrilled to see the field of cat behavior growing to embrace a new generation of cat lovers.
I received a publicist-sent review copy which in no way influenced my views which remain uniquely my own. The winner of last week’s giveaway for a copy of Irish Holiday Fairy Tales is Morgan Eckstein. Congratulations. Look for an email from Layla and Cat Wisdom 101.
47 Comments
Sheila Chaffecombe
I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to win the book THE CAT WHISPERER. My cats Bubbles, Oscar, Lala, Annie, Salem and Robere second the motion. 🙂
Mary
Count us in!
TXMadCatter
Would love a copy of her book to compare with what I already know. I have also been watching cats ( and dogs) since I was old enough to notice them. 🙂
Lisa Kelly
I would love to learn more about my cats behavior, and how they communicate with each other, and what they are saying with those oh so expressive tails of theirs … 🙂
Cheryl
Would love to have this book. I have to many and am trying to get help with fixing these young ones, who’ve been dumped, before there is another generation! Happy Easter to all!
Beverly
This sounds like a lovely book.
Ms. Phoebe
This would be a pawsome book to give my Mom to add to her cat book library. The Cat Whisperer is very talented, I just hope she remembers some of her knowledge is sacred amongst cats and cat people– we do not want to give away all of our secrets to humans! MOL!
donna
I would love to know what my cats are thinking especially when there mad at me or each other.
donna
I would love this book to see if i could figure out what my 2 kitties are saying. They love to chat and i would love to talk back.
Marie
My cats dont get on and I feel so responsible for not introducing them properly. I would love a copy of this fabulous book so i can help them both live happily.
The Island Cats
The mom says she needs this book so she can figure us out.
Penelope
Now this sounds like my kind of Book! I think my mother was the original cat whisperer. She had cats since she was born and she always knew what the cats were going to do before they did it! She always was “telling them secrets”. Thanks for bringing back some wonderful memories!
Alexis VanHorn
I would like to find out more about how my cat Spooks mind works. I think he is fascinating!
Vaska's human
This book sounds great! I was hoping that there would be a CAT whisperer book! I try to really communicate with my cat. I want to make sure that he is having a happy life and has everything he needs. I always worry that he may be missing or needing something and that I’m not aware of it. Most of all I want him to really know that I love him. I can’t wait to read this book!
Abby
Mom loves these books. We will have to check it out!!
Ellen
I would LOVE to win this book! It sounds like a wonderful learning tool! The more I can learn, the more I can offer – – – to my own herd of kids/kitties – – – to the 4 neighborhood rescues that I’m trying to work with, one of which is veeeerrrry pregnant! More babes soon to be …
muriel
This book sounds fantastic and sounds like it would help me with my clowder of kitties…
Judi Daly
I would love a copy of the book. Thank you for the chance to win.
Cynthia Southern
I would love to have the opportunity to win this informative cat book to add to my library of cat books. It sounds very interesting. Maybe someone has finally answered the question about why cats behave as they do. 🙂 I shared on Pinterest in the cats album, on Twitter and on Facebook.
Paulette Smith
Sounds like this would be a valuable edition to my collection of cat books!
Nancy N
I would love to win this book. The more I can learn about my “kids”behavior, the better!!!
meowmeowmans
We’d love to win this book. We get called Cat Whisperers all the time, but Mieshelle sounds like the Queen of all Cat Whisperers! 🙂
Maxwell, Faraday & Allie
We’d call our daddy the cat whisperer but it’s really us being the man whisperers training HIM the way we want HIM to be.
Connie Marie
I’d love to have this book. Always ready for more info.
So I can figure them out like they have me. And they didn’t need a Book!
Sheila K.
After living with my precious formerly feral kitty-boy for 12 years, I would love to know how to get him to do what I want—he has me wrapped around his little paw and he loves it that way!
I shared this giveaway on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheila.korman/posts/447950468613230
Debbie
My general premiss is that you can never have too much information about something you are passionate about. And I enjoy learning different theories about what makes these feline creatures we share our lives with tick–and what makes them happiest. I would LOVE to win a copy of the book. Love (and completely agree with) your quote:
“Humans need to learn what makes cats tick before there is a behavioral issue.”
I am also going to share your giveaway opportunity with fans of LAPCATS on Facebook.
Jaime
I want!!
Margaret
This book sounds great. Maybe it could help my cat not be so scared around people!
Geraldine Galentree
We would love to receive a copy. Buddy has litterbox issues that his human family would love to curb. He’s advanced in age and had been on the streets a number of years before he came to us so it may be too late to change his errant behavior. Still I hope!
Jenna
I would love to get this book because last September we rescued a cat that was wandering the backyard of my sister. She had four kittens so we now have one cat and four five month old kittens.
Debbie
PLEASE have the kittens fixed immediately or you will have more. They can and will mate at 5 months.
Katy
Oooooooo, I work at an animal shelter and I would LOVE a copy of this book!
momsbusy
i would love to win this book. it may help me understand my feral boy better. he is a work in progress. i will be sharing this on my facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/momsbusy)
Mr Puddy
Great Review !
and guess what ? my mom’s birthday is this month. I really win for her for present ! so I don’t need to get some mousie for her..tee..heh
Purrs for myself
xoxo
Marg
WE would love to have this book so our Person can figure out what is going on with us, especially Baby Doll. It sounds like a terrific read. Thanks for this opportunity.
Katie and GLOGIRLY
We’d love to have a copy of the book!
(did you know we’ve been calling Gloman the Cat Whisperer for years now?!?)
Happy St. Paddy’s Day!
Love,
Katie, Glogirly and Waffles ‘O Too.
Layla Morgan Wilde
Ditto my hubby. There’s a legion of cat men!
Monica
Sounds like a great book.
Katnip Lounge
I’d be satisfied with asking my cats to listen to my requests…let alone “getting” them to do something!
Brian
We love books like that, well, our Dad does. We would love to win it for him!
Jill D
I’d love to check out this book. It seems like it would be a very intriguing read. Plus, who hasn’t been perplexed over the behaviors of our pets at one time or another. Thanks for the review and giveaway.
Sue Brandes
Me kitties say I need all the help I can get to figure them out. LOL. Would love to read her book. Thanks for the giveaway. Happy St Patrick’s Day.
Sue B
The cats at Garth's Place
Really? Seriously? You think you know why we are the way we are? Hmmm… We’ll have to read it to believe it! Hook us up!
Kathryn
What a delightful book!
Ched and Mao said, ‘we’re tough to figger out?’
If only they knew.
I wonder why orange boys don’t retract their claws.
Skeeter and Izzy
Cats are cats and indeed the more quality information we get out there the better they can be helped and understood. This sounds like a good book going in that direction….luvs Skeeter and Izzy >^..^<
Sparkle
Oh! I want a copy of this book – for myself! I will see how I like it and if it meets my criteria, I MAY hand it over to my human.
Andrea
It has always bothered me when people say a cat is “dog-like.” Cats are not dogs. They may do some similar things but their motivation may be different.
I’d really love to see this book.