Naughty No More! - Dispelling Common Cat Myths

My book Naughty No More! focuses on changing unwanted cat behaviors through clicker training, environmental modification and other positive reinforcement techniques, strengthening bonds while modifying and eliminating frustrating behaviors.

Additionally, Naughty No More! (Published by BowTie Press ISBN-13:978-1933958927) educates the reader.

I feel it’s important that people who share their lives with cats understand why their cats sometimes exhibit troublesome behaviors. It is also important that they are provided the solutions for changing or eliminating the behaviors. Too many cats with fixable behavior problems needlessly lose their lives or are surrendered to shelters. Hopefully my book will help save their lives.

It is also my hope that this book will dispel false beliefs and myths about cats. Historically, popular culture decrees that cats can’t be trained, that they will do things on their own terms. These beliefs are so ingrained in our culture, that “cute” clichés are repeated that perpetuate these harmful stereotypes.

Here are a couple of examples: Dogs come when they're called. Cats take a message and get back to you; a cat is a puzzle for which there is no solution.

Another commonly held belief is that unwanted cat behaviors can’t be changed—once a cat is engaged in a behavior, the behavior is there to stay. Because of these widely held beliefs, many people don’t try to understand why their cats sometimes exhibit troublesome behaviors, nor do they put in the efforts to modify them.

Naughty No More! was also written to give people hope when faced with frustrating cat behavior problems. My book details how to change behaviors while simultaneously strengthening the bonds between people and their cats without using fear-based or punishing solutions. In addition to being inhumane, punishment stresses cats, can escalate unwanted behaviors or cause others and breaks the bonds between cats and their people. 

And, it’s about fun! I needed to write a book that showed how changing unappreciated cat behaviors can be a fun process. Clicker training along with the other positive reinforcement methods outlined in the book is fun for both people and their cats, strengthening the bonds while successfully modifying and eliminating frustrating behaviors.

Some of the topics covered in Naughty No More!include:

• Basic clicker training
• How to stop counter surfing 
• Stopping dangerous door darting
• Teaching cats to not scratch the furniture
• Introducing cats to each other without stress
• Changing aggressive behaviors
• Taking the stress out of vet visits and carriers
• Inappropriate elimination challenges and solutions
• Tricks and more!