Behaviour Consultation

Behaviour complaints are among the most common reasons cats and dogs are given up by their owners. Yet a significant proportion of these complaints have a medical problem underneath them, and that problem is treatable.

We look for a medical cause first

This is the first and compulsory step.

In a cat that stops using its tray we look for cystitis, urinary stones or kidney disease. In an animal that has suddenly become aggressive we think about pain: a diseased tooth root, an ear infection, arthritis in the hip. In an older cat calling through the night we assess thyroid disease, high blood pressure and cognitive decline. Excessive licking and pulling out fur is usually allergy or parasites.

When a medical cause is found, the behaviour often resolves alongside the treatment.

The behaviour assessment

If a medical cause has been excluded, we take a detailed history: how many animals are in the household, how resources are shared, when and in what circumstances the problem appears, and what has already been tried.

In cats, most problems come out of resource sharing. The number of litter trays, where they are and how clean they are; food and water bowls kept away from each other and from the tray; somewhere to scratch and somewhere high to sit. These are not luxuries, they are basic feline needs.

In dogs, separation anxiety, insufficient mental stimulation and inconsistent rules are the headings we meet most often.

Our approach

We do not recommend punishment based methods. Approaches built on fear suppress the behaviour briefly, enlarge the underlying problem and usually increase aggression. The work is built on rewarding the behaviour you want and reorganising the environment around the animal.