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My name is Jordan Alvarado and this is my wife Kristen. We've been married for 5 years. We have a cat named Jude and we've had him throughout our marriage. When he behaves well during the day, he brings a lot of happiness to our lives. He's the best cat in the world until the power goes out. Hey. No. We have one cat during the day and another at night. He's attacking us. Jude. And we don't know why. The first time Jude attacked me was on the back of my arm. I had Jude with me, and he turned around and grabbed my hand.
Jude. Every time I lie down in bed, my biggest fear is that if it attacks me, it will hit me in the face. It's very difficult when your cat attacks you in the middle of the night, and I simply don't know how to deal with that kind of behavior from the animal. We were able to stop Jude at night by locking ourselves in the bedroom. Alright One of my biggest fears is that it will bite someone else. It has already bitten members of our family. If Jude attacked someone and they had to be sacrificed, I would be devastated. I do n't believe that another person should have the right to tell you what you can or cannot do for your loved ones. Alright Okay, Jude. I'm not going to hurt you. That's why I've always protected him. It's as if it
were protecting us from the fear of a situation that could turn out well, to meet Jordan and Kristen, the guardians of Jude, a cat who, apparently, is 100% Jekyll and Hyde. It's fine during the day, but it attacks mercilessly and violently at night , something I've never seen before. So, hopefully, I'll be able to process this and these kids will finally be able to sleep soundly Hey, what's up, Jackson? Forward. I'm glad to see you. Let 's start talking. How did a Jude catch on? I arrived home one night and kept hearing a small meow coming from the back of the yard. So I went back to investigate and looked inside. There were two little eyes staring at me. I reached into the bush and pulled him out by the back of his neck Was that it?
Two weeks, three weeks. Really? And he was alone? Was he a normal cat at that time? He played very roughly from the beginning. But I guess I'm not here because he bites too hard when he's playing. No. The first time it bit me, I was literally fast asleep. Did it bite you while you were fast asleep? Yes. I felt a jolt in the bed and it woke me up. And just as I was starting to fall back asleep, that's when he approached me for the second time. Hey. And then it hit me right on the back of my arm. That has always been a kind of struggle. What's your nighttime routine like with him?
Well, we've created barriers. We lock ourselves in the bedroom at night, and then he has a whole different routine that he follows every day. Okay. And is he still trying to get into the bedroom? I can hear him scratching and.that's when the hitting started. Yes. Of course. Well, we have bumps and scratches and that kind of thing. But how do you know if he's still doing his thing? When it gets scared, it moves by dragging its feet. It wakes up once, and that time we've learned it's time to get out. And by the second time, do you mean going out? Leave the room. Get out of there. Because this.Because the second time it
wakes up, that's when it shows its claws She has a routine when she's upset. More or less, yes. It's like I'm entering a state, isn't it? Yes. It seems frantic when it happens. It's as if I'm not thinking clearly. There are many things that worry me about this. I mean, because none of this adds up. As I've said before, my biggest fear is, what if it's not just my arm? What if it's my eye? I do n't want to go blind because my cat attacks me in the middle of the night. Clear. You know, you've been doing this job for several years, there are certain warning signs you should pay attention to. When a couple
barricades themselves in the bedroom out of fear of their own cat, it's a red flag. If I weren't here, would you stay barricaded in the room for the rest of your life? Probably. I simply feel that's what's needed, so yes, that's what we have to do. There are many people who would have said that the cat turned against me and that cat would have been on the street. Well, that's the kind of response we 've received. And in no way, shape, or form has that ever occurred to me. You know, I'm here to take care of him. You don't do that to a family member, and he is our family. It's always
been, you know, the three of us. We are a trio. Okay, first let's rule out the obvious. Has Jude been castrated? Yes. Okay. What I need to do, obviously, is spend some time with him, try to get an idea of what I think he is. I also want to locate the danger points in the house. Sure, no problem. I try to figure out what's wrong with this cat at night, so I walk around the house looking for possible hotspots. Normally, these blinds are open during the afternoon. It moves from side to side and then turns around. The lap we keep talking about.
Okay. Normally, I would suspect that this type of behavior would be triggered by outside cats, but Jordan and Kristen assure me that this is not the case. Whether real or imagined, the enemy is out there. Do you know if there are feral cats in the neighborhood? Not that I know of. Okay. Well, we went out for a walk to try and see the world through Jude's eyes. Everything is quite normal. Even though there are no cats outside, there may be something else out there that's making Jude scared. What she experiences through her eyes at night is a total mystery to me right now, and a mystery to Kristen and Jordan.
It's almost as if he's trying to tell you something like, "Hey, look what's out there, you know?" It's as if he's trying to tell us something. Clear. But there have been times when he abandons that target at the window and you become the target. Yes. Every night? Almost every night, yes. My God, I've seen a lot of things, but one thing I've never seen before is a cat that's completely normal during the day and terrifying at night.
Hey, be nice. This is a situation I need to resolve before someone gets seriously hurt. Hey. There have been times when he abandons that target at the window and you become the target. Every night? Almost every night. Yes. Oh my God. Now, after taking a look around, noticing the conflict points, and also listening to what Jordan and Kristen have to say about Jude, it's time to take some time for myself and fill in all these gaps. Hello. Hello darling. Alright. Hello. It's okay sweetheart. I don't even think I need to ask you this, but could you do it at night?
Not when he's in a bad mood. Which is every night. Yes. I mean, right now, there isn't a muscle in me that's afraid of him. Yes of course. He's simply scared, but that's not enough to make a cat go crazy for you. Do you know what I mean? He's scared, clearly. And as scared as he may be, this is Jude by day. Definitely. It's simply amazing because you instinctively know when it's okay and when it's not. Because he's afraid. Hey, scared. Okay, mate.
What's going on? He is not happy. I feel it's hard to think that Jackson will get anything from Jude being so Jekyll and Hyde. Does anyone else have a cat like this? The whole point is to try to give you a sense of control. Every time they end up barricaded, it's a decent sign that they're not in control. So, let's start removing that Yes. Clearly, leaving Jude out of the bedroom at night doesn't work for anyone. I need to give these guys a plan to help Jude feel more comfortable in his environment. The first thing we want to do is find out what's going on. I'm going to leave you with a couple of motion-activated cameras. They also have night vision. So what will happen is that every time it moves, the camera
will activate. The other camera we're going to have will be focused on the front garden. Every time there's movement out there, we're going to capture it. If there are any cats out there, let's find out how serious the situation is. Surveillance is a truly crucial part of this task. Kristen and Jordan are locked in their bedroom. Now we're going to see the world through Jude's eyes to see what's really going on. The next thing we want to do is give cats a sense of security from the concept of hunting, catching, killing, and eating. So I want you to run with him. Start that engine. If we can start guiding him to safe places above your head, then he can watch over
the area without the threat of him getting out of control. When you've worn it out a little, bam!, it's time to eat. Now, this is the final step. I think Jude needs medication. And I think he needs medication quickly. His actions are completely unpredictable. They are attacking you in a way that tells me you feel your life is in danger. Now it's always a lottery when I tell people I want their cats to take medication. Well, the first vet we saw thought the same thing. We were told that we could try certain medications, but that they might or might not work. When they don't work, most people end up sacrificing the cat, and that's when, of course, we get
angry and we're not going to do that. Jordan, in particular, resists the idea of Jude taking medication. But the point is that we have the ability to bring our cats back to a state where they can perhaps address their problems with our help. Right now, Jude can't do anything. He is a victim of his own body and his own chemistry, and we can help change that. Something has gotten stuck in his head, and I truly believe it's a form of PTSD, which has caused him to get into a traumatic loop where he expects bad things to happen to him. And, of course, it's dragging you into that loop. I'm really shocked by what I've seen and heard today about Jude, and I just hope this assignment provides
some answers because these tutors can't stand this Jekyll and Hyde behavior day and night anymore. I mean, seriously, how could anyone do that? And we have a cat named Martini who will be 8 years old this summer. Martini is very funny when she's in a good mood. Hello everyone. But when she's bad, she's not so charming. very aggressive when she doesn't want to play anymore. Suddenly it turns against you. Okay, Teenie. He'll growl at you. He'll slap you as hard as he can. The worst part was that after we were playing, it bit me. It was like a snap, you know, it gave me a good hit.
It's a truly horrible feeling when it attacks him. It's not fair to him because he's just trying to love her like a father would. It breaks my heart. Martini doesn't like other animals at all. We had tried to take in three other cats and he doesn't want anything to do with them. Martini doesn't just hate other cats, he also hates children. We have a 7-year-old niece and Martini has attacked her on several occasions. I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm a bad mother because I'm not doing the right thing to make her feel better. And
that's heartbreaking. She really is my first baby and I can never let her go from my life. I'm going to see the guardians Shawn and Erin and their cat Martini, who has very worrying aggression problems. Martini's bad behavior has even led him to go after his young niece, who is now afraid of cats in general. I have to go there and see what I can do for this couple and Martini. Hello how are you? Hi, I'm Erin. Erin, nice to meet you. Hi, I'm Shawn. Shawn, nice to meet you, man. Look what we have here. That's Martini.
Martini. And is Martini your only cat? Martini is our only cat. He won't let us have other cats. Tell me a little bit about Martini. Well, I adopted Martini when he was 3 weeks old. Yes. In fact, her mother abandoned her. So my friend called me and said, "Do you want a kitten?" And I said to him, "Of course." But she became very ill. And then, we had to take her to the vet and she almost died. He was diagnosed with feline parvovirus. Really? What Erin calls feline parvovirus, when contracted as a kitten, will almost certainly result in death. But, if it survives, it will lead to more complications later in life.
What's that? The other thing is that he doesn't play as actively as I've seen other cats play. He plays a little and then gets tired. It's like she doesn't want to, and I think that's part of being a deaf person. Oh, she's deaf? Well, we 're not sure if he was born like that or if it was because he had a fever of 41 degrees at one point. If they're going to survive 41 degrees for a couple of days, then yes. Deafness happens. Yes. Well, now that I know Martini is deaf, I'm going to approach her in a completely different way. It is very important to remember that when a prey animal is affected sensorially, you have to play with it instead of against it.
What else is going on between you and Martini? We have a niece who, since she was little, has loved cats. Well, Martini has managed to make me dislike cats because he attacks them. He will start staring at her and, suddenly, he will lunge at her to attack her with knives. So, as far as children are concerned, he's not a big fan. No. We really want to start a family. We really want to have a baby. So, we bring a human baby into the world, how will it react? You're not going to tell me you haven't started a family thanks to her. Oh really? I'm afraid. I don't want to give up on my baby. Of course. Because I want to have a baby and I don't want to have to choose. It's a very, very difficult situation. And is that
really why I'm here at the end of all this? Yes. So, our shared goal is to assess whether having a baby with Martini is even feasible? Yes. That's right. What if not? Do n't know. It's not even something I want to deal with. This is an incredibly difficult situation with a lot at stake. In the end, Aaron and Shawn are either going to get a cat they feel comfortable with having a newborn around, or I'm going to end up advising them that they're right, that it's not safe to start a family with this cat. And in any case, I will always tell my clients the truth.
We want to invite friends over and enjoy it, but we don't invite them because we're very worried that it will attack them. So you're not inviting anyone here. You are not expanding your family. Mhm. That's a lot of pressure for this 8- pound cat. What is the worst harm you have ever done to another human? It attacked my mother severely, leaving her arms covered in scratches and, on one occasion, it even bit her. Also? Yes. Oh, yes. He bites it a lot. It bites and scratches me a lot. It's like we're playing a game And suddenly it's like a switch flips and she turns bad.
What does it look like to play with it? Very good. Oh, yes. She is happy. Oh, yes. There it is. In my experience, deaf cats can be more sensitive to overstimulation than other cats because they know they are missing something in terms of their senses. Turning it into a kind of calico pancake. From the way Shawn plays with her, stimulating her, I can see that wild look starting to appear in Martini and every fiber of my being wants to warn Shawn, but I have to let it pass. Well, knowing that Martini attacks, especially when he's in the tree, I want to go there and see what I can do on both the positive and negative sides to establish how sensitive he is. And, of course, at the end of all this, is their behavior
predictable or not? I can say right away that, compared to when I first walked in here, it now has a bit of.Yes, a bit of attitude. Something small is happening now. I want to see if when this comes out.Now, of course.Wow. Mhm. And look, the tail is still moving. Suddenly he's become much more hyper-aware of my hand. I'm going in here. I'm just going to give it a little caress. Let me see what's going on here. Alright. What happens if I come back here? And there it is. I'm sorry. Do
n't apologize. I brought it on myself Feel bad. Do n't apologize for her. I'm following your cat, excuse me. Therefore When I challenged Martini on her cat tree, I discovered that she reacted in a fairly predictable way for a deaf cat. With a deaf cat, you don't want to approach her with your hands on her rear end. You want me to be able to see what you're doing with your hands at all times. I just did the opposite and she reacted, and that's good information to continue evaluating her. Okay, this is Martini McAngus's room This is your room. What do I want to do? Oh, that's interesting.
I think it's very common for cats to want to play and her not to. Stay here. Clear. I'll be right back. I still want to try different toys with her and see where she stands in terms of her overall level of interest because what I can confirm from what I see is that she does n't really follow the toys. However, I've tried it twice and both times I get the same answer from Martini. That lets me know that deafness isn't the only consequence on the table right now. Do you tend to respond more to shiny things than.? No, it doesn't. No. She definitely loves my pencil case, but she loves it because there are treats inside, right? That was going to happen.
Judging by Martini's lack of response, I think Martini is having trouble keeping track of things. Her vision is probably compromised to some extent, and that definitely has to do with the virus she suffered as a kitten, which is affecting her ability to play. However, that doesn't mean Martini can't play. It just means we need to find some creative solutions. Now, I have some baby food on a spoon. Yes, we like that. We're going to get that kind of engine going a little bit here. And now, I'm going to see where I can take her. All the way to the bottom of the box? And there we have it. Come on. Precious. Good girl. Do you see what we just did?
Yes. We simply kept their attention on one thing for the entire duration of an action. As sure as if your niece came here right now, she'd get beaten up. Are you sure that if you had a baby, it would be scared? We have a friend who had a baby and Martini climbed over the baby carrier and when the baby moved, he got scared and started hissing at her. That scared me as a future mother. I don't want the baby in the crib and Martini getting in and attacking her. I don't feel comfortable enough to move forward with that until I know he can behave. You know, I really feel sorry for these guys. And now is the time to start working to improve the situation. But it all starts when Shawn and Aaron
discover who their cat really is and who isn't. I are both drummers and we met in 2004 at the Vans Warped Tour. We started dating, got engaged, and almost got married 5 years ago. The three cats we have are Good Kitty, Sleeve, and Tiny Dancer. When we went to meet Good Kitty, I started crying as soon as I saw her because it was very emotional. She reminded me a lot of my father's cat, Tutsi. I didn't want to feel like I was trying to replace Tutsi, but at the same time I didn't want her to go to the shelter. Are you Good Kitty? Then we have two more: Sleeve, who is the big bully, and Tiny Dancer, who is more of the silent stalker type. He sneaks up
to Good Kitty and, when she runs away, he goes after her. The boys are like a small gang. They come to Good Kitty and scare her. He is afraid to eat. She doesn't want to use her sandbox and wants to go outside, because she knows the boys aren't allowed to go out. She lives in fear. Who's around? Mike's strategy for solving the cat problem is to isolate Good Kitty in the bedroom and leave her locked in a room all day, and I don't think that's fair. So I'm the house police and she just wants them to be together and her style is: "Well, no, they'll work it out." And they haven't solved it. I do n't know what to do. I'm really frustrated. Try it your way, but not mine. Sorry, Good Kitty. We'll try to get you help.
I'm in Burbank and I'm going to meet with tutors Mike and Nora. They have now adopted three cats: Good Kitty, Tiny Dancer, and Sleeve. From what I've heard, Tiny Dancer and Sleeve have ruthlessly joined forces against Good Kitty, who is having a pretty rough time being the weird cat. Now I hope I can go in there and help these cats and this couple live a little more in harmony. It doesn't look like it's going to be easy. Hello, man. Jackson. Yes, Mike. Good Kitty is here. Hello, my little love. She is the one who suffers the harassment from the two children.
How long has that been going on? We've had them for over a year now, all the time. Are the boys neutered? Yes. Are you being bullied by older children? Upon meeting Good Kitty, I can tell you from the beginning that she is not afraid of me, but she is distrustful. She is very reserved about her physical appearance. He's afraid of something else. What was his story? Did he arrive before the others? Yes. When we lost our cat, Tutsi, I wanted Nora to move on and get another cat. So we took her, adopted her, and it was great. So why stop there? A month later we adopted the children and there was no introduction process.
Hello, here they are. Solve it. No. The boys just chased Good Kitty into the open pantry. Are you okay, Kitty? Before we continue, can we explore the house? Because I want to follow the path of destruction. Well, it starts in the bedroom. Want? Let's go to the bedroom. Come on. This is how Good Kitty is. It has its own litter box, scratching post, food and water. Is there a time when all three cats are in this space? But this is when I'm on tour. Wait, what's the difference when you 're not on tour? I don't let it happen. I continue to keep my distance. I see that I'm maintaining the separation. Which room is that over there? That's where they are right now.
What would happen if that door were open? Oh, they would come out. The only way to challenge an associated kitten is to let the other, not-so-good kittens loose. Right now, both Sleeve and Tiny Dancer are locked in the guest room. I want to see the other two cats outside and I want to see them interact with Good Kitty. Hello, a cat. Who is the orange one? Orange is Tiny Dancer. Oh really? says. Okay, that's great. We have it in motion. So, what is Tiny looking for right now? Tiny is looking for Good Kitty. I imagine he's in a constant state of fight or flight, but in reality he only fights. He's always looking over his shoulder. Can we
safely say that Good Kitty is always that cat unless they are locked up or she is outside? Yes. That's it.Look, that sucks. I find it hard to 'm happy to let her out too, but I sit there and watch her. You just have to keep an eye on her. Listening to Mike and Nora, I understand why nothing is getting better in our house. These guys are at an impasse when it comes to how to take care of these cats. Instead, you never achieve any kind of stability because you get out of the way, you try to find a way of operating here that hasn't been happening at all, and the moment you leave, it's gone. And now you come back and do it again. We need to find a middle ground.
Exactly. Look, look how it's coming back. That's the window he usually looks out of. Look. Yes. Look, now he's looking for her. And again, I still haven't seen Sleeve. You want to go to the end of the hall. Mhm. When you turn the tables on a bully, he usually turns around, and that's what's happening to Sleeve right now. It's under the bed somewhere. I need to bring these cats together as much as possible because in order to find solutions, I need to see the problem firsthand. Okay, let's see what happens when you let it go. I just want to see.
I feel like Tiny is learning his bad manners from Sleeve. Oh, there it is. Yes. Do you want me to follow her, please? Everyone just wants to see. Okay, so the good kitty is now here hiding behind Daddy's dad's cloak, so to speak. So he's safe because he's with you. The good kitten acts like a squeaky toy, like the most fun thing to chase in this house. If the good kitten were taking her place like a mojito cat, walking around like she owned the place, believe me, these other two cats would back down because the reward simply isn't there. Very good, the toy trick. Let 's start with the toy. Great, Tiny won't do it. Oh, hi Tiny. Oh wow, it's kind of inside, isn't it? Are you going to jump in here? Okay, that's fine.
Okay, but you're also telling me that it's not our main concern, right? He will follow Sleeve's example. Yes. There you go, my love. Come out. Come here, baby. Come here, please. Well, she's really struggling. He's hungry, I know, but I can't get him to go outside for those treats because as soon as they're offered, he knows it's time to play. So far, I've used toys and treats to lure Good Kitty out of the corner, and I haven't gotten anything in return. Now, Micah and Nora tell me that Good Kitty is a confident cat when she's outside because she's away from Tiny Dancer and Sleeve. So, we're going to try to lure her outside into the fenced yard because I want to see the kind of cat they're
talking about. Even though it's drizzling out here, do you really think I'd go out? Because, you know, in general, cats don't like the rain. Yes, I think he might turn around and go back in, or only God knows where he's going to go. I could go for the wall and jump over it, you know what I mean? Don't know. Forward. See what you can do with Shaken Food, do whatever. I know that good kittens always have one eye out. And there are all sorts of bad things waiting for them outside this yard. So it's a really dangerous situation, but one I can totally sympathize with. Look at her standing there, with her tail down.
Tiny is on the counter looking at her. He's going to He might just drop on her. That's not a good position right now My name is Jennifer and I have my daughters Alexis and Abigail. We have a 2- year-old cat named Pickle, but we call him Bad Kitty. Mom loves you. My daughters wanted a little kitten to love. They have Bad Kitty. Oh. His attacks are random. It usually comes out of its hiding place and pounces on us when we least expect it. He will literally come after you to draw your blood. Abigail is terrified of Bad Kitty. She asks me to carry her down the hallway because she's afraid I'll attack her. I'm really scared of Bad Kitty.
Oh. I am worried about the safety of my children. If Bad Kitty doesn't improve, I'll have to find her a home where there are no children for her to go. And I don't want to do that. Oh. I'm praying that Jackson can do something for this cat. No. Oh. Jackson, please come and help us. It 's not pleasant. Oh. Hello. Jackson. Nice to meet you. I'm Jennifer. Hi Jennifer. Hello how are you? I'm Alexis. Hi Alexis, what's your name? I am Abigail.
Nice to meet you, Abigail. Okay, so what's the situation? Pickles, the bad kitty. Okay, how long did it take before they started hitting you? It was quite immediate. Actually, it's more my mother's fault than anyone else's It's. Oh, he hates me. Don't you dare. What the hell? You, little one, n't attack me as much as he attacks the others, but that's because I wasn't on top of him as much as the others when we first caught him Where everyone else gets beaten up. It's always her. It's always me. Oh Abigail. And are you afraid of him? No. Well, that 's not fun.
Sometimes, when it lies down and I walk past it, it takes out its claws and does it. And when it does, does it really catch you off guard? Yes. Does it make you bleed? Yes? You know that what's happening is pretty serious. I mean, Jennifer is all scarred, but we have a 6-year-old boy. This house is a real powder keg, and I have to make sure it doesn't explode. But you still like cats. Okay. My mother had a surprise for me: a new kitten.
What? Are you kidding me? You got a new kitten? Yes. When were you given a kitten? Last week. My God. Okay. was crying. I don't know why the kitten hates me. So I bought myself a kitten. And what's its name? Simba. Sure, I understand. Abigail loves animals. She loves cats. She would love to have a kitten she could love and cuddle and all that, but it's almost as if this one is broken. I want a new one. It's a cat, not a toy. Does he spend time away? Yes. He was attacked once. Very badly. Who? We believe it's a hawk. Oh. He had a wound that had opened up and was a huge abscess. The veterinarian said a hawk tried to carry the animal away. If you spend more than 5
minutes with me, you'll know what I think of cats that go out. I don't like. I think cats live longer indoors and Pickles is proof of that. It almost became food for hawks. I do n't like letting him out at all, but once he comes out and releases some energy, he comes back very calm. He's only been out for about 10 minutes. 10 minutes? Yes. For a while I tried my hardest to keep him inside, but if I didn't let him out, we all suffered the consequences.
I want to take a quick walk and let's go to the hallway. Abigail, where does she usually stay and wait for you? It stays here. And when I have to go to the bathroom at night, it protects me. Go away. Be him and I will be you. So, if I am you and I'm walking around here, dum, I am Abigail. Oh! Bad kitty. Right now, I'm hearing about what could be play aggression, which is when Pickles hides and goes for people's fingers and ankles. Okay. Well, down here we have baby Simba. Yes. Hello, baby Simba. Hello. I mean, even though Simba is a great guy, he still has claws and teeth. So, Abigail, I would start to be a little wary of your friend. Abigail and Simba and treating Simba as if he were
a toy or a doll. I see that a lot with children. It's a bad way to start a kitten's life, and frankly, Abigail is old enough to learn these lessons, and Jennifer needs to teach them. So, is it more relaxed out here? Is that true? Yes. So, coming out here, it's almost like saying, "I can breathe." Yes. And then he comes back in, he's in a different state. Yes. Pickles finds comfort being outside, but I don't know what to tell these kids. I don't want to tell you to lock him up inside because that could increase his aggression. At the same time, when it's out here, it could be food for hawks. It's a
really bad place to be. Where is Pickles right now? In the bathroom. I'm going to the bathroom. I'm just trying to understand how this cat is doing. I mean, he's been missing all day, so I want to get some information from him. I want to overstimulate him a little if I can, but gently. Listen, I'm only going to bother you a little, okay? It wags its tail. You know, there are foolproof ways to annoy a cat a little. You know, touch its paws, touch its belly, but right now I ca n't get anything. Are you upset? Are you going to hit me? No, I like that bracelet. I mean, it's obvious he's upset with me. He simply doesn't want to do anything about it. Hi, Jennifer.
Yes. Do you want to come here? The cat I 'm working with right now is not the cat I've been told about. So I want Jennifer to come in right now and see what she can do. Hello, naughty kitty. Now, when Jennifer enters, she moves with fear. He doesn't trust him. Let Mommy pet you. I just want. Oh. I just want to caress you. Oh. Friend. That tells me that the relationship between him and Jennifer is at least part of the problem here. Oh. It caught me at a good time.
Okay, that's enough. Enough is enough. Today, during Jackson's visit, the bad kitten didn't bite him. I definitely could never have touched the bad kitten like that. I really think it's me. I think the mean kitten is mad at me for some reason. I don't know why. I mean, what you got out of Pickles compared to what I got out of Pickles, basically I got Pickles and you got Bad Kitty. Which leads me to believe that there is something you are doing here that is contributing to the problem. So, it's time to do our homework. The most important thing we can do right now is additional recognition. So, what we're going to do is Jennifer's camera. I want you to have it with you at all times.
Because there must be a reason why you're getting beaten up more than anyone else. Jennifer has a fairly specific part of this task. She's the one who gets beaten up more than anyone else. So, it's time to take a good look. Now, outside. You said that when he comes back in after being out, he's calm. If I tell you right now to keep that cat inside, I'm afraid I'll make things worse here. Keep him in his current routine. That will work for now. Correct. I wouldn't normally even consider the idea of a cat being outside without a harness or an enclosure. But Jennifer keeps an eye on the cat the whole time and
goes back inside after 10 minutes. I am forced to break my own rules and allow them to continue letting Pickles out. I have a few tricks up my sleeve later, but for now, I don't want to complicate things. Last point. You are very important and I think we need to start teaching Abigail that hands are not toys, right? I want you to use toys like this one here. You are officially a queen of cat games. I need Abigail to learn safe handling techniques when it comes to cats. It's never too early to learn an empathetic approach to guardianship. I'll be back in a few weeks and we'll find out who Pickles, the bad kitty, is, and we'll make them meet in the middle, okay 'm looking forward to the next
visit. I hope Pickles gets better. Hello, my name is Kira. I have two cats, Cooper and Daisy. Cooper and Daisy are littermates. When they were little, they slept huddled together, like kittens, and it was incredible. Now it seems they don't get along. A couple of months ago, Cooper was diagnosed with early-stage kidney disease and, for some reason, Daisy has turned into a real bully. He pushed him away and ate his food. Daisy, no. He's messing with Cooper. He hits him as he passes by and he is afraid of him. It's not just about fighting. They also love to destroy my furniture. Curtains torn to shreds.
Cushions torn to shreds. Sofas with claws. Baskets with claws. They ruin any fabric. It's totally frustrating. This is my new sofa and, as you can see, there are small cat claw marks. They're already scratching it. Right now, I have the cats in the back of the apartment just to contain the destruction of the sofa. Daisy. I really need Jackson's help because I don't want to lock them up in the back of an apartment. I want to do everything in my power to ensure my cats have the best possible life. I'm lost because I don't know how to solve it. I don't know what to do. Cooper was recently diagnosed with early-onset kidney disease.
Okay. to just 3.7 kg. I gave them Renal Care cat food and, as the weeks went by, they ate less and didn't drink water at all. I eat them separately. Daisy has always been a voracious eater. He eats very, very fast and then he eats Cooper's food. Cooper eats in the bedroom. Daisy devours her food instantly and then screams out of the bedroom door. And I think he's very stressed by her scratching and yelling at the door And does that lead him to not eat? Yes. Okay. So that's what's happening. Has their relationship changed because of all this? Yes. She's stalking him. But had they never done it before?
No, they used to sleep together; in fact, they would stay there cuddled up to each other. Okay, who is it? That's Daisy. Where is Cooper right now? He's probably in the bedroom. Okay. It's abnormal. It's not him. No. He went from being sociable and friendly to just sleeping, and he just does n't seem happy. Yes. Cooper may have been a sociable cat at some point, but the bottom line is that not feeling well will make you withdraw.
The other problem is that my cats scratch all my furniture. I used to have a fabric sofa and within 2 months it would fray and the filling would come loose. Are they new furniture now? Yes. And you? You had a fabric sofa that had deteriorated from all the scratches, so you went out and got yourself a sofa with a nice leather look. Well, I work in interior design. I am not willing to give up living in a beautiful space. And then they started doing it. So I closed the door and they were locked in the back half of the apartment.
Do they have access to this? It's a large part of the house that they don't have access to. They have scratching posts. Where? In the bedroom. mean, if my job was interior designer and all the furniture I have in my house was in pieces, yeah, I'd be a little frustrated too. That said, let's go find Cooper. Okay. Let's see what he's doing. Now, it's one thing to say you have a cat, and then leave your cats out of half the house for your sofa; that's the definition of an unsustainable long-term solution. So she has lost more than 2 pounds. It still looks good. Cooper's normal weight for 7 years was 11 pounds and 6 ounces, and now he weighs 8 pounds and 5 ounces. So, to check if it's dehydrated, all you have to
do is take a small piece of hair. Yes, and let it go. Do you see how it doesn't return to its original shape? Sure, it's slow. That? That lets you know he's a little dehydrated. Now, look, kidney disease is not reversible. It is completely manageable. I've had a cat and I've been keeping an eye on him for over 10 years. The problem is that cats get more than 80% of their hydration through food. So, if you don't eat enough, you will become dehydrated. Cooper needs to eat to maintain his weight, but that also provides him with hydration, which will also ensure he has water in his system, thus addressing the kidney failure. I want to review their feeding ritual with these boys. Let's feed Daisy, let's feed Cooper, and let me
see what happens, okay? Okay. It was n't Cooper's kidney diagnosis that changed everything in this house. It was the prescribed diet. Now he has to eat separately from his sister. He no longer eats like he used to. She is losing weight and becoming dehydrated in the process. That's the problem here Come on. Coop. I hear they're flattering you. But you have to eat a little. You have to eat. How are you doing there, Kira? Are you eating No. What do we do now? Of course, Daisy eats the food and takes it away before you can even say Cooper. Daisy rushes towards the door. He's poking around underneath. It's making that
rattling noise and I imagine it can't be a very relaxing meal, right? Oh. I 'm Sheila. I have a beautiful black cat with a tiny head and big yellow eyes. She is 8 years old. I've had her since she was born. He may have found her when she was a day old, and she's been misbehaving ever since. His name is Freddy Krueger. Freddy loves to attack me when I'm in the bathroom, going to the toilet, brushing my teeth, even when I'm sitting in the bathtub. He comes closer and gives me a little beating. I woke up with her biting my face and pulling my hair at the same time. Sit down, no. If you touch it, it makes you bleed. That hurts. Friends are coming over and I'm afraid they'll be attacked.
How many times has he put you in there? Too many times to count. I've had very few dates in the last 8 years because of Freddy's personality. I don't know how much longer I can live like this. It's practically a nightmare. I'm going to visit Sheila and her cat, Freddy Krueger, for the first time. Yes, and just like Freddy Krueger, her namesake, she is the master of destruction, causing nightmares throughout the house and spilling a lot of blood in the process. I hope I can end the bloodshed before they spill mine. Hello. Where is Freddy? It 's right here below. Freddy, if you get up.
Hello, Freddy. When I first meet Freddy, I get the impression that she's a scared cat. He doesn't trust his surroundings right now because there's a stranger in them. We also have two cats. We have Freddy and the captain. The captain. Hello, captain. Well, I was just wondering, did you name Freddy before or after his Freddyness came out? I put it in earlier because I found it in the boiler room. Freddy Krueger is from the boiler room. Uh-huh . And how old were you when you got it Since I was about 1 day old. Oh really? A bottle-fed baby. The problem here is that Freddy grew up without his mother, without littermates, and with very little exposure to other humans. As a result, Freddy
had no choice but to imitate Sheila. The captain says, "Hey, Freddy, why are you such a coward?" It mainly attacks people who try to put their hands on its face or who try to pet it. Do people just insist on doing that? Is it something like wanting what you can't have? It's like, please don't touch my cat, and you know, they want to touch her. And they think I'm crazy because I tell them not to do it, but touch it so it does this because, you know, I have to figure out what makes Freddy Freddy. Hey, Freddy Krueger. Sheila is telling me that Freddy has a real aversion to being touched by strangers. And when I try to touch Freddy, she runs away. So it seems to be true. But what Sheila and her friends need to understand is that it's
okay not to want to be touched. It 's not terribly abnormal. And Freddy may have some real problems, but that doesn't make her a nightmare in any way. But I mean, has your cat ever marked you? Yes. I look good right now because I've been away for a week. And I just. But I'll show you that Freddy went on vacation and got better. Of course, but I'll show you this. This is an illustration that my friend made after meeting her one day because I always tend to have marks. Oh. That's what he did after she killed me. I'm getting a good idea of who Freddy is, but now I want to see what the territory tells me. I want to see
the critical points where Freddy seems to behave the worst, and maybe things will start to make sense to me. He throws tantrums here. Because? He bites his feet and screams and hisses on his own. Wait, wait, wait, wait. That's important. Yes, because he does it every time I have someone at home; he bites his feet, screams, and throws tantrums. And it also happens if I'm on the phone or watching TV. The fact that there is a situational connection, that every time Freddy wants all of Sheila's attention, he throws a tantrum and, of course, Sheila gives him what he wants, makes this very obvious. Sheila is creating a conditioned response.
Freddy knows that if he does this action, tantrum or not, he gets this as a result, whatever the reward may be. So, what does she do when you're asleep? Show it to me. He starts by pressing his face here and licking my nose. I used to bite my nose really hard. Oh. And you stopped him from doing it? I stopped you. How did you do it? Well, I used to pull her away from me and say, "No, Freddy. No. Hey, hey. No." But I don't feel like I can do that to him when he's just licking my nose, obviously.
Obviously? There is nothing obvious about that statement. But he's kissing my nose, so I feel better. It's going to be difficult, isn't it? Okay, what Sheila doesn't realize is that her tolerance of all of Freddy's behavior is actually making the problem worse. So I wanted to show you the other hotspot, if we're talking about hotspots. Let's do it. I sit down, go to the bathroom, and he bites my butt on that side. What do you do when he does this? I've learned to simply do this and almost play with it. So he does it to me like three times. Sometimes it makes me a little hard.
Sheila, really? However, if Sheila said no, this would probably stop. But instead, he offers me his foot as an alternative toy. That's not how this is going to work. I want to meet with Freddy. I want to see how comfortable she feels with me and how she acts with strangers. Hello darling. Come here, darling. Hello. Hey, baby. I can kiss her face at almost any time of day. Do you know what I mean? I do this, but I wouldn't dare touch her butt with my hand. Are you telling me that if I put my hands in, it will scratch and hiss and whatever, but if I put my face in, it won't? Exactly. As long as no hands are involved.
Now, if Sheila is right in saying that Freddy generally dislikes being touched and petted, but doesn't mind being petted by humans, well, that tells me a lot about Freddy. So I want to try it. On the other hand, many of Sheila's ideas about Freddy have been, at best, dubious. Let's stick our noses in. Hello, baby. clear she's a little nervous. Let's give it some space to breathe. I feel like I've spent enough time cornering her. So, in this line of challenge, I have learned the hard way. The face, the hands, it doesn't matter. Freddy simply does n't feel comfortable with anyone other than Sheila getting close to him. Now, the first thing we're going to do is ignore unwanted behaviors. The thing about bottle-fed kittens is that they
're the most individualistic cats, right? Because you raise them only with you. It has a set of very specific behaviors that are a product of you having your own language together. Well, I think we have to start with you. Okay. And starting with yourself is rewarding behavior. Looking at all these pictures that Sheila's friend has drawn over the years gives me an idea of how to better convey the task that Sheila must do with Freddy. Let's start with this one. When you sleep. You're used to having your teeth in your nose in the mornings, before the sun comes up, which you said no to. Now, you have your tongue in your nose, which is neither fun nor comfortable and smells really bad.
Well, that's not going to happen anymore. You're going to completely ignore her, you're not going to say her name, you're not going to get up to feed her, you're not going to do anything. Don't involve her when she does this routine with you. Here's a better example, right? This is the tantrum. Children throw tantrums because they get a desired result. The day Mom stops rewarding tantrums, they stop having them. She's not hurting herself, but she is making you feel scared and want to do something to calm her down. You're not going to do that anymore. You're going to completely ignore her, okay?
Number two is play therapy. For every time you say no, that it won't give you any results, there has to be a creative yes, whether it's a scratching post, a bit of playtime, okay. Feeding him, rewarding silence, that kind of thing, okay? Yes. And the final task is to instill cat-friendly boundaries. If your friends want to pet a cat, we have the Captain right here. He's a mean cat, okay? Thank you so much. A pleasure. See you in a few weeks, okay? Jackson. Thank you. Take care of yourself. You too. And if this task doesn't work, I'm doomed to be a spinster for life and I'll never get out of this mess.
