The Cat Who Cried for Help: Attitudes, Emotions, and the Psychology of Cats (Paperback)

by Nicholas Dodman (Author) "Whatever you may have heard about the weather in New England, there are times when it is difficult to beat, especially in the spring and..." (more)
Key Phrases: feline hyperesthesia, psychogenic alopecia, hyperesthesia syndrome, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Dr. Nicholas Dodman, professor of behavioral pharmacology at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and director of the Behavior Clinic, turns his attention to our feline friends and their mysterious minds in The Cat Who Cried for Help. Similar to Dodman's discussion of dog behavioral problems in his popular first book, The Dog Who Loved Too Much, The Cat Who Cried for Help examines aggravating cat habits and undesirable behavior, and shows how modifications in such areas as diet, exercise, and environment cause remarkable improvements in the majority of problem cats. Divided into three sections, Dodman first tackles aggressive behavior, followed by emotional behavior, and compulsive cats. With examples from his own practice, Dodman intelligently communicates symptoms, treatment options, and helpful tips for prevention. Vital to his treatment is maintaining the cat's dignified and independent nature, an objective sure to please those cat owners irritated by certain kitty traits but concerned first and foremost for the health and well-being of their cats. Praised by author Elizabeth Marshall Thomas as "a thoughtful and creative approach to changing detrimental behavior," The Cat Who Cried for Help is perfect for cat owners interested in better understanding their fascinating feline. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Every year millions of cats are euthanized because their owners are no longer able to cope with their behaviors. An innovative leader in the treatment of domestic animal behavior who holds three patents for pharmacological solutions to such problems, Dodman (director, Animal Behavior Clinic, Tufts Univ. Sch. of Veterinary Medicine) demonstrates how even some of the most difficult behaviors can be changed by using a combination of behavior modification and in some cases drug therapies. He discusses three main types of problems in cats: aggression; emotional behaviors such as inappropriate elimination, excessive vocalization, and clawing on furniture; and compulsive behaviors such as hair pulling. Cat owners will welcome Dodman's sound advice and may find here the clues to better understanding their feline companions. Like its predecessor, The Dog Who Loved Too Much (LJ 2/1/96), this book is highly recommended for its clarity, practicality, and genuine concern of the author.?Edell Marie Schaefer, Brookfield P.L., Wis.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (February 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553378546
• ISBN-13: 978-0553378542
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #228,125 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #81 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Medical > Veterinary Medicine > Small Animal Medicine
  #85 in	Books > Science > Medicine > Veterinary Medicine > Small Animal Medicine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT book!, June 20, 2000

By	Michelle/Siamese Rescue NW (Lakebay, WA USA) - See all my reviews

I started fostering for Siamese Rescue and quickly realized that I needed a lot better grounding in cat psychology to effectively manage a multi-multi-cat household -- not to mention to help the cats who came to us with behavior problems. Being obsessive-compulsive, I ordered 8 cat behavior books. This one was the best by a pretty wide margin -- after reading it suddenly most of the various cats' behaviors began to make sense! ("Twisted Whiskers" was second best and also a very good book.)

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars disappointed, June 3, 2005

By	Joot - See all my reviews

This book was entertaining, but... there is only one 19-page chapter dedicated to the problem of "inappropriate elimination" (peeing/pooping in the wrong place), even though the author himself describes it as "the number one behavior problem". He says "No other problem causes so much grief and leads them so often to consider the final solution of euthanasia". I want to ask the author: given that, don't you think most people are buying the book for that reason and you should have dedicated more time to this topic??? The stories in that chapter did not contain any revelations for me - his examples all had fairly obvious causes and were easy to fix, such as the owner changed the litter box, boyfriend moved in, owner had 2 litter boxes for 6 cats, or the cat is doing it out of anxiety and responds nicely to medication (lucky them). Throughout the book, I wish he had spent less time making cute anecdotes and more time detailing possible effective interventions.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars READ THIS BOOK IF YOU OWN A CAT, January 12, 2001

By	Angelica (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This book saved my sanity and the life of the rescue/stray cat I adopted into my household.

My stray kitty came with the usual feral physical problems. He also came with a feral mindset that I couldn't break through. As a noctural creature, he slept all day while I was at work, and was up all night, and I do mean ALL NIGHT. He frantically went from window to window trying to escape, he howled, he loudly meowed, he jumped up on my bed for some cuddling, jumped down to eat, urinated on all my furniture and on me, while I lay in bed trying to sleep; and in general, kept me and my resident cat (who is very quiet, by nature) up all night. I thought I would go crazy from lack of sleep.

Then I read Dr. Dodman's book. It is a revelation. I had no idea there were pet behaviorists, no idea there were veterinarians who prescribed mood altering drugs for behavioral problems, such as Elavil, Prozac, Valium, to name but a few. My vet turned out to be quite knowlegeable in this field, and prescribed an effective medication which immediately saw positive results. All of the psychological problems vanished after I gave my cat its first tiny pill.

The information concerning animal behavior is excellent and up to date.

I cannot recommend this book too highly.

BUY THIS BOOK, IF YOU OWN A CAT!