As a scientific animal behaviourist, she seems for clues as to what cats are interested by the world round them and places tailored plans in place to make sure they really feel happier.
Amanda works intently with cats and their house owners experiencing points similar to similar to toileting in the home, aggressive-type behaviour, nervousness and stress.
“I love engaging with the cat caregivers and deciphering what problems they are having, as well as using my detective skills to find out what the cats’ problems are – so it’s a two-way approach to trying to find a balance where life is harmonious again for cat and for their human guardian,” she tells Weekend.
Her love for all felines – from feral cats to indicate champions – was impressed by her first cat, Cagney, who Amanda adopted when she was 19.
“Cagney was two and a half when I got him. He was a rescue cat and lived until he was 23.
“He saw me through all my ups and downs and he was there for me. His owners had just moved house and abandoned him and I couldn’t understand how anyone could do that to an animal. I wanted to learn all about him. It was Cagney that inspired by passion for cats and it’s been my passion ever since. I’ve never had less than five cats – the most I’ve ever had was nine or 10,” she explains.
Amanda, who lives in Gnosall, has labored alongside charities for a lot of years serving to to rehabilitate cats and beforehand ran her personal cattery, fostering and rehabilitating traumatised shelter cats, enabling them to go in to have glad lives with their new house owners.
She significantly had a mushy spot for the older cats and those experiencing nervousness and different points that led to them being “overlooked and left behind” by potential adopters.
“You’ve got to work hard to get them to trust you,” she provides.
Amanda is a full member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) and a registered scientific animal behaviourist (CAB) member of the Animal Behaviour & Training Council (ABTC).
All behaviour instances want a vet referral as she says there could also be one thing occurring medically which is inflicting the cat to behave the best way they’re. Once the vet has dominated out underlying well being circumstances, Amanda will begin to search for clues of their physique language and in the best way they act and work together with their proprietor. She additionally seems at their setting – each inside and out of doors of the home.
All consultations are finished remotely through video as Amanda says having a stranger go to the home could possibly be an extra explanation for stress for the cat.
“It’s a cat that’s got a problem and that means the cat is not happy in its environment. A lot of cat parents don’t see that and don’t know they might have a cat welfare issue,” she says.
Amanda may also ask to see the views the cat has from the home windows and if any new cats have moved into the neighbourhood.
Behaviour similar to spraying in the home might be attributable to cats feeling threatened or burdened by seeing different cats. Spraying to mark its territory will help the cat really feel safer. An answer might be to make use of opaque movie to obscure the view whereas nonetheless permitting pure mild in.
Amanda supported an elderly man who was experiencing difficulties together with his beloved Bengal cat who was displaying redirected aggression. “The cat was launching at him and ripping his skin to shreds. That cat was his life and he couldn’t lose him,” she explains.
During the session, Amanda realised the Bengal may see different cats within the backyard and was turning into annoyed at being unable to achieve them. The cat was then taking its anger out on its proprietor.
As effectively as obscuring the cat’s window view, Amanda taught the person to recognise the delicate indicators of a possible attack so he may interrupt it earlier than it escalated. They additionally launched extra methods for the cat to play to maintain them entertained.
“They started to have a fabulous relationship and even went off in a campervan and had a holiday together,” says Amanda.
She recommends looking for assist as quickly as attainable in order that points might be nipped within the bud earlier than they grow to be embedded behaviour.
Amanda is dedicated to educating as many individuals as attainable about cat welfare and is commonly requested to assist house owners put together their cats forward of shifting to a brand new home or the arrival of a brand new child. “I think people are starting to value cats as family companions in the same way as they have done with dogs for many years,” she tells Weekend. For Amanda, who can be a feline behaviour counsellor on the Bengal Cat Association, there’s all the time loads of job satisfaction.
“As a CAB I assist with a wide range of feline behaviours but the most rewarding is to see a previously traumatised or anxious cat start to trust again – this is life-changing for the cat.
“Helping the owners to enrich their cat’s lives and build back bonds that have become broken is so rewarding. It takes effort, it takes time and it’s not a quick fix but with a sustained approach trauma modification therapy can help both cat and owner to find their way to live their best lives together – all nine of them!”
n For extra data, see www.kittysitty.web or observe Amanda @kittysittycatbehaviourist on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok at no cost cat and kitten behaviour assist and recommendation.
