Hiss & Tell: Cat Behavior and Beyond

Fear-Free Pet Care: Understanding Our Feline Friends with Mikkel Becker

• Kristiina Wilson • Season 2 • Episode 19

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Discover how to transform your pet care approach with insights from Mikkel Becker, the lead trainer for Fear Free. Join us as Mikkel shares her inspiring journey from broadcast journalism to becoming a beacon of compassion in animal training, highlighting the profound impact the Fear Free method has had on her rescue dog, Mr. Otis. Learn how gentle handling and calming environments are more than just techniques—they're revolutionizing how we care for our pets, especially in veterinary settings.

Dive into the world of feline behavior as we reveal strategies to understand and mitigate cat stress. By paying close attention to subtle body language cues, you'll learn how to enhance your cat's comfort and communication through innovative tools like buttons, ensuring they have a voice in their interactions with humans. From utilizing interactive toys to applying fear-free training techniques, this episode is packed with practical advice on reducing inter-cat aggression and fostering a stress-free environment for your whiskered companions.

We also explore the broader Fear Free movement's impact on animals in shelters and even livestock, emphasizing collaborations with experts like Dr. Temple Grandin. Discover how these compassionate practices can create more harmonious environments for all animals, regardless of their setting. Whether you're preparing your pet for a vet visit or introducing them to a new family member, this episode equips you with actionable tips to ensure a serene and cooperative experience, ultimately leading to a happier and healthier life for your furry friends.

Kristiina Wilson:

Hi and welcome to Hiss and Tell a Cat Behavior and More podcast hosted by me, K Wilson, animal behaviorist. Today's episode is all about fear-free, which is an approach used to reduce fear, anxiety and stress in our pets. The program focuses on creating a calming environment, using gentle handling techniques and employing strategies like positive reinforcement to make vet visits and grooming experiences less stressful for animals. Join me as I speak with Mikkel Becker, the lead trainer for Fear Free. Welcome to Hiss and Tell. I am your host, christina Wilson, and with me today is Mikkel Becker, fear Free's lead animal trainer. Welcome, mikkel.

Mikkel Becker:

Thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to be on your show.

Kristiina Wilson:

Thank you for being here. And who is that that I see in your lap? There is an animal friend, mr Otis.

Mikkel Becker:

He's our little pug, Pekingese, Brussels griffin, chihuahua rescue. He's so cute. He's a mix of kind of lots of different things. Yeah, he is just definitely our little special needs guy. So we were his fifth home by the time he was seven months old. Oh my gosh, he's been through a lot, but he is so loved and has come so far. Fear Free for him has made a huge difference with just helping him, gain confidence, get over separation anxiety.

Mikkel Becker:

So you know, I think that's the one thing that people always have misconception of is like they think that you know it's like someone goes in with, like magic wand, behavior issues fixed. And you know pets are so much like people. Everybody has their own personalities. Every pet has their own personalities and different things that we deal with, and so for us it's just been helping him to feel calm and comfortable and have those good coping techniques to kind of deal with some of those big feelings that he has.

Kristiina Wilson:

Absolutely. He's obviously in great hands and he looks extremely calm and carefree. Yes, so he looks like he's living a great life. He is, he's so loved. So can you just tell me a little bit about your education, your background, how you got involved with Fear Free, and then we'll go into exactly what Fear Free is.

Mikkel Becker:

Yes, definitely. So I went to school for broadcast journalism. Then, after I graduated, I was like what do I do with this? Because I ended up switching. I was three credits away from broadcasting and ended up being like you know, this just isn't my passion and my dad, so I grew up with him.

Mikkel Becker:

he was a veterinarian on Good Morning America and so yeah, diane Sawyer was like my hero, my role model, like my yearbook is like that's my goal is to be the next Diane Sawyer and um, but you know, just, things were changing at that time and so it was like this big shift and actually we went to their, the GMA had the 30th anniversary party and the day before I just had her sign a shirt that said the next Diane Sawyer, and she came up to me right at the party, to me and my dad first thing, and she's just like Mikkel, this, this career, that she's like you got to find something else. She's like this is dog eat dog world. Everybody has razor blades in their pockets. Like it's rough, you know, and you're a really nice person, you need to find something else. And I was like, wow, that was hard advice because you know, it's like that's what I always wanted to do.

Mikkel Becker:

But after graduating and also getting her advice which I really did take to heart, like I ended up finding animal training as a career, advice which I really did take to heart, like I ended up finding animal training as a career, and so it's just been an amazing field and I found some really good friends and I definitely best advice was to, yeah, find something else. And that's something else for me has been animal training, and so I've gone through different schools and have learned a lot, and then my dad started fear free and so, being an animal trainer, it's kind of a natural fit to go into that world and I remember, you know, working and interning in veterinary hospitals and and in some animal sanctuaries that were before fear-free.

Mikkel Becker:

So I know that what it was like before and it's been really cool to see that huge shift from what it was to what it is now.

Kristiina Wilson:

Yes, yeah, I totally agree. So, speaking of what it is, can you explain to our listeners what fear-free is and how it applies to feline behavior and care?

Mikkel Becker:

Yes, absolutely so. Fear-free is all about reducing fear, anxiety and stress for animals, and there are different ways that we do that, but a lot of it is through certification, so teaching professionals how to lower fear, anxiety and stress for animals in their care. So really prioritizing emotional well-being during the delivery of physical care.

Mikkel Becker:

So, it really started off in the veterinary industry, so helping to have fear-free veterinary care for pets, and has also transitioned into grooming and pet boarding and daycare, pet sitting, animal training. So it's all about prioritizing the animal's emotional health. And so that's really so. When we think of like veterinary care, for instance, a lot of times in the past it was done, you know, sometimes at the expense of the animal's emotional well-being. So a lot of times like whether it's nail trims, blood draw, whatever it might be, sometimes the dog or the cat a lot of times they were held down.

Mikkel Becker:

A lot of times care was done, kind of because it needed to be done, the physical part of care needed to be done. So it's just kind of like that get it done mentality, but get it done definitely doesn't work in the long run. And so fear-free is all about teaching professionals how to lower fear, anxiety and stress. And so there are fear-free certified practices, fear-free certified professionals that you can find, and then also some really cool free resources for pet owners on fearfreehappyhomescom. So that are all about ways that we can help our pets to be less stressed at home and if they're receiving any type of care, whether it's at the groomer or the vet, or maybe were going on a road trip with them yeah, that that is all amazing.

Kristiina Wilson:

This totally goes outside of people and their domestic animals. But I was wondering if you guys at fear free work with like zoos or rescue places to teach people how to do cooperative care with, let's say, like larger felines? Absolutely so, no, definitely cooperative care with, let's say, like larger felines, absolutely so, no, definitely.

Mikkel Becker:

Cooperative care is a huge part of Fear Free, and so our Fear Free Animal Trainer Certification really focuses a lot on cooperative care and we have a ton of continuing education for anything cooperative care related.

Mikkel Becker:

And a lot of our trainers too, you know, work in zoos, work in sanctuaries and are working with some of those bigger animals, working with some of those bigger animals, and also we have some videos even on the course of, you know, orangutans, for instance, or other other big, large animals, that that, yeah, it's been harder for people to embrace doing this for smaller animals in some ways, because it's like, you know, I think it makes logical sense you can't hold down a whale or dolphin for a blood draw.

Mikkel Becker:

You can't force an orangutan to, you know, let you brush their teeth, it's more, you know. But with dogs or cats, I think in the past, it's just like, oh well, this is just, you know, we'll just get it done. And so I think that that that's been one of the big challenges and one of the big hurdles that Fear Free is really helping to overcome is that that piece of like. You know, our animals at home deserve just as much compassionate care and humane handling, as any big animal does too. So really we want to kind of treat that almost as like one in the same and very similar training between them.

Kristiina Wilson:

Yeah, I totally agree. Another question that I think would be really helpful for our listeners is how do you recognize the early signs of fear and anxiety in a cat?

Mikkel Becker:

So I think a lot of times we miss some of those like subtle signs. So really pay attention to always looking at the ears, the tail kind of the overall body. So where's the cat leaning, when are they looking?

Mikkel Becker:

A lot of times when someone's like petting a cat, for instance, and they say the cat bit without reason, like they weren't warning, like there was a lot of stuff kind of going on for that cat and the cat's trying to be like hey, I'm not cool with with what you're doing, but a lot of times we miss it because it is so subtle. But you know it can be like the little tail flicks, it can be the cat. A lot of times they're going to look over at your hand before they do the actual bite. So kind of look at where the cat's looking. If they're looking over towards your hand, maybe that's not what the cat wants in that moment. So that's where you know doing those consent tests with them too, so where we can pet them on those areas they're comfortable with. So a lot of times you know like the cheeks, so their top of the head, under the chin.

Mikkel Becker:

Some cats may like just above the base of the tail, other cats that's not a good spot but it really depends upon the cat. But you know being able to. You know pet there for a few seconds and then stopping and seeing does the cat lean in? Do they move?

Kristiina Wilson:

away what?

Mikkel Becker:

did they do and so really paying attention to those things. But I think a lot of it too is like the body weight where are they leaning? Are they leaning away Like there's? Those little tiny changes are huge changes for that cat and if we can catch that stress early, it's really going to help us to be able to make those adjustments that can help them feel more relaxed for whatever type of interaction or care that we're doing with them.

Kristiina Wilson:

Totally, and I the consent piece I think is really important. So, even even with our cats, who we've been living with for a really long time, um, I try I'm not going to say always, because sometimes of course I mess up too and we'll just grab them cause I want to hug them, and then I'm like, whoops, that wasn't appropriate. Um, but I try to as much as I can ask, is it, you know? Do you want huggies?

Kristiina Wilson:

you know, and then if they back up, nope, we're gonna respect that. You didn't want to do it, um. Or if they want pats, I've found an effective ways to put my finger out and if they sniff my finger and kind of rub against it, then they want pats. If they don't, they would like to be left alone. So I think there's little ways that you can kind of check in with your cats at home and see do they want to interact with you, do they not want to interact with you? Um, I feel like pupil dilation is another good way to look at if they're really fearful or anxious. If they've got really really big, wide pupils, that's often also a really good sign of if they're stressed. Um, and we also had a cat who everybody was like she slaps out of nowhere and I'm like she doesn't. She gives you like a real side eye.

Mikkel Becker:

Yes, 100%.

Kristiina Wilson:

And if you haven't learned it she thinks she's told you with her face. And because you didn't pay attention, then you got the soft skibbity pap. So I think even setting up a camera sometimes if you're patting your cat, if they're they're prone to kind of biting you or slapping you set up a camera and see what came before the slap. Yes, or the bite and see what is that subtle sign? Because I'm sure that there's one.

Kristiina Wilson:

Yes, oh, I completely agree, completely agree. Yeah, just gotta look for it. It because cats are very subtle, not like us.

Mikkel Becker:

Do you like using communication cues or predictor cues, so like kind of giving the cat a heads up, so, for instance, like you know, saying the word pet or loves right before you do the petting? I found I really love that, because then it gives that cat a heads up of what you're going to do. And if they're like, yeah, not right now, like they can make that clear before we even have that physical contact, yes, and we can also like make it, make it an enjoyable thing. So we can, you know, use that communication cue of pet or or loves, and then we're pairing it with treats or maybe you know something else that they really really like, and so we can help build up their tolerance a little bit to make it more of a positive yeah, absolutely, and I I kind of just lucked into that because our our um cat who passed a year ago, he was really adept at using those, the buttons.

Kristiina Wilson:

Oh, I love it, yes, and so obviously we know that's not, it's not speech, it's not language acquisition, but it's associative concept training, um, but he was very, very good at it and then, by association, all the other cats learned what each button sound represented and would come running for each thing, right, so I love it that's great yeah.

Kristiina Wilson:

So, um, one of our other cats is now using his buttons, um, and so I can very easily say hey, do you want to snuggle, do you want a cheeru, do you want whatever? And then they can kind of come or go as they please. So I can either just say it myself or I can push the button and whoever wants the thing will show up brushies, like whatever it is that we're doing, and then it's up to them if they participate or not.

Kristiina Wilson:

So I love that that has been super helpful and I think that's one of the most helpful applications of those buttons is kind of being able to give cats more agency.

Mikkel Becker:

Yes, I think that's so important. I love the way that you've applied that into like your everyday life with your kitties.

Kristiina Wilson:

Yes, it's a little annoying because we did make the mistake of giving a churu button and that really gets abused, as I'm sure you can imagine. I bet so it's pushed probably like 50 times a day. But what do you find to be like common stressors for cats in everyday life and how can owners help reduce them?

Mikkel Becker:

Yeah for sure. That's a really, really great question. So I think that for one part of that is that lack of stimulation, lack of enrichment. So a lot of times cats need those positive outlets. They need that opportunity to be, just be a cat, and a lot of times they get in trouble for things like scratching or, you know, being on really climbing up the curtains these things that are just part of being a cat. But a lot of times they lack those outlets and sometimes we don't pay attention to them when they're doing the things that we want them to do too. So when they're scratching on that scratch and post, a lot of times that may go unnoticed and maybe the cat is not getting that positive attention that they want. But sometimes they'll take what they can get. So even if it's negative attention, they'll take that and they'll do some of those unwanted things. So definitely offering them a lot of outlets, so those vertical spaces, hiding areas, scratching posts, different toys and, you know, really rotating those out, so keeping them fresh and new.

Mikkel Becker:

And I really do love the opportunity for cats to be able to hunt for their food and so being able to have those opportunities, whether it's treats or part of their meal or their entire meal, for some cats you know being able to like.

Mikkel Becker:

Let them have more of that opportunity to really work for that food and it can just be a really good experience for them. It helps them to be more mentally and emotionally satiated at the end of the meal too, so it takes away kind of that mindless eating and turns it into more of that fun game. So I love, love that. And you know, I think some of the stressors for cats are and we talked about lack of consent and lack of, you know, agency. So cats really do want to be able to have a voice and a choice in their care, in their day, in their interaction. So the more that we can offer that to them and offer them those choices rather than forcing something upon them, it's really important and offer them that positive choice and that gives them control, like all of us want to have some sense of control over our lives, and I think animals are the exact same way, and so the unknown, the unpredictable can be really, really scary.

Mikkel Becker:

So cats like to have some understanding of what's going to happen to them. So that positive predictability, so trying to keep in some of those happy routines while also offering them some variety with those. You know the rotation of toys, rotation of food, puzzles, things like that, and and also you know litter boxes that's another huge issue and so, like a lot of times, cats are given such limited choice on where they can potty and what that potty area is like, like it would be like a really gross restroom where nobody's flushing the toilet, and it's like, you know, the poor cat is expected to just go there when their litter box hasn't been scooped out in a couple of days to a week, and sometimes two weeks. In some places that I've gone to, where I'm like, oh goodness, like these, of course they're having some issues, you know, and and some of those litter boxes can be really scary or really small, and and sometimes they want to have more than one litter box too.

Mikkel Becker:

So, you know, just trying to to really offer them what they need, and and part of that is offering them the right amount of litter boxes. So you know, two for every one cat plus one for every additional cat, at least and in different locations. So sometimes people think like, oh, we'll have them all in this one room. Well, to a cat, that can count as one litter box. So we really need to to you have those in different areas, and especially because cats definitely you know there can be some of that territorial stuff that goes on between cats, with certain things that can be scary for some cats, socially intimidating to go to the bathroom in the area where that other cat that's maybe being a little bit of a bully kind of lurks. So they're going to go where they feel more comfortable, which maybe is going to be on the carpet downstairs or something like that.

Kristiina Wilson:

Yes, that's how I get a lot of inappropriate urination cases. Yes, Because, of that because of bullying, because there's not enough litter boxes, because they're not being cleaned out enough, because the substrate is not right, like there's. There's a lot of that stuff. I do want to touch on one thing that you said, just to clarify for our listeners that you said it's great if cats can hunt for their food.

Mikkel Becker:

Do you want to just explain what you mean by cats hunting for their food. Yes, yes, no. Thank you so much for that opportunity to clarify. So so, unlike you know cat going out and you know hunting, you know for insects or mice or whatever that they may do if they were just kind of all out on their own, you know, for us, we can, we can create modified hunts in the home, so this could be like being able to, you know, have little pieces of their food hidden in different areas, so this could be up on their, their vertical perches.

Mikkel Becker:

There are also a lot of different really cool cat food puzzles, similar to dogs, and we can change the difficulty level so you can have them be really easy to more difficult. There are like puzzle board type of things that you can put their food on, also canned cat food or any of those soft, fresh foods that we can also put on different types of food mats. It takes them longer to really hunt that out, so we it from a regular bowl, which can be mindless, boring, eating, and we turn it into more of like an adventure and fun and more of a healthy challenge for them when it comes to their meals yeah, absolutely, and I will just say that our 10 cats eat their dry food that way.

Kristiina Wilson:

They have those little.

Kristiina Wilson:

I forget the company that makes them, but they look like little mice and they have three holes in the bottom and I love those yeah, we just put them in front of all the windows where they can see birds and chipmunks all day, and so they can do the full hunting sequence right. They can do the like, stalking and the pouncing, and then they can catch, gut and kill and eat from the little mice and they can kick out like one piece at a time. They love those things. They are emptied every day and they just they'll come and find us when they need refilling and just be like hey, can you please put some more crunchies in my mouth, and then they're ready to go for round two. And it has been so helpful for some of the intercat aggression issues that we've had over the past year. Um, after the head of their house passed, it has been so helpful to like add more of those. It's really helped kind of calm them down because they're doing a species appropriate behavior.

Mikkel Becker:

Yes, so I love that. That's my favorite puzzle too. And is it Doc and Phoebe? Yes, yes, yeah.

Kristiina Wilson:

I love that. What are some of the key principles of fear-free training techniques for cats specifically?

Mikkel Becker:

Oh, definitely positive reinforcement base. So we want it to you know again, give that cat a voice and a choice in their care and in their interaction. So we really want to make it the cat's idea to participate, make it the cat's idea to be involved in their care and so really coming at it to from their perspective, in their care, and so really coming at it too from their perspective, so trying to set up their environment we call it considered approach where we really set up their environment, set up our interactions in a way that minimizes fear, anxiety and stress.

Mikkel Becker:

And this could be something like giving them a non-slip surface, for instance, that they can go to for care, rather than it ever being on the slippery floor or a slippery table.

Mikkel Becker:

We want to make sure that, because an animal's innate fear is the fear of falling.

Mikkel Becker:

So that's just one way that we can help to really address that situation from their perspective. So getting them comfortable to start off with, but also doing that positive, reinforcement-based training, so where we can teach them what we want them to do, encourage it, build it up in little baby steps to that final behavior that we want, and also, like that desensitization and counter conditioning. So, you know, just really helping them to have better feelings about that experience maybe gives them a lot of stress, just helping them to feel like, oh, I guess this isn't so bad and actually this, this is actually kind of cool. I don't mind this so much. So the more that we can really address that behavior at an emotional level to help them feel calm and comfortable, the better off they're going to be and the more cooperative they're going to be. And I think like when we think of misconceptions about cats. So back before. Fear-free, like a common term that people would use in during veterinary care is, or that would even be on on cats kennels in the back would be fractious cat.

Kristiina Wilson:

Caution fractious cat.

Mikkel Becker:

And now, like with fear-free, it's like more. You know that's a caution fearful cat. So what are we?

Mikkel Becker:

going to do to help that cat to feel more comfortable, to feel safe, to feel secure in their world, in these interactions. And so it's really taken it from like a standpoint of like we're just going to address the outward behavior. This cat is really upset, they're dangerous, they're a hazard to work with, versus this cat is just terrified. A lot of those cats feel like they're literally going to die. And so how do we help them feel more comfortable? And so, definitely modifying the environment, modifying our interactions, being able to use those rewards whenever possible and then sometimes also being able to use nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals to help that cat. So, you know, a lot of times we we think of like the four F's which are, you know, um of stress. So it'd be like fidget and then freeze, flight and fight.

Mikkel Becker:

And then the fifth one that we want to add in there is far out and so like for those cats that are, just like you know, really stressed.

Mikkel Becker:

Maybe those cats have never had hands on them ever before we want to put them in that far out state yeah number five, where it's like, hey, we're just like, I'm just chilling man, like I've had, you know, I've had a few drinks, I'm kicking back. Or you know, here in washington state, you know that feeling of like, you know, maybe you had an edible and you're just feeling nice and relaxed, like we want the cat to be on like that in that kind of state, rather than any of those fearful states. We want them to be like oh, this is okay. And why that's important is it's helping to reduce those fear memories, cause those fear memories. You know it's trauma and the body doesn't forget. You know it's like that the body can score for people.

Mikkel Becker:

Same thing with pets, the body does not forget what happens when they're afraid, when they're terrified, when they think they're going to die. So we don't ever want them to be in that state and that's where sometimes, like where your pet's vet really is critical and that process is like looking at. You know, maybe we, we do maybe it would be beneficial for this cat to add in nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals and just help them to be more relaxed with this so their body doesn't immediately go into that fight or flight mode. So that's a really important piece of fear-free too.

Kristiina Wilson:

Yeah, I agree and I think also I just did. Speaking of vet visits and how to keep your cats comfortable in these kinds of uncomfortable situations, I just did a really great continuing ed course in pattern games and it was really spoken about that they're very helpful for cats going to the vet or going in like to uncomfortable situations go moving, doing things, so that they have a game that they're used to doing right and then you can present it again at the uncomfortable situation to help them kind of just tap into like this is a comfortable space. I know this pattern, I know what's going to go, go on here. This is predictable and then you can proceed from there.

Mikkel Becker:

So this was new stuff.

Kristiina Wilson:

For me it was a really cool class, um, to take and and to kind of learn all this this new information. So I just want to throw that out for people that if you're interested in kind of learn all this this new information so I just want to throw that out for people that if you're interested in kind of pushing it further, pattern games are an interesting new thing to learn that you could use to help kind of reduce anxiety in your felines as well so can you give us some examples like I'm about you're gonna learn, like I know, like a couple I can think of right right off hand, be like the one, two, three game.

Kristiina Wilson:

Yeah, one, two, three is is one um, that there's. There's like so many. There's up and down. There's one, two, three. Oh, there's one called look at that, oh, super bowls is a really good one. That I think would be helpful. I think would be really good for being at the vet. There's just several, especially that, like if you want to try to move them out of their carrier or move them back into the carrier, that would be helpful and could also be helpful for carrier training at home prior to a vet visit, which I also really encourage people to do. Make sure your cats are carrier trained so that they're happy to go into their carriers and find their you know, think about their carriers as a safe space. A great point absolutely, totally agree.

Mikkel Becker:

That's what you want to see. You know, so many cats like I mean that's the biggest stressor. I think for a lot of them is like, just from the very start, they are being, you know, pulled out from under the bed, you know when the carrier comes out, it's like, oh crap, that thing's here.

Mikkel Becker:

Like nothing good happens when that comes out of the closet, and so you know it's like, yeah, the more that we can turn that into like fun frequently used feline furniture, that's just you know exactly you know that that and it's comfortable, has the nice bedding in there, maybe warming pad, like you know, encouraging them to go in for little treats or play, and, you know, maybe even like their meal, like there's so many things that we can do to make it more of a friendly place.

Mikkel Becker:

And then and then that carrier can also stay with them. So if they're needing to stay at the vet, you know, one option is to be able to have that stay with them, so it can be in their cage with them, to offer them a perching place and a hiding place. Yeah, so lots of cool things that we can do that can help them to really make that, yeah, their safe space, and a lot of times they can be examined right in there. A lot of times blood draws can be happening right in their safe space, so we don't have to pull them out once they get to the vet. They can a lot of times, just chill right in there and that's a perfect place for them to be.

Kristiina Wilson:

Yeah, so that brings us into talking about vet visits, which are, like, notoriously stressful for most cats. Um, I've had a few cats who just love going to the vet and love being like. It's me, I'm here, yeah, attention everyone. But for for most cats they hate going, which I get. I hate going to the doctor myself, so I totally get it. But how can cat owners kind of prepare their pets for a fear-free vet visit or for just getting their cats ready in a fear-free way?

Mikkel Becker:

So, as you mentioned that, definitely that carrier preparation is super important and then also being able to give that cat the option to hide when they're in the car and also when we take them into the vet office.

Mikkel Becker:

So a lot of times we recommend putting like a towel or blanket over three sides of the carrier or crate, so that way they have the option to hide. But if they want to look out, they have that option too. And definitely when we're carrying that carrier or crate we want to really support it, you know, from around the sides underneath, rather than just having it by the handle or the strap where the cat can kind of be flying everywhere. That's really scary. We don't want it to feel like an amusement park ride for them.

Mikkel Becker:

We want them to feel nice and secure and that's our safe space. So, and also when we're placing it down. So a lot of times, like when you go to a fear-free certified practice, you're going to see things like, like carrier parking spaces, so, where they actually have these, these elevated spaces that are stable, that you can put your cat's carrier up high and out of the way so they're away from walking feet going past.

Mikkel Becker:

Also, ideally we also have separate entrances for dogs and cats. But even if not a lot of times, we can accommodate it in ways like a lot of times, rather than having to wait in the waiting area, a lot of times we can be ushered right into the exam room. So a lot of times you can do call-ins to be like hey, I'm here, but rather than waiting in the lobby, it's a lot less stressful to wait in the car, because they've actually shown with research that one of the most stressful parts of the vet visit is the lobby itself. That can just be a stew pot of stress. So sure, if we can avoid that altogether, super, super helpful.

Mikkel Becker:

And then when we go in there we can encourage our cat to come out of their carrier if they want to, but again, it's okay if they don't. And especially if we can get those top removal carriers of ones where the lid can come off so they can still easily access the cat, that can be really helpful. So they can still easily access the cat, that can be really helpful. Some cats really like to hide, so we can offer the option of a blanket or a towel, but for some cats that can also be stressful. So if they've ever had the negative experiences of being kind of wrangled with a towel or a blanket, that's not going to be comforting and so we want to really do what works well for that cat.

Mikkel Becker:

But for those that do like to hide, that's super helpful where we can just expose that one area of the cat that we need to see at a time rather than them being you know, all of them out there exposed vulnerable. A lot of times the cat's going to feel safer in their own spaces or sometimes at some vet hospitals you know, to a lot more. Nowadays there are elevated box areas where the cat can go. So even if they got to the carrier.

Mikkel Becker:

They can find other places to hide so we can access the cat that way. So it's just all about making them feel comfortable and relaxed and rather than kind of sometimes, like in the past too, you may see the person kind of pulling the cat out of the carrier, trying to dump the cat out. We want to avoid that and we can encourage and coax the cat out with some toys, sometimes like silver vine or things like that, if the cat likes, um, some treats. So there are lots of ways we can encourage them to come out. But again, if they're, if they're not feeling it, we don't have to force it ever to right.

Kristiina Wilson:

how can owners find or make sure if they're find out or make sure if their vet is fear-free? Cause I think a lot of people don't know is my vet fear-free, or are they not Like? What's what's going on?

Mikkel Becker:

Yes, definitely so, if you go on fearfreecom or if you go to fearfreehappyhomescom both of those have a zip code, searchable directory of fear-free certified professionals and fear-free certified practices so you can find those that are closest to your area. And then I definitely, you know, talk with your vet. So even if they aren't yet fear free certified, like it's absolutely very, very doable for them to go through it. So that's definitely something to that more people are asking specifically asking for, because it's like we can be, we can want this for our cat, we can want that emotional care for them. But it's really about, you know, making sure that the staff is, is is invested and that they have the, the knowledge to know kind of what to do as well.

Mikkel Becker:

And you know there's also, you know, some other options as well. So you know we think of, like there's the low stress handling certification, or the American Association of Feline Practitioners there's the low stress handling certification, or the American association of feline practitioners. There's gold and silver cat friendly practice certification. So those are some other things you might may look at for other types of certifications that also can really compliment fear-free certification or, um, you know it can be something to look for. So, you know, for those people that you know, if you just are want to find someone that's really on the same page. I think those are good, good places to look okay, great, that's good, really good information.

Kristiina Wilson:

um, so how can fear-free techniques help with, like specific behavioral challenges such as like aggression or inappropriate elimination? We already talked a little bit about inappropriate elimination, um, but do you have just some thoughts about how fear free can help with specific behavioral challenges and you don't have to give us, like all the steps?

Mikkel Becker:

No, for sure. I think it's so important. So so many times like behavior and and health go hand in hand. So a lot of times with that pet isn't feeling great A lot of times. You're going to notice the first changes you're really going to see are almost always going to be behavioral. So when you do see those changes like it's important for us to not just chalk it up to oh you know, the pet's being snarky or he's just getting old and a lot of times that pet's just not feeling great.

Mikkel Becker:

So that's where you know ensuring that your pet does have that veterinary oversight and continually has that vet oversight as they're going through this behavior modification. So you know, being able to see are there any underlying issues that may be contributing to this or or worsening this or causing this and um. So, especially if we see any sudden um behavior changes or you know anything like aggression or that peanut side of the box, definitely super important to be able to to, you know, see if there's some medical component and then also say that we're going right into behavior modification. Sometimes the box definitely super important to be able to see if there's some medical component and then also say that we're going right into behavior modification. Sometimes medications or nutraceuticals can be really complimentary to some of the behavior modification that we do. So that's where really being able to have that partnership between the trainer that you're working with, with the behavior consultant that you're working with and your veterinarian can be really key because, while medication or nutraceuticals in and of itself aren't going to be like a magic wand fix, like it's all better kind of thing, what it can do is it can help your pet to be in a better space to learn and can help to just kind of lower those stress levels and get them in that better head space.

Mikkel Becker:

So, as you mentioned, like phloxetine, our little guy, otis, here is on some long-term medications. For him so it'd be the generic version of Zoloft and for him it's made a huge, huge difference, because otherwise it's like his body. It's just like with people. Sometimes people like benefit. I have Hashimoto's disease. You know I have to take a low thyroid medication every day.

Mikkel Becker:

Yeah, and you know, and it's just that helps me to be normal, to be stable, and you know, and same thing I, you know, was diagnosed as an adult with ADHD. When I'm not on my ADHD medication, like being pregnant, it's really hard, like I don't, I don't do as well, and so it's like there are certain things that we need. Same thing with our pets, and so it's like for for otis, for instance. He is just so much more like just kind of easy going. What we don't want, I think there's that misconception that behavior behavior medications turn that pet into a zombie.

Mikkel Becker:

Yeah, that makes them like just numb or they're dull or they're like tired, lethargic all the time. That's not what you want to see. If you're seeing that, definitely talk to your pet's vet, unless it's a situational medication, like for a pet with car anxiety or maybe they're going to the vet Sometimes. Those situational medications may make them a little bit sleepy or just kind of a little bit, maybe like they've had a couple drinks, kind of thing. But and that's okay for those situations. But long-term, what we want to find is just something that helps them to overall, just be more relaxed. You know more, more themselves. That's what you really should see from a medication. It's just letting them be more themselves and get back to that, that space. So I think that those can be really beneficial for helping our pets to be in that right head space, to really retain the information, to be able to, you know, make the most of the training that we're actually doing.

Kristiina Wilson:

I suggest those types of medications for some of my clients whose cats are obviously above threshold.

Kristiina Wilson:

Yes, just because, if your cat is so anxious your behavior modifications are not going to be successful if they are so over threshold that nothing can get in right. Yes, are so over threshold that they nothing can get in right? Yes, um, and so I think for some, for some animals, they're really a necessity for them to be able to recover at all. You need to be able to bring them back under threshold so that then everything that you're trying to do is able to be effective, and then you can wean them off the medication if they're doing better. Yes, I, I totally agree.

Mikkel Becker:

Yeah, 100. Yeah, because it's. It's hard when you're in that fight or flight state like you, just you. Your long-term learning is is impaired.

Mikkel Becker:

You're not able to take it in and yeah, you're just not in that state and so, yeah, if we can just help them to get to that state where their body is like actually able to retain and be and being able to have those positive experiences, that can make all the difference. Like, um, I think of myself like I had a really, really bad phobia of flying for years as a teenager. Yeah, it's horrible, it's like the worst, it was absolutely the worst. Yeah, debilitating and I yeah.

Mikkel Becker:

I'd worry about it for weeks to months, like where I'm like I don't even want to fly anymore. I don't want to travel.

Kristiina Wilson:

I'll take a boat.

Mikkel Becker:

I'll drive and it's just ridiculous, but like, but. But you can't read like when you're in that state. There's no reasoning with that person, like people try and reason with me like you're fine airplane travel is so much safer than everything else, and but that doesn't matter when you're in that state and you literally think you're gonna die.

Mikkel Becker:

Like you literally think you're gonna die and can't even remember what's happening. Like and that's even more like I would get calming medications or sleeping medication, didn't even touch me, no, and didn't do anything. I'm just still in that state, and then I would start to panic and I'd make other people around me start to panic and it's just like this awful spiral. So you know, that's where for me, getting on the right medication and the right right, right benzos at the time, and and then also that behavior modification for myself, and you know that combination is what helped me to to overcome it. And, like you know, I fly now and I love flying now. Every once in a while there'll be a trigger, but I'm like, okay, I know what to do, I can go back into that deep breathing and I don't need that medication any longer. But if I did, I would not hesitate to take it again because it's like why suffer and why should our animals have to suffer? It's unnecessary.

Kristiina Wilson:

Yes, so I just I really think it's important to talk about this stuff with respect to our cats, or to our pets in general, because they're not just, you know, animals with bodies. They also have brains and we have to pay attention to them as well, and those brains are the drivers of a lot of behavioral issues, which is the whole point of this podcast, and I just really want to see more happy cats and more people who are more attuned to the stuff that's going on with their pets. So, speaking of that, um, how do you see fear-free kind of evolving in the future, like when it comes to improving feline welfare, whether it's at home or in the shelter or in clinics, like what, what's going on?

Mikkel Becker:

So so you mentioned some about some larger animals and I think you're going to see a lot more of that, like even in the cattle industry with other livestock.

Mikkel Becker:

Like because you know, and part of Fear, of we Fear Freeze, partnered with, uh, dr Temple Grandin oh, amazing, she's so cool, and you know, and it's like every animal deserves to live the best life that they can and the best life that they can have, and you know, and so it's all about taking that fear, anxiety and stress out of their daily lives and even things like improving.

Mikkel Becker:

you know, dairy cows like for instance, like being able to offer them different choices, so being able to, for instance, like different um different places that have even, like uh, massage machines for these cows that they can go through and it actually helps to improve milk production, you know, being able to give them more comfortable bedding, being able to give them, you know, more space to move around, like just these different choices and options, like that makes such a big difference.

Mikkel Becker:

so fear free definitely is going to be expanding more into other animals as well and just really helping to improve their lives as much as we can. And you know the cool thing about fear freeze it's really starting to expand to all different types of of areas, including we have fear-free shelters, so for and that's a program that you can go through and become a fear-free shelters graduate and it's all about ways that we can help to improve that animal's life when they're in rescue and making that a less stressful experience. And so you know, and it's really kind of like that ecosystem of care experience. And so you know, and it's really kind of like that ecosystem of care. So wherever you're getting your pet from, you know trying to be able to have some some fear-free like protocols going on there that we can help to socialize these animals well if they're, if they're young you know the young kittens or puppies and to things like the shelter, being able to make that a lower stress environment which helps those animals to get adopted out faster. And then you know the groomer, the vet, the animal trainer, pet sitting, daycare, the pet sitter, you know, maybe and I think that's one thing we've thought about before is something like looking at even dog walking, things like that, ways that we can help to improve that animal's lives and make it consistent across the board. Because even if you take something like nail trims, for instance, and say you take your pet, your dog, your cat, to a fear-free certified veterinarian, if you then take your pet to the groomer and they aren't using the same kind of protocols, you know everything it can.

Mikkel Becker:

Just your animal can regress because you know and sometimes that's the. The scary thing is, sometimes we don't know what that animal's experience is, and so someone may say, oh, the animal did just fine for me. But when you really look at it and that's a lot of times what I'll find in different individual animals I work with is actually the animal wasn't fine, right, and in fact you know they were. You know more manhandled or you know not that that muzzles are always bad. Sometimes we can train an animal to voluntarily put on a muzzle and to enjoy their muzzle, and it can offer them more freedom. But if it's just forced upon them and it's a scary thing the muzzle in and of itself can be a big trigger and also it can be a really big danger to that animal too, because you know you increase that, that risk of asphyxiation and the, the pet, you know being so panicked that they throw up and then they can choke on that you know, because when they're in that mode, like there are just so many bad things that can happen.

Mikkel Becker:

But even like even just the part of like helping our pet to feel more relaxed with care, we really want to make sure that wherever they go to that they really have like that emotional bubble wrap around them that they're being protected, they're being cared for during that delivery of physical care. So that's where I see Fear Free going is for it to expand to all areas of animal life and for that to just become even more easy to find for your pet. So it's more of the standard.

Kristiina Wilson:

I hope that it does. That would be amazing, I hope so too.

Mikkel Becker:

It would make such a big difference. It would.

Kristiina Wilson:

And one of our listener questions was uh, and I know this listener and that they volunteer at a shelter and their questioner question was what measures can a shelter take to become more fear-free and outside of, you know, taking the fear-free course for shelters? So many shelters have so many. It can be so different. There's so many levels of bureaucracy to go through.

Kristiina Wilson:

Yes, are there steps that just people who are working or volunteering at the shelter can take to help the shelter or to just do things more in line with fear-free um, other than just the whole shelter saying, okay, we're going to go fear-free and we're going to take this course and we're all going to be certified. Because I think that's a big hurdle for a lot of especially like city shelters to jump through.

Mikkel Becker:

Yeah, One really cool thing just to mention it as an encouragement is, even if just one or two people go through, it's a free course. So our shelters course is completely free, complimentary. So just really truly wanting to do the right thing for those animals, just really truly wanting to do the right thing for those animals. Um, but you know, some easy things that we can do is, like you know, when we're thinking about cats is rearranging the way that the cat's cage is set up so a lot of times those cats don't have a great place, a great hiding place.

Mikkel Becker:

Cats need a good place to hide and they also need to have their their cage set up in a way that their food and their water are as far away from the litter box as possible and so a lot of times just rearranging that, giving them that non-slip surface, those areas to hide, you know um for them, like clicker training I'm a huge fan of that for cats and we can do that in the shelter, but I think that's a little bit more advanced. But even things like you know being able to, you know, when we walk, maybe we can even, just, you know, have some free stride cat treats nearby. So when we walk by, maybe we can just every once in a while we just give them a little treat. They don't even have to look, look at us, come towards us, anything, and then we just walk away. So for those fearful cats, a lot of times we're adding too much social pressure where we have to, like you know, hand, give them that treat or we're putting the treat right up next to them. That can be too much for a lot of those cats. Literally, we want to make it as low pressure as possible and we can help build their confidence over time by doing that.

Mikkel Becker:

So just a few changes in the way that we interact with them and and being able to do things like, especially like for their veterinary care that they get in the shelter, any grooming they get we want to make that as fear-free as possible.

Mikkel Becker:

So, you know, even literally just having your, your veterinary team, get fear-free certified is going to make a huge difference because a lot of times that piece can be one of the most stressful pieces of all.

Mikkel Becker:

And so if the if they're going in and it's like, oh my God, this stressful manhandling kind of care that can, that can really, you know, be upsetting for them and kind of set them back. And instead we want them to really have that protected experience. And and I another thing too is like we talked about hiding. So giving them those hiding areas also, giving them those options to hide, so not that they, you know, have to be completely, you know, curtain over all of their cage, but, you know, maybe over a part of their cage, that can be really helpful for those cats, especially those that are just kind of getting acclimated. You know it takes them some time. So being able to make that really a safe, secure space and trying to utilize more of those eye level cages or those that are at least one foot or above from the ground, that can be, really helpful.

Mikkel Becker:

So you know, a lot of times you know when you look in shelters or some veterinary offices, the top cages you know are more of a storage area Right, and a lot of times they're using more of those lower cages. We want to switch that up. So if anything we're going to, if we need storage, we can use those lower cages. We want those higher up cages. You can still access the cat. We want those to be the areas that they're kept in.

Kristiina Wilson:

So that way they're going to feel more safe and secure, just in that way. Sure, I think that makes a lot of sense, and I think people might for some reason think that it would be less stressful for the cats to be on the lower cages because they don't have to be face to face with people not thinking about how cats are more secure the higher up they are and the more visibility they have out. So I think that that's an interesting point that you bring up.

Kristiina Wilson:

And it's an interesting point that you bring up um and and it's an easy switch that you can make, like just right away, absolutely so just to go through a few questions from listeners, somebody asked uh, what are some ways to get our male cat to stop bullying his sister? We've tried everything, and this isn't necessarily a fear-free question, but they are asking you anyways.

Mikkel Becker:

Yeah, I love it, you know and, and I think you know one. So one thing that you mentioned earlier is that provision of a lot of resources and giving, giving. So just adding in food puzzles, that can help to reduce that, that inner cat aggression in and of itself. So that's a big thing right there. Love that you're doing that. So I would encourage something like that too and make sure there are ample resources so for litter boxes, bedding, water, like anything that that cat needs, like making sure that there are ample resources and ample resources in different areas of the house. So sometimes that can just be a thing um, you know, that can cause some tension between cats. I'd also make sure that that cat that's the, the, the bully cat, making sure that they are getting enough exercise and mental exercise. So sometimes, like it can just be you know that stalking, that that kind of play behavior, but the other cat doesn't like it.

Mikkel Becker:

And so it can be really yes yes, so making sure that they get enough enrichment and enough play and stimulation, and so that's something that we can, we can really work with them on and and make sure they're getting enough of that outlet and and also vertical spaces. So just by having more vertical spaces in your home, you're increasing your square footage of your home and the areas that your cats can go to and also giving them better escape routes. So say that that they, you know, rather than the cat having to dash out of the room, maybe they can just go up to a high space to kind of get a little bit of space and to feel safe again, and so that helps to take away some of those chasing sequences too. And and we can go all the way to, you know, in some cases it's, you know, being able to kind of go back to basics with those cats and doing more of that reintroduction. And so sometimes we'll, like you know, have them, you know, teach them to wear their kitty harness or one or both of them, and, you know, sometimes medications too.

Mikkel Becker:

So you talked about beta blockers, for instance. Sometimes that can be really helpful for that more fearful cat. That can be something you can talk to your veterinarian about so helping to kind of keep their body from going in that fight or flight mode, help them to feel more confident. And you know, sometimes one or both cats may benefit from medications during that process. So that's definitely something that the veterinarian can be involved in and being able to teach them just some basic behaviors, like you know a look at that, so they can look over at the other cat calmly and then they can look back at you and get their reward. So you know things like that.

Mikkel Becker:

You know sometimes movement can be a trigger for some of those cats. So we can work on, you know, the other cat a distance, you know, doing a little bit of movement and like and like. Okay, we're good with that. Maybe we can go a little bit closer and, you know, not pushing it too much either. So giving them time, letting them have that space and I know that's a lot, but that's kind of a good start.

Kristiina Wilson:

It takes a lot. I always tell clients that like solving a behavior problem isn't, there's not one thing that's going to come in and solve it. It's like putting a puzzle together and you have to find the right pieces that come together for your particular puzzle to solve it Right. So at the beginning you just kind of throw a bunch of things like you're adding environmental stimulation, you're adding intellectual stimulation, you're adding height, you're, you know, making sure nobody's bullying in the litter box. Like maybe you're adding medication if it's, if it's severe. Um, one other thing I like to tell people in these, this kind of like bullying case and it sounds really stupid but it can be very effective is to put a collar with a bell on the bullying cat because often these cats, they get into a behavioral loop where one cat is bullying and they're enjoying stopping pouncing, you know, and getting they're like in this case

Kristiina Wilson:

their sibling, and then the other cat begins to exhibit prey behavior. Right, so they're, they're getting, they're flinching, they're looking around, they're acting like a prey animal which then just feeds into this circuit of one cat being the bully and the other cat being afraid, and they just egg each other on and it gets tighter and tighter and tighter and tighter, and so if there's a bell, the cat who's afraid always knows where the other cat is, and so they don't have that prey energy anymore and that sometimes alone, if it's not a severe case, can stop it because it's not fun for the aggressor, because they can't be sneaky.

Kristiina Wilson:

And then the other cat is no longer exhibiting that prey energy and so sometimes that just alone stops it. I love it. So simple but so powerful. It sounds so dumb when I tell people that they're like that's why I paid you to tell me to put a bell on my cat, like, but it can really be effective. So, yes, and I think a bell's also fear-free. It's not really doing anything to anybody.

Mikkel Becker:

No, I love it, I think. I think that's really important and a really great tip.

Kristiina Wilson:

Somebody else asked is it too late to start desensitizing three cats to car rides? If not, how would I do it?

Mikkel Becker:

So I would say that we can definitely start to work on that really at any age and stage. I mean, ideally we start off young and we do it preventively. But you know, a lot of times we have just what animal we have before us and that's who we have to work with, and so we're just going to go from there. And you know, definitely we talked some about the carrier training, so getting them really comfortable in there and then starting to break down the process. So you know, each cat having their own carrier, being able to practice them going into their carrier, making that like part of their daily routine.

Mikkel Becker:

So maybe that's where they go in for treats, maybe, you know, feeding part of their meal in there and playing with them in that area. So we can get them to ideally go in there on cue too. So, and the cue just may be, you know, maybe it's mealtime or whatever it might be, or or we have a word or we have something that encourages them to go in there. So that makes it easy for when it is time to go travel Right. And then then we can start practicing things like closing the door on the carrier and then starting to pick up the carrier, give them a reward while they're in there and then let them back out. And then, you know, when we talk about like desensitization and that counter conditioning, you know, sometimes medication also can play a role in that.

Mikkel Becker:

So if the pet cat is really, really fearful again, we want to get them in that better head space where they can, can learn those positive associations, have those better memories built. So that can sometimes compliment some of the training that we do. And you know when we're taking them, you know, initially we may take that carrier and just put it, you know, maybe you know, on a big sturdy table, and then we take them back down so we don't even take them out to the car to begin with. Then we go out to the car, we set them in the car. You know, maybe we get some treats or petting or whatever it is that they enjoy, and then we're just going right back inside. We do the same thing. You know, maybe the next day we turn on the car, don't go anywhere, go back inside.

Mikkel Becker:

We turn on the car the next day, maybe put it in drive, put it back in the park, go back inside so you know we can break it down, make it really really, you know, manageable and do those really manageable pieces. So very similar to the car anxiety for dogs, we can, can treat it, you know, similarly with cats so they can definitely learn and and especially if they have that safe space, like you know, their carrier. I love sleepy pods for that reason of just them being crash tested and approved and and really protective. So I love those. And the other good thing about those is that you can actually strap those in so it limits that slipping and sliding, because that can be part of the scary part of being in the car, the carrier slipping or tipping, sliding off the seat.

Mikkel Becker:

So making sure that they feel secure in there is another important element, yeah.

Kristiina Wilson:

Those are all good tips and I always like to remind people that it's going to feel like you're going at a glacial pace for you when you're doing desensitization and counter conditioning. But you want to break everything down into the tiniest, most minute little bits and then reward and then advance, and it will feel very, very slow. But when you do it right you should never have to do it again and then you'll have very happy adapted animal. So yes, just to put that out there, it always seems like even have to do it again and then you'll have a very happy adapted animal. So yes, to put that out there, it always seems like, even when I do it, I'm like, oh, this is excruciating, but like it does serve you in the end. So it's absolutely worth it. Someone else said we have a dog that is super jealous of the cats. How can we help her not to be so?

Mikkel Becker:

definitely there are some things that we can do so.

Mikkel Becker:

So one thing that we can do is really helping the dog to understand that when the cats are around, really good things happen.

Mikkel Becker:

So you know, when kitties approach and that's when our dog gets lots of loves maybe they get reinforcement, they get that treat. Even treating them for looking away from the cat that can be a big deal. So giving them or giving them the alternative behavior maybe it's just, you know, going into a sit or a down or going to their spot, um. But also whenever we give the kitty attention, our dog gets attention too, or they get that treat right after. So if we give something to kitty dog get something right after. So we start to get that positive association that like, hey, when the cat's around actually really good things happen, and when something really good happens to a kitty, like something really good always happens to me. So we start to build that association and also build in some of that calm patience of like, oh, I can wait for a cat to get attention because that means I'm going to get something really good right after. So that can be beneficial.

Kristiina Wilson:

So this last question is very prescient to your situation how can I help my cat adapt to a new baby?

Mikkel Becker:

Yes, that is definitely something that's on my mind right now, for sure. So some things that we want to think about are being able to really encourage our cat to have those adaptive behaviors that help them to feel calm, comfortable and happy around the baby. So sometimes when new parents, they can be really stressful. Or trying to get the area ready for baby, it can be really frustrating, for instance, if the cat hops right up in the crib and that's not necessarily what we necessarily want, but what do we want? So thinking, okay, let's go ahead and put in those alternative resting areas for kitty before baby even arrives, so we're going to get them used to that. So maybe we have a little kitty bed or kitty perch in that area or we manage it. Sometimes, like you know, if the cat can't be in the area, can we get them used to having the door closed.

Mikkel Becker:

So you know, and sometimes that can be a frustration for some cats so we can get them comfortable with that over time, starting to, so that way we can preventively and proactively ask kitty to go to their bed and that's where they get their attention, that's where they get their love, they get their treats, and also, that way, if kitty is ever doing something that maybe we don't want so maybe they're scratching on the edge of the crib or they're getting in the crib or or they're, you know, maybe we just need a little bit more space from baby, like we're changing their diaper or something like that we can have our kitty go to the other area where that's where they get all that good stuff that happens.

Mikkel Becker:

So giving them those alternatives, getting them used to those sounds so playing sounds of baby, you know, crying at a really, really low level, you know, perhaps during mealtime or while we're playing with them so we can get them used to those sounds. And as they're getting used to it, we can start to turn up that volume a little bit more and do it in other areas of the home so it just becomes part of their normal everyday life. Getting them used to the equipment. So you know, stroller, all of those things that maybe you know could be a little bit scary. Like pairing that with that's when you know we're playing with their favorite wand toy around, that Maybe we're giving them treats around, that we're patting them around there, so getting them to where it's like, oh, that car seat, that stroller like, or that swing that maybe that could be also alarming or like, ooh, what's that?

Mikkel Becker:

Like you know giving them, you know alternatives too, so you know alternative toys or just you know pairing that with positive. So the biggest thing is just really you know most cats do really really well with babies and it's just giving them that positive direction. The more that we can make it like sight, smell, sounds of baby, being able to take home something from the newborn before we even go back home for the kitty to smell and have something really positive happen, I get that really special treat or that playtime. That can be really helpful too in helping to get our cats on a schedule even before baby arrives, so that way it's not like okay, baby's here, all my attention's gone away. Life has changed for the worse. We don't want that.

Mikkel Becker:

We want it to be like you know, baby's here and, oh my god, kitty, you have a great life, you've been having a great life like and you're you're used to this. So if we we do expect a change in our schedule, you know, maybe we can add in more enrichment for our cat.

Mikkel Becker:

So, maybe that's where we're adding in. You know, you know additional, you know food, puzzle things or different independent toys, or, or we recruit other people to to interact with kitty too. So that way, you know, they still have their own outlets and it doesn't feel like I'm missing out just because baby's here, Right, and all of a sudden my attention's taken away. Instead, we want them to think like baby's here and I'm comfortable, I'm relaxed, I'm prepared for this.

Kristiina Wilson:

Yeah, those are all really really good ideas. I really like the ones about like playing, the crying sounds and baby sounds too, because you know cat's hearing is so amazing and that literally I never thought of doing that, so that's a really smart idea. That literally I never thought of doing that, so that's a really smart idea. Very, very good stuff. So I want to thank you so much for taking all this time to talk with me and for giving all of us so many, um, amazing ideas and all this great information. Um. Do you want to tell our listeners again where they can go to to access more information about fear free on their own?

Mikkel Becker:

yes, absolutely so. Just fearfreepetscom, or fearfreecom and fearfreehappyhomescom, so both of those are great sites and you'll find a lot of great information on there all right.

Kristiina Wilson:

Well, thank you again. So much, mikhail. I really, really appreciate this. This was so informative.

Mikkel Becker:

Um, and yeah, that's it Such a joy to be here with you today. Thank you so much. Thank you so much.

Kristiina Wilson:

Thanks for listening, as always. If you enjoyed the podcast, please go ahead and give us a rating and or a review. We'd super appreciate it. You can find our social medias, Instagram and TikTok at Hisintel Podcast. For cat behavior consultations go to catitude-adjustmentcom. Music provided by Cat Beats.

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Kristiina Wilson

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