That is a good suggestion, Andi.

erika, I have precious little experience with cat behavior problems, besides being a victim of them growing up. I did a bunch of research just now but cannot recommend anything that I've read. The one thing I did see...and can attest to, is that punishment or 'aversion therapy' doesn't work effectively in the long run...and especially not with cats.

I have never seen "My Cat From Hell", but will certainly check it out.

I watch that show a lot, but, although some of the cats are a lot like my friend, it's hard to know what to do--it is helpful to know there are many strange cats out there.

agreed, bonny. Aversion techniques are useful only insofar as the cat never connects the human with the aversive stimulus - once the cat knows it's your finger on the trigger, all you are doing is teaching the cat to be afraid of you. Some people mistake the use of the spray bottle for a humane form of punishment. Its value as a training aid is not as a kinder, gentler spanking but as a form of operant conditioning. (Side note: I have been way more successful with the shaking a can of pennies to startle a cat away from certain trouble zones than in using a spray bottle, such as keeping them from charging through the front door when it opens - but that is not a fear or aggression-based issue) And in a misplaced aggression scenario, anything that increases the cat's fear will do the opposite of decreasing the aggression.

once the cat knows it's your finger on the trigger, all you are doing is teaching the cat to be afraid of you.

ditto for dogs.

Its value as a training aid is not as a kinder, gentler spanking but as a form of operant conditioning.

Sing it!

And in a misplaced aggression scenario, anything that increases the cat's fear will do the opposite of decreasing the aggression.

Amen!

Mom is sometimes a little nuts with the water bottle at this point.

Sometimes it is hard to apply the principles of cat-ifying a space when one's budget is limited and one's home is set up in a much different way than the homes on the show. If I could see your place I might be able to make some suggestions, but static photos wouldn't really do the job - I'd need to see traffic patterns (especially how Rocky moves through the space) and the locations of incidents with your mom. Some of the stuff they do on the show, you just know costs hundreds, if not thousands of dollars - but I do have some cheaper substitute ideas for some of that stuff.

omg, y'all. I am Cranktina of the Cranktown Crankstons right now.

The pet care company has been really calm lately, but with the holiday upon us, people are being...difficult. So, that means, the fixer is back on deck.

Last night a boarder says her dog was attacked by a client dog. She refuses to take the dog to the vet because he 'won't let her.' He's a 20lb mix who she says has PUNCTURE WOUNDS TO THE FACE.

She says the vet told her to just pick up some antibiotics and that we need to pay that bill. Now, I've treated my dogs for a ton of stuff at home, but I have never heard of a vet being casual about the bacteria stew that puncture wounds represent.

No one has seen the dog. We have no photos. The boarded pet has no history of violence that we are aware of. The boarder didn't actually see the attack until she broke the dogs up and instructed the visitor to go to her bed...which she did, and stayed there.

So. When you say to me, "What is the company going to do to take care of this?" I'm at a loss. TAKE CARE OF WHAT?!

And...throw a towel over your dog, wrap him up and get him to the ever-loving vet. For cripessake.

He hangs out in doorways and in her closet.(I believe some of it is about territory, but they have a cold war now--no trust.)

Mom is sometimes a little nuts with the water bottle at this point.

She's afraid. A perfectly rational reaction. But it's easy for that to feed into a nasty, nasty recursion loop.

Can you get her to do a behavioral analysis chart on biting incidents? The ABC format would be useful. A=antecedent (the events preceding the biting), B=behavior (the actual thing the cat did, ie sank teeth into ankle & let go immediately, or bit and held on, etc.; C=consequence, what happened immediately after it. Figuring out exactly what is happening is key to figuring out how to prevent or diffuse it.

And now I have to hop in the shower to get ready for work.

I do have some cheaper substitute ideas for some of that stuff.

PODCAST! (forgive me for yelling) There is clearly an audience for that kind of cure and less-expensive options are needed.