Just as with humans, stress and trauma can have lasting impacts on the well-being of our animal companions. If you love your cat but are concerned by it displaying a negative behaviour, such as aggression towards you or other members of your household; or your cat seems to be in a constant state of anxiety or depression, a professional cat psychologist might just have the answer.

Jules dos Santos is the owner of Divine Creatures, a first class boarding facility in Sydney. She started out her business with one aim in mind: to create a facility where the cats would have their innate needs met in terms of their environment and interactions with the staff. She did not want owners to return from their holidays to find their cats suffering from stress and separation anxiety. To this end, Jules, a former veterinary nurse, undertook a cat psychology degree with spectacular results. Many of Jules clients have commented that their cats had such a good time at Divine Creatures, that they returned home more settled, better behaved, happier and fitter than they had been before their stay.

I asked Jules to explain exactly what a cat psychologist does and how they might be able to help cat owners and their feline companions.

WHAT DOES A CAT PSYCHOLOGIST DO?

I often get asked ‘What is the difference between a cat psychologist and a cat behaviourist?’

Just like people, we have counsellors and psychologists. Human counselling is concerned with immediate issues such as processing grief or anger. Psychotherapy, on the other hand, uses long-term treatment and takes into account a client’s psychological history.

Cat psychology is no different. As a cat psychologist I understand ‘why’ the cat behaves the way it does and have a deeper appreciation of the cat’s brain, genetics and innate behaviours. This enables me to formulate comprehensive behaviour modification plans to achieve a stronger long-term prognosis of the desired behaviour.

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON REASONS CLIENTS CONTACT YOU ABOUT THEIR CAT’S BEHAVIOUR?

The most common reason involves inappropriate urination in a multi-cat household. Only too often people bring another cat into the resident cat’s environment and the resident or the new cat do not cope due to incorrect initial introductions. All of these behaviours are avoidable if people follow the correct advice in the beginning and respect the resident cat’s territory.

WHAT ARE SOME OTHER ISSUES THAT A CAT PSYCHOLOGIST MIGHT BE ABLE TO ASSIST IN RESOLVING?

Other issues that can create problems for cats and their owners include veterinary hospital aggression, which can make it difficult for staff to be able to treat a cat properly; furniture damage; and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

WHAT DO YOU WISH MOST CAT LOVERS KNEW ABOUT THEIR FELINE COMPANIONS?

That their emotional response to life is very similar to ours and when we can see life through their eyes, their language is very simple. Respecting that they are mostly solitary animals, understanding their basic needs of being loved, being respected, and considering their innate welfare requirements is the first place for every cat lover to begin comprehending their feline companions.

COULD YOU SHARE ONE OF YOUR SUCCESS STORIES WITH US?

I was contacted by a couple who had met and fallen in love with each other. However, they were both the owners of adult female cats. They wanted to marry and live together but agreed they would only do so if their cats could get along peacefully together. As you can imagine, the pressure on me for their future happiness was significant! Further to this, the cats involved were a 10-year-old Tortoiseshell and a 7-year-old Tonkinese: They were both diva cats! However, by working co-operatively together with their owners, my behavioural plan for introducing the cats worked perfectly. That couple now also has a child together and both humans and felines enjoy a blissfully blended family life!

For more information on cat psychology and Jules dos Santos go to: Divinecreatures.com.au/cat-psychology/

Cat Psychologist Jules dos Santos is holding a copy of my book The Divine Feline: a chic cat lady’s guide to woman’s best friend. I have known Jules for nearly a decade and she has looked after my own cats at Divine Creatures so I can highly recommend her as someone with a genuine passion for seeing cats and their owners live their best lives together. She has recently started her own charity, using part of her boarding facility to rescue cats and kittens from the pound.

To follow her go to the Divine Creatures Facebook page at: facebook.com/luxuryhotelforcats/

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