082- Cat Care for Pet Sitters with Dr. Kathryn Primm
Summary:
Dr. Kathryn Primm, owner of Applebrook Animal Hospital and host of multiple podcasts and radio shows, joins us for a show packed with amazing advice for those of us who don’t have a lot of experience caring for cats. She shares the importance of fear free in animal care and how to bond with those really shy cat clients.
Topics on this episode:
Why are cats so misunderstood?
What’s the first thing a pet sitter needs to know about caring for a cat?
Common causes of aggression in cats
What is Fear Free?
Questions to be asking our clients
Getting connected with shy cats
“Ask a Vet” speed round
Main take away? Caring for cats is not something to skimp on, and takes a lot of prep work to do correctly. Ask the right questions and put in the time to connect with, and understand, your cat clients and you’ll see amazing results. Don’t force them into a dog shaped box!
About our guest:
Kathryn Primm, DVM, is the owner and founder of Applebrook Animal Hospital in Ooltewah, Tennessee and has a growing career as a writer, a speaker and an online voice for veterinarians and pet owners alike. She has written and contributed content to many outlets for veterinarians and pet lovers, including the consumer magazines Woman’s Day, Health magazine and Prevention as well as Veterinary Economics, dvm360, Firstline, Vetted and dvm360.com. Her regular "Ask A Vet" column is featured on iheartdogs.com and iheartcats.com, reaching more than 3 million viewers. Her educational radio segment Chattanooga Pet Talk aired on local iHeart media stations.
Dr. Primm was also the first in the nation to become a Fear Free certified professional. Dr. Primm has traveled to speak with students, pet owners and other veterinarians about effective communication and the benefits of decreasing stress on our pets. She and her dog, Skye, frequently do pet therapy at assisted living facilities around Chattanooga to help spread the word about the benefits animals and people can give each other. Her first book, Tennessee Tails: Pets and Their People, received recognition as a runner-up in the "Memoirs" category at a national book festival. The next book is well underway with more stories about the animals that Dr. Primm treats and the people who love them.
Links:
Nine Lives Podcast: https://www.petliferadio.com/ninelives.html
Her website: http://www.drprimm.com
Fear Free resources: https://fearfreepets.com/fear-free-pet-professionals/
Fear Free Happy Homes: www.Fearfreehappyhomes.com
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A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE
Provided by otter.ai
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
cat, pet sitters, cats, pet, dogs, animal, fear, called, people, respect, care, eat, resources, episodes, pet owner, free, prim, toys, indoors, feel
SPEAKERS
Collin, Dr. Kat
00:17
I'm calling and I'm Megan. And this is pet sitter confessional,
00:21
an open and honest discussion about life as a pet sitter.
Collin 00:27
Well, hello, everybody, and welcome back to what is or the time being going to be our last Friday episode. We started doing multiple episodes every week, once COVID hit, we wanted to be able to tell stories in real time as things were happening, to hear how people were being impacted to hear how the industry was responding and what things look like across the globe. We are still committed to telling those stories and as things change, or as new things come up, we will definitely be adding in shows throughout the week. Right now. We'll be doing shows Monday and Wednesday. day, Monday will be the show with Megan and I. And on Wednesdays, we'll be having the full length interview with professionals across the globe. So on today's episode, I had the immense pleasure of sitting down and having a discussion with Dr. Katherine prim, the actually first certified fear free pet care professional in the nation, she took time out of her busy schedule to sit down with us and share how pet sitters can take better care of cats. Usually kind of a last minute or afterthought for clients where they just expect us to throw that care in for free or maybe not care for them at all. Doctor Primm breaks down some of the common misconceptions, and we even spend some time on a rapid fire ask of that segment towards the very end, which I hope you'll enjoy. Let's get started.
Dr. Kat 01:46
I'm Dr. Katherine Primm. I'm a small animal veterinarian in Tennessee, and I'm also the host of a radio show podcast called nine lives with Dr. Cat. So I suspect that that's the reason you want to me to join you today.
Collin 02:01
Yes, yeah, we're very interested in talking to you about about cats and some of the common misconceptions around them, and how pet sitters can be better at taking care of them. And so do you have any pets? Currently?
Dr. Kat 02:14
Yes, I have a cat named scamper. And a dog named Skye.
Collin 02:19
I think as pet sitters and as the broader community and society at large. There seems to be a big misunderstanding about cats as far as their behavior and why they are the way they are. Why do you think cats are so misunderstood in those ways?
Dr. Kat 02:35
Well, because cats are not like dogs. Dogs have evolved with us as human beings to kind of change as we change and grow together. But cats are basically the same species, the same animal that they were when they started, they're very closely related to their feline ancestor. So they're not they're not animals that have sort of evolved with us. to coexist, we sort of have to adapt ourselves to who they are. So if you think about a cat, a cat is both a prey animal and a predator, because larger animals would prey on the cat as a smaller prey species, but then they have to hunt for their food. So you kind of have to consider how they see everything and how they see us.
Collin 03:24
So a lot of pet sitters have a lot more experience with dogs. Some only have exclusive experience with dogs, and they may get a client that asked them to take care of a cat for the first time. What would be the first thing that you would recommend for a pet sitter, the first thing that they should know when caring for a cat?
Dr. Kat 03:42
Cats are very different from dogs. So that's, that's the first thing they should know. And I always ask my neighbor when I'm giving lectures and things. Have you ever had a friend that came over and didn't like cats or was allergic to cats, but your cat instantly saw that person out and was just all over that person. And the reason for that is because the cat doesn't feel threatened by a person who's not approaching them or looking at them and just kind of is turning away from them, so to speak, that is very non threatening to a cat. And so I think that's probably the best advice for someone coming into the home to care for a cat is don't push yourself on the cat, right? Because I
Collin 04:26
feel like a lot of the the complaints or comments that come out of the pet sitting world is that cats are aggressive to them. And so I know you touched on a little bit there, but could you talk a little bit more about some common causes that would lead to a cat being aggressive to somebody?
Dr. Kat 04:44
Well, if someone is not respecting what the cat is telling them with, with its body language, or, you know even vocalizations but more its body language, if you don't respect the message that the cat is sending you about personal space, or how it feels about you entering its space, then those are the times when confrontation occurs. And a pet sitter should step away from confrontation and not continue to push, because that will sort of dissolve into not where you want it to go.
Collin 05:16
What are some of the common body languages that's the pet search should be on the lookout for as far as aggression, or when you start seeing that you're crossing those boundary lines of that cat space?
Dr. Kat 05:28
Well, cats typically like to hide from things that are that are fearful to them or fear inducing for them. So the pet sitter comes into a home and a cat is hiding in the pet sitter drags the cat out, for example, that would be not respecting that cats language of Hey, I don't feel comfortable with you. I'm going to hide. If you escalate, Dilated Peoples pinned ears. corralling, hissing, those are all signs that things are escalating in a negative way with a cat.
Collin 05:58
And so with The first response be to immediately step back, or what other things could the pet sitter do to alleviate that situation?
Dr. Kat 06:06
Absolutely. I wouldn't push the situation. In fact, even in my Animal Hospital, sometimes I have patients that will hit me when everything seems fine. And I'm doing I'm doing my usual thing and my beer free away and, and the cat hisses and the cats just telling me Hey, Dr. prim, that's too much. You have now crossed into the line where I feel like I'm going to have to defend myself through you know, bodily harm through violence. And I have to respect that and step back and I just go back to whatever I was doing when the cat wasn't advancing when the cat was comfortable with my handling. And I think that's good advice for your pet sitters as well. Even if it means you don't handle the cat a lot or you don't see the catalog. You have to respect what the cat is telling you.
Collin 06:53
You mentioned fear free in the fear free way that you are in your vet clinic. You're a huge advocate for that. Could you tell us more about that? And how pet sitters could get involved or get certified?
Dr. Kat 07:04
Absolutely, I am a huge believer. In fact, I am the world's first fear free, certified professional. And as a veterinarian, that was very, very important to me. They now have certification programs for trainers, and groomers and other professionals and the website where a lot of your information that pet sitters might find useful, is called fear free, Happy homes.com. There are handouts and videos to watch a great video to watch about what are the language of the cat, when a cat is fearful? It's there. I mean, your pet sitters could train themselves and educate themselves, and it's free. So that is an excellent resource.
Collin 07:46
What are a few distinguishing features of a fear free interaction with a pet, as opposed to how people may normally interact with them? Well, I can speak
Dr. Kat 07:55
mostly just from a veterinary hospital standpoint in the olden days. Before I was fear free, you know, we just kind of said, All right, we've got to do this, we've got to do these vaccines, we've got to do this exam, whatever it was, we just got to do it. And we might put on leather gloves, or I mean, we would just we did not respect the fact that the pet was telling us, I think you're going to kill me. And obviously, that's not what we want. We want animals to know that they're getting care and they we want them to trust us. So now there aren't leather gloves in my hospital. And we respect when the animal advances in fear and starts giving me those signals. I change my tactics. And I often do examinations in a window perch, instead of on an exam table, or in a hiding box with a lid pulled off or I can just slip my my stethoscope inside and listen to hearts and and the cat feels less threatened and that works really well for me.
Collin 08:54
So it's really about, as you've mentioned a couple times that that respect that you have for the animal So that you build trust over time so that it doesn't become a huge ordeal and a big fight each and every time but listening to how they're communicating?
Dr. Kat 09:08
Absolutely, I would, I would say it should never become a fight.
Collin 09:12
Now I'm sure there are some pet sitters out there that that hear that and go, that's great and all but the client only booked me for 30 minutes or for a 15 minute drop in, how can that be adapted for kind of short time periods for somebody who's dealing with a cat that may be showing some of those aggressive signs and not really wanting to interact?
Dr. Kat 09:33
Well, it depends on what the pet owner expects you to do. If they just want you to check in on the cat, feed the cat, that you could do that without confronting the cat without escalating the situation. If you've got to do something to the cat, and that's a different thing entirely, and I would encourage pet sitters that feel like they are not safe to communicate that with the pet owner so that they can then talk to their veterinarian. Because we certainly have products and medications and things that we can recommend to help make that better. No one wants their pet sitter to be afraid.
Collin 10:09
So over the past several years, you know, since you've been been a vet, what would you say has been the biggest change in our understanding of cats and their care?
Dr. Kat 10:18
Oh, gosh, the way I see cats is completely different. There's not one thing. I've always really really liked cats. But I guess respecting what the cat is telling me is, is maybe a big thing, maybe realizing that people expect cats to act and behave like dogs and they don't appreciating cats because they're cats and and respecting that really allows you to see how cool they are.
Collin 10:48
Yeah, and get to know either individual personalities over time to instead of trying to force them into a box that you expect them to act and behave
Dr. Kat 10:57
forcing them into a dog shaped box. Yes, but cats are so individual and so intelligent. And I don't think I really knew that until I was further along how extremely smart they really are, and how they're always watching us. So, you know, you just got to kind of admire them.
Collin 11:17
So if there's a pet sitter that is taking on their first clients that has a cat, what should they be asking the owner that about the care of that cat that may be different than a dog client?
Dr. Kat 11:30
Well, certainly you would want to have the little list just like you would have for a dog. What she eats, you know, does she drink a lot of water? Does she use a litter box? Does she routinely, you know, miss the litter box? Or does she choose to not use the litter box? Is that going to be a warning sign or is that kind of something that she does? Very, very important, especially if a cat is overweight, to make sure the cat is actually eating because cats can suffer from a disease process called hepatic lipid osis. And if the cat is overweight, and then the owner goes out of town, for example, and the cat just completely fast, it could become a life threatening situation. So I would encourage all pet sitters to be sure that they're kind of measuring and paying attention. If that cat is not eating at all,
Collin 12:18
yeah, I recommend and something that we do is pet service when we go over for cats is we'll fill the food bowl, and then we'll actually take a picture of it before we leave so that when we come back, we have something to compare to to see exactly how much has been eaten, if any at all. There are a lot of cat products out there, I'm sure you've noticed that there's kind of been an explosion of things that people can buy for their cats. And as pet sitters, we interact with owners that are always buying more or maybe asking for recommendations. Are there any that we as pet sitters can steer them away from and recommend that they not bring into their home?
Dr. Kat 12:54
Gosh, I don't know about not but I've got some favorites that I would suggest recommending Here are some really cool things that are like puzzle toys that require a cat to think and move. And that is a lot more physiological for a cat. Because they aren't grazing animals. They don't they don't stand on a pasture and just eat all day long. So I love those the puzzle toys. And if, if an owner had trained their cat to eat from a puzzle toy, or one of the little bowls that looks like a mouse, and then you wind it up in it, and they have to apprehend it. If that was in place before you as the pet sitter came in, then it would be easier for you every everything would seem normal to that cat. So I think that would be a really good thing.
Collin 13:40
We've talked a little bit about some aggression and cats and how that can come out. And you did mention that one of the first things that a cat does is is hide and so they tend to be shy to new things or changes. What are some ways that we as pet sitters can better connect with them when we're doing our visits and taking care of them?
Dr. Kat 13:57
Well, I use a product called seal away. It is a pheromone that is synthetically created. It's the same thing that you know how cats like rub their faces on your butt you with their head. It's that fear that they spread on to objects that they feel are safe. So if you can spray some feel away on your clothing before you go to take care of a cat, there is a chance that the cat will see you as a safe person as someone that has already been marked, checked out and certified as safe. It doesn't work 100% in every cat, but I certainly spray it on myself every day twice a day in my Animal Hospital. And for those that it works, it makes a pretty dramatic difference.
Collin 14:44
That's good to know about because a lot of times you may as a pet surgeon not know where to even start. And this is like showing that there's preparation you can do before you even get into the door that can set you up for success.
Dr. Kat 14:57
Yes, and it's not expensive, so it's certainly worth While to investigate, there are also some products that you could suggest a pet on our feed. There's one called zil keen, that is a calming product, they would need to start feeding it before they left on their trip. It wouldn't work immediately, maybe a couple weeks before, but it is affordable and available just over the counter and cats really like it. That is something that as you are approaching your pet sitting job you might suggest for pet owners to implement.
Collin 15:30
You're pretty well known for your ask evette segments on I heart dogs and I heart cats. So I thought we could kind of do a speed round or bring up some common questions that I hear from pet sitters that come up probably more frequently than they should.
15:44
Okay, I'll do my best.
Collin 15:46
So again, these are these are questions or comments that I've seen on pet sitter forums and or I've heard directly from them in the area. Do I really need to scoop the cat litter everyday?
Dr. Kat 15:56
Well, I think that that would depend on your pet owner. And your cat, very individual. However, I would kind of say yes, because you don't want to discourage the cat from feeling comfortable using the box, because it's already a stressful situation with the owner gone. And you don't want to create bad habits that linger long after you're gone. So I would say yes, absolutely.
Collin 16:20
I've heard it's important to change your cat's water frequently. Why is that?
Dr. Kat 16:24
Well, some cats like to drink out of the faucet. And my cat and dog have a fountain bowl because they they seem to like the fresh water. I think that it's because a cat can that water seems stagnant to a cat and they instinctively know that fresh and flowing water is more likely to be safe. So yes, I love the idea of fountain bowls and changing the water frequently. So yes, why does
Collin 16:51
the cat that I'm caring for want to play one minute and then is biting and scratching my hand like crazy the neck?
Dr. Kat 16:58
Well, that's an individual okay? thing. Some people believe that if a kitten has not been socialized correctly, like maybe it was weaned too young or orphaned or something, that they never learn their bite inhibition, and they never learn how to interact socially with other cats or maybe even with people. So it might be that the cat really doesn't mean to be to be Bidi or her hurtful, but it doesn't have that inhibition, because of the way it was socialized as a kitten.
Collin 17:30
I think following up with that, why does my cat randomly seem to attack my leg as I walked through the house?
Dr. Kat 17:35
When I was in veterinary school, I had a cat named Merlin. And I wrote a whole chapter in my book about him because he would stalk my roommate. And whenever she walked down the hall, he would wait under the couch to grab her legs or her feet, and she would squeal and they would both run and I think he just thought that was really fun. I mean, he just seemed to really work for that squeal.
Collin 17:59
Oh, Well, you mentioned earlier too, they are these little predators. And so that kind of is a behavior and action that they can act out in play with.
Dr. Kat 18:08
Absolutely. we underestimate their needs their physical needs.
Collin 18:13
Another question was, can I just let it outside? It's a tiny predator anyway.
Dr. Kat 18:18
No, you should follow the instructions of the pet owner for sure. I think that would be I think, if you let someone's indoor only cat outside, that would be a recipe for disaster. But keeping cats indoors is is very much more safe for them because of the things that outside that can hurt them. But if we're going to keep cat strictly indoors, we have to meet their mental and physical needs. Things like things to climb on vertical spaces, encouraging activity, the things I talked about puzzle bowls, and activity toys and that kind of stuff. That's kind of our responsibility to that cat.
Collin 18:55
And then I've talked about this a little bit earlier, but a common thing that comes up is it's a Cat, so I don't need to be with it any longer than 15 minutes or so. Right?
Dr. Kat 19:04
Well, I guess that depends on the pet owner as well and how much the cat is interacting with you. A lot of people believe that cats should have an interactive playtime right before they eat, that they can kind of count on. So if that is something that you could implement when you were there, and the cat would interact with you, again, not forcing yourself on the cat, I think it's very positive for the cat that he or she gets to think and move before eating.
Collin 19:33
As we kind of close out here you have several recommendations for products and things like that. But what are some resources that you'd recommend for pet sitters who are interested in learning more about proper pet care?
Dr. Kat 19:45
Well, as I mentioned, fear free happy Homes is an amazing resource. There is actually a website called cat vets.org for the American Association of feline practitioners, which obviously I'm a member of there are some pet owner facing references there resources and such to the AVMA also has some things. There, it's out there, you just have to Google it and be interested enough to read it.
Collin 20:14
It takes a little bit of time, but it can really pay off in the long haul.
Dr. Kat 20:18
And of course my ask Yvette articles that I've done for I heart cats, I've talked about everything well, why does my cat bite me? I mean, everything that we can think of I have written so certainly utilize that as a resource as well.
Collin 20:31
Right? We've gone through just some highlights of cat care, but there is obviously a ton more out there. And so for people who are interested in using you as a resource, how can they reach out follow up and and seek out some of the work that you've done?
Dr. Kat 20:45
Well, you can google me but the fastest way probably I'm on Facebook, Catherine prim DVM, and all a lot of the social media also pet life radio is the platform upon which my podcast launches and it's nine live With Dr. Cat I also have a dog show called Dr. Cat gone to the dogs. All of my episodes are peer reviewed, good information, not just trendy information but good information. So I seek out people that are well qualified to discuss issues. And we talk about nutrition and entertainment and toys and books about cats and cool places to go if you like cat. So I would encourage everyone to check that out.
Collin 21:27
amazing show and just a crazy amount of resources and a wonderful place to begin if you've never thought about this, or have no idea you know what you're even looking into. It's a really good place with a lot of really good information. Dr. Cat I want to thank you for coming on today and taking time out of your busy day. I really appreciate it and I wish you all the best.
Dr. Kat 21:48
Well it's my pleasure to be here I love spreading word about cats.
Collin 21:52
Dr. Kat's resources for both cats and her dog resources are amazing ones and I definitely encourage you to go check those out. Especially if you've never cared for cats before, or maybe you have one upcoming soon, and you're trying to get prepared for it. It's a plethora of information on her podcast on her blog on her website. And I'll have links to those in many more in the show notes and on our website, so you can click on those and go find them. You can also sign up for our weekly newsletter on our website. Our newsletter contains in depth links and show notes for each of our episodes, as well as some writings on what's going on in the pet care industry and Megan's and my thoughts on that. We love hearing from you to check us out on Facebook and Instagram pet sitter confessional and our website is pets are confessional calm. You can also email us at feedback at pet sitter confessional.com. Let us know how you're doing and we'd love to help share your story.
