“ComPETability: Solving Behavior Problems In Your Multi-Cat Household”, by Amy Shojai

“ComPETability: Solving Behavior Problems In Your Multi-Cat Household”, by Amy Shojai, is part of a series to help those who have multi-pet households.  It was published by FurryMuse Publications in 2012. As the title suggests, this book is a resource for those who have more than one cat. As Ms. Shojai is a pet behaviorist, she is more than qualified in this area.  Years ago she began her crusade for animals by becoming a veterinary technician. Almost naturally, she became a pet writer.  She has won more than two dozen awards for her writing.

ComPETability for multi-cat homes is a great resource book for new cat owners, as well as those who have had cats all their lives. It is a book that can be read from cover to cover, or just by topic. The cover is very appropriate as it has two cats that look to be fighting over who is the dominant one. Amy goes into this problem extensively.  The obvious play on words in the title shows Ms. Shojai’s delightful sense of humor. She uses her wit throughout the book to keep the reader enthralled. The book is in four parts.  The first part is an overview of the book, cat specific details, and behavior and training. Part Two covers problems and solutions. Amy uses the P. E. T. Test to find out why cats are having behavior problems. “The acronym stands for Physical Health, Emotional Well – Being, and Traits of Instinct. Only by knowing what triggers a ‘bad’ behavior can you devise a plan to address the situation.” Part Three is my favorite part, “Common Multipet Frustrations”. This part covers the reasons why cats do the things they do. The last parts of this book are the Appendixes.

We all know how mysterious cats can be.  This book helped me to think like a cat. Even though my house has been a multi-cat home for close to 20 years, this book has taught me quite a lot. For instance, years ago I had two cats, Tiffany and BoBo. They became like sister and brother; cuddling when they could and even grooming each other. Tiffany became sick and eventually had to be put down. Bobo grieved for months, and began to become very needy. I found that this is quite common and I probably would have made the grieving process a little easier for him had I let him see Tiffany’s body before burying it.

I enjoyed reading this book from cover to cover and I am sure that it will be my go-to book in the future. As usual, Amy Shojai entertained me with her “ComPETability: Solving Behavior Problems In Your Multi-Cat Household”. You, too, can be entertained by this book.  I bought the Kindle version on Amazon.com for $5.99.