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I’m Zazie, author of Companion Animal Psychology. If you love pets, you’re in the right place. Even better if you also love science and care about animal welfare.

I publish a new post every Wednesday (and sometimes on a Sunday too). Why not join over 2,000 animal lovers and subscribe to Companion Animal Psychology?

Here are some of my favourite posts. And if you love books, you can also check out the Animal Book Club.



Cats are wonderful creatures. When we understand them, we can use that information to make them happier. Here are five things to do for your cat today - and a bonus one to work on over time. 






A user-friendly guide to everything you need to know about positive reinforcement. 
Especially for anyone who is new to dogs or new to dog training.





The many ways we can improve our cat's lives




The best dog training treats

The best treats to use in dog training

Want to know which are the best treats to use in dog training?
This guide tells you what to consider and lists my favourites
(with recipes for home-made treats too)




Where do cats like to be stroked?


“Owners should avoid stroking near the tail. Instead they should stroke the face, especially in the areas where the scent glands are.”


How audiobooks can help shelter dogs 


“...although dogs don’t appreciate the fine writing and the plot, they do enjoy the engaging human voice.”

Re-arranging metaphors for dogs 


“Because dogs are family, and our furry family members need love, training and walkies, not dominance”

What kind of scratching post do cats prefer? 


“When cats scratch the furniture, their owners get annoyed. But it turns out many people are providing the wrong kind of scratching posts. Here's what cats prefer.”

Why you need to socialize your puppy 


“The importance of a critical period for socialization is hard to overestimate,” says Jean Donaldson.
You've heard that puppies need to be socialized, but have you ever wondered how we know?


Six ways to entertain your dog indoors


“When walks are limited these ideas will help you tire out your dog.”




The right to walk away


"Try to ensure that your dog or cat (or rabbit or...) has the opportunity to make choices."





How to help your pet with visits to the veterinarian

Essential tips for better vet visits.
I also maintain two resource pages on dog training science and cat training science.


If you like what you see, subscribe to get posts by email, and follow on twitter, facebook or pinterest. See you on Wednesday!

Popular posts from this blog

The Five Pillars of a Healthy Environment for Cats

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How to set your house up for your cat. Do you provide these five things that your cat needs?



Every morning at about the same time, my tortoiseshell cat Melina jumps on the bed with a chirrup and comes up to sniff my nose and ask to be petted. She purrs while I pet her on the head in the places where cats like to be petted, and a very short time later my alarm goes off and it’s time to get up. This sweet morning interaction is part of her daily routine.

Cats are wonderful pets, but people don’t always understand them well. If we provide a cat with the things they need in their environment, it helps them to be happier and healthier. This applies not just to the physical environment, but also to social interactions with us and any other animals in their space. If these things are not provided, the cat may become stressed and show signs of behaviour problems.

The five pillars of a healthy feline environment are described by the International Society of Feline Medicine and the American Ass…
Read more

The Ultimate Dog Training Tip

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The one thing every dog owner should know about how to train a dog.



There’s a lot of incorrect dog training advice on the internet, which makes it hard for people with dogs to sort out which advice is good and which is not.

Does it matter? Some of the time, despite using methods that aren’t recommended by professional organizations, you can get away with it. Maybe you will have a well-trained dog or maybe you will muddle along. Maybe your dog will actually be a bit afraid but you won’t notice (people aren’t very good at recognizing fear).

But unfortunately, for some dogs, there will be issues. And perhaps, instead of blaming the method, you'll blame the dog.

Here’s what one scientist concluded after reviewing the evidence on dog training methods (Ziv, 2017):
“it appears that aversive training methods have undesirable unintended outcomes and that using them puts dogs’ welfare at risk” Dog training is not regulated and so trainers do not have to be transparent about how they describ…
Read more

Does It Matter What Age You Neuter Your Kitten?

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New research investigates whether age of neutering affects feline behaviour – and looks at punishment and other variables too.


There are so many cats without homes that some shelters neuter kittens early, at 8 – 12 weeks old, so they are neutered prior to adoption. This is the only way they can guarantee that a kitten will be neutered. These days, the early neutering of kittens from 6 - 14 weeks old is supported by organizations such as the American Association of Feline Practitioners (many vets set a weight limit of at least 1kg).

In the past, cats were normally neutered at 6 – 8 months old. But even kittens can have kittens, so this does not prevent unwanted litters. It comes as a surprise to many people that even a 4-month old kitten can have kittens.

Kittens, like puppies, have a sensitive period that is an important socialization opportunity; if not properly socialized during this time, they will be more fearful as adults. Therefore some people worry that early neutering could ca…
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