How much faith do you put into Cat help videos?

[Mrs Kane]

In my nightly roams (insomnia ftw) I've been watching a lot those animal planet type videos. Lately I've been watching "My cat from Hell" which is an American series. They seem to have a lot of good points but I do wonder how much you can trust these shows?

I've seen some problems that I've known in the past at a less extreme but the solutions seem so simple they often seem dumb. Do you guys find these types of videos helpful or do you just scoff at them?
But at the same time I've seen some points where I've thought... "Well, that might be the reason for X cat to be X character in the past"

[PeanutsFriend]

I like Jackson's advise. He loves cats honestly.

[SarahT1 [PLLE]]

I think Jackson is the real deal.

[Crewella]

Yep, he's fine by me.

[Lallum]

I have only seen this when I'm in the USA. I like it. I've seen quite a few episodes and although some of the advice is very obvious, I love seeing the improvement in the relationship between cat and owner. I think there are cat owners out there who get into bad situations with apparently aggressive cats and end up getting rid of the cat in various ways. Anything which causes a caring owner to look for help (and being on US TV where the prog is available to lots of people) can only be good for cats and humans.

Whilst not the best television, I've watch much worse. My favourite US channel is the Weather Channel. I am very sad!

[Cussypat1974]

I think it's depends on the show. It is basically reality TV about animal behaviouralists at work. I do like Jackson, and Victoria Stillwell for dogs. Cesar Milan, on the other hand, should be executed for the damage he does to both dogs and humans alike. That man has ZERO education or qualifications, and clearly has no understanding of actual canine behaviour. He is more than a money/fame seeking glory hound, he is a danger to society IMO.

Sorry for the rant lol! I feel VERY Strongly about him!

Overall, these shows are great when done by professional, qualifi people who know their stuff (ie: Jackson Galaxy). I do think they should be used as a starting point only, if you are having troubles yourself. No two cases are exactly the same. I also think it is possible to fix many behavioural issues yourself, with the right reading and a little effort to learn about behaviour. Not many of us can offered a behaviour expert eh?

Most of the people on these shows at complete idiots too, lol.

[Mrs Kane]

I'm glad to know I'm not in the minority for watching these I tend to take all these "self help" type shows with a pinch of salt. I think they're great for all people that have pet problems but as Cussypat said, no two cats are alike and their problems will vary according to their surroundings and personality. I suppose these shows offer great first steps though!

Cesar Milan, on the other hand, should be executed for the damage he does to both dogs and humans alike.

The Dog Whisperer, right? I've watched a few of his shows. Not being a dog owner myself since I was a kid I don't tend to watch them too much unless a clip ends up of my FB page. I really can't remember much about dog training anymore so I tend to stay clear. I didn't think he was that bad though. I have disagreed with some of the things he said in the past but not all.

[Cussypat1974]

He bases everything on completely outdated dominance theory which was based on observing wolves in captivity back in the 1940's or whenever it was originally done. Thing is, wolves in their natural state are entirely different. In captivity, it is a group of unrelated animals, and there is constant tension (although hopefully captive wolves are now kept in their family groups more often!). In a wild pack, they are a FAMILY and there is no rivalry. Domestic dogs are bred to become our family members, and they do, far More so than cats (in terms of their own behaviour I mean, cats are still my babies lol!). There are scenes of Caesar in his shows trying to intimidate abused dogs with food aggression issues, into giving up their dinner. He got badly bitten, and deserved it! He physically abuses them and cuts off their air supply in a headlock, to get them to submit. It is nothing short of animal abuse. The thing is, the shows air with the dog subdued and ceasing whatever behaviour the problem was, but if you do some research, many of those dogs have later gone on to attack humans and ended up being PTS. Not EVERY dog can be saved, I know. But that guy does animals NO favours by promoting his nonsensical, unfounded methods, and they are downright dangerous to anyone trying to imitate them (which is of course what happens!).
Imagine cutting off a cats air supply to stop it from scratching??? That is the anger I feel towards this man!