Reducing Cats' Distress with Mikkel Becker, Leader Trainer for Fear Free Pets and Fear Free Happy Homes

"Fear free is all about educating people to understand their cat's emotional needs, which are deep and complex." This episode is sponsored in part by Kensington Books, Doobert, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy speaks with Mikkel Becker, a certified trainer and behavior consultant, that serves as the lead trainer for Fear Free Pets and Fear Free Happy Homes. She is also the co-author of From Fearful to Fear Free In her conversation with Stacy, Mikkel talks about her experience training cats through using positive reinforcement and encouragement. She explains why she believes they can be trained more easily than dogs and how training is based in every day interactions with our cats. Mikkel speaks in depth about Fear Free, which was founded upon the mission of preventing and alleviating fear, anxiety, and stress in pets. She talks about the benefits of utilizing Fear Free programs. One of these programs is Fear Free Shelters, which is a free program available to rescues and shelters. Mikkel also provides an update on her father, Dr. Marty Becker, who recently spent time at the Ukraine border helping people and their pets that were transitioning across the border. She spoke with him further about his experience on her podcast, Happy Paws. To learn more about Fear Free, visit Fear Free Pets or Fear Free Happy Homes. If you enjoyed this episode, check out our interview with Dr. Marty Becker, "America's Veterinarian" and Founder of the Fear Free Initiative, in episode 121.