We all love our cat for who he is. He has his likes, dislikes and personality. He is unique! Most of his behavior we enjoy: he is affectionate, loves to play and adores us. He becomes a part of the family and we couldn't imagine our lives without him.

I have a neurotic kitty. I thought I was the only one until I started doing some research to help him and I live in the same house. I found out alot of cat-owners have the same problems. Cats are independent and aloof. Some are high-strung and most just want to do their own thing, which may include jumping on the kitchen table during dinner, climbing the drapes, and hiding under the furniture when he's scared.

Smokey Joe is my cat's name. He is a 3yr old siamese (who are famous for their independence and constant meowing for attention). Of course, Smokey does these things, being an tried and true Siamese, he could act no other way. He also wants to play ALL the time and when he plays he turns into a "wild cat"- all teeth and claws! He has been known to attack without warning. This kind of behavior I would like to discourage.

Of more importance, I want to make Smokey Joe's surroundings comfortable for him. I want him to feel safe in his home.

Smokey and I have a loving, mutually soothing relationship. He's learned loving comes from "Mom" and playtime?-that's "Dad"-time. After all, dads are for rough-housing and he has the scratches to prove it!

Smokey is a territorial cat and he is constantly on guard for intruders. He's and indoor cat who used to be an outdoor cat. He watches mostly for other cats. He's also a predator, a hunter and I think that sometimes when he's staring out the window he's chasing birds in his imagination.

What I find works well for us is positive reinforcement. I give him love and pets when he's doing what is acceptable. I use a loud rough voice when I see him acting bad. It seems to work for us.

Of course, it's not exactly that simple and I needed help. Learning how my cat thinks and reacts to me and others helped alot. I learned about stressors, aggression and numerous other things that can affect my cat's mood and how to deal with it. Kitty and I now live