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Sam R
2024.03.25
Fraud alert. I had a consult with this org.
RESPONSE:
Jackson Galaxy doesn’t claim to be a cat behaviorist. You do. *shrug* That term MEANS something. (Also, he is kind of a shill for playing into the “nature is best” fallacy with his tinctures who have similarly poor reviews. With no special qualifications, he should not be putting out products targeted toward cat well-being without consulting actual clinical experts.) BUT ANYWAY.
ABC is not an accredited school and your certifications are worthless. Google ABCCT - it doesn’t even come up until the third or fourth result. Also, what does that T stand for? Last I checked, “behavior” starts with “b”. And your language around IAABC is misleading at best.
No one is scrutinizing your love for cats or your activism, (although having annual reports about your charity’s performance is a basic requirement for transparency).
The issue is claiming to know and be more than you are. Presenting yourself as an expert when you are not is literally dangerous. Snake oil salesmanship.
Finally, veterinarians - AKA ACTUAL DOCTORS - recommend Feliway. Find me one peer-reviewed study that shows it is toxic. And, once again, there are sprays that don’t rely on the plug-in for anyone concerned about fire safety.
One shill “vet” endorsement does not a safe product make. For example, about 90% of essential oils are toxic to cats. Not “TOXIC” as in “chemicals” - everything is chemicals - water is chemicals - but toxic as in “will kill or seriously injure.” This is why we have the peer review process.
This is why there are organizations for behaviorists; there are codes of ethics and professional consequences for not adhering to them.
Your failure to uphold professional ethics is just that - a failure. Stay in your echo chamber or do better. Your choice.
In short, a hit dog’ll holler.
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CREDENTIALS: They claim being IAABC members (incredible accreditation),but neither of them are listed in the IAABC directory. One of the ladies’ degree is from a non-accredited university. Unclear what they others’ academic qualifications are. (UPDATE: Their “credentials” are from the specific school they went to. “ABCCT” means nothing in the world of behaviorism.)
“CHARITY”: They state that their sanctuary is a 501(c)3 registered charity. The Cat Behavior Alliance is registered as a 501c3, though they provide no transparency about the way their funds are used. Without transparency, there’s absolutely no way to know how donations are being appropriated. Shady at best.
APPROACH TO RESOLVING CAT BEHAVIOR ISSUES: Recommending products from one of their own corporate sponsors. This is the one product the ladies say you MUST have. According to product website, the ladies are brand ambassadors. The product itself “contains no allergens whatsoever” - so is either water or they are lying - “and is imbued with positive vibes.” For double the price you can add a “sacred rock” - also imbued with magic powers. No ingredients are listed on the website.
They recommended so many other products. None of them have good reviews or veterinary endorsement. The only thing we tried were the calming treats and silvervine, and neither did a damn thing.
CBA seems to rely on quick fixes to make up for the fact that they don’t know enough to address the heart of the problem.
They give a watered down version of a well-known method (hunt catch kill eat groom sleep).
ANTI-SCIENCE: They actively discourage people from using veterinary approved methods like Feliway. They also flat out lied saying there’s no spray version of Feliway. There is.
IN SUMMARY: Beyond that, their entire approach is management-based and/or extremely general cat integration information.
If you were an alien from another planet and needed to learn about cats, this would be a good (if overpriced) resource. Otherwise, you get what you pay for. Pay for someone who is credentialed and has reviews that are available to the genpop.
So appalling that they have gotten away with this sham for so long.
You may be interested in reading this! https://www.walkervillevet.com.au/blog/cat-feliway-review/ Regarding your “science” of Feliway.
Not interested in addressing your bogus claims, but tell us WHO YOU ARE so we can refund your money, you should have come to US in the first place with your concerns instead of bullying two ladies who give everything they have for the cats...
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We are heartbroken that you chose to make these public accusations and will address each point.
1. Is Jackson Galaxy he is a "fraud" since he has no certification? We are certified through Animal Behavior College and both passed with honors. No fraud.
2. We were supporting members with IAABC for years but stopped due to the cost of supporting 29 cats in our sanctuary. Not fraud.
3. 501c3. If there is some specific transparency you'd like to see, we'd be happy to provide. We have 29 cats, all of which were "unadoptable" or about to be euthanized. Every new admit is shown and discussed on social media as well as every vet visit and issue. Do the math on feeding, vet care, litter etc for 29 cats. We save every extra cent to build a sanctuary some day as we can't take any more in. We hide nothing. Additionally, VERY little money comes in through donations. We work hard for every cent, providing services in exchange for the donation. No fraud.
4. We recommend products that we have found helpful. We do not work for any of the companies. We do have affiliate programs with two companies we love and we did write a few blogs for the one you mentioned but that's it and products, while helpful, are not the entire recipe. No fraud
5. Anti-science. We fully support use of medications when necessary but go natural when possible. We have a blog on our website discussing various anti anxiety (science) meds. That alone proves your statement of "anti science" to be wrong, or should I say, a "lie" as you said about us?
It's true that we don't like Feliway. They are a fire hazard, the solution is toxic and you need many of them to cover the area. Those facts, our personal experience and the experience of others is what we base our opinion on. That doesn't make us anti science. It makes us anti feliway plug in. That's not fraud.
We did not say there is no spray. Since every session is video recorded, if you would provide us your name we will happily play it back. Our only issue with the spray is that you should let it settle for ten minutes after spraying before letting the cat in due to respiratory effects. It's our opinion and not fraud.
In summary, we take each case individually. We have tested methodologies we share, in addition to some product recommendations or ideas. We have 50, 5 Star reviews of people who were successful with our help and many others who have written. The fact that we live with 29 cats should stand for something. We are knowledgeable and have had proven success. If our recipe didn't help we would have gladly worked with you through email to dig deeper. Maybe there was a catalyst to your cat's behavior we didn't discover? We don't always get it perfect on the first shot which is why we provide ongoing support through email.
I would urge you to reconsider calling people liars and frauds with no proof.You are viciously attacking two humans who devote their lives to cats because our recipe did not work on the first try rather than ask for further support?
This is Rita, I’m actually on my way to the eye doctor but I’m completely heartbroken about all the things you said about us. I never said we were certified from the IAABC, we were supporting members for years, though we’re not anymore because it got a little too expensive. We are supporting right now 29 cats in our sanctuary, with plans to build a facility if we cat raise enough funds. We recommend products that we use ourselves, but we supply plenty of methodologies as well. We’re not all about products, and we’re not getting rich.