Berlin Waters grew up in a house full of cats, with a mom who handled TNR for the neighborhood, and she’s been a cat lover ever since. That lifelong interest led her to a master’s in shelter medicine, where her research focused on handling and socializing fearful and aggressive cats. The result is The Spicy Cat Project, a resource for shelters and caregivers who want a more humane, effective approach to cats with challenging behavior. Berlin is now a third-year vet student with her sights set on shelter medicine and access to care.

In this conversation with host Stacy LeBaron, Berlin explains why the cats she works with in shelters are usually owner-surrendered, not feral. They came from homes and they’re simply terrified. Rather than leaving hissing cats alone to “decompress” for days or weeks, she argues for early, guided intervention that shows them things are going to be okay. She walks through her slow, step-by-step approach to a cat in a kennel, why she gave up on tools like the fake hand on a stick, and how she uses feral boxes, carriers, and thick folded towels to keep both herself and the cat safe.

Stacy and Berlin also dig into some bigger questions in cat welfare. Berlin shares why she thinks we’ve become over-reliant on gabapentin, which she sees as a useful adjunct but not a substitute for real socialization. Both question the value of behavioral evaluations at intake, comparing them to judging a cat’s personality during a vet visit. They also touch on the possible role of pain and stress in aggressive behavior. Berlin’s message to adopters and shelters is a cultural shift: a cat that hisses and growls is a scared cat, with a sweet one hiding underneath.

• Why most “aggressive” shelter cats are scared house cats, not ferals
• The case for early intervention instead of leaving fearful cats alone
• Berlin’s step-by-step method for approaching a cat in a kennel
• Why she stopped using handling tools and relies on towels, carriers, and feral boxes
• How fearful cats tend to do once they’re in foster or adoptive homes
• Where gabapentin helps, and where over-reliance can fail cats
• Why behavioral evaluations at intake may not tell you much
• How pain and stress may factor into challenging behavior

Resources & Links

• The Spicy Cat Project
• Handling Techniques
• Feral Cats
• Adoption Basics
• The Spicy Cat Project on YouTube