I don't know about his new age philosophy, but "energy" is a real issue with sensitive animals whose entire survival depends on "reading" nonverbal clues. A person who is tense, angry or fearful around a misbehaving cat WILL find that the cat picks up on it and if they learn to relax and try to release that anger, frustration or fear, the cat DOES respond to them better. I've seen it happen repeatedly not just on the show but with cats I have known. So, not all references to "energy" has to be the whole new age version of it. It's really not much more than "vibes" we put out that comes across in our body language, eye movement, voice, muscle tension, any number of slight ways that cats just seem to sense. Dogs seem to have the same ability. If you have a cat, this is a great show not disimilar to the "Dog Whisperer" program and its successful methods.
You’re right. It’s not a good idea to put out your hand and try to pet a strange cat. The cat may very well see it as a threat. Let them come to you.
I like to get down on the floor with animals I don’t know-—sort of get on their level. I did that with the German Shepherd my sister-in-law used to have, and he got SO excited....he tried to sit his big butt in my lap, LOL.