A lot of people worry about the dangers from Halloween tricksters, or other strangers, with more evil intentions, to their pets on Halloween night. Some shelters stop adopting out black cats, or all cats, for the month of October. From my research, I was not able to find any evidence that animal cruelty increases around Halloween. It seems that the people who intentionally hurt animals don't limit themselves to October to do so.
However, it seems that no one has ever really studied the issue in a serious way either, and lack of good evidence may be due more to a lack of any well done study. That's why many rescue organizations take a 'better safe than sorry' approach by setting limits on adopting out pets that may be at risk.
This Halloween danger to pets seem to get a lot of press, and a cause a lot of worry in the minds of many pet owners. However, there are many very real, and much more common Halloween hazards for cats and dogs that many owners never think about. I've written about many of the major Halloween hazards to cats and dogs in this article:
Pet Safety Tips on Halloween
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Close the Door
Sometimes Complex behavior problems have simple solutions.
I don't know how many times I've heard someone, both clients and personal acquaintances say something like, “I can't keep Fido off my bed no matter what I do! I've tried everything.”
Everything? Really? I had a lot of problems with my cats urinating on my bed. The very first thing I 'tried' worked very well. I closed my bedroom door.
My cats are very smart. But they're short, and they don't have thumbs. Closed door = problem solved. I often wonder why more people don't come up with this on their own. I didn't like keeping my door closed in the beginning. It was annoying to remember to close it behind me all the time, but falling exhausted at night onto a wet, stinky pillow is a very effective reminder. Now I'm used to it.
Years ago, shortly after we'd adopted our cat Sheeba, she began urinating all over the house. I wasn't surprised because that's why we adopted her - to prevent her from being euthanasia by her previous owners for urinating all over their house. I was actually more surprised that we'd gotten about 4 good months out of where she faithfully used her litter box. Things changed when our other cat, Magic, began attacking her.
Out of frustration, I eventually closed her into our bedroom to keep the two cats apart. Her urination behavior came back under control away from Magic, but making her live in one little room filled me with enough guilt that I broke down and called an animal behavior specialist. The behaviorist was kind enough to talk with me a little on the phone, so I ended up never needing to actually go in and see her in person. I told her my dilemma – the cats don't get along, but I felt bad keeping Sheeba in a small space all the time.
She told me not to feel bad. Often, she said, what I had done is exactly what they would have recommended. Just getting the cats apart. The stress of the fighting, or from trying to hide and avoid the fighting, was very upsetting for Sheeba. While the separated living situation wasn't ideal, it probably made her feel much safer and more relaxed. The fact that she stopped urinating all over when she was away from Magic was probable proof that she was much happier in the bedroom than she'd been with the run of the house.
It was nice to hear that my solution was really a solution, and not just another problem, like I thought. Behavior problems are tricky because the emotions, and preconceived ideas of the pet owner can really get in the way, just like mine did. That's why it's good to talk with a veterinarian. If nothing else they have more experience in dealing with these problems and have an outside, objective point of view that really makes a big difference.
I don't know how many times I've heard someone, both clients and personal acquaintances say something like, “I can't keep Fido off my bed no matter what I do! I've tried everything.”
Everything? Really? I had a lot of problems with my cats urinating on my bed. The very first thing I 'tried' worked very well. I closed my bedroom door.
My cats are very smart. But they're short, and they don't have thumbs. Closed door = problem solved. I often wonder why more people don't come up with this on their own. I didn't like keeping my door closed in the beginning. It was annoying to remember to close it behind me all the time, but falling exhausted at night onto a wet, stinky pillow is a very effective reminder. Now I'm used to it.
Years ago, shortly after we'd adopted our cat Sheeba, she began urinating all over the house. I wasn't surprised because that's why we adopted her - to prevent her from being euthanasia by her previous owners for urinating all over their house. I was actually more surprised that we'd gotten about 4 good months out of where she faithfully used her litter box. Things changed when our other cat, Magic, began attacking her.
Out of frustration, I eventually closed her into our bedroom to keep the two cats apart. Her urination behavior came back under control away from Magic, but making her live in one little room filled me with enough guilt that I broke down and called an animal behavior specialist. The behaviorist was kind enough to talk with me a little on the phone, so I ended up never needing to actually go in and see her in person. I told her my dilemma – the cats don't get along, but I felt bad keeping Sheeba in a small space all the time.
She told me not to feel bad. Often, she said, what I had done is exactly what they would have recommended. Just getting the cats apart. The stress of the fighting, or from trying to hide and avoid the fighting, was very upsetting for Sheeba. While the separated living situation wasn't ideal, it probably made her feel much safer and more relaxed. The fact that she stopped urinating all over when she was away from Magic was probable proof that she was much happier in the bedroom than she'd been with the run of the house.
It was nice to hear that my solution was really a solution, and not just another problem, like I thought. Behavior problems are tricky because the emotions, and preconceived ideas of the pet owner can really get in the way, just like mine did. That's why it's good to talk with a veterinarian. If nothing else they have more experience in dealing with these problems and have an outside, objective point of view that really makes a big difference.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Puppy Classes for Socialization
Even if you've had dogs your whole life, and you know how to train a puppy well, there are still some benefits to enrolling in a puppy class. Dogs have a short period when they are young in which socialization happens. The more access they have to other dogs and other people in this sensitive window, the better. Well socialized dogs are calmer when meeting strangers, less anxious and less prone to problems like separation anxiety, and easier to deal with at the veterinarian and groomers office.
You may think that it would be easier and cheaper to simply take the puppy to the dog park every day. The problem with this approach is that the sensitive period for socialization occurs when the puppy is still at risk for many infectious diseases. Their immune systems aren't mature yet, and they have not completed their series of puppy vaccinations. It just isn't safe to take them out and expose them to unknown dogs at this point.
A good puppy class will require proof of vaccinations in order to enroll. Even if there are more vaccines yet to get, you know that the puppies in the class are current on their shots for their age right now. The puppy class provides a safer environment for your puppy to meet new dogs and people with a greatly reduced heath risk.
Good classes also occasionally invite owners to trade dogs during class so that the puppies learn to take instruction from people other than their owners. This is a very useful skill, and helps dogs feel more comfortable with their vet, groomer, or your house guests.
You may think that it would be easier and cheaper to simply take the puppy to the dog park every day. The problem with this approach is that the sensitive period for socialization occurs when the puppy is still at risk for many infectious diseases. Their immune systems aren't mature yet, and they have not completed their series of puppy vaccinations. It just isn't safe to take them out and expose them to unknown dogs at this point.
A good puppy class will require proof of vaccinations in order to enroll. Even if there are more vaccines yet to get, you know that the puppies in the class are current on their shots for their age right now. The puppy class provides a safer environment for your puppy to meet new dogs and people with a greatly reduced heath risk.
Good classes also occasionally invite owners to trade dogs during class so that the puppies learn to take instruction from people other than their owners. This is a very useful skill, and helps dogs feel more comfortable with their vet, groomer, or your house guests.
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