Playtime for Kitty!

Photo Courtesy 9 Lives

If you're a regular reader of this blog you'll remember that I posted about Morris the Cat's new website, Live Well and Prospurr.  9 Lives Cat Food has done a good job of engaging owners to make life even better for their feline friends. 

One of the things that concerns Morris is something that concerns me as well: playtime. As a behavior consultant I've found that not enough owners spend time playing with their cats. People assume only dogs like to play. Nothing could be further from the truth - cats love interactive play. Yes, they will play on their own but that's no substitute for playing with your cat. 

Photo Courtesy 9 Lives

Too many cats are bored. Why? Their owners believe the old wives' tale that cats are independent. I will repeat what I've said so often here, in articles and books and in person: cats are independent hunters, not independent creatures. Yes, they enjoy looking out the window at birds and squirrels, bunnies and whatever else passes by but that's no substitute for two or three play sessions with you each day. 

When your cat sits on your book or newspaper while you're reading, or walks on top of your computer while you're there, he's soliciting attention, your attention. He's not always asking for food. Fat cats, like fat people, aren't really healthy. When you play with your cat, you're not only giving him attention but exercise as well.

Cats love fishing pole toys with a feather on the end. Take the fishing pole toy out for playtime and put it away after play so kitty will know that this is your special playtime together. It also means he won't get into trouble with the wire holding the feather. Some cats really like the pole that has a long, slim cloth attached. Playing with your cat will tell you whether he prefers to have the feather or cloth move across the floor like a snake or fly through the air like a bird. Let him win once in awhile but don't let him swallow the feather! 

Photo Courtesy 9 Lives

The time you spend playing together will help solidify your bond. 

Dogs aren't the only ones who like to play fetch. Many cats enjoy this activity, too. You don't need a special toy for this game - many cats enjoy fetching a rolled-up pieces of paper.

Your cat is less likely to get into trouble if his mind and his body are engaged.

Operant Conditioning (clicker training) works for all species and, between us, I find that cats can train much faster than dogs. The difference is that if you train the wrong thing you can retrain a dog but cats, like elephants, never forget.  Be sure the behavior is one you want. Sit, Stay, Come, High Five, Jump Through a Hoop are just the beginning. Think of the fun you'll have showing your friends what your cat can do!

If you have special games that you and your cat enjoy playing, I hope you'll share them here.

Photo Courtesy 9 Lives

NOTE: I received no compensation from 9 Lives Cat Food, however, they did send a box of their day and canned food which I have donated to a local Humane Society. Thanks to 9 Lives, some kitties awaiting new homes will be eating like Morris as long as the food lasts.

Shelter Me

Have you ever wondered about Shelter pets?  Far too many of them are euthanized and never get the second chance they so richly deserve. Dropping a pet at a shelter can literally mean signing that pet's death warrant because fewer are adopted than killed.  A new film, Shelter Me, addresses the issue of adoption and what pets can do for us as well as what we can do for pets. 

Produced by Virgil Films and sponsored by Ellen DeGeneres' pet food company, Halo, Purely for Pets,  the film is narrated by Katherine Heigl of Grey's Anatomy. The film introduces viewers mainly to shelter dogs with only a random shot or two of a cat.

Shelter Me's various segments include following an animal control officer in South L.A. as she picks up a couple of stray Pitbulls. Rather than the "vicious" dogs that had been reported she finds two really sweet dogs who haven't fared well on the streets. Why would they?! One has what appears to be a large abscess under her chin. Another dog, a small scruffy mixed breed, is street savvy and runs from her.  She takes the two Pitties back to the shelter where dogs are kept for 4 days for their owners to locate them, and then they're put up for adoption.

After they are eligible for adoption we see two different potential adopters arrive at the shelter. Each spends time with one of the dogs and each decides to adopt the dog. The one with the abscess goes to a new owner to whom it is made perfectly clear that there isn't enough money for the shelter to remove the abscess, the new owner will be responsible for that after adoption. The dogs have, however, seen a vet tech for some basic care on intake, as well as vaccinations. Despite the bad rep that pitbulls have gotten over the years, their sweet nature come out in this film.

In another segment, a woman comes to choose dogs to be brought into a system at a women's prison where the inmates train the dogs for disabled people. The women are taught to train the dogs and it did my heart good to see that they were using clicker training (operant conditioning). The finishing touches to the training are done after the dogs graduate from the prison program. The dogs obviously make a huge impact on the prisoners who must have clean records in prison in order to be part of the program. The dogs go on to help handicapped people, so the dogs, the prisoners and the recipients all "win."  The women in the prison program who have done their time and been through that program don't return to prison. Clearly this program makes a huge difference. While this program is in California, I distinctly remember the first such program which was done in Seattle and started by The Delta Society. It's nice to see good work spread to other places.

The segment on rescue dogs who are trained to help returning veterans with PTSD is, perhaps, the most moving. Men who have served the country, who have been at death's door in a kill or be killed situation come home to an anything-but-normal life. Paired with a rescue dog, the dog helps the veteran's emotional health. No longer suicidal and suffering a depression most people can't imagine, where simple items look like something to be feared, the dogs help make life normal. One recipient visits other veterans with his dog and soon they want one, too.  Those dogs are saving lives of the often-suicidal vets.

This 57 minutes long film is entertaining, educational and moving.  

Shelter Me is being aired on PBS and is available for purchase at $19.95. It would be a good film to show in schools, churches, synagogues, anywhere people meet. It's a film to be shared, to teach, to lead to understanding of what we can all do to help in some way.

This is only one view of the shelter situation. No Kill Nation is another. But see Shelter Me and watch what a difference a New Leash on Life can make for everyone concerned.

ShelterMe.TV     Facebook.com/ShelterMeTV

NOTE: I receive no compensation for this review. I was given a review copy to watch so that I could review the film.

Holiday Shopping for Your Cat

When it comes to the holidays, our pets are part of the family and are becoming more commonly part of the gift-giving experience. Frankly, I've always done this, when I a dog owner and now with my cat. You can see a photo of my girl here for the first time. Although she's on my website, this is my cat's first appearance on my blog. Aimee is a 13-year-old Chartreux and she's my little angel girl.  How could I not include her in holiday celebrations?!

Whether she's getting toys, treats or perhaps a piece of kitty furniture like a scratching post or a kitty hammock chair, she gets a gift.
Photo Copyright: Veronique Schejtman

In a survey done this year by TEMPTATIONS treats for cats, nearly half of all cat owners (46%) reported that they were going to shop for their pet for the holidays. The gift is either a toy or treats but  the owners think their cats would prefer treats even though 84.9% of cat owners will opt to purchase a toy. Obviously, both are good gifts.

It's no secret that treats can be overdone. You don't want kitty to gain weight. But kitty, like us, needs to have something special. You just need to be aware of how many treats your cat gets each day, working in that amount with the amount of food kitty gets for the day so that you're not overfeeding your cat. 

Treats are a great reward when you train your cat. Some cats work for treats, some for a favorite toy and some for affection. Using operant conditioning (clicker training) you can train your cat to do anything a dog can do. And treats and clicker training are also a great way to train shelter cats which makes their life more interesting and makes them more adoptable. And did you know that your cat can do agility? (http://http://www.catagility.com) Yes, there is cat agility and whether or not you enter a competition, you can have fun practicing at home.

It doesn't take long for your cat to learn, and one word that quickly becomes part of a cat's vocabulary is "treat."  Aimee comes running when I ask her if she wants a treat. Hers go on levels of her cat tree when we're not doing some training, so she has to climb and get some exercise.

According to the TEMPTATIONS survey, women (48.7%) are more likely than men (42.6%) to consider their cat when shopping for holiday gifts. But, interestingly, the majority of gift-buying men (38.3%) will spend from $11 - $20 on their cat while the majority of gift-buying women (38.3%) estimate that they spend between $6 - $10 on their kitty.

Cat training obviously helps build the bond between kitty and person. Adding a treat can enhance the experience.

We have a special contest thanks to the nice people at TEMPTATIONS. Your can win a pet stocking filled with treats and toys! To enter, send me a message via my website (http://www.darlenearden.com).  The winner will be announced this Thursday, December 20th. Hopefully, that will be enough time to get the stocking to the winner in time for Christmas.  I know your kitty will love it whenever it arrives!

The First Puppy

Much interest has been devoted to the Obama's dog. What would they choose, especially with a child who has allergies. Malia, age 10, and Sasha, age 7 were promised a puppy. Much was made of "hypoallergenic" breeds. One television dog trainer enthused, on one of those syndicated celebrity TV programs, that they should get one. Well, here's a news flash: there's no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. There are breeds with hair, not fur, and those are often a better choice but I fervently hope the child was exposed to the dog before the breed was selected. Rescue people hoped for a shelter pet; others hoped for a purebred. They took sides as if they would have any impact on a personal decision being made by novice dog owners, let alone the President's family.

It was finally announced that the Obama family's dog, named Bo, would arrive 2 days after Easter, a 6-month-old Portuguese Water Dog, a gift from MA Senator Ted Kennedy who owns 3 Porties. Bo had been returned to the breeder. Kennedy is an experienced dog owner. I've often said that having a Portuguese Water Dog as your first dog is like having a Lamborghini as your first car. The breed is very active, intelligent and was bred to dive into the water and set the nets for the fishermen in Portugal. This means that they work independently. And they have a sense of humor, sometimes with the owner as the butt of the canine joke.

The dog is supposedly being trained. My question: by whom and in what manner?

Since everyone else seems to be throwing in their two cents' worth, here is what I would do. I'm at least as qualified as the next person and, perhaps, more so since I am a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant. I'd rather see the family start off right than have to deal with behavior problems in the future. I would tell this to any new dog owner.

First, the name is, in my opinion, a mistake. Bo sounds like No. No is not a word I like to use. I prefer an interrupter like "UH!" but first time dog owners aren't very likely to remember that and are more likely to tell the dog, "No!" and then call "Bo" later and wonder why he's not coming very happily after awhile. A dog should be called to you in a happy tone and never punished after you've called him. He needs to learn that coming to you is always a positive experience, that he is safe and loved. This can help to save his life if he gets loose and needs to be called back to you. He should be microchipped with the microchip registered so he can be correctly identified if he escapes and is found and scanned for a chip. With all of the Obamas' security details it doesn't seem as likely as for the average family.

I recommend that all members of the family get involved in training, each of them given a clicker and some very tiny tasty treats, like miniscule pieces of chicken or turkey or cheese. To "load" or "charge" the clicker, click and treat several times in a row. This teaches the dog that click means treat. Then, the first thing you train him to do is something you must decide in advance because it becomes the default behavior. There are many options but for the family pet, I personally prefer Sit. When you're walking your dog and stop to speak to someone, if he doesn't know what to do, your dog will sit. Click and treat for the Sit but don't use the word until the dog is doing it reliably half a dozen times and then add the word. For a dog who isn't food motivated, a favorite toy, or praise may be the right motivator for your dog.

Stay, Come, Down, Wait, Drop It, are all necessary for a dog to learn and each can be easily taught with operant conditioning (clicker training). It's easy, it's fast - only a few very short training sessions each day, each in a different place so the dog learns he doesn't think he only does each thing in one place.

Housetraining is best accomplished with crate training and he must be taken to his pre-chosen elimination spot each time and praised lavishly as soon as he begins to eliminate.

Is there more to be said? Of course! That's why my colleagues and I have written books.

Every dog is a special dog whether the dog belongs to the President of the United States or the homeless person who will leave anything but his pet. No choke collars, no prong collars. You don't need them! A flat buckle collar is all you really need. For a small dog, or any dog, a harness is great because it doesn't put any pressure on the trachea.

Building the human-animal bond is all-important and there are things to remember: aggression begets aggression; if you are using harsh training methods of the past you will be dealing with fallout later and that fallout is sometimes dangerous.

Having a dog is a wonderful way for the Obama girls to have someone special in their lives, out of the spotlight. They can learn a great deal from operant conditioning because positive reinforcement works with people as well as dogs. But in the end it is the parents who bear full responsibility for the care, feeding and training of their dog, for getting that complete and balanced high-quality food, veterinary care, etc., with the girls taking on age-appropriate, supervised responsibilities for their new family member. And the girls are at the right age for a dog.

I wish the First Family and their new dog well, just as I wish everyone well with their new canine family addition. I hope this works out because Bo has already been through one home. I hope the experience is a good one for Bo and his new family. As the AKC says, "A Dog is for Life." I wish them a long, happy life together.

Winter Hazards

Winter weather brings special hazards for our four-legged companions. So many, in fact, that it requires a good deal of thought on the part of the owner to keep their dog or cat safe and healthy.

All cats should be indoors with lots of environmental enrichment but you'll notice in Winter that cats (and dogs) will sleep more and exercise less. This means that you will have to find ways to keep your four-legged companion more active. If it's extremely cold you're dog can't go out for extended periods of time - it's just too dangerous - but you can find games to play indoors. You can hide treats around the house and let your dog "find" them. And remember that all treats should be figured in with the amount of food your dog or cat eats so there's no weight gain. You can practice canine musical freestyle steps - put on some music and dance with your dog! Even my cat enjoys dance steps. You can start clicker training if you haven't already begun and teach your dog some new tricks. Your cat, too! Cats are certainly capable of doing the behaviors a dog can do and your cat will likely surprise you when you discover how smart she is! You can toss a toy for games of fetch and you can set up a mini-agility course indoors for your dog or cat. Yes, cats do agility, too!

If you have a small dog, he's going to lose body heat more rapidly than his larger cousins. He'll need a warm coat or sweater and time outdoors should be limited. Your dog can get frostbite, too.

If you're walking your dog on roads that are salted, or past a neighbor's salted driveway, be sure to clean his feet thoroughly as soon as you come home. You don't want him ingesting the salt when he licks his feet and you certainly want to get out the "snowballs" that will form between his toes. If you can get your dog accustomed to wearing dog booties on your walks it will be helpful in protecting his feet. Be careful of ice. If you slip and fall it's only too easy for your dog to slip his lead or pull it out of your hand. You may want to buy those slips-on with studs attached to go over your boots and help keep you from slipping.

On cold days, do not take your dog or cat in the car with you when you run errands. Leaving your pet in the car on a very cold day is as dangerous - potentially lethal - as leaving him in the car on a very hot day.

And at the end of the day, there's nothing better than a snuggle with you four-legged companion. Love and companionship and that all-important human-animal bond is what it's all about.