Tag Archives: cat

All About the Microchip

Posted on by jennariedi
Basically a microchip is a small, scannable chip about the size of an uncooked grain of rice.  The microchip has a unique id number attached to it that, once called in, will provide all the contact information of the animal’s owner.  Every stray facility and police station has at least one scanner so if they come across a stray animal, they will check for a microchip. 

I definitely recommend microchipping to anyone with a companion animal.  The process of putting the chip into your pet is very easy and rather painless.  The chip is inserted under the skin of the animal, between the shoulder blades, with a needle.  There rarely is blood and I have yet to see an animal react to the procedure.  Once the microchip is inserted, it may move a few inches but you will probably never be able to find it/feel it.

You will then have the unique id number registered to you with all your contact information.  Remember to always update this information as time goes on and you move, change your phone number, or get a new email account.  If the information assigned to the chip is no longer valid, the whole thing is pointless because no one can contact you.

Many people with dogs are willing to get a microchip because they can easily see how it is helpful.  However, some cat owners do not think it is necessary to get a microchip for their indoor cat because it lives inside 24/7.  I would argue that this is actually why you would want to microchip your cat because they will get lost very easily if they ever make a great escape to the outdoors.  Less than 10% of cats are reclaimed at shelters – if you microchip your cat and it ends up at a stray facility/police station/animal shelter/vet clinic they will all know to scan for a microchip and will then be able to find you, the owner.

Microchipping is fairly cheap (about $20-$35).  Contact your veterinarian or local shelter if you are interested in getting one for your pet!

**Photo taken from http://www.howstuffworks.com

Collars

Posted on by jennariedi



The best way to find a good collar is to take your dog to the pet store and try collars on.  When you find one you like, take it off and start to tighten the collar.  Slide it over your dog’s head and then try to put your fingers in between the collar and your dog’s neck.  You should only be able to comfortably fit two fingers in between the collar and your dog’s neck. This is the perfect fit for your dog!

If your dog is an escape artist when it comes to collars, I recommend the martingale collar.  This collar will tighten up when your dog pulls on the leash, but does not actually choke your dog.  It just keeps your dog from being able to slip out of the collar.  To fit the martingale, pull the d-ring (where you attach the leash) out and do the two finger test with the collar tightened all the way.  This way when your dog pulls and the collar tightens, it does not choke them.

When your dog is safely in the home, it is a good idea to take his/her collar off.  Dogs can get themselves into trouble and I have heard too many stories of dog’s choking themselves to death because their collar go caught on something in the house.

For cats:  I recommend the same fitting process (obviously you cannot take your cat to the pet store, so just make sure to pick one that is adjustable).  There are cat collars that have a release on them.  Basically, if you pull on the collar enough, it will snap open.  This is key for your cat (no matter how inactive you may think he is!) because you don’t want your cat getting caught on his collar for the same reason why I recommend taking your dog’s collar off when inside. 

Even if you have a collar on your pet and have their tags attached, I strongly urge you to also have your pet microchipped.  This is a simple, painless process for your pet and ensures that even if your pet loses their collar while lost, you will still be able to reunite with them.  Ask your vet or local shelter for more information!

Cat collar photo from: www.equinecaninefeline.com
Dog collar photo from: www.sylvans.net

TNR – The feral solution

Posted on by jennariedi


Most communities hold the belief that if there is a stray and/or feral animal “situation” or “overpopulation” in their area, the best way to handle it is to trap these animals and kill them.  However, it has been proven time and again that removing a population slowly and killing them does not have a negative effect on the stray population.  Rather, (channel high school biology!) the ecological system of a specific community can support a certain number of stray dogs and/or feral and stray cats.  Let’s pretend that number is 100.  If you trap and kill ten, you still have ninety and since the environment can support 100, those ninety will quickly reproduce and get back to their capacity in no less than two months. 


Granted those numbers are completely made up, but biology teaches us that there are ecological niches and a general number of a certain species can be supported by it.  So the best way to control the strays is not to try to trap and kill all of them.  You will never get to all of them, and they will reproduce just as fast as they can be caught and killed.  This has been proven time and again in communities all over the world.  The community recognizes that they have a lot of strays/ferals, and maybe one of these animals hurt a person so the government is now paying attention.  They decide the best course of action is to trap all these animals and kill them, yet months or even years later the number of animals has not changed.


The best way to handle a stray and/or feral population is to trap, neuter (and vaccinate) and release the animals (TNR).  Once released, they are unable to reproduce, are vaccinated with a three year rabies shot so rabies will not be an issue, and hold the ecological niche population in place.  Most communities that have implemented this way of handling their stray and feral populations have also found that some of these animals are adoptable (not completely wild).  These animals are then fixed, vaccinated and adopted out to a loving home.  The animals that are trapped that prove to be wild are therefore simply returned to their habitat once they have recovered from their vet visit.


Please contact your local shelter/animal control facility and ask them what their procedure is for feral cats/dogs.  Strongly encourage them to adopt the Trap/Neuter/Release program for the ferals that cannot be domesticated.  I can provide you with specific evidence of how this works better than trapping and killing if you feel you need it to make your case.  For more information about TNR and other nokill solutions, check out Nathan Winograd’s book, Redemption.  Thanks!

Cutting Your Dog’s Nails

Posted on by jennariedi


If you have never cut your dog’s nails before, it is best to get her used to you touching her feet first. So for a few seconds, a couple times a day just hold her paws in your hands. Make sure to reward her for letting you do this-I always give a little treat so they know they are being good. Do this for a few days until she is tolerant of you holding them for more than a few seconds.
Now that your dog is used to you touching her feet, you can start cutting her nails.  I prefer using standard dog nail clippers (personally not a fan of the guillotine clippers, but go with whatever you feel most comfortable with).  I recommend just doing one foot at a time with a good, long break in between as a cooling off period. As time goes on, you may not need to do this since your dog will get used to the nail cutting. If your dog’s nails are white, you will notice some red running from the base, but not out into the tip. This red is blood and nerves, called the quick, so you do NOT want to cut into that! Just cut off the white tip of the nail. If your dog has black nails, you will want to cut off a tiny bit at a time and keep an eye on the surface where you are cutting. As you get close to the blood and nerves, a ring on their nail will appear where you are cutting. Once you see this ring in their nail, stop!
I recommend cutting your dog’s nails once a month. If your dog likes treats, it is always a good idea to reward her for a good job! And remember, your dog may not be a fan of the paw touching and nail cutting, so have some patience. It will take some time for her to adjust to this, but if you keep it positive and go slow she will be okay with it in no time!
Bonus: This method also works for cats! I cut my cat’s nails once a week to keep his nails short and dull at all times. It may take even more patience for your feline friend to be okay with paw handling, but go slow and reward liberally and your kitty will warm up to the idea eventually.  Once again, I prefer to use the standard cat nail clippers that you can find in any pet supply store.
*Picture taken from simplyk9.co.uk

The issue with pet limit laws

Posted on by jennariedi


Most cities have a law in place that limits the number of animals a household can have. Mine, for example, only allows two dogs maximum. (Yes, now you know, I am a law-violator!) The idea behind instituting a pet limit law is to avoid hoarding, animal cruelty and neglect, noise violations, and sanitation issues. While these concerns are valid and I commend the area councils for caring about the welfare of companion animals, the pet limit law does not actually address these concerns.

The issue here is that the people passing these pet limit laws assume that more animals in the house automatically leads to these violations. Not so! Simply having a lot of animals in one’s house does not immediately mean the animals are not well cared for and are a nuisance to the neighbors. There needs to be actual acts of neglect and an inability to provide for the animals in one’s care for there to be any real violations of neglect. Take a foster home for example. Many wonderful individuals volunteer their time, resources and hearts to help local shelters care for their animals. However, what happens if I have two dogs and am fostering a third? The law is forcing me to not help my local shelter and this therefore directly results in more animals being unnecessarily killed because the shelter does not have sufficient room to care for its animals on its own.

The flip side of this law is also an issue as it assumes everyone is capable of caring for up to two dogs at a time. I personally know of several people who do not have the resources or current know-how to care for even just one dog. The pet limit law does not address this type of individual nor does it protect the animals that are under this individual’s care. Rather, it focuses only on one section of pet owners (the multiple pet people) and punishes both the good and bad within that section. If a person has the resources and is perfectly capable of caring for five dogs and is able to do so without the neighbors being overly burdened by it, then why should they not be able to?

So be proactive! Contact your local representatives and ask them to repeal your local pet limit law. Instead, make sure they have a law (or laws) in place addressing hoarding, animal cruelty and neglect, noise violations, and sanitation so that all companion animals, whether an only child or with multiple siblings, are protected. Individuals who are willing and able to care for multiple animals should be able to while people who are unable to even care for one companion animal should be monitored and reported if they attempt to do so.

I will probably write more on this topic at a later date as it is one that lies close to my heart (obviously, I have three dogs and a cat in my house and am hoping to foster one of the freed greyhounds from the Dairyland Greyhound Park). Please comment/ask questions and I will definitely address them either now or in a later post. Thanks for reading!

The truth about declawing

Posted on by jennariedi


There are usually two main reasons why people decide to declaw their cat: fear of furniture damage and fear of human injury. I will go through the two issues and explain why declawing is actually not the answer. Then I will explain why declawing is an overall bad idea.

Furniture Damage
If you are concerned about your cat scratching furniture, please see my earlier entry about working with your cat’s nails and teaching them to stop scratching. A cat can be trained! The key is to provide an appropriate object for scratching, typically a scratching post, so your cat can act out the instinctive need to stretch, scratch and mark with his scent.

Children/Visitors
If you are worried about your children’s safety, please keep in mind that a cat gives off very distinct body language that you and your family should learn. If your cat does not want to be picked up or petted any more, you can tell! The more the tail is moving, the more agitated the cat and therefore the cat should be left alone. Also, if a cat’s ears are back and/or eyes are dilated (but you are in a well lit area), the cat is on high alert and likely easily startled. And this point is rather obvious, but your children may not realize it: if the cat is hiding leave him alone! He wants to be alone and will not be happy if disturbed. So teach your children to look for these signs before the approach your cat. That way, no scratching will occur!

Another topic to discuss with visitors and children is that most cats do not like to be held or picked up. They do not like to feel confined and therefore will struggle if handled. So make sure everyone understands not to pick up or hold down your cat!

Just Say No to Declawing
The option of declawing was very popular up until about five years ago when people began to realize the true extent of the damage done with this surgery. Most people think that declawing the cat is simply removing their nails when in fact you are removing their finger from the first joint. Even if your cat makes it through the surgery without complications, there are long term issues that have been proven to occur. A cat’s claws are their first line of defense. When a cat is tired of a child pestering them, they give a few swats of their paw as a warning. However, if a cat figures out their paws no longer work effectively to ward off unwanted attention they will resort to their second line of defense-their teeth. So it comes down to deciding if you would rather be scratched when your cat is grumpy or bitten.

Another behavior issue that can arise from declawing is peeing outside the litter box. When a cat loses his fingers through the declawing surgery his feet do not feel the same anymore. Some cats will respond to this discomfort (or, if the healing did not occur properly, pain) by avoiding strange surfaces. Like cat litter.

Declawing is a very hard thing for a cat to adjust to and therefore you should NEVER declaw a cat over the age of one. Take humans for example. If you take me, a 25 year old, and cut my fingers off it will take me a long time to adjust to this disability since I have lived with fingers for 25 years. However, if you take a newborn baby and cut her fingers off, that is all she knows while growing up and will therefore have less of an issue adjusting to the disability.

You should always discuss with your veterinarian about this surgery if you are considering it, but keep in mind your vet may recommend it because it means more money for them.
(image taken from http://www.declawing.com)

What to do about your cat’s claws

Posted on by jennariedi

So you have a cat and you’re afraid he is going to scratch everything (including you) to pieces. What are your options and which one is the best for you? I will go through the most common options and layout the pros and cons of them so you can make an educated decision when the time comes.

1. Declaw. This option was very popular up until about five years ago when people began to realize the true extent of the damage done with this surgery. Most people think that declawing the cat is simply removing their nails when in fact you are removing their finger from the first joint. Even if your cat makes it through the surgery without complications, there are long term issues that have been proven to occur. A cat’s claws are their first line of defense. When a cat is tired of a child pestering them, they give a few swats of their paw as a warning. However, if a cat figures out their paws no longer work effectively to ward off unwanted attention they will resort to their second line of defense-their teeth. So it comes down to deciding if you would rather be scratched when your cat is grumpy or bitten.

Another behavior issue that can arise from declawing is peeing outside the litter box. When a cat loses his fingers through the declawing surgery his feet do not feel the same anymore. Some cats will respond to this discomfort (or, if the healing did not occur properly, pain) by avoiding strange surfaces. Like cat litter.

Lastly, declawing is a very hard thing for a cat to adjust to and therefore you should NEVER declaw a cat over the age of one. Take humans for example. If you take me, a 25 year old, and cut my fingers off it will take me a long time to adjust to this disability since I have lived with fingers for 25 years. However, if you take a newborn baby and cut her fingers off, that is all she knows while growing up and will therefore have less of an issue adjusting to the disability.

I have, and always will, recommend that this not even be an option for you. However, if you want to consider it I ask that it be your very last resort.

2. Softpaws. There are soft rubber caps you can apply to your cat’s nails that render them useless when it comes to doing damage. Applying the nail caps is about as hard as cutting your cats nails since it involves you touching their nails for a few minutes total. Just trim your cat’s nails, fill the nail caps half way with the provided nail glue and press onto their nail. The caps should last about a month before they will star to fall off. Sometimes it helps to just do one paw at a time and take breaks so your cat can settle down. One issue I have noticed with these caps is that especially active cats like to chew them off. However, I would say about 9 out of 10 cats I have put these caps on do not even notice they are on.

If you are worried that doing nail caps every month for the rest of your cat’s life is too much, do not worry! See my next suggestion and combine the two until your cat is completely trained. That way, during training your cat is still not able to do any damage.

3. Training. Yes, you can train a cat! One of the ways to train a cat to stop scratching is with a water squirt bottle. Whenever your cat walks up to the couch and starts to put his paws on it, give him a short squirt of water on the back. The trick is to make your cat think magic is occurring. Stay with me here-if your cat sees that the water is coming from you, he will just think you’re a jerk and will wait until you are gone to go to town on your sofa. However, if your cat thinks the couch is spraying him with water every time he touches it he will not go near it!

A great way to help redirect your cat away from the couch is to put a scratching post a few feet away from the spot they like to scratch. Rub it down with cat nip and then place double stick tape over the hot spot on the couch. So when your cat goes to his favorite scratching spot, finds a sticky mess and then smells cat nip we all know where he is going to go!

4. Nail trimming. You should already be trimming your cat’s nails about once every two weeks. However, you can trim them more often to avoid their nails ever getting sharp. My cat, Loki gets his nails trimmed once a week and they never are able to do any real damage as he wrestles with the dogs. Just remember that when cutting their nails, do not cut into the red area-there are nerves and blood there! Just cut the white area at the tip.

5. Do nothing. Sure, maybe after a few weeks of your cat living in your house you learn he does not use his claws for the evil purpose of killing your living room couch. If you have no reason to believe your cat is going to be destructive with his claws, then just leave him be! Do remember that just like our nails, cat nails keep growing and need to be trimmed regularly. I recommend at least once every two weeks, more if you want to keep them blunt at all times. Also, even if your cat does not seem interested in scratching anything, it is a good idea to provide a scratching post of some kind just in case the instinct kicks in.

As always, please feel free to ask questions or post comments! I am also happy to take article suggestions if you have an idea. Thanks!