Litter Box: Friend or Foe?
Cats are well known for being fairly easy to train to use a litter box. It is a natural thing for cats, but what do you do when your cat suddenly stops using the box and begins using your floor or furniture as an alternative? The first thing to look for are changes that could be stressing your cat. There is always a reason why a cat that was trained to use the box suddenly stops. Maybe you have brought a new animal into the home, maybe you have relatives staying over, maybe you have changed the brand of litter, or maybe the box was just dirty when the cat went to use it. Litter boxes should be cleaned at least once a day. A good rule of thumb is that you should have one litter box per cat in your household. If you have multiple cats it might also be that you need litter boxes in multiple places. If you have a multi-story house, make sure that you have a litter box on each floor. If your cat has stopped using the box, discard all of the litter daily and be sure to clean the box thoroughly with water before adding new litter. A little lemon juice or vinegar can be used to wipe the empty box down. Never use any ammonia based cleaners as this makes the box smell “dirty” to the cat and they will often refuse to use it. Some kitties are also sensitive to specific litters. Clay-based litters are usually preferred by our most “picky litter” cats, but if there was a litter change that coincided with the refusal to go to the box, go back to your previous litter. You should always make litter changes very slowly for cats, as some of them can be very sensitive about it. Any areas in the home that the cat has used instead of their box need to be cleaned thoroughly with an enzyme cleaner to eliminate the temptation of using the spot again. You will also need to confine your cat in a room with its litter box for “reprogramming”. For some cats that merely takes keeping them in the room with the box for a day or so; others can take weeks. As you gradually give your kitty more freedom, make sure that you keep a close eye on him or her. We don’t want any new accidents during the retraining period. There can also be medical reasons why kitties suddenly stop using their boxes, so if there have been no changes in the cat’s routine and you have tried everything else, make sure...
How to Prevent Heatstroke
Sun + humidity = heatstroke Everyone knows that the inside of a car on a hot summer’s day can be lethal. But Fido needs you to know more than that to keep him safe in the deadly sun. Days above 90 degrees, especially with high humidity, are inherently dangerous for your pet. Humidity interferes with an animal’s ability to rid themselves of excess body heat. When we overheat we sweat, and when the sweat dries it takes excess heat with it. Our four-legged friends only perspire around their paws, which is not enough to cool the body. To rid themselves of any excess heat, animals pant. Air moves through the nasal passages, which picks up excess heat from the body. As it is expelled through the mouth, extra heat leaves with it. Although this is a very efficient way to control body heat, it is severely limited in areas of high humidity or when the animal is in close quarters. The shape of an animal’s nasal passages can contribute to an animal’s tendency to overheat. Brachiocephalic (pug-nosed) dogs are more prone to heatstroke because it’s more difficult for them to circulate sufficient air for cooling. Over-weight dogs are also more prone to over-heating because their extra layers of fat act as insulation, which traps heat in their bodies and restricts their breathing capabilities. Age can also be a factor. Very young animals may not have a fully developed temperature regulating system, and older pets’ organ systems may not be functioning at 100 percent, leaving them prone to heat-related damage. Cracking the windows doesn’t cut it Your car can become a death trap even on a mild sunny day when temperatures can rise insidiously to well above 120 degrees. Never, ever leave your pet inside the car. If Fido can’t come with you when you get out of the car, leave him at home. Their lives are in your hands Heatstroke is a medical emergency. If you suspect your pet has heatstroke (see “Signs of Heatstroke” in box), you must act quickly and calmly. Have someone call a veterinarian immediately. In the meantime, lower the animal’s body temperature by applying towels soaked in cool water to the hairless areas of the body. Often the pet will respond after only a few minutes of cooling, only to falter again with his temperature soaring back up or falling to well below what is normal. With this in mind, remember that it is imperative to get the animal to a veterinarian immediately. Once your pet is in the veterinarian’s care, treatment may include further cooling techniques, intravenous fluid therapy to counter shock, or...
Clara
Linda, I saw the section of your website that has updates on the dogs that have been adopted from you, so I thought I would let you know how Clair (we call her Clara now) is doing. It’s hard to believe that she’s only been part of our family for just over 2 months, because she just fits in so well! We are so grateful to have been able to add her to our family. Clara is so friendly and sweet, and loves being around people. It can be quite a challenge to keep her under control when guests come over! Especially when the weather’s nice, she really time she managed to dig out under the fence, but then she just sat right outside the fence barking until I went out to bring her back in! We were amazed (and quite relieved) that she didn’t wander off. We figured she must feel that this is where she belongs. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to adopt Clara. She has been such a wonderful addition to our home. Here are a few pictures you might enjoy. The first picture is from a week or so after we brought her home, and she decided to drag her bed out into the kitchen while we were eating dinner. She entertained us for quite a while dragging it all over the kitchen and playing with it! Katie and Tim...
Cash
On Jan. 1’st 2004 we brought home a little beagle named Cash. We knew he had a rough first 2 years of his life because his wonderful safehouser named Linda had rescued Cash from the pound weighing only 9 IBS. He was practically starved to death. He also had to undergo treatment for heartworms when we met Cash, but we knew he was sweet. Linda told us how loving he was and how he would make a wonderful companion for our eight year old son.We brought Cash to live in our home and he was truly amazing. The first few hours he was nervous. He got his first bath which was quite a scary experience for the little guy, but we knew he felt better. Then he just wanted to lay with our son and wouldn’t leave his side. The next day he was definitely home. We have five children and he seemed to not mind the loud new Christmas toys. He loves the kids playing with him, even the 18 month old who rolls all over him. It was great. He seemed to love everything. He took real quickly to a warm sofa and bed. He always wants to be near a warm person and just snuggle. Our biggest concern was potty training as Cash had probably never been in a warm home. With Cash that wasn’t a big problem. He scratched to let us know he needed to go out and refuses to go out if he doesn’t need to. It seems the outside is not a place he wants to be anymore except for the necessary quick trips. His first time being alone was for five hours. We let him run free. We were kind of nervous about it, but when we came home no, damage or accidents. Wow! Amazing, that’s what we think of Cash, he’s just amazing. I hope people will realize that adopting an older dog and a dog who has had maybe a sad background is not a pet to give up on. Everyday when I look in Cash’s eyes I know he is grateful for where he is now. He is full of love and brings us so much joy. What we would have missed out on if no one had seen this helpless beagle at the pound. from ONE LUCKY...
Buddy
…I can testify Linda Wickham knows a winning pooch when she sees one….Last June, Linda picked up a long black haired mutt from the side of the road— to bury him. To her surprise, he was still alive and with considerable medical care, and lots of love and attention, he survived. Eight months later, I adopted him to be the new “buddy” for my 12 year old Sadie who lost her lifetime sidekick, Suzie, to an acute illness a month earlier. Our “Buddy” continues to blossom and strut his stuff. He is soooo sweet!!! This spring there’s a new, well beaten path from my back door to the back fence where he races many times daily to converse with the neighbors’ yappy mutts. I don’t think he’s particularly fond of them, but it’s certainly an essential part of his new life. One day not long ago, I was having some roof work done. I thought I’d save the workers’ efforts of having to make sure gates stayed closed by keeping the dogs in the house. After all, it was a chilly day and they’d already been out for few hours (one of those rare days I’d been up since around 5. It was 8:30a.m. and I was ready to go to work.) So, I close the pet door….Oh my goodness!! To hear Buddy carry on, you’d thought I was tormenting him! He had a fit digging, pawing, gnawing and barking at the closed pet door space. I’d say to him, “just for today.” He’d follow me back into the house. Two minutes later, he’d be back at the door having same fit. Sadie would look at me as if saying, “gonna be a long day.” Needless to say, he won. So much for the idea of a day inside for Buddy … unless I’m considering a new door… Less than 2 months after this senior’s adoption, he was at home sleeping on my bed…Sadie at the foot and he on the pillow beside me. He’s been spotted napping there during daylight hours too. When I’m home, especially if I’m at computer, like now, rest assured he’s here within a foot of my chair. I’ve yet to witness any discord between the two senior mutts. You’d think the couple have been living together forever. They’re not necessarily in constant view of each other, but they will nap beside each other for hours and are often spotted frolicking together. Buddy is beginning to act excited about treats. He’ll still take a whole treat outside, but will eat a half treat while wagging his tale with modest enthusiasm. It’s heart wrenching to...
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