Cat Eats Paper

Dear Marie,

My friend, who is working and too busy to write, has a trusty old cat, Ben, who eats any paper he can find. Newspaper, bags, envelopes, magazines, you name it. He chomps on cardboard boxes. Not just once in awhile but pathologically, ALL THE TIME. She has to scour the house and put any scrap safely away. It's exhausting and she's both worried about him and exasperated. Our vet hasn't a clue. It's gone on for a few years. Any idea why he does it and/or how to stop this behavior?

Kathryne

Dear Kathryne,

Though cats are domesticated, they still have plenty of wild instincts. Spend five minutes with a playful kitten and you can observe keen hunting behaviors like stalking, pouncing, kicking and biting. It’s really very impressive. What you are describing may be connected to these basic instincts.

I am assuming that your vet has ruled out health issues. Sometimes this behavior is indicative of serious physiological problems. If your friend hasn't already had blood tests run, you might want her to schedule a general physical examination, just to be on the safe side.

But if this has been going on for years, then it seems that this is a behavioral rather than a physical issue.

Because we give cats their daily meals instead of making them hunt for food, our little feline friends often crave something they don’t quite understand: quite simply, being able to find prey/food on their own, and then tear it up.

In the wild, cats have to bite through feathers, fur, scales and skin. Since house cats get served dishes with mushy food or little bite sized chunks of vitamin fortified kibble, they sometimes search out alternate items to satisfy their predatory needs. In the case of your friend’s kitty, paper products seem to do the trick. The texture of these objects and the feeling the cat gets when he tears and shreds them must come very close to the sensation he’d have if he was working on prey he caught himself.

There are a number of things your friend can do to redirect her cat’s attention to more appropriate items. I would recommend getting toys that are filled with crunchy, dried catnip. You can even make these playthings yourself with scraps of burlap, home-grown catnip, a needle, and thread.

Another fun alternative is to fill various cat-treat balls with dry food and hide them around the house. The kitty will then need to “hunt” for his food and bite and kick and gnaw to allow the food prizes to be released. Be sure to purchase a cat-treat ball that doesn’t release its prize too easily. The kitty needs to work for his reward so he can feel like a successful predator.

I also like to grow cat grass that kitties can graze on. You can get starter cat-grass kits from most pet supply stores. This will give your cat something to chew when he just feels like he needs something other than food. This will be a good replacement for paper.

Feather toys on flexible poles are a must for every cat owner. But just having the toys around isn’t enough. Cat owners need to schedule playtime with their little buddies—at least 15-20 minutes a day. It’s a great way to bond and it burns off a lot of extra feline energy.

Sometimes cats chew on unusual things because they are bored or are feeling neglected. If the cat gets attention from your friend when he chews on paper and cardboard, his negative behavior is being reinforced by getting what he wants—his person’s company and interaction. You said your friend is too busy to write. So she may be too busy to spend enough quality time with her cat. Maybe you can help her out in that area. Offer to spend time with the little guy and get him started on all of these play activities. I bet your friend will decide that you guys are having too much fun without her and join in as well—and that will be great for everyone!

I hope these suggestions help. Please write in again and update us on how everything is going.

Don't Encourage Labradoodle Breeders

Several years ago I wrote a column about the latest designer dog— the Labradoodle—criticizing people who were intentionally producing mixed breed puppies under the pretense that these dogs were needed for folks with allergies (in spite of the fact that there were over thirty hypoallergenic breeds that already existed). I could not fathom how in a time where millions of dogs were being killed each year (and still are) that anyone could possibly think this was a good idea.

Needless to say, I received my share of hate-male from Labradoodle breeders and individuals who had purchased Labradoodles. Labradoodle breeders insisted that they were breeding responsibly and only producing enough puppies to satisfy the demand. They further maintained that they had very stringent “adoption” contracts that ensured their puppies went to “good” homes and that in fact, very few Labradoodles were being bred. Those who purchased the Labradoodles insisted that as allergy sufferers, they had the right to be able to enjoy having a dog. (They apparently had no idea there were so many other hypoallergenic dog breeds, and Labradoodle breeders certainly weren’t going to tell them.)

But—even at that time—any newspaper’s classified section contained multiple listings for Labradoodle puppies. I suspected that these were mostly people who were back-yard breeders trying to make a quick buck, raising popular, designer puppies in filthy, inhumane conditions, and treating their parents like machines whose sole purpose was to crank out babies. The easiest way to confirm a suspicion like this is to call and offer to buy a puppy. Back yard breeders will always want to meet a potential buyer in a parking lot, or some other place that ISN’T their own home. They do not want anyone coming to their property to see the puppies’ parents. Sure enough, every person I called cheerfully tried to arrange a meeting at a convenient location somewhere between my house and theirs, and gladly offered to bring an assortment of puppies from which I could choose.

Armed with this verification, I politely responded to all my “fans,” explaining my position which was further informed by 25 years of experience in animal care and humane work, 15 of which were at the County animal shelter where I witnessed the daily destruction of more beautiful, healthy, loveable dogs than I care to remember…but I do remember. I remember each and every one—their trusting faces, their wagging tails, their final breaths. And it is because of those innocent beings who lost their lives due to rampant human irresponsibility, that I continue to fight for them and speak out against unregulated breeding.

At the time of my infamous Labradoodle column, there were very few Labradoodles in shelters. It seemed to my critics that this was solid evidence to the fact that breeding Labradoodles was not contributing to the problem of pet overpopulation. I tried to tell these folks that it is just a matter of time before this changed, but they did not believe me. Now, a little less than five years later, animal shelters take in both stray and owner relinquished Labradoodles. If you do a Google search for Labradoodle rescue organizations (groups or individuals who are trying to save homeless Labradoodles), you’ll get almost 200,000 results. Ironically, the paid advertisements that come up to the right of the search results all offer Labradoodle puppies for sale. It makes my blood boil.

Last week, as I was getting footage of adoptable shelter pets for a local TV program I produce, I saw two Labradoodles being walked by a volunteer. Their filthy fur was matted from their heads to the tips of their tails. Both were females; one was three years old and the other two. And both had been used by a couple of backyard breeders as puppy making machines…along with 50 other Labradoodles and Pomeranians. Through a series of events, these two, sad dogs were rescued and taken to the shelter in Irvine. It wasn’t soon enough for the younger of the two. She was terrified to a degree that I have never seen; she couldn’t stop trembling and her heart was racing. She held her tail so tightly under her legs that she looked like she had no tail! She would not respond to affection and soothing voices. She clearly had never established any kind of bond with a human being. So, I knew she had to be my dog.

She’s been spayed now and after six days of being showered with love, kindness, patience, good food, a comfy bed (mine!), and a family that will treat her like a princess for the rest of her life, she’s beginning to wag her tail. She has no clue what toys are and doesn’t know how to play. She still lacks the joyful, happy-go-lucky attitude of a well-adjusted dog, but that will come with time...as much time as she needs.

Willa, as I call her, is a lucky Labradoodle. Meanwhile, countless others continue to live in unseen, foul, inhumane conditions, until they are no longer able to breed, at which time they are abandoned, relinquished to shelters, or killed.

If you haven’t already figured out the point of this column, it is simple. Backyard breeders will continue these cruel activities until there is no demand for their puppies. Please don’t support them in any way. Adopt from shelters and rescues. Most shelter dogs are still happy-go-lucky and know how to play, in spite of their histories. And if you have the time and heart to save the ones who have been as abused as Willa, they are waiting for you too. Remember, each time someone adopts a dog from a breeder, there is one less home available for those in shelters, and that means more euthanasia of beautiful, loving, wonderful pets. Let’s all work together to put an end to this cycle.

Dogs tied up in back yard!

Q. Our neighbors have two German shepherds that are tied up in the back yard most of the day and night. They have long leashes, plenty of shade, a large doghouse, food and water, but they get little to no attention. This breaks my heart because I am a dog lover and my dogs stay inside with me unless they need to go out to go potty. I tried to talk to these people but they assume I'm coming over to complain about their dogs' barking - and they do bark pretty much nonstop - but that's not the issue. Long story short, the people have no interest in hearing anything I have to say. Can anything be done about this?

A. Sadly, many people get dogs for the wrong reasons. I suspect the people who live in the home behind you wanted guard dogs. They probably had no interest in making these lovely creatures companion animals, which is especially unfortunate given that German shepherds are extremely social and needy creatures who are emotionally crippled by being isolated in this manner.

It is frustrating, I know, when you try to explain your point of view in a reasonable manner and are met with a "mind your own business" attitude. Some people are too set in their ways to accept any kind of advice or feel that a conversation, like the one you probably had, is a personal attack. Once someone is on the defensive, it is very difficult to find the reset button to start fresh.But there are no humane laws on the books that take into consideration the emotional well-being of animals. There is, however, an anti-staking law in California that bans the practice of keeping a dog tied up all day. If there is other physical abuse or neglect, this can be reported as well. Sadly though, people can and do treat animals as your neighbors do, and are generally not subject to any type of consequence. In this regard, our humane laws show obvious insufficiencies.

Though you made it clear that the barking is not an issue for you, this may be one more way to address the situation. If you file a complaint with your local animal control, the owners will receive information that will help them control the barking. No doubt, part of that information will include bringing the dogs indoors.

In the best-case scenario, these dog owners will take the complaint to heart and follow the official advice to avoid legal consequences relating to their dogs' barking. But, quite honestly, I doubt they would bring the dogs in the house. Instead, they will probably want to get rid of the dogs.

This is where you can come in. You can offer to find a home for the dogs. Believe it or not, a lot of dog owners who receive noise complaints will jump at the chance of having someone take the dogs off their hands rather than deal with doing anything themselves. It will require that you do a lot of phone calling and leg-work to place the dogs in a suitable environment elsewhere. But chances are, as a dog lover, you know lots of like-minded individuals who can help you out with this.

I would strongly advise that you find an adopter who is familiar with the breed and understands the needs of German Shepherds. These dogs have not been properly socialized and must go to someone who knows what he or she is doing.

I would suggest contacting some of the local German Shepherd Rescue volunteers for advice and assistance. They can probably give you some great information if you do end up in the position of having to find a new home for this pair of dogs. German Shepherd Rescue Orange County has a wonderful Web site with lots of information at www.gsroc.org.

Thanks for caring about these dogs. I am sure you will be able to make a difference in their lives.

Dog's vs. Cats

Dear Marie,
 I have a male friend at work who insists that dogs make better companions than cats because dogs are more social and love their owners and other people. He backs this up by saying his dog will happily approach anyone, even total strangers, and wag his tail and give kisses. He says the only reason cats ever act affectionate is because they want something - like food. He thinks I’m living in denial about believing my cats love me. This gets me so mad. I know that you have both cats and dogs in your home and seem to love both equally, so I think you can put an end to this argument with an unbiased answer. 
Angie, Huntington Beach

Dear Angie,
This debate between dog and cat owners has been raging for a long time. What most people don’t understand is that dogs and cats, just like people, are individuals and respond to us in their own unique manner. Some dogs are extremely shy and are so adverse to meeting new people, that they will bite strangers. Some cats are so outgoing that they will follow anyone who stops a moment to give them a pat on the head. (This is obviously a problem for overly friendly outdoor cats.) It is between these two extremes where most pets can be categorized. 

The average dog has no problem meeting new people and generally loves getting attention and affection. The average cat is more discerning in who she decides to bond with. However, most cats have very strong bonds with the people in their homes and desire interaction completely unrelated to food. Let me give an example of the type of bond cats form with humans. 

My daughter is a design major in college. From time to time, she works on assignments in her room and has to keep her cat from coming in. He weighs 22 pounds and has a habit of sitting on her very delicate projects, which is never a good thing. When her door is closed, he sits outside and whines. This is not because he is hungry or thirsty - his dishes are in the kitchen. It’s also not because he especially likes to be in my daughter’s room - most daytime hours or when my daughter is at work or school, he sleeps on my bed or the living room couch. It’s simply because she is home and he wants to be with her. The moment she opens her door, he is all over her. And if she comes out and into another room, he follows her. The moment she sits down, he’s in her lap, rubbing his face against hers, licking her and purring. At night, he sleeps with his front legs (arms) around her and his head buried in her neck. Call me an anthropomorphizer - but if that’s not love, I don’t know what is! 

This same cat is somewhat affectionate with everyone else in the household; but truthfully, he can take us or leave us. He wants absolutely nothing to do with strangers, however, and will run and hide if anyone he doesn't know comes in. Interesting enough though, he is “best friends” with my other daughter’s dog. These two play together, groom each other and sleep together. It’s quite remarkable. I think most people who have shared their homes with felines would testify to the fact that their cats do indeed love them and I can assure your friend that these people are not living in denial.

My oldest cat, now 18, is by far my friendliest. This is funny because she began her life with me as a feral kitten who wouldn't think twice about shredding anyone to pieces if he or she dared to be affectionate with her. But now, she’ll gladly cozy up with just about anybody who drops by for a visit. She loves attention and she loves being “motherly.” If you let her, she’ll wash your hands until you have no skin left! 

The reason that the dog versus cat question comes up so frequently is simply that some of us are “dog people” and some of us are “cat people” - and then, of course there are people like me who are just “animal people.” Unless you have really opened up your heart to the various different species, you can’t really understand what they are capable of and I suspect that is where your friend is coming from. All higher animals bond with their human families to some degree. For both dogs and cats, I would definitely call this bond “love.”

Happy Holidays!

On Sunday, December 6th, from 10 AM - 3 PM, The Irvine Animal Care Center is hosting its annual Home for the Holidays adoption event. It's a wonderful opportunity to bring home a new best friend who deserves a shot at a forever home. And while we are on the subject of holidays, this is a good time to talk about holiday do's and don'ts.

First, remember that your pets' diets should remain constant no matter what time of year it is. Simply put - do not give your pets any table scraps from holiday meals. Our celebratory food is just too rich for their digestive systems and can cause serious health problems. Further, turkey bones are an absolute no-no as they will splinter when chewed. If swallowed, turkey bone splinters are potentially lethal.
Second, secure your pets if you are planning to entertain guests. Constantly opening and closing doors are prime opportunities for pets to escape unnoticed and become lost or injured. If your pets tend to be door dashers or opportunists in this type of situation, you should consider keeping them in a bedroom until all the guests have arrived, and then put them back when guests begin to head home.
Third, some pets become fearful when extended family members and friends come to visit. This can lead to a bite situation. If your pets become anxious or seem overly timid around guests, it is best to keep them off-limits to all company and in a room as far away from the action as possible.
Finally, it seems almost inevitable that pets are given as gifts on an actual holiday, and though I can understand the logic for this, it is best to bring a new pet home before the big day, or wait until after the holiday is over. This will allow for a calm and stable environment in which to introduce a new companion animal. It is also vital to ensure that the recipients want a pet, and, more important, are capable of providing the time and care required. All too often, pets given as holiday gifts end up being relinquished to animal shelters within a few weeks or months.
Don't be a part of this tragedy. Remember, animals are sentient beings and not toys.
The holiday season is a wonderful time. Let's remember to make it as enjoyable for our pets as it is for us.

Barking at the Doorbell (or knocking)!

Dear Marie,
My three dogs go nuts each an every time someone comes to the door and knocks or rings the bell. I'm not talking a little, "Hey, there's someone at the door," kind of bark. I mean ferocious, "I want to eat them," barking! I yell (so they can hear me over their barking) and tell them to quiet down, and I pull them away from the door, but they just won't stop. You should know, though, that as soon as I open the door and talk to whoever it is, they are fine. They are not aggressive at all. But they have intimidated a lot of visitors with their doorbell barking. I don't know what to do. They are like a barking super-ensemble; as a group, they are unstoppable. Do you have any thoughts on how I can get them to behave? Thanks, Monique

Dear Monique,
Your problem-barkers are part of a larger canine crowd. Next to house-training troubles, this is one of the most common behavioral difficulties I hear about from readers. You will be happy to know that it is also one of the easiest issues to resolve, and can probably be dealt with in just a few days. So, I would recommend making this weekend your designated training time. Or if you have a more unconventional work schedule, try to find a block of time where you can be home for a couple of days to do some repetitive work with your dogs.

As you have learned, yelling at your canine companions and using your brute strength to pull them away from the situation is not very effective. If anything, it just adds to their frantic energy. Instead, you must create an environment of calm that prevails whenever the doorbell rings, or there is a knock on the door.

First, enlist the assistance of a family member or friend. Have that person walk up to the door while you are seated in a comfy chair reading the newspaper or pretending to sleep. Your accomplice should then knock or ring the doorbell. As soon as your dogs get into bark-mode, quietly and calmly tell them to "shush" and then toss a few treats to the other side of the room. If they go there, tell them they are good dogs, and then put them on "Sit-Stay," give them another treat, and then go answer the door. Hopefully they know basic obedience; if not, you need to take care of that before you do anything else.

Repeat this routine over and over again, until your dogs start going to the designated "treat spot" without any treats getting tossed. Begin to exchange treats for praise and petting; but always make sure they are in "Sit-Stay" before you answer the door.

Mix up the training a bit. Have your partner ring the bell every 10 seconds or so, while you remain in the "treat area." As soon as the bell rings (or there is a knock), tell your dogs to sit, and if they remain with you, and do as they're told, give them a treat. (You don't need to answer the door – you are just desensitizing them to the doorbell.) Pretty soon they will begin to associate doorbell/knocking sounds with this training, and if all goes well, they will move to the designated spot and put themselves on "Sit-Stay" without you even asking.

This takes a lot of repetition, but as it becomes clear that your dogs are getting the idea, you can take a little break and ask your partner to assist you later. Your dogs will probably forget some of their training in a few hours, but it will come back quickly once you follow-up with them; and by the end of the weekend, you should be able to have anyone walk up to your door, knock or ring the bell, and hear nothing from your dogs.

It's always good to add a little refresher training as time goes by so your dogs don't fall back into bad habits. But you know your dogs best, and should be able to gauge what's needed. Just remember, any time you ask your pets to do anything, you should always praise them when they do. Animals are a lot like people on that front, a kind word and a pat on the back goes a long way.

Good luck.

Raccoons in the City

Dear Marie,

Last night my dog started barking at something outside. Usually, if I tell him to be quiet, he’ll stop barking and come back on my bed. But this time he absolutely would not. So I got up to look out the window to see what was upsetting him so much. I could not believe what I saw! It was an entire family of raccoons using my pool to wash their hands and faces! I’ve never seen raccoons in my neighborhood before. We’ve had opossums over the years and even a skunk every now and then. But we've never had raccoons. I can’t imagine where they came from or where they live. My question to you is this. Should I be worried about them being in my yard? Do they carry any diseases that my dog can get if he goes out there now? Should I call someone to trap them? I live in Garden Grove so it’s not like I am near open space or wildlife areas. What should I do?

Amanda,

Garden Grove

Dear Amanda,

Like many wild animals in Orange County, the raccoons you spotted are completely urbanized. This means that they have probably never lived in what we would consider a “wildlife area.” They have adapted to living among people where food and water sources are plentiful, and there are numerous places that are safe and secure for sleeping during the day.

Often, raccoons use storm drains, especially during times of drought, to make temporary homes or sleeping quarters. It is not uncommon to spot a family of raccoons crawling out of the curbside openings that lead in and out of the municipal drain systems. This of course, is potentially very dangerous because when the rains finally do come, the raccoons have very little warning before the rushing water comes through. However, most raccoons do seem to manage and get to higher ground before it’s too late.

Some raccoons take up residence in the attics or crawl spaces of neighborhood homes. This isn’t ideal because they do tend to cause a lot of damage. So it is important to make sure that any openings leading into your crawl spaces and attic are securely sealed so that no wild animal can make your home its home!

But besides the physical property damage that raccoons are capable of causing, they really pose no measurable health risks, especially if you keep your dog in at night, which is the time that raccoons are out and about.

It is true that raccoons, like most mammals, are potential rabies carriers. However, if you observe a raccoon doing normal raccoon activities, the chances of it carrying rabies are almost non-existent. It is only if you see a raccoon during the daytime acting erratically that you should worry. But nothing you described in the raccoon activity that you saw sends out any red flags. So I wouldn’t worry about that.

Nevertheless, always make sure you pets are up to date on their rabies vaccinations and continue to keep your pets indoors at night when wildlife tends to be active. Any wild animal will protect itself if confronted, and it sounds as if your dog would be likely to engage these animals if he were allowed out. I would strongly advise taking your dog outside on a leash if he needs to relieve himself at night to avoid any unpredictable confrontations. You should also go out alone first and make some commotion to scare off any visitors before you take you dog outside. Raccoons will run away if you don’t corner them. They are not interested in attacking humans.

If you don’t want the raccoons coming by your home, I would suggest covering your pool so that they don’t have access to the water, which is most likely why they visited your home on the night you described. Further, harvest any fruit on trees that you may have growing in your yard and keep your trash cans covered at all times. Of course, don’t leave pet food or water dishes outside either. By eliminating food and water sources, you are taking away the attractiveness of your yard and the raccoon family will decide there isn’t anything worth sticking around for.

Wildlife and pets don’t make a good combination. So take these few precautions and you should be fine.