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Five Ways to Enrich Your Cat’s Life (& Make Him Better Behaved)

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Environmental Enrichment makes life better for you and your cat

What would happen if you left your four-year-old kid alone all day with no supervision and nothing to do? There’s no telling what disaster would greet you when you open the front door. You’d likely find wall graffiti in permanent marker–black, of course, tiny faces smeared with lipstick, as is every surface in the bathroom, soiled underpants and maybe a broken small appliance or two…if you’re lucky. No one in their right mind would ever leave a preschooler home alone. Why then, are we surprised when Fluffy, left alone with no activities, wreaks havoc? What Fluffy needs is some environmental enrichment.

If you have an overactive, destructive cat, here are five things you can do make him happier and keep your home interior safe.

#1 Provide Outlets for Normal Cat Behaviors

First of all, “normal cat behaviors” are how cats would act in the wild. Normal feline behaviors include:

  • Hunting
  • Eating and drinking
  • Going to the bathroom
  • Exploring
  • Sleeping
  • Marking territory (facial marking and marking with the claws and urine)
  • Climbing
  • Scratching

Your exclusively indoor cat may be safe from predators, disease, cars, aggressive cats and dogs and nasty people, but unless you proactively make life a little more interesting for your kitty, it’s going to be a long, but boring and stressful life. In both cats and humans, stress causes any number of health issues. Stressed kitties of suffer from painful feline interstitial cystitis that causes out of the litter box experiences. Stress and boredom also cause behavioral issues like furniture scratching, urine marking, hyperactivity, compulsive behaviors, attention seeking and aggression.

Da Bird is one of the Rainbolt Test Kitties’ favorite interactive toys. It promotes exercise and appeals to Fluffy’s inner predator.

 

What does he have to be stressed about? While you know he’s safe inside, Fluffy’s brain hasn’t gotten the memo. Instinct keeps him in the I’m-on-the-menu mentality. Boredom and untapped energy breeds destructive behaviors, aggression and stress, which can lead to numerous health issues. Believe it or not, the answer to many of these physical and behavioral problems is  environmental enrichment and clean boxes.

Accomodating the cat’s needs

To meet their behaviorial needs, cats should have clean litter boxes, stable scratching posts, cat grass, toys to simulate predatory behavior, and spaces to perch, rest, navigate the home and regular exercise.

I’ll concede, you can’t coax Fluffy onto a rolling treadmill. You can provide him with a good cardio workout by offering him prey on a string (my guys love DaBird), synthetic snake (Cat Dancer Cat Charmer) and bugs (Cat Dancer), Vee Purrfect Feather Cat Toy and Neko Flies Cat Toys. Exercise releases serotonin, a natural brain chemical that reduces stress.

#2 Natural Dining Opportunities

Yes, your kitty eats as much as he wants, whenever he wants. But that’s not a natural behavior. In the wild a cat has to hunt before he can eat. According to cat vet extraordinaire, Margie Scherk, DVM, ABVP, a natural cat kills and eats between five and 10 mice a day. Fluffy will have 15 unsuccessful hunts for every actual meal. That’s a lot of running, jumping, climbing, crouching and leaping.

“Cats weren’t designed to eat from a trough,” Dr. Scherk says. Instead, make mealtime challenging.

Natural feeding options

My cats love a good food puzzle. They’ll actually pass up a full bowl of kibble to solve the food puzzles we’ve placed around the house. So I was excited when Dr. Liz Bales invited me to give Doc & Pheobe’s Indoor Hunting Feeder system a try. It’s a hunting game that appeals the strategist in your cat and offers food as the reward. It helps satisfy a cat’s natural prey drive. Hide the feeder mice around the house. Fluffy has to locate the mice and then smack them around in order to eat. The set comes with five mouse-shaped food dispensers, a training feeder (to teach your cats how it works), the skin and a portion measure. Each mouse holds enough kibble for a natural mouse-size meal. Formerly known as No Bowl, the feeder mouse is slightly larger than the average field mouse. (I know. I see enough carcasses in my house.) It’s actually the size of an adolescent rat. (See photo above.)

I have to admit, I didn’t follow the training instructions. The Test Kitties are used to problem-solving games, so we jumped right to it. I filled up the mice and distribute them around. In minutes they were kicking them around and retrieving their meal. Between you and me, the holes are  so large they don’t present much challenge for my guys, but a piece of duct tape over one of the openings made it more difficult and fun. With multiple cats it’s impossible to monitor food intake, but it’s impossible to do that unless you have assigned seating anyway. Scatter them around the house. Even if you have food guarders, he can’t guard them all at once.

The downsides

The one problem we have encountered is our Pug-mix Burt. (He eats from Petsafe Busy Buddy Kibble Nibble, a food ball.) He had no problem working the feeder mice. We had to set them out dog-free areas of the house. The other problem is keeping track of them. They end up in some very strange places. Some are missing in action. I have a feeling I’ll find a mischief (that’s a group of mice) under the couch. The cats love them. It’s fun to watch the kitties pick up the mouse by the ear or the tail and carry it around. Even with all the things my cats have going on, they like the mouse feeders.

#3 Think 3-D

Unlike humans, free-roaming cats live and work in three dimensions. They monitor animals coming and going from tree branches and seek refuge inside hidey holes. Your inside tiger needs vertical spaces where he can monitor the activities in his environment and get away from annoying dogs or kids. Tall cat trees, cleared bookshelves and window perches can function as Fluffy’s high spots, and enclosed beds, wicker baskets and even cardboard boxes provide hiding places. The more cats you have, the more of these places you need to avoid conflict.

#4 Provide Sensory Stimulation

Cats not only live life multi-dimensionally, they use their enhanced senses of vision, smell and hearing to locate prey. Glenn Olah,DVM, PhD, DABV,P president of the Winn Feline Foundation, says they can “hunt with a minimum light threshold up to 7 times lower than humans.” They can hear much higher frequencies than we can and have an amazing sense of smell to detect prey. These refined senses need to be stimulated.

Making Scents

Use a Comfort Zone® with Feliway® plugin in the areas where your cat hangs out. These plugins contain a synthetic facial pheromone that promotes a feeling of comfort, calmness and tranquility.

Provide a window perch with a bird bath, bird or squirrel feeder to give the kitty his own version of Duck Dynasy. Dr. Olah says, “If indoor cats sense threatening pheromones, or if they cannot express their sensory signals (eg, scent marking), stress-related illnesses and problematic behaviors such as inappropriate elimination or scratching can occur.”

Catnip toys can appeal to your kitty’s amazing sense of smell. Photo by Weems S. Hutto.

This is where window perches come in handy. As they say, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Outside entertainment might backfire if neighborhood cats, dogs or wild animal wander into you yard upsetting your cat. In that case, cat videos and well-secured fish tanks can provide distraction to a bored cat. I occasionally bring home crickets from Petco or PetSmart and let the kitties hunt. Don’t forget catnip toys and even loose catnip. Meowy wowwy!

#5 Cat Friendly Litter Box

In a wild environment a cat would have a perpetually clean litter box. He pees or poops and buried his waste. Next time natures calls, he moves (pardon the pun) to a clean location. Indoor cats don’t have that luxury. They’re dependent on their humans to maintain the bathroom. In nature cats have an unscented sandy medium to eliminate in. Humans put all kinds of unacceptable junk in the box because either we humans like it or it makes us feel ecologically responsible. But cats are very sensitive to textures and scents. (You’ve heard the saying, “Happy wife, happy life.” This one goes, “Happy kitty, happy carpet.” Here’s what makes kitties happy with their litter box:

  • Large open litter box that measures at least 1.5 times your cat’s body length.
  • One box for every cat plus one
  • Place boxes in different areas of the house, not next to each other
  • Place boxes only in quiet areas and don’t let kids or dogs bother the cat while he’s in his box
  • Don’t place boxes next to food or water bowls
  • Use unscented, sandy textured litter
  • Avoid pellets, and scented litter
  • Scoop daily, better still, twice a day.

What kind of environmental enrichment you provide for your cat? Please tell me in the comment section below.

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The Assisi Loop: Dealing with Feline Pain

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[Author’s note: This is one of the most impressive things I’ve tried in my 18 years of reviewing cat products. It gets 6 paws out of a possible five.]

Cats are masters of deception. I don’t mean their claims of starving only minutes after being fed, but their ability to hide pain. Because people openly complain about our discomfort, we look for similar signs in our pets. Cats, however, suffer pain from any number of causes in secret.

Why don’t they show they’re hurting?

Because in the food chain, every hungry predator bigger than Fluffy wants to eat him. Complaining their knees ache or their eyes feel like they’re on fire is as good as ringing the coyote’s dinner bell. It doesn’t matter that your kitty lives inside; instinct still forces him to stay painfully mum.

Research shows that 90 percent of cats over 12 years suffer from joint disease (i.e. arthritis).[1] 90 percent! Another study found the X-rays of 22 percent of the kitties of all ages showed joint degeneration.[2] What other pain might your kitty be hiding?

And feline pain management is a challenge—far fewer options than dogs. Long term pain relief can cost a paw and a tail and in some cases could result in serious side effects.

Dealing with Feline Pain

Lil Bub is a celebrity endorser of the Assisi Loop

 

I recently discovered a new technology, the Assisi Loop 2.0, to treat pets’ inflammatory pain such as orthopedic injuries, degenerative neurological issues, post-surgical pain and swelling, inflammatory conditions and wounds.

I have to admit I’m a world-class skeptic, and I had a dilemma. How could I review this product? It’s difficult enough to detect feline pain. Without being a mind reader, how can I quantify my cats’ pain relief? It turns out, I didn’t have to be a pet psychic.

The Back Story

A couple of years ago, Assisi Animal Health sent me a sample of the Assisi Loop 2.0 in exchange for an honest review. Somehow, it disappeared on the way home from the post office. (So sorry, Assisi. I really am.) Recently, I had a tire blowout. I pulled out the spare tire and that’s when I found my two-year old unopened Assisi Loop. (It must have slid out of my mail bag.)

 

The Assisi Loop’s electromagnetic field extends 2/3 the diameter of the device on each side.

 

While trying to change the tire, my hand slipped and I slammed my index metacarpophalangeal joint (big knuckle) full force against the lug wrench. It was exquisite pain, a level of throbbing I simply can’t describe. My hand felt like it was on fire. Sitting in the driver’s seat waiting for the pain to subside, I thought, “Why not try the Assisi Loop?”

The instructions were straight forward. The unit is preprogrammed to provide 150 15-minute sessions. Push the button to turn on. If you can’t do 15 minutes, turn it off by pressing the button again until the green light goes off. Wait at least two hours before using it again or you risk reducing the battery life. Got it. Would there be any battery power left after two years in a hot Texas car? I doubted it.

I placed the Assisi Loop over my knuckle and pressed the button. The light came on, but I felt no sensation, no tingling, no pain relief. I wouldn’t have known it was on if not for the blinking light. Finally it stopped blinking. The treatment was over and my joint still ached. Oh well.

The Assisi Loop electromagnetic field penetrates fur, bandages and even a cast

 

However, a couple of minutes later, something surprising happened; the pain vanished. I thought perhaps the pain has simply run its course. I got back on the road and made it safely home. The following day, the throbbing returned. Not as intense, but painful nevertheless. Once again I tried the Assisi Loop with the same results.

Painful Conjunctivitis

Last week, my 6-month-old Siamese-mix foster failure, Ernie, was suffering from a painful bout of conjunctivitis associated with feline herpesvirus. The tissue surrounding his left eye was so inflamed, his eyelids were almost completely swollen shut. My vet ordered antiviral eye drops, but it would be five days before they arrived. Since conjunctivitis is inflammation, I thought this would be a good test for the Assisi Loop. (I’m sorry I didn’t take before and after photos.)

Ernie did not like the Assisi Loop next to his face, so I had to wait for him to go to sleep or slip it under his favorite basket

 

Hard to believe, but after three treatments I could see no visible inflammation. Of course, we still needed to treat the viral component of the conjunctivitis when the drops arrived, but he appeared to feel so much more comfortable. Extrapolating from this experience, the Loop will also be a godsend for cats struggling with bladder pain from interstitial cystitis and pancreatitis. (Assisi this could be a windfall. Please consider clinical trials of cystitis kitties!!) Our cat, Emily, recently recovered from pancreatitis. If she has a recurrence, she will also receive Assisi treatments.

How does it work?

The Assisi Loop® is an FDA approved non-pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory device (NPAID®t). It emits a targeted pulsed electromagnetic field (tPEMF) into the inflamed tissue, increasing the production of nitric oxide, a chemical essential to the healing process of soft and hard tissues (skin, tendons, ligaments, bones and organs.) inflammation occurs from orthopedic injuries, degenerative disorders, neurological issues, inflammatory conditions, wounds and post-surgical swelling. Our bodies naturally release this compound whenever we exercise, or we are injured to speed healing, reduce inflammation, and lower pain levels.  Studies backing these claims have been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. The technology has even been cleared by the FDA for treating post-operative pain and edema in people. (In 1998, the discovery of nitric oxide’s role in healing received the Nobel Prize for Medicine.)

The Assisi Loop’s electromagnetic field extends 2/3 the diameter of the device on each side.

 

The Loop need not directly touch the cat (or dog or horse) and can penetrate bandages, casts and fur to reach all the tissue in the target area. The Assisi Loop can be used alone or with acupuncture, chiropractic and pain meds. The Loop has none of the dangerous potential side effects of pain meds.

The Assisi Loop is priced at $269. It is available through some veterinarians or you can purchase it directly through Assisi Health Animal Health with a prescription. For more information check out http://www.assisianimalhealth.com.

Do your cats have problems with pain? Tell me about it in the comments below.

 

[1] Radiographic evidence of degenerative joint disease in geriatric cats: 100 cases (1994-1997). Hardie EM, Roe SC, Martin FR. JAVMA 220:628-632, 2002.

[2] Osteoarthritis in cats: A retrospective radiological study. Godfrey DR.J Small Anim Pract 46:425-429, 2005.

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Halloween Cat Safety

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Gabriel Halloween IMG_2220_smallOn Halloween night, costumed goblins traipse up and down neighborhood streets demanding candy and dispensing tricks. Unfortunately, sometimes those victims are the family cat and unsuspecting strays.

In Medieval times, cats were associated with the devil, and their mere presence frightened people; today the tables have turned and All Hallowed Eve has become a deadly time for cats. Intentional cruelty to cats occurs every day of the year, but around the end of October incidences increase, as do unexplained disappearances of cats. Any cat can become a victim, but at most risk are of being sacrificed by cults are black, white, black and white or dark tortoiseshells. Across the country animal shelters and humane groups refuse to adopt black cats during the month of October. Most people are aware of the Halloween threat, but other sacrificial days observed by cults are: February 2, April 30 and August 1 and the days of the changing of the seasons. While there is occult abuse of cats, but most Halloween abuse occurs at the hands of kids and some adults with a demented definition of fun.

One retired vet told me she treated several Halloween victims, including a cat who had been shot through the head with an arrow and another cat hit with a dart. Both cats survived. She said she didn’t see much malicious mischief, but she suspected most of those cats don’t survive. So, let’s look at Halloween cat safety.

To be safe, bring your cats inside at least one week before Halloween. To acclimate slightly outdoor cats to living inside bring them at night for a few days. After a few nights indoor, it’s time to bring him inside 24/7 for a while.

On Halloween night lock your kitties in a safe room, away from open doors. While you are passing out candy, kitty may dart through an open door and into the hands of someone with an agenda or into the oncoming path of a car.

But Halloween dangers lurks other places besides in the hands of strangers. Sometimes we are our pets’ own worst enemy, even when we just want to have a little fun. Feeding our pets the wrong treat or being careless with wrappers can be just as deadly as the wrath of a stranger.

And chocolates are a definite no-no. According to ASPCA/Animal Poison Control Center, chocolate can be deadly. This is more of a dog concern, since kitties aren’t usually attracted to sweets. Milk chocolate can affect a cat or dog like an overdose of amphetamines. Dark baker’s chocolate is even more dangerous.

Chocolate contains a toxic substance called theobromine, which neither feline nor canine livers can metabolize. It causes vomiting, restlessness, heart disturbances and even death; although chocolate is a more serious danger to dogs because of their sweet tooth, it can kill cats or make them seriously ill. Be conscious of where your children leave their candy and wrapper. Hard candy can choke your pet and wrappers can block intestines. Instead, be safe and offer your only cat treats made specifically him.

If you suspect that your pet has ingested chocolate, or any other toxic substance, call the ASPCA/Animal Poison Control Center. It’s your best resource for any animal poison-related emergency 24/7, 365 days a year. You can reach them at 888-426-4435. A $65 consultation fee may be applied to your credit card.

Gabriel HalloweenIMG_2213_smallHalloween Cat safety:

  • Bring all cats inside at least one week before Halloween. All black, all white and mixed black and white cats are especially at risk during this occult celebration. (Acclimate outdoor cats to the house a few days prior to total confinement by keeping them in at night.)
  • Under no circumstance should pets be left outside on Halloween night. Even dogs in an enclosed fence could suffer at the hands of a malicious prankster.
  • Halloween night keep all pets away from doors.
  • Forget about walking the dog on Halloween night. Your pup doesn’t know that that monster latex monster mask is really the kid next door. (The incidents of dog bites increase dramatically on Halloween.)
  • Don’t feed either cats or dogs candy, especially chocolate because they can’t metabolize it; chocolate can kill or make them seriously ill.
  • Be conscious of where your children leave their candy and wrapper. Hard candy can choke and wrappers can block your pet’s intestines.
  • Make sure pets have identification just in case they get out.
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Increasing Adoptions of Senior Cats and Dogs

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Senior cats make wonderful pets. They’re calm and they come with manners.

 

There’s nothing more heartbreaking than scanning the shelter to pull adoptable animals, only to find a gray-muzzled cat or dog looking up at you as if to say, “Where am I?”

To add insult to abandonment, a prospective family dashes right past him on the hunt for that perfect puppy or kitten. But wait, it’s worse. Today is euthanasia day. Without intervention, that once beloved pet will take his place in the statistic book next to five to seven million other animals who face euthanasia in shelters this year.

People pass up senior pets because of fear says Sherri Franklin, founder of Muttville, a San Francisco senior dog rescue. Muttville rescues and rehomes 350 to 400 seniors annually. Franklin says families fear losing their new pet soon after becoming attached. They’re also concerned about medical expenses they can’t afford. They’re not sure an old animal will bond with their kids, fit into the family, or the pet was abandoned because of bad behavior.

People surrender their golden oldies for many reasons most of which are not the pet’s fault):

  • The elderly owner has died, gone into assisted living or moved in with a relative
  • The family is moving to a place that doesn’t allow pets/the pet is over the weight limit
  • They have too many pets
  • Home foreclosure
  • Allergies
  • Spouse/S.O. doesn’t like cats/dogs
  • New baby/pregnancy
  • Kid is going off to college.

When you see those frightened, grizzled faces, don’t ignore them. With a little effort and a publicity campaign, you can make that cage space available to another homeless pet without a PTS order.

Senior cats can offer you many happy year, so don’t pass them up at the shelter

 

ADDRESSING OBJECTIONS TO ADOPTING A SEASONED PET

During the 1984 presidential debate with 56-year-old Walter Mondale, then 73-year old presidential candidate Ronald Reagan said, “I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” You need to look at adoptable senior pets with Reagan’s optimism.

“Look at why people are afraid to adopt a senior,” Franklin says. “Get rid of those fears.”

Remind mature potential adopters, especially senior citizens, “You aren’t past your prime, and neither are these animals.”  Or “Just because you’re not a young pup doesn’t mean you don’t have a lot of life and love left in you. This cat (dog) is just like you.”

The most common objections to adopting senior pets include:

SHORT TIME REMAINING

While people fear the pet dying in just a few years, there’s no guarantee that any puppy or kitten will out survive a senior pet. Pets of any age can develop catastrophic medical conditions. Mary Hutto of Dallas adopted a healthy 8-week old Siamese-mix several years ago. Shortly after Spot turned a year old Mary discovered he suffered from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. She lost him a few months later, but only after spending over $1000 on vets.

EXPENSIVE VET BILLS

There is no free pet. Even healthy puppies and kittens require a significant financial investment their first year. Adopters should expect to pay for vaccinations, lab tests, parasite treatments and preventatives, spay/neuter, obedience training, doggie daycare, grooming, food and miscellaneous stuff.

To allay health concerns, before placing senior pets up for adoption, Muttville performs health screenings including a full blood panel and heartworm check, and when needed, dentals and spay/neuters. Other shelters provide pet health insurance with the adoption.

“We’re taking the fear of unknown health problems out of the equation,” Franklin says. “We’re transparent. We tell you the dog has diabetes, and will need shots forever. Or it has dry eye.”

Muttville spends around $700 per dog, more than twice the adoption fee. They offset the difference with fundraisers. Muttville also provides a two-week trial period before finalizing the adoption to make sure the dog is a good fit for the family. “We will take back any dog,” Franklin says.

I WANT THE KIDS AND THE PET TO GROW UP TOGETHER

“The puppy or kitten stage goes by in the blink of the eye,” says Inga Fricke, director of sheltering and pet care issues at Humane Society of the United States (HSUS.) The kids won’t remember that puppy.” Instead they’ll look back with fondness at the romps in the park, games of tags and fashion shows involving baby doll dresses.

A senior pet with previous infant or toddler experience can tolerate (survive) a small child’s rough handling. A puppies or kitten risks injury or death if a toddler drops or falls on him. A kid-friendly older cat may tolerate the doll clothes dress phase embarrassment and grace, and escape to elevated furniture when she’s reached her BS (Baby Stuff) threshold. High energy and vulnerable kittens will struggle to get away from rough handling, so children may risk being bitten or scratched. Consequently, many shelters have 6-6 policies: homes with children under six years cannot adopt kittens or puppies under six months. If the animal’s history is known, shelter workers can tell potential adopters which senior pets came from families or foster families with kids.

Fricke says the even American Academy of Pediatrics discourages people with young children to have young pets in the home.

YOU can TEACH AN OLD DOG/CAT NEW TRICKS

Au contraire, adults have much longer attention spans, and that translates to learning faster. Besides, a mature pet already understands that there are house rules. He may not know the new rules, but since he knows what “no” means, he can certainly apply that to his current situation.

OTHER SENIOR PLUSES

Having a puppy or kitten is like having a human child,” Fricke says. “It’s the same effort going through those stages and training.”

SENIOR PETS ARE HOUSETRAINED

Housebreaking a puppy can take months (or much longer), and cost thousands in carpet cleaning or replaced flooring. Puppies must be taken outside to potty much more frequently than adults. Inga Fricke says, “The rule of thumb is that puppies can hold their bladders no more than one hour longer than their age in months. So, a two-month-old puppy can’t hold its bladder for more than three hours.”

Until they reach six or seven months, mishaps will occur if the puppy is crated or kept inside for long periods. Mature pets have the toilet issue down! Mature dogs understand that the house is not the bathroom.

OLDER PETS HAVE MANNERS

Senior dogs and cats take less work than little ones. They require little or no training. They already understand biting, jumping and scratching are off limits.  They’ve moved beyond the destructive stage, thank goodness. With the teething stage and manic energy stages well behind the golden oldie, shoe chewing, drapes-climbing and furniture scratching will be minimal compared to puppies and kittens.

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET

1960’s comedian Flip Wilson’s character Geraldine used to exclaim, “What you see is what you get!” That insightful phrase is the #1 selling point of senior pets.

Fricke says animals don’t develop their full personalities until they’re fully mature. “When you bring home that fluffy ball of fur you don’t know what you’re getting. If you’re looking at a pet who’s reached maturity, you know how active it’s going to be, if he’s nervous around strangers, if he’s outgoing or a hider.”

When the animal comes from the back of the cage to lick your hand, you know what you’re taking home. “There’s no guarantee that energetic kitten will mellow out when he’s grown,” she says.

Apartment dwellers who have pet weight restrictions benefit from senior adoption because they don’t have to worry about that cute puppy with the delicate paws unexpectedly growing into a behemoth. And once again, seniors are less destructive and potty trained.

STRATEGIES FOR SENIOR PET ADOPTIONS

“Finding homes for seniors is a challenge,” Fricke admits. “Combine good marketing with education by informing the public about the benefits of older animals, as well as the pitfalls of bringing home younger animals. It’s still always going to be a challenge, unfortunately.”

Get creative in your marketing. Sherri Franklin says Muttville volunteers post pictures and the dogs’ stories on Facebook, Twitter, Petfinder.com, Adoptapet.com and even Craig’s list. Create a brochure or flyer spotlighting the advantages of adopting mature pets. Don’t forget to feature adoptable seniors in both your email and snail mail newsletters and even send out short e-news blasts with the pet’s story. A touching mailer can also become a powerful fundraising tool.

Fricke says shelters frequently create interest in older pets by placing them in prominent places on their web site. Consider reducing adoption fees on animals one year and older. She encourages people to check out shelterpetproject.org, the pet project cooperation between HSUS, Maddie’s Fund and the Ad Council.

WORDS MEAN THINGS

William Shakespeare brilliantly wrote, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” And while there’s nothing sweeter than an old cat or dog, potential adopters don’t respond well to the word “old.” When talking about or describing an available senior, Franklin suggested using more positive synonyms. Try “mature”, “senior”, “gentleman”, “mature lady”, “tried and true”, “sweet senior”, “mellow”, “couch potato”, “friend”, “grandma”, “grandpa”, or “golden oldie”.

IN YOUR FACE

Fricke says shelters should do anything they can do to spotlight how well these animals would fit into the home.

Position senior cages so prospective adopters must view the classic models before they can see the puppies and kittens. Some shelters bring the seniors, or hard-to-adopt animals, into the lobby to work as greeters. When families see a Lab sleeping on a bed, they think he’s a well-behaved dog compared to the hooligans in the back jumping up and barking. Stress the advantages of mature cats and dogs and how they will complete the family.

FREEBIES

Besides reduced or waived fees, Fricke says some shelters provide free care packages or start up kits for adopters of senior pets that include: collars, leashes, bowls, toys, litter boxes and scoops. Future vaccinations, vet care, free behavior advice or training may also pique interest in older shelter dwellers.

WARM FEELINGS

And let’s not discount those warm, fuzzy feelings people get from saving a life and doing a good deed. Adopting an aging pet makes a statement about the adopter’s compassion. It says he or she values every stage of life.

Sherri Franklin says “Don’t hesitate to use the pet’s story to tug at people’s hearts. It’s all about selling the pet, and telling his story in a compelling way, whether it’s happy or sad.” Some people respond to happy stories, others want to make up for an animal’s difficult life.

 COMFORT AFTER LOSING A PET

People grieving from the recent loss of a pet may receive great comfort if they can save another life as a result of their tragedy. There’s no question, adopting a senior pet is saving a life.

WE DELIVER FOR YOU

-If your senior pets aren’t showing well with all the competition in shelter, find a unique adopt-a-pet location and let them shine. Hold an event in a seniors community.

WHO ADOPTS SENIORS?

Senior citizens and childfree couples are the most likely demographics to adopt aging pets because the animals are less demanding and more laid back. So consider implementing a program that targets these groups.

SENIORS FOR SENIORS

A growing number of shelters offer senior pets for a greatly reduced adoption fee (or waives fees entirely) to senior citizens in Seniors for Seniors programs. <<<Link to the Seniors for Seniors article.>>> Others provide the same option to any interested adopter.

Using some imagination and a lot of marketing, any group should be able to increase senior adoptions and prevent unnecessary adoptions.

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Ghost Cat Photos

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On very rare occasions, people manage to capture photos of ghosts. Here are three such examples that appear in my latest book, Ghost Cats: Human Encounters with Feline Spirits.

This is from the story “Little Joe’s Portrait” in Ghost Cats. Moments after finding her favorite feral, Little Joe, dead, Anita Morris snapped this photo by Little Joe’s favorite dish. Little Joe is the transparent cat in the upper center.

 

After Dolly passed, her owner Andy continued to see her impression on his bed. Her story is “Making an Impression.”

 

Kathy Johnson took this picture when her son, Erik, said his leg felt cold. Above his hand you can see an orb.
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Ghost Cats now on sale

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Some cats won’t let a little thing like death separate them from their humans. ~ Dusty Rainbolt author of Ghost Cats

Ghost Cats was the winner of the Cat Writers’ Association Muse Medallion for the year’s best book on a miscellaneous topic

 

Ghost Cats: Human Encounters with Feline Spirits Revised Edition is now available.

Many cat lovers believe these amazing creatures possess mystical powers that reach beyond what we can see and touch. But can cats extend a paw from beyond the grave?

Award-winning GHOST CATS is an original collection of heartwarming, and sometimes heart-stopping, accounts of cats who connected with their loved ones for a final time—ghost encounters of the feline kind. From the chilling “Demon Cat of the Nation’s Capitol” to the comical “Phantom Litter Box” to the reassuring “Grungy’s Greeting”, there are feline phantasms for everyone.

And if you believe you have heard, seen or felt your very own departed kitty, author Dusty Rainbolt, one of the country’s leading authorities on animal apparitions, offers reasons why your best forever friend breeched that tenuous veil to reach you again.

ABOUT GHOST CATS

People who have spent a lifetime observing and interacting with cats will say that these amazing animals seem to possess powers – supernatural, psychic, or otherwise – that we can only begin to comprehend. But are they able to return from the grave as well?

In Ghost Cats, the strangely heartwarming tales of cats who have refused to let death part them from their human companions are recounted in vivid and captivating detail. From the chilling “Demon Cat of the Nation’s Capitol” to the delightful “Phantom Litter Box” to the touching “Poor Puss” of Stonehenge, there’s a plethora of phantasms here for everyone. And what if you receive bedtime visitations from your very own dearly departed kitty? Author Dusty friend explains all the signs of a haunting and offers reasons why your friend has come back.

A thrilling read for the cat and ghost lovers among us, and a consolation for those who have lost a beloved pet, this collection of stories confirms that these wonderful, whiskered creatures capture our imagination as much as they do our hearts, long after they have purred their last.

OVERCOMING GRIEF

Do you still feel your cat’s presence? Have you heard him meow or the jingle of his collar bell? You are not alone. Many bereaved cat owners and some bewildered non-owners have experienced the patter of paws or felt the presence of paranormal pets.

People coping with the loss of a pet (or human), know the grief can feel overwhelming. The 70 plus encounters shared in this book have encouraged the inconsolable and given hope to the hopeless. We will see our beloved cats again.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT GHOST CATS

“Decades of tending rescue and foster cats and kittens make Dusty Rainbolt the cat companion’s go-to expert on feline health, happiness, and behavior. And that includes stunning examples of cats’ extra-sensory sensitivity we all glimpse and often too easily dismiss. Ghost Cats will make you wonder if any of our cats are ever really ‘lost’ to us.” ~ Carole Nelson Douglas, author of the Midnight Louie Feline PI Mysteries

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A former card-carrying skeptic, Dusty started investigating paranormal phenomena after her recently passed foster kitten named Maynard returned for a brief one-time afterlife experience. Dusty Rainbolt is an award-winning cat writer who has worked as a professional freelance journalist since the late 1980s.

Dusty is the author of the just-released book that helps rectify feline inappropriate elimination, Cat Scene Investigator: Solve Your Cat’s Litter Box Mystery (Stupid Gravity Press), as well as Kittens for Dummies and Cat Wrangling Made Easy: Maintaining Peace & Sanity in Your Multicat Home. She also penned the award-winning paranormal mystery, Death Under the Crescent Moon (Yard Dog Press). Her scifi fans know Dusty for her comedy novel All the Marbles and as well as the outrageous The Four Redheads of the Apocalypse fantasy series she coauthored with Linda L. Donahue, Rhonda Eudaly and Julia S. Mandala. She’s past president of the Cat Writers’ Association, and three-time recipient of the Friskies Writer of the Year. She is editor-in-chief of AdoptAShelter.com, past product editor for the Tuft’s University publication, Catnip and Whole Cat Journal. Over her career, over 1500 of her columns and articles have appeared in magazines, books, newsletters and websites.

Dusty’s a member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She and her husband share their unhaunted home with their living, breathing cats and a Pug-mix. Involved in kitten rescue for over three decades, she has successfully raised over 800 orphan kittens. Unfortunately not all of the bottle babies made it. One in particular changed her life.

Check out her website at DustyCatWriter.com. She’d love to hear your cat, dog, and horse ghost stories.

 

Uncategorized

J.D. Rainbolt Appreciation Day–He foresaw Hurricane Harvey

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Then Major J.D. Rainbolt on the right. He foresaw disasters like Hurricane Harvey.

 

Today is August 30, 2017. This is a terrible time for the residents of Houston and the Texas coast. My thoughts and prayers are with them. This was the thing my father, J.D. Rainbolt, worried about all the time. Early warning was his life. He worried about possible enemy attacks and natural disasters it so everyday people wouldn’t have to. He knew someday Hurricane Harvey would hit Houston. Maybe he didn’t know the name Harvey, but he knew, nevertheless.

This day in 1955, Houston Mayor Roy Hofheinz declared J.D. Rainbolt Appreciation Day. This honor was directly tied to the current crisis current visiting Space City.

Long before Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was a thing, Dad pioneered early warning for the general public. He was the military activities engineer for Southwestern Bell Telephone, and worked on loan to the city of Houston for three years as the Communications and Warning Division Chief. In his tenure in this position, he installed (at no cost to Houston or Harris County) 22 early warning sirens. According to State Coordinator William L. McGill, “Your great contribution to civil defense in Texas and particularly Harris County will be long remembered by this office. Your efforts have placed your part of Texas among the top areas of the nation in the communications and warning field.”

Then Houston Mayor Roy Hofheinz declared August 30, 1955 J.D. Rainbolt Appreciation Day.

 

Until recently, I never understood Dad’s fascination with hurricanes and severe weather. Although I admit I have inherited his obsession. When I was a kid, every night during hurricane season, Dad would get out his charts and religiously plot the course of the hurricane de jour.  After reading his papers, I now know he was moving resources to a safe, but accessible place so they could arrive as soon as possible after the storm passed.

I remember in 1961, going outside and watch the churning clouds of Hurricane Carla’s outer arms approach San Antonio. I don’t know why this made such an impression on me, but I can still close my eyes and see it. Carla made landfall as a category four around Port O’Connor. It did an enormous amount of damage all along the Texas coast. Dad had to make sure communications to the area was immediately available. Without communications, more tangible resources couldn’t arrive. It was truly a matter of life and death for those people affected by the storm. He laid the groundwork for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

After Dad’s death three years ago, I was going through his papers trying to find facts for his eulogy, I found a yellowed crumbling newspaper article that detailed his pivotal role in establishing the air raid warning sirens  in Harris County, and one of the first in the U.S.

A telegram from State Coordinator William L. McGill on J.D. Rainbolt Appreciation Day

 

Since the end of the Cold War, the purpose of the sirens has changed. Although recent events in North Korea have renewed our concerns about nuclear attack, citizens of Texas have more immediate threats associated with natural disasters. Where I live in North Texas, these early warning alerts are used primarily for tornado warnings.  Inside my home, I can hear sirens blare at least a couple of times each tornado season.

Those Houston early warning signs looks like this.

We all know about the legend that when a bell rings an angel earns his wings. But Dad has his own twist. Whenever I hear those tornado sirens, I know that Dad is still looking out for me.

He’s also still looking out for the people of Houston and Harris County. On this August 30, 2017, J.D. Rainbolt Appreciation Day, I’m sure he’s looking down with a heavy heart wishing he could do more to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey. Don’t worry Dad, by your example, the people of Texas have this. Love ya.

Do you have a message for J.D. or for the people of Houston? How do you plan on helping? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Behavior, Litter Box, New Research, Uncategorized

Study Shows Declaw Surgery Results in Chronic Pain and Behavior Problems in Cats

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We never considered subjecting Sam to declaw surgery. He never destroyed furniture because he had plenty of scratching posts. Photo by Weems S. Hutto.

New Study Shows Declaw Surgery Contributes to Behavior Problems

In the past, shelters and rescue groups have insisted that a larger percentage of declawed cats were surrendered for aggression and inappropriate elimination issues than kitties with intact toes. The pro declaw forces always downplayed the assertion with, “Show the scientific proof.” Of course, that was impossible.  No scientific proof existed because the research hadn’t been done. Thanks to a new study, led by Nicole K. Martell-Moran, DVM, MPH, we now have that proof.

Martell-Moran’s just-released study now supports those claims that declawed cats are at greater risk of developing deal-breaker behavior problems than cats with natural paws. Extrapolating from there, cats with biting and elimination problems are much higher risk of being surrendered to shelters than well-behaved cats.

The study, “Pain and adverse behavior in declawed cats,”was published online in May in the online Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.  Until now, no studies that incorporated modern pain assessment of declawed cats could be found in a PubMed search.

This study’s purpose was to determine if there was any association between declaw surgery and back pain, as well as unwanted new behaviors such as inappropriate elimination, biting, aggression, excessive grooming. Martell-Moran also wanted to determine if pain-causing bone fragments left behind after the surgery were associated with those behavior issues. The research shows that the surgery has the unintended consequence of causing potentially more serious behavior problems. The study evaluated 274 cats—half declawed and half intact, 33 of whom were four-paw declaw.

It concluded there was a clear association between declawing and long-lasting and painful side effects of the surgery. Also the “the prevalence of P3 fragments in declawed cats was excessive and surprising.”

Onychectomy, the technical term for declawing, is commonly performed in the United States and Canada to prevent cats from scratching and destroying furniture.

Four X-rays of forelimb and paw of four cats in the study. The arrows indicate fragments left behind after declaw surgery. The entire P3 has been removed in projection (a); <25% of the distal phalanx remains in (b); while >25% percent remains in (c); and only the tip of the distal phalanx has been removed (d) Photo courtesy of Nicole Martell-Moran.

 

Declaw surgeries are usually performed by using either guillotine cutters, dissection by scalpel or laser. Dr. Martell-Moran tried to determine the method used on each study cat, but that information was not always available. In those cases where she could determine the technique, there were some interesting revelations. She says all three techniques have the potential to leave behind painful bone fragments, but the guillotine most frequently left larger bone fragments that would regrow claw. This is not a painless process.  Laser surgery and scalpel dissection occasionally left smaller and fewer fragments, but there is no guarantee the kitty still won’t suffer painful side effects.

Pain and Behavior Problems May Take Years to Appear

Back pain, inappropriate elimination, biting, aggression, and/or excessive grooming occurred more often in cats who had bone fragments, but declawed cats without the bone fragments were still more likely to pee outside the box and bite than intact kitties.

Because of the floating bone shards, cats change the way they walk. “If you wear high heels, it’s going to change the way you walk and your back is eventually going to hurt,” Dr. Martell-Moran said. She added back pain causes litter box problems because of the position the cat must assume to eliminate. “In cats, defecating and urinating require different postures.” So the back pain may cause problems with peeing or pooping or both functions. Back and pain issue may appear years after the cat was declawed. (If you’re having litter box problems, please take a look at Cat Scene Investigator: Solve Your Cat’s Litter Box Mystery (Stupid Gravity Press.)

Another point not mentioned in her study, is the phantom pain factor. In human medicine, the 2002 study of human amputees, “Phantom Pain and Risk”  led by Pieter U Dijkstra, PhD,  found that phantom limb pain is “suffered by around seventy percent regardless the cause of amputation.”

Identifying and Managing Declaw Pain

Dr. Martell-Moran says not every single cat is going to have problems, but a vast majority of cats (likely 70 to 80 percent) suffer some pain.

“People just don’t know when they’re cats are in pain,” she said. “Look for changes in behavior such as suddenly not using the litter box or not wanting to be touched on the back. Sometime owners can tell by running their hand down the back. If cat turns around suddenly, he may be saying, “Hey, that hurts.”

Declaw surgery removes the distal bone of the toes. Photo courtesy of Nicole Martell-Moran.

 

If you suspect your declawed cat is painful, Dr. M-M suggests “getting X-rays of the feet to see if there are bone fragments.” If fragments are found, she said, “Go back and have the fragment removed.” She also suggested talking to a cat-friendly vet and investigating medical pain management.

Bottom line, Dr. Martell-Moran’s “study showed persistent pain and discomfort following declaw surgery is an important risk factor for behavioral changes” (i.e. housesoiling, aggression, biting.)

How do you feel about declawing cats? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below the bio.

About Dusty Rainbolt

Author Dusty Rainbolt is an award-winning veterinary journalist according to her answering machine. She is an associate certified cat behavior consultant and member of International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, as well as past president of the Cat Writers’ Association. Her books, columns, reviews and articles have been honored with more than 50 writing awards including three-time recipient of Friskies Writer of the Year. Her just-released award-winning cat behavior book, Cat Scene Investigator: Solve Your Cat’s Litter Box Mystery, is the consummate guide for dealing with a cat who sidesteps his/her appointed toilet. CSI, which provides science-based methods for determining the medical or behavioral causes of feline inappropriate elimination, teaches cat parents to view their cat’s litter box avoidance through the eyes of a detective to determine the cause and, ultimately, the remedy.

New Research, Uncategorized

Gooey Slug Slime Medical Adhesive Inspire Tomorrow’s Wound Care

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Take Two Slugs and Call Me Tomorrow

The adhesive is modelled on a defensive mucus that is secreted by the Dusky Arion slug

 

Medical sutures and staples may someday go the way of the dodo, thanks to man’s new best friend, the slug, the Dusky Arion slug to be precise (Arion subfuscus). Thanks to a new study, Tough adhesives for diverse wet surfaces, led by author Jianyu Li, an Assistant Professor at McGill University, future doctors may forego classes in stitching and knots and opt for arts and crafts where they can learn advanced gluing techniques. Tissue adhesives are used as an alternative to stitches or staples and can be less damaging to the healthy tissues,  but present options are inflexible and simply don’t adhere to wet, slimy surfaces inside the body. Slug slime will change all that.

The Dusky Slug (Arion subfuscus) is native to Europe and is considered an invasive pest in North America.

 

Li wanted to improve medical adhesives. And of course, when people think adhesive, they automatically think slug, right? But it’s not so far a stretch. When threatened, the slug secretes mucus that glues it in place, making it difficult for a predator to pry it off a surface.

The snail slime contains proteins as well as positively charged calcium ions.   The positive charges are attracted to the surface of biological tissues like a chemical version of Velcro®.

Since the bonding isn’t immediate, the hydrogel slug glue will be much easier for doctors to work with than existing tissue adhesives, which is basically Superglue that sticks instantly to many surfaces. The Superglue not only hardens unforgivingly fast, it doesn’t adhere to wet surfaces, like the inside of a body.  Ever tried to put a Band-Aid on a sweaty arm?  Same principle.

Slug Slime Creates a Sticky Situation

The slug-inspired medical adhesive stuck easily to wet tissue, like this pig heart.

 

The slug hydrogel forms a stretchy web of molecules, which are made up of 90 percent water.  That’s perfect for plugging a hole in a beating heart or even a growing heart.

In tests on both dry and wet pig skin, cartilage, heart, arteries, and liver, the adhesive was significantly greater than other medical adhesives, requiring more than three times the energy to disrupt the bond.  The slug slime adhesive can be cut to desired sizes and applied to tissue surfaces as a patch or injected for deeper injuries.

Adhesion occurs within minutes, whether or not the tissue is wet (translate: bloody) and it’s flexible enough to withstand a motion within a functioning body.  This family of adhesives may be useful as tissue adhesives, wound dressings, and tissue repair, not to mention adhering children into chairs until they finish eating their okra.

Hopefully in the near future we’ll see slug technology saving lives and limbs in human emergency rooms and veterinary clinic around the world.

Would you let your doctor or veterinarian use snail slime analogue on you or your cat? Tell me your thoughts in the comments below.

In the future say goodbye to Band-Aids, sutures and staples.