Pet Stress and Pet Behavior Problems

My cat has shown absolutely no interest whatsoever in the mouse who recently took up residence under my dishwasher and sneaks out to steal tasty morsels of dry cat food. I wish the cat would do something about the house mouse so that I don’t have to take drastic action. Smokey, however, seems to feel no obligation to hunt when he is off-duty in the house and prefers to spend his time searching for the best napping spots. Clean laundy is always a nice place for sleeping.

When he’s outside, he has stopped pursuing the poor small creatures like chipmunks, squirrels and birds that I used to have to rescue on a daily basis. Instead, he now prefers the life of a big game hunter. Recently he’s been skunked and I’ve seen him chasing deer through my yard but I’m hoping this is merely a short-lived Walter Mitty fantasy phase he’s going through.

A few mornings ago while I was logging onto my laptop I glanced out the window and saw my cat in a crouched stalking position. I abandoned my laptop to see if I could save a small life. Instead, I discovered he was trying to bag a big bird, so I put him in the house, grabbed my camera and took pictures of his prey.

These are photos of an Eastern male wild turkey dressed to impress because it is that time of the year.

I stalked the wild turkey and took these photos as he walked through the woods next to my winding driveway. At the end of my driveway, I encountered the coy potential girlfriend of my male turkey, so I left them alone and returned to my house.

Smokey had already forgotten about him. 

I’m always happy to seeing the fuzzy-headed little chicks come through my yard in early summer. My cat hasn’t attempted anything with the chicks or their mothers in past years, and I expect he’ll continue to be sensible but just in case, he’ll be wearing a bell by then!

Chateau-Animaux.com Pet Bakery and Supplies

I found the cutest Pet Bakery and Supplies store, named Chateau-Animaux.com, quite by accident while I was on vacation in Alexandria, Virginia last week. I am always on the look out for all things related to pets, whether I am at home or traveling, so I immediately noticed the shop diagonally across the street from the coffee shop where my daughters were sipping frappacinos and I was recharging with a mid-afternoon caffeine fix. The mere sight of Chateau Animaux perked me up at least as much as the latte, so we headed over to see it.

The manager, Marion, is so nice, greets all the customers, and asks about their pets. The customers either have their pets with them or quickly whip out photos of them to show Marion and the other customers. (My cell phone with the screen saver photo of my cat was passed around the shop.) An instant pet community is formed within the shop.

The baked goods for pets are beautifully displayed and Marion makes helpful suggestions.

Chateau Animaux bakes custom cakes for pet birthdays, carries a full line of pet supplies and accessories for dogs, cats, birds, small animals and fish, and is the home of Zanadoo Gourmet Dog Biscuits.

Customers and pets are welcome to sit outside while the pets have a snack. The customers I spoke with said their dogs love the goodies and could never make it home without a treat, so there is always a lot of munching right outside the shop door.

Chateau-Animaux has two retail shops in the DC area; one in Alexandria, VA and the other in Washington, DC.  The business sponsors weekly DC-area dog and cat adoptions in connection with several pet organizations such as the Washington Humane Society, and was recently named  DC–area retailer of the year by Pet Product News International.

They also have a website at www.chateau-animaux.com

Sunday Dog Blogging – 101 Ice Cream Goes to the Dogs

On Sundays, my friend Joan and I meet at the corner of our respective streets and take a long walk past several beaches,

past other dog walkers,

until we end up at a dog-friendly little place in our town, 101 Ice Cream, which despite its name, also serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Owners tie the leashes to the fence for a few minutes and the dogs can watch their people order at the counter just inside the door.

The waiting dogs are never lonely and always make new friends right away.

Dogs join their owners and sit on benches at outside tables in nice weather.

Or they can enjoy having a biscuit or a drink of water from the community dog bowls provided under the tables on the porch.

If you don’t have a dog, you can always just pretend the locally famous red door stop dog is your own.

We’re fortunate to have 101 as a destination that provides space for dogs and owners to sit together and make new friends in a friendly atmosphere. I hope to see more businesses that cater to owners and their dogs.  We'd love to hear about dog-friendly businesses in your neighborhood!

WNYC's Leonard Lopate Interview with Temple Grandin, Animal Behaviorist

Yesterday, while writing at home, I tuned into my New York NPR affiliate station just in time to hear WNYC's host Leonard Lopate interesting interview with Temple Grandin about her latest book, Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals. Dr. Grandin, who holds a doctorate in animal behavior and ethology and is the author of five books, is a professor at Colorado State University. Her new book about animals explores the emotional similarities shared by animals and humans, and how this understanding can facilitate interaction with animals and improve their lives as well as our own.

During the first part of the interview Dr. Grandin discusses pet emotions such as separation anxiety, fear and loneliness that manifest in stress-related problematic repetative behaviors such as self-mutilation (feather plucking and fur overgrooming). As an ethologist, she approaches emotionally-based pet behaviors by recognizing how animals are meant to live in the wild, and how pet owners can create better lives for pets by understanding their emotional needs.

The second part of the interview focuses on other animals, including horses, cattle and chicken, and the treatment of livestock from her perspective as an animal rights advocate and consultant in the livestock industry.

The interview, aired April 2, 2009, is now available as a podcast. Click here http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/2009/04/02  for "WNYC on Demand" to listen to the thirty minute interview or download the MP3. Dr. Grandin's book Creating the Best Life for Animals is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 

Spring Pet Blogging

The pets and I have been feeling impatient for spring this year, which has taken far too long to arrive here in Connecticut. Last week I gave up on seeing signs of spring outside and decided to force an early spring in my living room, so I clipped forsythia branches which are now blooming on my cat’s favorite window seat.

He doesn’t seem to mind giving up the window seat, since he happily found a companion who is suffering from a spring head cold and has an inviting lap.

Today is warmer and a gusty overnight wind blew old autumn leaves away, revealing delicate lavender crocuses and small pale green shoots.

Jack, the Lab, and I were outside for a long time, sniffing around for signs of spring and listening to the spring peepers living in nearby wetlands.

After his nap, Smokey helped me inspect the new flats of pansies and supervised while I planted them.

It was a good morning for brushing pets outside to remove some of the fur they are just beginning to shed. You can learn more about appropriate spring grooming tools for your pets by clicking on www.PetStress.com  to read our new feature article on our Home page.

We’re enjoying the extra exercise, sunlight and fresh air. What are you doing to enjoy spring with your pets?