Pet Stress and Pet Behavior Problems

The Winning Photo

We were lucky enough to catch up with Laura, Bella’s owner to find out more about this big-eyed beauty.

Laura wrote us: “Bella was picked out from a litter of two chihuahuas 4-1/2 years ago. It was the last litter that this mother chihuahua was ever going to have, and the owner offered a buy-one-get-one free sale, so we actually ended up with her sister, Bibi, as well. While we don’t officially know who is older, Bella is certainly the more mature of the duo.

“At this point in her life, Bella prefers to spend most of her time keeping a safe distance from her younger puppy brother, Oliver the dachshund, who is constantly in trouble. She loves to romp with her sister, however, who is more her own size. They all love to snuggle together in their bed and, even better, by the fireplace on a cold day. She prefers eating over playing, but she is a fearless defender of the household. She has even been known to chase a neighbor’s black lab out of the driveway and down the street…luckily this was before the lab realized that Bella was only about 5 inches tall.

“Since there is some dispute as to whether chihuahuas were from Mexico or originally from the Mediterranean (there is a chihuahua in a portrait dating back to before the conquests of South and Central America), we chose the name Bella because it means “beautiful” in Italian, and that she is. We look forward to buying Bella lots of her favorite snacks and mini doggie bones with the $50 gift card because even though she would look great in a new doggie sweater, we don’t really like to dress our pets. THANK YOU, PETSTRESS.COM!!!”

This weekend I’ll be travelling with my cousin Susan to visit my sister in Vermont. I’ll be staying at my sister’s house, but my cousin has to check in to a hotel because she is just too allergic to my sister’s 3 cats. In fact, the last time that Susan stayed at my sister’s house she came down with bronchitis a few days later. Her doctor recommended minimizing the amount of time she spends at my sister’s.

I have to admit, Susan is very allergic. She recently told me that last time she went for a massage she started having allergies. She asked the masseur if he had cats. “No” he said, “but I am cat sitting this week and staying at their house.”

Chances are that for those of us who live with cats, we all have a few friends that can’t come over without popping an allergy pill first. For this reason, I was particularly interested in a recent article in the New York Times: “REALLY? The Claim: Dark Cats Cause More Allergies Than Light Ones.” This theory was studied in 2000 on a group of 300 people with affirmative results. However, the article goes on to say that the link between cat color and allergic reaction is not proven. But here’s what the article says has been proven. I didn’t know this: male cats produce more allergens than females. Who knew?

When we get an entry like this one for our Photo Contest, of a pet that is not a dog, cat or bird, we wish that we could include it in the contest. Unfortunately since our website provides resources only for cat, dog and bird owners, we didn’t include other pets in the contest. However, I am posting this hedgehog because I can’t resist the cuteness.

The entry reminds me of a previous post “We Love Iguanas, Really” that also includes some really cool non-traditional pets.

With or without the fun collar, the August winner is one handsome cat.

Deuce turned 6 months old yesterday, and by the look of things in the photos that his owner Sarah sent, these six months have been filled with good times. Here’s Deuce trying to camouflage himself into a fuzzy blanket when he was about 10 weeks old:

Sarah told us that “Deuce’s favorite activity is sleeping and being a trouble maker. He loves to take things and hide them under rugs around the house. He also loves to knock things off of the counters while looking at us when he does it! He also loves to sit in front of the big bay window and watch the birds and bee’s fly by! Even sometimes you will catch him watching television and if there is a bird on, he jumps at the television trying to catch it!”

Its not surprising that Deuce was exploring the dishwasher. Sarah wrote that “Deuce has surprised me by how he can jump so high & how he likes water. If there is room for him he will jump up anywhere. He loves to jump up on the bathroom counter when the water is running. Yes he loves water – he even tries to sneak in the shower when its running!”

Deuce and Sarah

Deuce and his "Dad"

The winning prize money will go to treats, a new collar, and maybe another kitten from the shelter! Soon Deuce might have a partner in crime.

Thanks for your participation, Sarah. And thanks to all of Deuce’s supporters who made him a winner. If you have a fun picture of your pet you can enter it in the September Picture Perfect Pet Photo Contest.

Bridget's Winning Photo

Bridget and Gigi

August’s winner, Bridget, came from a yorkshire terrier breeder in Pennsylvania in May of 2000 . One of her skills is stand on her hind legs for a treat, so its great that her owner caught it  on film – It was a winning image.

Bridget loves to play ball and soccer, take baths, walks and play with her sister Gigi.

Thanks for your participation, Bridget.! If you have a dog, car or bird that you’d like to enter in the contest, click here.