Dear Fisher,

I wish you could help me with my problem, but I think I might be stuck with it and I don’t want to cut off my paws! The trouble is that I have extra toes on my front feet. My paws are huge. Whenever the human grandmother comes over she just gushes over them because she loves kitty paws and baseball so all the time I am hearing Oh look at the baseball mitts. It makes me feel like I am a freak.

Lexi

Dear Lexi,

I have wonderful news for you. The fact that you have extra toes on your front paws is far from freakish. It is quite an honor, as you have ancestors of note in your past. You are, in short, polydactyl. Do not hyperventilate or run to your humans for immediate emergency first aide! Polydactyl just means you have extra toes.

The average cat has 5 toes on each front paw and 4 toes on each hind paw. A polydactyl cat may have as many as seven toes on front and/or back paws. Usually the front paws will match and the back paws will match. They are often associated with the Maine Coon cats who often have extra digits, and there is some discussion as to whether they originate in New England, or were transferred here from England.

I know of two other such special cats, one is from Maine and the other is from Arizona. They would tell you in an instant that you should be very proud of your heritage. The fact that you live in Tampa, FL, ties in more directly with the stories about the Hemingway cats down in Key West. Many are still there, living in the museum/home of Ernest Hemingway, a very famous author.

Mr. Hemingway was given a cat with 6 toes on each front paw, as a gift from a sea captain friend. Many of the cats living in Key West now are said to be direct descendents of that one cat. You can check out your ancestors on the internet at Hemingway Home. The really exciting thing is the site has a web cam so you can watch them!

If you or your people ever visit Key West, it should be on your “must do” list. They give guided tours and as one guide said, “A lot of the adults are, frankly, more interested in the cats than they are in Hemingway.”

Of course they are.

Your friend,

Fisher

published in tbt* Tampa Bay

Dear Fisher,

Hi, my name is Zelda. It is great to finally write you. My human reads your column and sometimes brings it home to show me.

Anyway, I am having some trouble in my new home here, and I was wondering if you could help me. My human and I met through his X and when they split up, I stayed with him. Even though he gets up REAL early in the morning and wakes me up, and then to school and work, and back home late at night and I have to yell at him for attention - I love it here! And, his parents have 2 Pomeranian dogs who are fun to play with.

I share a room with my human, and have a special pillow on the bed. Everything would seem great to the outside observer, but there is a dark side. My human’s parents already had a cat. Her name is Kitty-Lynn and she is a stick in the mud. She never wants to play and it seems like every time I come outside of my room to roam around, she is always there. We always end up just in the middle of a stand-off, hissing at each other and just staring. There are times when I try to be nice, but it just doesn’t work. I was wondering what can be done so we can finally live in peace. Sure, I have my room and she has hers, and as long as we stay out of each other’s way we are fine. But I would like to be able to share the living room and family room with her. Is there anything that can be done so we can finally get past our petty differences?

Zelda

Dear Zelda,

It sounds very encouraging to me that Kitty-Lynn and you are not getting into anything worse than hissing and staring. The process of getting along can be slower than you would like but it is very possible. Kitty-Lynn is probably a little miffed at your unexpected arrival. If you can try to not take that personally, it will help you both. She had her territory all laid out and was happy as the only cat.

There are some very interesting things you can do to make things better. All household members will need to cooperate and I think you will all get some good fun out of the exercises in the long run. Think of them as “character building” games.

Since you have already developed a pattern of hissing and staring at each other when any boundaries are crossed, it is best to start over at the beginning. That means that you, Zelda, will be confined to your own room for a short period of time. You will keep your litter box and food dishes in there with you, and of course, you have your own pillow on the bed. If it makes you feel better, go ahead and sleep directly on the bed cover and just use the pillow for your head.

The next step is for your human to put your food dishes very near to the door of your room before he goes out for the day. His parents should put Kitty-Lynn’s dishes on the other side of the door. The door stays closed a while longer. But, you will both start to associate each other’s presence with something pleasurable, like eating your dinner. Kitty-Lynn will start to get used to your smells, and you will start to get used to hers.
Stay with me - this is getting fun. Next step is to put a brick on each side of the door so it can remain open a tiny bit, not enough for either of you to break on through to the other side. Lots of opportunity to peak at each other! Good old cat curiosity will take over and you will both probably forget the staring and hissing shortly.

And now the Grande Finale! You, Zelda, can come out of your room and into the main house. Yes, the whole house! Kitty-Lynn will stay in your room with your things for awhile. Oh, I know, there is going to be a whole lot of snooping and sniffing going on while you get accustomed to each other’s smells, but as long as you have hidden away your really personal documents, there should be no problem. As you get to know each other in this very subtle way, you will become ready to face each other with a different attitude. You may not end up snuggling together, but I foresee some playtime together. Or, you might end up just peacefully tolerating each other which is pretty good, and we all know cats are masters of tolerance!

I also want to mention that our Tampa Bay SPCA also has a FREE Behavior Helpline. Call 727-586-3591, then ask for or dial extension 133 and follow the prompts.

Your friend,

Fisher

published in tbt* Tampa Bay

Dear Fisher,

I am a Black Lab from St Pete, and I really screwed up this time! My relationship with my family is excellent, especially the man of the house. I would never purposely do anything to hurt him.

The other night he was watching TV and having a huge plate of spaghetti. I was sitting at his feet and trying my best not to beg. Boy, I love food a lot. He suddenly decided to get up off the couch to get something in the kitchen. That’s when things got nuts. He slipped on the tile floor that I had been drooling on since dinner began. His arms flew up, his butt flew down, the spaghetti was like an amazing Perfect Storm, and then a big CRASH! One less piece of fine china in the house, broken glass everywhere, and then I saw his bloodied hand.

By the time he got back home from the emergency room I was trying desperately to think of a solution to my drooling so this kind of thing never happens again. Can you give me some ideas?

Zach

Dear Zach,

Some dogs just drool, and there is no discernable reason why. If this is a new thing, you should go get vet-checked as soon as you can. Have your mouth examined for something called a salivary cyst – that would look like a large blister under your tongue. Or, you could have gotten something like a piece of bone or a splinter lodged in your mouth. Try a good teeth inspection and cleaning.

Could you be a little neurotic? If you have a nervous disorder you could tend to drool more than usual. Stress can get you drooling, too. Relax, chill out, and take more naps. Sometimes eating human food, or just smelling it, will make you drool or cause you to get a little hyper.

I do not have a medical degree, nor can I endorse any medications. That will have to be done through your humans and your veterinarian. There is actually a medication on the market from Natural Pet Pharmaceuticals, called Doggie Drool. Ask your doctor or pet store professional for their opinion.

If you have drooled most of your life, you could be genetically inclined to drool, or you could just be hungry a lot. Some dogs drool from the excitement of food – the smell, the sight, or just the thought of it.

What can you do after your vet gives you a clean bill of health and the drooling continues? You could wear a dish towel or kerchief around your neck. Better yet, your humans would surely notice your sincerity if you carry a roll of paper towel around with you.

Your friend,

Fisher

published in tbt* Tampa Bay