Dear Fisher,
I have two very important questions about my eating habits. The first is, my owner tries to feed me in the morning but for some reason I don’t want to eat. If my beloved owner coaxes me into eating then I eventually eat. Sometimes my beloved owner will try to make me hungry by not feeding me to see if I’ll eat on my own but I’ll just sneak some of the cat’s food, hehe.
Secondly, my owner will give me a chewy treat that I really cherish. When he tries to touch me or get the treat from me I will growl at him and sometimes bite him. I don’t bite too hard so he won’t get mad at me.
What can I do; why am I this way? Please help you are my only hope!
Bubs
Dear Bubs,
First on my list of to do’s is for your owner to make sure you have a healthy check up at the vet clinic to determine if there are any underlying health reasons for your refusal to eat. Having cleared all that let us analyze your behavior a little further to determine if your refusal to eat has anything to do with your love for some extra attention. Are you just finicky, or are you focused on receiving an extra treat to compensate for not eating your breakfast? If that is the case, your owner can help change your refusal to eat by deciding you are just not hungry, and ignoring you. Probably not the result you are looking for.
Another take on your behavior, other than vying for attention, is that you are engaging in “the hunt”. As a direct descendent of wolves living in the wild, you are calling up the need to forage for food. By your actions, you are first refusing to eat food put in front of you for the greater adventure of stealing some of the cat’s food. Since cat food is not very satisfying, and the cat could give a you-know-what, your adventure moves on to finding food that you have to work for. Working to get that beloved treat is much more satisfying to you than simply munching on dog food lovingly put in your food bowl – which could be mundane and pretty darn hard to make you feel good about your “catch”.
The hunt becomes successful when your owner offers up the treat. You play out your role as foraging wild critter by growling and biting anyone who comes near your conquest. Very clever and self entertaining! But, as a domesticated canine, you really are more interested in making your owner happy.
To make your owner happy, let him “train” you. By all means, make sure he thinks it is his idea. A few simple strategies from the Sacramento SPCA are:
1. Positive Attention: Give praise when you eat breakfast out of your bowl, or when you quit munching on the cat food.
2. Interrupt and Redirect: Give a shout like “hey!” and a possibly a loud hand clap when you growl at him for touching you while you are eating on your chewy treat.
3. Ignore: If your owner ignores you, you just lost the purpose for your behavior.
4. Negative Attention: Your owner must try not to give negative attention because it is still, after all, attention.
Just remember that if your happy car ride with your beloved owner stops in front of the vet clinic, it was you who made it happen!
Your friend,
Fisher
published in tbt Tampa Bay Out There weekend edition
Dear Fisher,
I am just tired and I feel like an old dog. Pretty soon it’s going to be hot out there and my boy always wants to play like it’s no big deal. I AM older, and I really enjoy a lot of resting around the air conditioned house. But, you know, I sure don’t want to disappoint the lad. He’s still young and full of energy and I am his best friend in the world. Got any ideas?
Sugar
Dear Sugar,
You may be a little on the older side, but certainly wiser for asking. You are right to get rest and not overdo in the heat of summer. My advice is to get up a little earlier each day – before the sun is bearing down and the humidity curls your hair even more.
If your boy is a slow starter, you will have to work on that. Egg him on and do your puppy-hearted best to get him moving with you. A small boy who loves his dog is just as eager to please as you are. He just isn’t aware that too much play can be harmful to you.
- • Always know where your next gulps of water are just in case…and never go romping out in the heat just after a meal. Stay off hot sidewalks if you are a city guy, and if you have your own yard, play in the grass, preferably under a big shade tree. Hopefully that will give you enough room for the morning exercises.
• Don’t go to the beach – no shade trees there!
• As soon as you feel yourself overheating or dehydrating, grab your comb and coax the boy into the house for some quiet grooming time. It is great bonding and by now, he is probably a little tired himself.
• You might want to get a serious haircut if your coat is thick, but never get it shaved down to the skin, lest you want to join the rest of the sunburn crowd.
• Keep your walks to a minimum during the high heat parts of the day and do not stand around on hot asphalt. That can heat up your body very fast and your sensitive paw pads could burn.
• By all means, stay alert for signs of overheating, which can include excessive panting and drooling, mild weakness and elevated body temperature. Sound serious? It is if left unattended, so keep a check on your activities.
Repeat in the evening as the breezes come up and the sun goes down. Stay safe and happy! Go to ASPCA online for more hot weather tips.
Your friend,
Fisher
Dear Fisher,
Hot weather is coming soon and I have a great back yard with a patio and swimming pool. My humans have it covered with screen that they call a bird cage. I think that’s pretty funny because it keeps the birds out and the cat (me) in. I love to stay out there when the weather is nice, but in the summer it gets pretty hot. How do I know when to yowl at the door before I get overheated?
Plato
Dear Plato,
Precaution is a key issue here. Your people need to know that even though you might choose to sleep all day inside the house in a nice warm sun spot, you are protected from direct sun. It is much different if you are outside for long periods of time with the sun beating down on your favorite nap spot on the patio. A good rule of paw is in a quote from Charles J. Brady, “The real measure of a day’s heat is the length of a sleeping cat.”
Stretching your body as you nap helps you cool off. It is true. Should you get trapped in the “cage” while everyone else is inside with the air conditioning, you need to get pretty creative with keeping your cool. A word of caution: stay out of the pool. A word of precaution: your people should install some sort of ramp in case you wander in for a quick swim and suddenly remember you do not know how to dog paddle!
Heat can cause serious harm to all critters. We all know animals should never have to stay in a hot car. Unfortunately, we still hear horror stories. Some of us know that cats can get sunburn because they do not have enough color pigment to protect their skin. A little sunscreen on the tips of the ears and on the nose will help if you really must be out there.
It is very important to monitor your reactions to the heat. Cats exhibit many of the same symptoms as dogs – or for that matter, humans, when they are over exposed to the heat and sun. Panting, anxiety, increased heartbeat and lethargy are some of the early signs of heat stroke. Often cats will drink less rather than more water. You must drink. Order up a water-on-the-rocks pronto if you start to get overheated. And, of course, get inside!
A few good safety tips for your people from Pets America include:
- • Get to know your pets normal pulse, breathing patterns, etc – it helps you recognize pending emergency situations
• Keep animals out of direct sunlight during the heat of the day – if you are uncomfortable, your pet is uncomfortable
• Know the signs of heat stroke and immediately wrap your cat with cool towels and offer an ice cube to lick for re-hydration
• Test the heat radiating from the sidewalk or street on your own two bare feet
Hot summer is not the time to play “where on earth is the cat?” You know you can disappear in front of your humans and it is a good sport for you – sometimes. If your fun and games cause you to spend a hot day in the bird cage, you are not going to get the last laugh.
Your friend,
Fisher
published in tbt Tampa Bay Out There weekend edition
My problem is about going on the boat with my family. It’s not that I don’t love the water, but there’s so MUCH of it! I get scared of the noises and boats coming and going. Can you tell me how to get rid of my scared-y-cat behavior?
Tater
Dear Tater,
I have not personally gone boating – yet! I do know of a cat who rode around on a speed boat on a giant lake in Northern Minnesota. He loved it! It isn’t uncommon for some dogs and cats to go on boats. On the other hand, it is common that some cats and dogs fear going on boats – so do not get too hard on yourself. I think that just going over some rules and precautions will set your heart rate at ease. The same would go for humans, too. Knowledge can go a long way in easing fear.
Dogs are better boaters if the adventure is shorter, like a day trip. They adapt quickly to their new surroundings. Cats, on the other hand, may take a little longer to adapt to the boat, but once there and settled in, they could go forever. I highly recommend Diana B. Jessie’s book, Cruising with Your Four-Footed Friends. Her book is full of great advice for both you and your owners. It addresses both cat and dog issues, and I think once you read it, your fears will be replaced with excitement.
Jessie has some great recommendations, like:
- • Do a trial run before planning that “ultimate” adventure. Your humans should start out introducing you to your new quarters and pathways – slowly – without leaving dock.
• Take a short romp around the deck to get used to the feel of being on the water.
• Add motor noises and activities as you are feeling more comfortable to best to ensure a happy sail.
• Go ahead and sniff around – when you are ready for the next step, stop for a nap. That will let everyone know you are calm and confident – so far anyway.
Everyone on the boat should have a PDF – except the cat. What is a PDF? A PDF is a Personal Floatation Device. You must learn to put in on quickly in case of an emergency.
And, “Why?” you might ask does the cat get excused from wearing a PDF. According to Jessie, even the smallest “dog” PDF’s do not fit a cat well and if in trouble, would limit their movement. Instead of a PDF, the author trains her cats for self rescue by hanging a towel off the boat and teaching the cats to climb it. If they were to fall off, they can swim to the towel and get themselves back on board. Brilliant! (And don’t you know it would be done with style!)
These are just a few of the many great ideas for “four-footed boaters”. Visit
Boat U.S.
for more about Diana Jessie and more of her great tips. Happy sails!
Your friend,
Fisher
published in tbt Tampa Bay Out There weekend edition
