Dear Fisher,

We are very loving, happy kittens and we love each other very much. We cuddle with each other a lot. But, when we are all in the same room together, we don’t like to cuddle with our human or even let her touch us at all. When we are separate we cuddle with her all the time and are very friendly. She thinks this is very odd. Do you have any idea why we would be this way? An explanation could help us all.

Harley and Honda

Dear Harley and Honda,

Your behavior is not bad behavior or the type that can or should be trained out of you. The fact that you are very loving cats comes out loud and clear in your letter. Life must be very good at your place, except for one little oddity. Cats in general have a certain responsibility to do something odd occasionally or even perpetually. That is one of the things that make us so lovable.

After much research on this subject, I found there is no real research. However your letter did bring to mind two cats I have known named Burt and Boomer. They cuddled together a lot. They never sat together on their human’s lap, but the minute she stretched out on the couch, they were both on top of her. Boomer was always closest to her head – obviously the alpha cat. Neither of you seems to have alpha cat tendencies. At least they are not overt alpha tendencies.

I listed my thoughts on why you may behave the way you do and I invite my readers to send me some of their thoughts. One good idea might help your human understand. Here is my list:

1. Her lap is not big enough for both of you to cuddle on at the same time.
2. You are both peace-loving pacifists and determined not to create any rivalry.
3. One of you likes scratches under the chin, and the other likes petting behind the ears. You both know she is not ambidextrous.
4. You have a private bet going on as to which of you is the most independent.
5. Each of you is covertly working toward alpha cat status and will not reveal your intentions until the real alpha cat comes out to play.

In the meantime, your human might try something odd herself. She can get a new, very flashy cat toy, sit on the floor and begin to play with it. Let us see how serious you are about staying aloof when the three of you are together in this situation!

Your friend,

Fisher

This is how your final lost pet poster should look. From Missing Pet Partnership.

We live in an ever-changing world which means people and pets travel everywhere. They move anywhere. Sometimes they get lost. Timing is everything!

Just because you live in Maple Grove, MN, in a housing development that spans the equivalent of 40 blocks, your lost pet may not stay in your immediate area. What if you send a notice to your friend in Miami, FL. You have no knowledge of his vast list of friends, but he has 3 friends in Minneapolis. He forwards the information to his internet world and email contacts, and they send it to their contacts. Someone lives within a 10 mile radius of your house, receives the info originally sent by the Miami guy, and forwards it on to his friends and neighbors. One of those people knows where your lost pet is!

The first thing to do after picking up your lost pet: Write to the guy in Miami and let him know. Something like “We Did It!” in the subject line of your email will make him feel great, and he can pass it on to all those friends you haven’t met yet. It’s a movement! Life is good.

Missing Pet Partnership offers thorough, easy to follow information for making posters. fliers, and PDF pages for internet use.

The good people of Brevard County Florida are a perfect example of what happens when people get together to help other animal lovers. I encourage you to find similar sites in your area.

Feel free to add me to your list of “get the word out” contacts (askfisher at gmail.com). I would love to get a “We Did It” email back!

Your friend,
Fisher

It’s a movement.

It’s a beautiful idea.

It’s happening!


Operation Happy Sock —

give a homeless cat a lift!

Your local shelter probably has limited funding for cat toys, but now you — or your kids — can help out. It’s a great idea whose time has come.

Operation Happy Sock is a fun, simple way for kids (or anyone) to help homeless cats at their local animal shelter.

Collect unwanted socks and turn them into simple — but very effective and highly desirable — catnip toys!

Happy Socks are super simple to make: just take a sock and stuff it with a fistful of poly fill and a big pinch of catnip. Tie a knot in the ankle and you’ve made a Happy Sock!

Happy Socks can be made from almost any kind of sock. And cats love Happy Sock catnip toys because they’re big, fluffy and durable.

Dipper with the very first Happy Sock!

For complete details and how to get started, go to: Happy Sock headquarters.

Send suggestions to add to the list of groups and organizations:

1. Brownies, Cubs and Scouts
2. Any festival or event that has a special kids area
3. Meet-Up groups for animal welfare

Please pass this message along!

If I look cute can I come inside?

Dear Fisher,

I used to play in the back yard but then I thought it would be fun to jump over the fence when my people were at work. I did a few other things in the house and my people decided I needed to stay in the yard. So then they bought me a dog house. They tie me to the dog house so I won’t get out of the yard. They think it is great because it is big and roomy and they put my favorite blanket in there. I hate it! I won’t even get inside it when it’s raining. What can I do?

Your friend,
Claus

Dear Claus,

Many is the day I wish I had my own house. I think you are lucky. You obviously do not. Let us examine some of the reasons for your distress. The biggest issue I see is that you, the dog, are a pack animal. You likely feel you are isolated out in the yard attached to your new dog house and you are just plain lonely. Or – and no other dogs need to know – you might just be a little scared out there when you hear all the neighborhood noises and you cannot see over the fence to learn what is going on. Could you be a little claustrophobic? Would it help if your house had a window?

To get through this, just remember why this has happened in the first place. Face the facts. You messed up (no pun intended)! As I read your letter, the word “training” kept popping into my head. It could be that training you to enjoy the dog house will carry over into your enjoyment of the people house. A few tips to get started are:

1. Your people could put treats or a favorite toy inside the dog house.
2. Alternate putting food and water bowls inside, then outside of your house.
3. Your people must also train themselves to not peek out the windows to see how you are doing.
4. Check into the top rated dog training programs on line Pup Dog Training.

As to the issue of your sitting out in the rain instead of going into your dog house: Humans know how much dogs love to swim. They may soon realize that the rain is not bothersome to you and they will figure out it is just a ploy to look pitiful. Oops! Did I spill the beans?

Your friend,
Fisher

My favorite email of the week

If I Didn’t Have a Dog or a Cat…

I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.

My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.

All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be
free of hair.

When the doorbell rings, it wouldn’t sound like a kennel.

When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without
wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there.

I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted,
without taking into consideration how much space
several fur bodies would need to get comfortable.

I would have money and no guilt to go on a real vacation.

I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians,
as I put their yet unborn grand kids through college.

The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out,
sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave him/her/it ALONE.

My house would not be cordoned off into zones with
baby gates or barriers.
I would not talk ‘baby talk’. ‘Eat your din din’.
‘Yummy yummy for the tummy’..

My house would not look like a day care center, toys
everywhere.

My pockets would not contain things like poop bags,
treats and an extra leash.

I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L,
F-R-I-S-B-E- E, W-A-L-K, T-R-E-A-T, B-I-K-E, G-O, R-I-D-E

I would not have as many leaves (or pine needles) INSIDE my house as outside.

I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE
dog/cat ties them down too much.

I’d look forward to spring and the rainy season instead
of dreading ‘mud’ season.

I would not have to answer the question ‘Why do you have
so many animals?’ from people who will never have the joy
in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by
someone as close to an angel as they will ever get.

How EMPTY my life would be!!!

What would you do without cats and dogs in your life?