Dear Fisher,

We are Lola and Lucy, sisters. Our Dad is a great guy and we know he loves us tremendously, but he is allergic to us and has asthma that is getting worse. He says we are like mops of everything that is in the air, plus we have dander and saliva that he can’t tolerate.

He saw another doctor (a naturopath) in a bid to keep us and was told that if he could live apart from us for 6 months he could build up a tolerance so that we could live together.

Dad has a question (actually, Mom does). If we are separated for 6 months, will we remember Mom and Dad and/or will we be unhappy forever because of all the movement?

We are told that good friends of Mom and Dad (who are cat lovers) will be keeping us.
HELP!!!!!  (Life is so unfair!)

Many thanks,

Lola and Lucy

Dear Lola and Lucy,

I am very happy your Dad is doing everything he can to keep the family together, and I am pulling for a happy outcome for all of you. It is so great to have friends who are willing and able to help you out.

As you surely know, cats have a reputation for being sensitive to change. Change can cause them to get their little noses out of joint and display bad behavior for quite awhile, or they may just enjoy upsetting the humans for a bit and then quickly adapt to the changes. It all depends on your personality and the memories you hold. You might want to choose your behavior carefully.

Your family may find comfort in the knowledge that cat brains and their capacity for memory have been seriously studied. Research done at the University of Michigan and the Department of Animal Behavior at the American Museum of Natural History in the USA, shows cat memory is about two hundred times more than dog memory, and it is greater than in monkeys and chimpanzees. Some research concludes cats have both short term and long term memory.

Cat people who travel will attest to the fact that cats can really cop an attitude. Cats may act standoffish upon their return. The cats have not forgotten who you are – they remember who you are and they want a good explanation of where you have been. Short term, the attitude is quickly readjusted when all parties fail to see the benefits.

Longer term separations require a little more planning. Your people can:

1. Pack a few pieces of clothing with their human scent for nap time snuggle-ups
2. Record their voices on tape for your listening pleasure
3. Send videos via the internet with them talking directly to you
4. Pack old toys and new toys, but save the very favorite toys for the reunion

Chetan Gupta has published a neat article on ArticlesFactory.com called “Intelligence of Cats”. I think you will all enjoy it and you will feel a little better about the pending separation.

May your time apart bring healing and your reunion bring happy new beginnings.

Your friend,
Fisher

Dear Fisher,

My name is Enterprise and I am an older lady, 17yrs old, English setter / Chow mix. I love my human dad. I have had him for almost 15 years now. Last August my human grandfather disappeared they told me he died. My human dad is the caregiver for my grandma, we love her a lot too.

Last October my human uncle came to live with us, I like him but he scares me, and I don’t know why. He has never been mean to me but he is not my grandpa, whom I am still waiting for to come home. It seems funny because I do remember staying with my uncle years ago when my dad went away on vacation, Unc. walked me, played with me, and I slept in his bedroom while I stayed with him. I have been around him a lot over the years I know him quite well. Since October I have been very timid around Unc. How can this be explained to me and him? Can we correct it?

Enterprise

Dear Enterprise,

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I am sure it is very difficult for you. Your grieving process over the loss of your loved one is much the same for you as it is for your humans. And, just like humans, each dog may grieve differently. It is in your favor that you remember the good times you had with your uncle, and it will help you to try to get those moments back. Your shyness around your uncle could be your way of showing depression over one loss and your unwillingness to experience another loss.

One of the most common symptoms of depression – and it happens in animals as well as humans – is a loss of interest. The best way to overcome this is for you and your family to work at re-establishing your former relationship with your uncle. I am quite sure Unc would be very happy to have you back as a treasured friend.

Some things to help are:

1. Find a sweater or shirt your grandfather used to wear so you feel his presence.
2. Let your uncle take you for walks, car rides, and fill up your food and water bowl.
3. Your uncle should become your go-to human for playtime and grooming.

The happier your uncle appears at your new found comfort with him, the more you will want to see his smiling face – and the less timid you will become. You can read more about the grief process in a very good article at Pet Place.

Many months have passed since the loss of your grandfather. It is important to do your best to get back to a normal routine. It may be a wonderful blessing for you that your uncle moved in with your family. It is likely he could use your help, too. Together you can heal some wounds and forge a beautiful “new” relationship.

Your friend,
Fisher

I recently received an email from my new human friend, James. He has a lovely 8-year-old female kitty named Crinkle. The name was chosen because of her “crinkly” fur. James asked me to find out what breed she might be, and I accepted, knowing my readers will likely feel free to chime in if I am way off base. Am I right?

First, here is Crinkle’s profile as expressed by James:

Her tail is about-30 CM and her body length is about(from shoulder to end of tail)- 60 cm. Her personality comes out different with different people. I know she was abused at a younger age and that’s why it might change the circumstance but once she learns to trust you she is a very loving cat, constantly looking to be pet any time any place . She is very playful but even when she is cuddly she sometimes will give you a love bite but usually she won’t, and she is very good at making people feel better (she can tell when you are feeling down) and she doesn’t like it when people are yelling and she comes and basically tries to make it stop. I think one of the best parts about her are her curly whiskers .

What a sweetheart! And James even sent a short video to help this super sleuth:

Drum roll, please! My conclusion is that Crinkle is a LaPerm cat. These gorgeous cats showed up in The Dalles, Oregon in 1982, according to various sources. In order to respect copyrights, I am asking you to visit
Pictures of Cats to get the most beautiful story of their rich Native American philosophy (yes, I do mean the cats).

After reading about the background of the LaPerm kitties and viewing the beautiful photos, I am quite sure Crinkle’s peace-loving characteristics along with her curly fur are representative of this unique breed of cat.

Please feel free to comment with your impressions!

Your friend,
Fisher