Dear Fisher,
This is me acting like a jungle kitty. I love to climb in trees but I never leave my yard. The other day, I was lurking from the branches and I heard a lot of commotion coming from the yard next door. My human heard it, too, and ran down to help.
Turns out my skittish neighbor cat that rarely gets to go outside escaped from his house, got scared when a car drove by, panicked and ended up in a high tree. It took two days to get him down. What would you suggest to get the situation corrected quicker?
Arielle
Dear Arielle,
Oh dear, that is an event when one of us is up a tree without a parachute. There are two things going against popular opinion here. First is, firefighters will come to the rescue – not so. They are no longer first responders to such emergencies. That is not to say they are not wonderful compassionate human beings, because they are. It is just against company policy. There are still some who will come to help, especially if you live in a small town.
Secondly, the theory that cats always land on their feet, therefore avoiding serious injury, is not true. Cats have always known this. When they are afraid, they tend to dig their claws into whatever they can and hang on for dear life. If their human were to pull them off the tree limb, the human arm would become the object of safety, often causing profuse bleeding. Obviously sending up a helium filled balloon to transfer the cat down would not work either.
A cat’s claws are designed to climb up but not down. If the human rushes to the garage to get the ladder which will likely be too short anyway he may just drive the cat further up the tree. Cats are very resourceful and given time, space and dignity, they can master just about any situation.
Cats also know that the higher up they are, the harder they are going to fall. The overriding issue here is fear. That is how the cat got up the tree in the first place, and fear of falling might keep him there. It will be very helpful if the collection of people gathered on the ground remain calm. Or just go away. The commotion of people and other animals milling about down below can be scary, if not totally embarrassing.
What should your people do and who are they going to call?
1. Do not panic.
2. Have a plan before you need it. Visit Cat in a Tree Rescue for a list of rescue sources in your area. Call early to put them on notice in case you need their services later.
3. Place a bowl of water and some food at the bottom of the tree.
4. Pull up a lawn chair, make yourself comfortable, and read a good book.
And one other thing: do not even try “Here kitty, kitty.” The cat is already embarrassed and scared, but he is not stupid. Kitty can SEE “here” from “there”. Give him a chance to work things out on his own.
Your friend,
Fisher
Dear Fisher,
I need to know if you know why I turn into big sissy when I think it’s going to storm. Last weekend, I was out for a nice walk with my friends and there was a slight hint of rain, but nothing looked threatening to them, so they stopped for a bite to eat at a sidewalk cafe. I started to get all tense and shivering and I just couldn’t help myself. Then the rumbling thunder started and I really got scared. They rushed me home and I headed straight to the bathtub because I felt safe there.
This is uncomfortable for me and it is uncomfortable for everyone else, too. They love me and worry about me. What should I do?
Mandy
Dear Mandy,
It is not all that uncommon for dogs to have fear of storms and thunder. There could be a number of reasons why you have developed a huge reluctance to happily wag your tail when you see lightening and hear loud booms. Sometimes the nerves stand on end when there is extra high energy in the environment. That could be something simple like you and/or your people getting a little fritzed out by the drop in barometric pressure due to an impending storm.
You may become anxious because the people around you are afraid. You might naturally pick up on their energy and join right in. You could, of course, nuzzle them and show them extra loving attention and help them get over it. That goes both ways, though. If they are not afraid and you are, they could hug and cuddle you and tell you everything is ok. That would be quite lovely for the duration of the storm, but might cause you to think it is a great idea every time a few rain drops fall.
Sometimes an experience early in the life will show up as a bad memory. Perhaps you were left outside in a thunder storm and felt abandoned. Or maybe someone took you to a loud fireworks display and you still have bad dreams about the pain in your ears. Be aware, though, that fears can turn into downright phobias. If, for instance, you hear a little roar of thunder and start destroying the door to the bathroom just to take shelter in the tub, you should probably confess to your friendly veterinarian. If your fear of thunder grows into a fear of rain, you have likely developed a phobia and are in need of professional help.
A few tips for your people to help you through a storm:
• Arrange a safe place for you. In your case, they could put a soft blank in the bathtub with your favorite soft toy and a bowl of water near by. Animals who become fearful will head for their own idea of a safe place.
- • Play soothing music or turn up the television to help disguise the sounds of the storm.
• Between storms, your people may choose to try a desensitization tactic by playing a recording of thunder or fireworks - very softly and for short periods of time while reassuring you that you are safe and loved.
• Visit Dog Owner’s Guide for more information on desensitization and other tips.
Rainy days can be soothing once you learn to overcome your fears. Try to look forward to a lazy day on the couch watching TV or listening to some nice music. You can do your exercises later when the storm passes and all is calm.
Your friend,
Fisher
published in tbt Tampa Bay Out There weekend edition
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
