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Dear Fisher,

My name is Rasta and I have this frequent impulse to scratch the furniture at the house I live in. My humans get pretty mad at me. They got a new sofa for the guest room and I just couldn’t help digging my claws into the woven stripes. I like the dark blue ones the best because I thought it wouldn’t show up so much. Well, that wasn’t really true.

My humans rarely go into the guest room, so of course, I could get my fix and be free to do my work without them getting mad at me. But then, the dreaded company was going to show up, and that ruined everything. Now I am in trouble. They are pretty mad at me. Help!

Rasta

Dear Rasta,

You are in more luck than you might think. First of all, your humans made a conscious decision not to do away with your claws because they feel it is an abhorrent procedure and did not want to put you through that. At the same time, they were probably well aware of the scratching-the-furniture needs cats seem to have.

However, things may look a little differently to them now that you have exercised your creative side. How nice that you decided on only the dark blue stripes. That does show some sort of consideration for the new sofa and the dreaded guests. In the old day, everyone thought cats were color blind. Later, scientists studying color-blindness in cats found first, that cats are not color blind, and second, cats just do not give a hoot about color. So, I commend you for your rare insight (no pun intended).

Cats scratch for various reasons. Glands between your toes give off a secretion with a distinctive odor to you. You just signed your name to that sofa. Cats are at home just about anywhere once they cordon off their own happy places. It really is a natural response to a new piece of furniture in the house.

Sometimes, cat scratching is just a way to get rid of your old molting claws. This is a grooming decision you might have made for yourself. I do caution you though, that if you make too many like decisions, the kitty toenail clippers will come out to help! It is not such a bad thing once you get used to it. Nail clipping by your humans can go a long way to dissolve the anger over the new fringed furniture. If they decide to make a habit of helping you with your grooming, you will be wise to accommodate them.

On the really upside of all this, you may be the proud owner of a new spectacular scratching station made just for you. Check this out. I found a way for your humans to build you a scratching post to beat all scratching posts. It is made from a 4-foot wooden ladder, wrapped with about 600 feet of ¼ inch un-oiled manila rope. Remember to mention that oiled rope can be toxic to cats. Get a few Berber carpet tiles, round shaped plywood, a staple gun, a few carriage bolts, and a drill. Walla! Get complete directions at CAWS. Talk about a happy place!

Both you and your humans should take a look at the decision not to de-claw and feel good about it. By your very nature, you are going to get into a scratching frenzy somewhere in your house. They will do well to provide you with the place. There is really not much else they can do. Getting mad at you will not help at all. As for punishment, there really is no humane way to punish a cat. They are just being cats and rarely understand what all the fuss is about.

Your friend,

Fisher

published in tbt* Tampa Bay

Dear Fisher,

I gotta tell you, I am really getting a little grumpy about all the photo ops I am expected to come up with. Every holiday season we go through a lot of posing and primping to get the picture just right. This year they wanted to have a picture of me with a Santa hat on and it was way too small and made me look like a pinhead. Really, I am not a hat dog anyway, so yeah, the picture was kind of off and I was kinda goofy looking.

So, what do you know about taking pictures of critters that I might pass on to these caring people?

Duke

Dear Duke,

There are a few simple tricks that even an amateur photographer can do. We all know that the professionals are really good and worth every penny they make, but realize, you do not have to leave your home or your comfy chair to be “the Star”. Your humans are likely aware that going to a pro would be out of your comfort level, and they are looking after your best interests. So cut them a little slack and think more positively. I have in mind that a photo op could be a treat op. Sound like something that would interest you?

Some animals get very nervous when the camera and an enthusiastic amateur photographer show up in their face. It is very important that everyone remain calm and casual about the whole affair. Sometimes candid shots are best and sometimes a posed setting is better. It depends a lot on your personality.

The eyes should be the most important thing to focus on. If you open yours, it would be very helpful. You can look up, straight at the camera, or to the side, but your eyes should show the endearing expression they are looking for, not the dread of the camera. Many times the person with the camera will offer a treat. If you accept it, do so with the knowledge that you are getting asked to look alert. As the photographer, your human should get down to your eye level or bring you up to theirs (via a high chair you could sit up on). From that vantage point, they are making sure the top of your head is not the focal point.

If a posed photo is planned, it is a good idea to do a little staging. What a shame it would be if your picture turned out great, but the pair of socks left on the floor by your chair were equally as sharp. Try to keep a simple background, void of clutter. It makes you look more like the star. Another thing is to try different angles, and not to feel your entire body should be in the photo. After all, if you are a very big dog, your eyes are not going to stand out in all that mass of fur.

I suggest you tell your people to look up How to Take Pictures of Pets at
How to Take Pictures of your Pets. It is well written and the steps are easy to follow. May you all remember that photos become memories, and cooperation in the project will make them real keepers.

Your friend,

Fisher

published in tbt* Tampa Bay