Dear Fisher,
I’ll get straight to my issue. I am so sick of hearing, “Chuck you are shedding so much!” That’s always followed by the “I thought short hair cats would shed less than long hair cats, and you shed twice as much as Angel.”
Well there you have it. We have a Chuck and an Angel. So who do you suppose the sweet one who never gets into trouble is? Angel is my long-haired housemate who joined us a few years ago. Somehow her shedding isn’t as abundant as mine. I don’t think I can do anything about my shedding, but if you have any answers, I’d sure love to hear them. Thanks!
Chuck
Dear Chuck,
The age-old question of who sheds the most – long-hair cats or short-hair cats has never been resolved. We are all so individual and there are several factors involved in the why and how much a cat will shed. For example, as you grow older, you naturally tend to shed more. As cats age, their skin becomes drier and sometimes even scaly. Your fur may not be as shiny and may even tend to fall out in bunches. Baldness may become more prominent, especially on your belly. Your humans can make a quick check of your skin. If any of these symptoms seem extreme, you must seek the advice of your veterinarian. It could be normal aging, but there could be an underlying problem.
Your humans are likely not mad at you and knew that shedding fur is normal for any cat when they invited you into their home. Change comes to all living beings as they age – even them. As you grow old together, they may be getting a little more irritable and you may be getting a little more prone to sloughing off dead fur. Also with age comes diminished eye sight. For you, not so bad, but for your humans who do not readily see the extra amounts of cat hair floating around, finding a few pieces in their half-eaten bowl of ice cream could lead to a scolding.
There are no procedures to totally eliminate shedding, but there are some simple routines that can help. You need to keep grooming daily in order to help your situation. If you have slacked off, you need to get back on schedule. Your humans, of course, can lend a hand so you will all live happily every after. Here are some tips:
- • Do not give you too many baths. Good news for you! You could become more anxious every time you hear a faucet drip, hence more hair falling out.
• Do not feed cats table scraps. Bad news for you. Eating table scraps can push the limits of a cat’s digestive system which can lead to unhealthy skin – and more shedding.
• Brush your pets regularly (learn more about brushes and combs from
Healthy Pets.)
I would like to leave this thought for both you and your humans: Shedding is a result of your having dead hair in you furry coat. It needs to either fall out in the ice cream bowl or all over the chair, or combed out with much civility. You of course can remove the dead hair with your very spiky tongue, but that leads us to another issue. It is called hairballs. We can discuss that at a later time. Not before my lunch.
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
I have lived in the Tampa Bay area long enough to know we are getting into hurricane season in Florida. Every year the subject comes up about what to do, what to get, and where to go if a hurricane is forecast.
So, my question is: While everyone human is running around getting supplies and all and sometimes only just talking about it and not really taking serious action, what should I do to help?
Ammy
Dear Ammy,
It is true that even one little cat can be of help when preparing for a disaster. Most humans who are involved in the care of animals believe we critters have some sort of special sense when it comes to picking up on changing weather patterns – especially serious changes. Some of us have that sense and some of us do not. Some of us are just plain afraid of thunder.
If you are one of the sensitive varieties, you can provide a first alert. For example, you may be aware of a tornado watch before your people hear about it on the news and your sensitivity will start to show. You may be more energized, make more noise, and rush around the house a little more than usual. If your sensitivity turns to hyper-sensitivity, your people can expect to hear news that the watch has become a warning and they must find cover immediately. The same is true of a hurricane, although you could wear yourself out early on, as an approaching hurricane can take quite some time before it gets to your area. On the other hand, the path of a hurricane can change rapidly and you must immediately step up your frenzy so your humans will pay serious attention.
Maybe you are not one of the gifted bio-meteorologists. The simplest and most thoughtful act you can perform for your loved ones is to stay around them. Humans tend to panic when it is time to go for cover and their precious kitty seems to have evaporated into thin air. You know the drill: move calmly, single file, no running, and settle in to the make-shift quarters formerly known as the bathroom. Oh yes, and no loud talking.
It is very important for your people to make a new emergency plan every year. Kids come and go, the condition of your house may have changed, or maybe another critter was added to the fold. Perhaps this is the year of the fish. Planning evacuation with the fish is much different than the plan required to evacuate the cat. See what I mean? Every little detail counts, and the time to start making a plan is well before the probability of a hurricane or other natural disaster.
A quick outline of steps your people should follow includes:
Step 1 Get a Rescue Alert sticker.
Step 2 Arrange a safe haven if you cannot take your pets with you.
Step 3 Purchase and organize emergency supplies and traveling kits.
Step 4 Choose “Designated Caregivers”.
Step 5 Prepare for evacuation.
Step 6 Remember to make special considerations for smaller animals.
Tell them to visit http://www.aspca.org and look up disaster preparedness for more detailed information and by all means, follow their excellent guidelines. Minimize stress, make your plan, and be ready to activate it.
Your friend,
Fisher
published in tbt Tampa Bay Out There weekend edition
