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
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
Dear Fisher,
Hot weather is coming soon and I have a great back yard with a patio and swimming pool. My humans have it covered with screen that they call a bird cage. I think that’s pretty funny because it keeps the birds out and the cat (me) in. I love to stay out there when the weather is nice, but in the summer it gets pretty hot. How do I know when to yowl at the door before I get overheated?
Plato
Dear Plato,
Precaution is a key issue here. Your people need to know that even though you might choose to sleep all day inside the house in a nice warm sun spot, you are protected from direct sun. It is much different if you are outside for long periods of time with the sun beating down on your favorite nap spot on the patio. A good rule of paw is in a quote from Charles J. Brady, “The real measure of a day’s heat is the length of a sleeping cat.”
Stretching your body as you nap helps you cool off. It is true. Should you get trapped in the “cage” while everyone else is inside with the air conditioning, you need to get pretty creative with keeping your cool. A word of caution: stay out of the pool. A word of precaution: your people should install some sort of ramp in case you wander in for a quick swim and suddenly remember you do not know how to dog paddle!
Heat can cause serious harm to all critters. We all know animals should never have to stay in a hot car. Unfortunately, we still hear horror stories. Some of us know that cats can get sunburn because they do not have enough color pigment to protect their skin. A little sunscreen on the tips of the ears and on the nose will help if you really must be out there.
It is very important to monitor your reactions to the heat. Cats exhibit many of the same symptoms as dogs – or for that matter, humans, when they are over exposed to the heat and sun. Panting, anxiety, increased heartbeat and lethargy are some of the early signs of heat stroke. Often cats will drink less rather than more water. You must drink. Order up a water-on-the-rocks pronto if you start to get overheated. And, of course, get inside!
A few good safety tips for your people from Pets America include:
- • Get to know your pets normal pulse, breathing patterns, etc – it helps you recognize pending emergency situations
• Keep animals out of direct sunlight during the heat of the day – if you are uncomfortable, your pet is uncomfortable
• Know the signs of heat stroke and immediately wrap your cat with cool towels and offer an ice cube to lick for re-hydration
• Test the heat radiating from the sidewalk or street on your own two bare feet
Hot summer is not the time to play “where on earth is the cat?” You know you can disappear in front of your humans and it is a good sport for you – sometimes. If your fun and games cause you to spend a hot day in the bird cage, you are not going to get the last laugh.
Your friend,
Fisher
published in tbt Tampa Bay Out There weekend edition
