Animals Unfolded

Just a couple of weeks ago, our family was faced with what we knew would likely be the inevitable: having to make the decision to contact our beloved 13-year-old Labrador's home-visiting veterinarian to come to the house and intervene, as a diagnosis of cancer over the summer had made things much too difficult for him to manage.  Because of Bruiser's prognosis, in-home hospice and euthanasia was very much a part of the initial dialogue with his vet, Dr. Cathy Theisen , who proved to be a great source of guidance and support throughout his illness. We knew that being at home would be best to allow him to transition more peacefully, though we had to stay open to the idea that there was the off-chance that things may become unexpectedly difficult and taking him to an emergency facility may have been a mindful thing to do.  That final decision did not come easily, of course. It was made after a lot of dialogue, listening, looking clearly. The point of diagnosis to dea...

As one who works with and writes about animals every day — along with those in the fields of veterinary medicine, animal behavior, ethology and dog training – being accused of anthropomorphism is a regular occurrence. I don’t think that it necessarily bothers any of us, and if anything, propels us to work more on behalf of creating a better life for animals. An opinion piece that was published in the New York Times’ online edition over the weekend echoed much of what I’ve written over the past few years: animals – in this case dogs – have emotional needs that deserve more care and consideration. Last year, I wrote about a study that the author of the piece , Gregory Berns and his colleagues conducted by way of using a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner to get a glimpse into the canine brain. In the NYT piece, titled, ‘ Dogs Are People, Too ’, Berns expands on the findings of the study and proposes that the way we view dogs needs to change. The study yielded in...

So many times over a cat's life, they'll need to make a trip in a vehicle to various places, often the vet's office. It's safest and easiest to transport them in a cat carrier, but for so many felines, the mere sight of the contraption can trigger a sense of angst, and getting them into it can be a struggle. The key to making it as easy as possible is to, first, start them as young as possible, and to always create a positive association with the carrier as possible. There are some easy ways to create that association, and once you achieve that, transporting them in a mindful way is important, too. Positive associations are crucial with every pet, but especially cats. To do this with a carrier, introduce it by the simple act of leaving it out in an area of the house that they find favorable, with the carrier door open so that they can explore it at will. Placing a comfortable blanket, a towel or — depending on the size of the carrier, a cat bed — inside can b...

Being a caretaker of other people's pets: It's great fun, but there's also a very serious side to it. I spend a lot of time observing the animals I am responsible for. As I've seen over the years, anything can happen; a sudden or even subtle change in eating habits, elimination or behavior can tell me volumes. This is true for any animal, and that includes exotic birds. I have a handful of them as clients — all different species — and though they share many similarities, it's up to me to hone in on any changes that I see and convey that to their humans. Knowing all of them quite well, it's not difficult for me to pick up on things. Each bird could not be more different. They have diets that differ a little — which has a bearing on what I look for — and as far as their personalities go, those all vary, too. Though each of my clients are experienced bird owners, I realize that other folks may not be and may have a hard time picking up on those subtleties...

Many of my pet sitting clients are felines, and that is very telling. Cats, by and large, do better in their own environment in their human's absence, as opposed to being boarded. That's not surprising: Cats, though personable and connected to their family, are often more centered around their environment as opposed to their people. Over the years, I've seen some cats that are unwaveringly friendly — almost dog-like — and that can be due in part to natural characteristics of their breed, or simply part of who they are. Some, I find, may prefer to have their basic needs met, a little lap or play time, a quick ear scratch and not much else. Others are uncompromisingly aloof, and will go out of their way to make themselves scarce. A small percentage of those cats will become aggressive should they be approached, so I always take care to be respectful of their personal space, for their own well-being, and mine. If you've ever had an encounter with an aggressive c...

It's no secret that dog treats work great to help me accomplish a lot of things in my day, like getting a reluctant dog to cooperate, or curbing their barking, or to divert the attention of a dog who has a hard time handling himself around other canines (or people) while out in public. Like you, perhaps, I also use treats to reward desired behavior from my clients and my own dogs. I'm always looking for an opportunity to do that. Because I hand out so many treats in a given day, then also means that there are more opportunities for my fingers to get nipped. Much to the chagrin of many clients when they have the opportunity to see their pet interacting with me, they are reminded of their pooch's habit of snatching treats from bare fingers with great enthusiasm. The wince that I see on their face as their pet gazes at my hand as it comes out of my treat pocket is telling, but a sense of relief washes over when nothing unfavorable happens. That's only so because I...