Animals Unfolded

Nearly every time I walk into a client's home to care for their cat, the pet will greet me and within a few minutes of my arrival, if they're amenable to coming out and interacting, they'll begin giving their scratching post or cat tree a good bit of attention by rubbing up on it and scratching. This isn't at all surprising to me; cats express themselves in all sorts of ways and by them coming out and engaging in normal, healthy activity when their people are away, tells me they're doing well. There are benefits of scratching—some of them include being that it allows them to get in a good stretch, it's used an olfactory marker and an emotional release—so any I say, scratch away, friends. But only if its done it in an appropriate place, of course.  Inappropriate scratching is a bone of contention in many households with cats, and it's understandable. The activity can produce mighty destructive results; I've seen many a piece of furniture destroyed, an...

Subcutaneous fluid therapy is something that a veterinarian may prescribe being done at home for cats. And while it's fairly easy and straightforward to in theory, when you get home and have to set about doing it on your own, it's not uncommon to feel all thumbs because your furry friend isn't as cooperative as you might like.  Though conventional wisdom might have one think that doing fluids in a comfy, relaxed space, like on the couch in the living room makes sense, it certainly does if things are working well. But if that's not the case, one of the things that I suggest is that families consider doing fluids in a smaller space, like a bathroom. In the video below, I offer more tips that can help your cat be more amenable to getting fluids at home, promoting more success for the long term.  Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer and owner of  Professional Pet Sitting . She has been a  featured guest on the Pawprint Animal Rescue Podcast,  talking abou...

I'm always on the lookout for interesting ideas to help create a better life for companion animals.  While I was in a local pet store picking up a couple of things this week, I stumbled on one new product— Inaba Ciao Churu treat paste—and I think it would be a terrific tool to accentuate your efforts in training your cat using positive reinforcement.  Also, I touch on another possible use for this product, which is available locally at stores like  Huron Pet Supply  and Dexter Mill  (where, as I understand, it got the stamp of approval from the mill cat, Leo!) as well as why you might want to seek out free samples found in better pet stores. Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer and owner of  Professional Pet Sitting . She has been a  featured guest on the Pawprint Animal Rescue Podcast,  talking about her career working with companion animals and writing about her experiences. Shoot her  an email , contact her at  734-...

When chatting with a pet owner for the first time, they often describe their cats as finicky eaters, sometimes turning their nose up at food they are offered or just picking away. This leaves their humans alarmed at times, but most often frustrated with the amount of food that can get wasted. I always recommend that if their furry friend hasn’t seen their vet recently, to do so to rule out any underlying health issues that can be a contributor, especially if it's a departure from their usual behavior .  The good news is that most often, the fussiness over food isn't a sign of a health issue per se; ennui grasps cats easily, especially when it comes to chow time.  If all is clear on the health front, I encourage a few suggestions that might include tricks that typically pique a cat’s interest (primarily renal kitties): offering canned food that’s been warmed up, trying a different texture (pet food companies offer varieties of wet food in pâté, shreds, chunks and even i...

I see a lot of new products and gadgets designed to help make living with pets better, and though I find some impressive, others just make cringe.  A recent article on The Bark reminded me of the complaints that I hear from pet owners about the minutiae of day-to-day care that is necessary, which gave me pause. And while the topic was focused on things like having to pick up poop and the amount of pet hair that needs to be cleaned up—first world problems, gah!—the one thing I can say that I wrestled with was getting home at various times through any given workday to tend to potty break and medication duties when Gretchen was in her final months of life. The same was true for my 19 year-old cat, Silver, who needed lots of extra tending during his end-of-life which was only months ago. Yes,  those  times were stressful, but only because as anyone who has done it themselves knows, there are always days when things don't go so swell during that time of life. And sometim...

"We'll need a urine sample from your pet, so you'll need to collect one and have it ready..." is a common refrain that's heard when talking to a veterinarian's office. Urine samples can yield a lot of helpful information from anything from a routine health check up, to sleuthing an unknown illness. They're easy to test and it's an inexpensive way to glean much-needed insight.  I found that getting one from the dog is relatively easy; I'll quietly follow said pooch outside and reach down with a clean container in hand to snag a sample mid-stream without their knowledge.  I'm imagining several quizzical-looking faces reading this and thinking, "How does one get a urine sample from a cat?" Though I'm lucky that at this point, my cat, Silver is non-plussed by my sneaking into his litter box area to catch some urine mid-stream as he's tending to business, it's safe to say that most cats are not as cooperative. I...

Cats   are inquisitive, as anyone who shares life with them will tell you. And while their shenanigans in exploring the great indoors and outdoors don’t typically yield serious harm in the majority of cases, you’d be surprised at what items can cause their well-being to be put into jeopardy. We all know felines can be seriously injured when they suffer a fall from an open window or can die from ingesting radiator coolant, but one of the most toxic items known to affect cats could already be in your home.  Lilies   are a common sight when entering most homes this time of year, as many hostesses and Moms out there can attest, and soon the botanical beauties will be shooting out of the soil and blooming in our backyards as well.  Sadly, there are countless cats each year poisoned by Easter lilies and their relatives (Day lily, Asiatic lily,Tiger lily, etc.) by chewing on or eating them.  They are pretty, but it's important to note that all parts of ...

Carrying around a little more weight than we would like is the kind of thing that tends to sneak up on us. Most of us love to eat, and if you're like me, cooking and feeding others is gratifying, too. That extends to our pets just the same.  That's not surprising, given that the market for pet food has grown so in recent years. It used to be that there were just a handful of choices for both dogs and cats but with the flood of limited-ingredient, organic and frozen raw diets available, we tend to be much more conscious of how we're nourishing our companion animals. There's one problem, though. We're not paying attention to  how much  we're feeding them.  For a pet, being overweight means having many of the same risks and health issues that affect us humans. Heart and respiratory disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis – even some cancers – just to name a few.  In a study on a group of dogs , researchers found that the obese animals shared something...

Navigating chronic kidney disease, or CKD is it's commonly referred to, is a journey sometimes fraught with challenges. In my experience, inappetence is the most common barrier in keeping things on track with managing a good quality of life for kitties with renal issues.  Most felines with CKD experience a disinterest in food from time to time and it's nothing to be terribly worried about so long as it comes back within a day or so. Beyond that, you need to act fast so it's important to be vigilant about how your cat is behaving, and what other symptoms might be presenting. This helps to get to the root cause so that those things can be addressed and allow kitty to make friends with food again. Common causes of a waning appetite in cats with renal insufficiency Nausea, vomiting and excess stomach acid can all be culprits in suppressing a cats willingness to eat, on their own or in any combination. It's important to think outside the box though, as t...

A few months ago, a client updated her cat's medical information  for my files, as he had been recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism . Two of her three cats now have the condition.  "Have you ever heard any theories on hyperthyroidism in cats, in particular when there is a herd diagnosis?" she said. "The veterinarian mentioned to me that there has been some research on this, but they can't determine the cause." I found this curious myself, because I've seen an uptick in cases with my charges over the past few years (typically older cats) and I know that the overall rate amongst felines is increasing.  The condition occurs when there's an increase in production of thyroid hormones from thyroid glands, which are located in the neck. Characterized subtly at first, symptoms can include weight loss, increased appetite, increased thirst and resulting frequent urination, among other tell-tale signs. Treatment is crucial (luckily, transd...