Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 2 minutes “Social referencing” is a fancy term for a familiar phenomenon: when uncertain about a new situation, you check to see how everyone else is reacting. Are they scared, happy, calm, anxious? We look to others for clues in case they have previous experience that we don’t. Other social animals do this as well, and it’s […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes When we see a feline fluff ball, we want to scoop her up and cradle her in our arms like a baby. This may be a natural behavior for us, but not so much for cats. The feeling of feet off the floor is stressful to some cats and they may squirm to get down, […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Many pets never received the memo that Halloween is supposed to be fun. They truly are spooked by all those creatures that smell like humans but resemble zombies or superheroes. And for many pets the constant ringing of the doorbell and all the commotion is disturbing. For two reasons, ensconcing those animals in a room […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Are you old enough to remember buying those little red-eared slider turtles at pet stores when you were a kid? Back in the day, in the 1950s and ‘60s into the early 70s, these turtles were commonly kept as pets. Typically, though, they suffered from inadequate diets and unhygienic habitats and became known for transmitting […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Blah! Blah! It’s scary out there—all those pets dressed up as dinosaurs, lions, and spiders. And if you dress up your pet, you’re not alone, as more than 4.2 million dog-owning households and nearly two million cat caretakers will be treating their furry (and costumed) companions to ghoulish goodies and grisly toys this Halloween, according […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes Cats are superheroes complete with uniquely feline super powers. One of their super powers is nonverbal communication. Their body language is so subtle that it almost seems telepathic. The cat’s head is the command center, comprising the communication triad of the eyes, ears, and whiskers. Holy Cat Whiskers! Whiskers, or “vibrissae,” are so vital to […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Let’s face it, cat ears are cute. The fashion industry, clearly smitten, offers a wide array of cat ear headbands for our personal adornment. Cuteness aside, though, cat ears are fascinating for their form and function. Beyond providing cats with superior hearing and helping them maintain their storied balance, the ears are also part of […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Is your cat fat? Inactive? Bored? That’s not normal or healthy, and here’s why. Cats instinctively nap 16 or more hours daily. Back when they lived outdoor lives, napping was a mechanism to reserve energy to keep their hunting skills sharp. But in a time when most cats live indoors, with no need to hunt […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Why all the lab work before your pet’s spay/neuter surgery or other procedure? He looks healthy, and as far as you know, there’s nothing wrong with him. The key words are “as far as you know.” Pre-operative testing is an important part of pre-surgical prep that can alert your veterinarian to underlying problems that could […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes When I ring my friend’s doorbell, her two 50-pound-plus dogs, Nike and Susie, go berserk and bark uncontrollably. Like firefighters racing to a five-alarm fire, they rush the front door, jump, and growl. If I were an intruder, I’d surely think twice before robbing this house, but I only want to hang out with my […]