Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 5 minutes Stretched out, twisted and contorted, or curled into a ball, cats have mastered the art of sleep. As an homage, the word catnap formally entered the English language in the 1800s. Some people have the notion that cats are lazy layabouts sleeping the day away. It’s time to hit the snooze button on that misperception. […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Louise Holton has been trapping community cats since the 1970s and having them neutered, vaccinated, and returned to their colony. In the process, she has received some serious cat bites over the years. Holton, founder of Alley Cat Rescue, is always current on her tetanus vaccination. And by now, she’s a pro at treating bite […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes As a certified yoga instructor as well as a veterinary behavior technician, I have found many similarities between yoga in humans and relaxation cues in our pets. In humans, yoga has been shown to decrease stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and regulate the fight or flight response. Animals do not have […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Move over, Sherlock Holmes. Take a seat, Ace Ventura. When it comes to finding lost cats, most detectives are, well, clueless. But not Kim Freeman. As founder of Lost Cat Finder, Freeman is recognized as the world’s first full-time cat detective. She teams up with her purring partner, Henry, to find missing cats all over […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes The destruction was everywhere. Shredded furniture. Bent window blinds. Gnawed baseboards. Scattered throughout the house were shreds of random papers, from magazines to bills. The area rugs reeked of urine. As I took all this in, the distraught woman pointed at her leather couch, which featured a giant, ragged hole in the once-plump cushion. “He […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes A major conundrum of the cat world is the profusion of feral cats. Robin Olson, president of Kitten Associates in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, recently trapped the most beautiful tabby-marked Siamese kitten in her yard. Dubbed Silas Buttonwood, he will be vetted, neutered, fostered, and placed in a loving home. He is proving to be a […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Veterinary behaviorists are last responders. When no one else can assist, they swoop in and save the day, and often a pet’s life. Boarded veterinary behaviorists are true specialists. Not only are they veterinarians who understand medical health, they are also experts at understanding emotional health. They unpack animal behavior for us–in the case of […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes At the start of the coronavirus pandemic when my state issued a stay-at-home order, a handmade sign appeared in a neighbor’s window that proclaimed: “AT LEAST OUR DOGS ARE HAPPY!” Meanwhile, the internet exploded with memes of cats being unamused that their humans were cramping their style by invading “their” home so much. Reality seems […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes My husband and I have been lucky to work from home for over a decade. But because of the coronavirus pandemic, we haven’t left our house to go to a movie, restaurant, party, or concert since March. At least one of us is always home – to the delight of our dogs, Rio and Peach. […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Behaviors such as jumping, stealing, and chewing can be challenging to live with, whether this is your first dog or your fifth, but you can learn how to manage and prevent these behaviors and teach your dog new habits, setting your new dog up for success, and creating less frustration for both of you. If […]