Dr. Emily Levine is a veterinarian who specializes in behavior problems at Animal Emergency & Referral Associates in Fairfield NJ and she will be blogging about pet behavior topics. www.animalerc.com
Dr. Emily Levine of AERA Writes A Pet Behavior Blog!
Felines Hit the Headlines!
I often talk to my clients about how to mentally stimulate their cats as part of an overall behavior program. I tell ( and show) people how to teach their cats to do commands such as sit, go to place and even some target training. I also encourage some people to get their cats into agility. Certainly not every cat is cut out for this, but if you have a cat who is motivated by food or toys, you should certainly try to teach your cat something! Click on the link below to see the New York Times article about cat agility! If nothing else, it should put a smile on you face.
Losing a loved one….
Losing a pet can be devastating. Unfortunately we live in a society where we are expected to bounce back the next day as if nothing ever happened. For many of us, time to grieve is essential. What I want everyone to know is that there are special hotlines out there and counselors that can help you get through the loss of your beloved pet. The following are just a few resources you can access at anytime on this blog in case you, a family member, or a friend, need some extra help and understanding to help get through the grieving process.
If anyone reading this would like to share information about a good local resource you have used, please comment so everyone can benefit from this information.
1. Chicago VMA 630-325-1600
2.Colorado State 970-297-1242
3.Cornell University 607-253-3932
4.University of Illinois: 217-244-2273
5.Michigan State: 517-432-2696
6.The Ohio State: 614-292-1823
7.Tufts University: 508-839-7966
New Training Game For Family and Dogs
With dogs, kids, running errands, and work, who has time anymore to train their dogs? We are all time crunched in our lives. When I came across this box game I was thrilled. It offered a fun and creative way to work in training our dogs ( or maintaining their skills) in a practical manner. I really love this box game for getting the kids motivated and involved with teaching and training dogs. Basically, it is a deck of cards and one can be picked once a day, or a week, whichever works best for you. On each card is an instruction such as, “…ask your dog to sit 5 times today.” It also has some, what I like to call, “good Karma cards” like ”…go through your dog toys and donate those you don’t use anymore to a shelter.
For those of you who live close, you can come on by here ( Animal Emergency & Referral Associates) and look through the deck of cards to see if this would be right for you and your family. It is in our lobby on a shelf for people to look through. Or, perhaps after looking through it, it will inspire you to make your own deck of cards for training your dog.
If after reading this you know it would be a fun help, you can order it online at http://www.inquisitivecanine.com/dog-training-game/.
…Could make a good stocking stuffer for your dog’s stocking 
Parrot Quiz Answer
Congrats to all of those who chose SLEEPING!!!!!
I don’t know about you, but I am jealous:)
New news about cat litter!
For years, veterinarians and veterinary behaviorists have been recommending unscented litters over scented litters. A new study by Dr. Jacqui Neilson showed that, of the 35 cats in her study ( a total of 291 eliminations), there was no significant difference between scented and unscented litters. Therefore, when we are trying to identify a cat’s litter preference, we should not completely exclude scented litters.
As many people know, house-soiling is one of the main reasons why cats are relinquished to shelters or euthanized. This is especially frustrating for those of us who work in the field of behavior because, although there are some cases we can’t resolve, the majority of we can resolve.
Pet Health Insurance and Behavior Problems
I am always asked if a certain health insurance policy will cover behavior problems and I never knew the answer. Until now that is. I thought I should share this information since gathering this information can be time consuming, overwhelming, and, quite frankly, no fun.
There are 3 companies, of which I am aware, that cover some aspect of behavior problems. They are as follows:
1. Purina Care
2. Pets Best
3. Pet Plan
Some of the coverage is minimal. Others are better. Please note the coverage is for behavior issues seen by veterinarians and veterinary behaviorists.
I would highly encourage anyone who is looking for a health insurance plan that includes behavior problems, to look into all of the above and see which one, if any, meets your needs the best.
Okay….the next post will be much for fun! I will blog about some of the new research that was presented at the annual behavior meeting!!!!
You have to read it to believe it.
I wrote about a dog who kept eating objects and having to have surgery to remove them. What in the world does this have to do with behavior???? Click on the link below to find out.
http://blog.nj.com/premium/veterinary_life/2011/07/meet_rocco.html
Is Your Cat Redesigning Your Furniture With His or Her Claws?
How do we love our cats? Let us count the ways…..
But, with most beings that we love, they can also do things that drive us CRAZY!!!!!
Here is what you need to know about cat scratching. Cats like different surfaces to scratch. Below is a list of some of the more common textures they enjoy scratching:
- sisal
- carpet
- wood
- cardboard
But nothing in life is simple. There are other factors at play for these frisky felines. When it comes to scratching posts, some like a vertical surface whereas others prefer horizontal surfaces. No doubt there are some cats who want both options depending on their mood.
Although these posts may not be the most beautiful of posts, there are posts that are much more “modern”. Simply do a search online.
Oh…one more thing- Placement! Where do we all put the scratching posts? Out of the way in the corner of the room. Guess where lots of cats want them? That’s right….. in the middle of all the action….exactly where your couch, chair etc….live. Cats scratch to help maintain their nails and for marking. These cats are not being spiteful and this makes sense when we think about it. After all, there is no need to leave a mark in an area that does not get a lot of foot traffic. Do you know any stores that have the name of their shop down the street from the actual store?
So what is a human to do?
For starters, offer a post(s) that has a multitude of fabrics and has both horizontal and vertical surfaces. Next, place this near the area where your cat typically scratches. If he starts using it, you can slowly inch it over to a more aesthetically pleasing place in the room.
There are other strategies, other than declawing, to help deter scratching. Please talk to your veterinarian or veterinary behaviorist.
For all of you who raise, foster, or breed kittens, the best way to teach a kitten to use a scratching post is to let them watch their mother! Please pass this piece of info on to any foster parent, breeder, or shelter you may know. You may just save a cat’s life!
