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Cats and Fence Fighting

I’ve talked about “fence fighting” before. Also known as redirected aggression, it is a scuffle that breaks out between pets when they see something on the other side of a window or fence. Basically, the dog or cat can’t get to the thing they want to attack, so they turn on the next nearest animal. Moose and Lally sometimes do this when another dog is walking past the apartment. One moment, they’ll be barking at the patio door; the next, they’re barking at each other. Dogs aren’t the only ones who can turn to fence fighting. Cats can do it, … Continue reading →

Grooming an Older Cat

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Older cats may groom themselves less than younger cats for a variety of reasons. Perhaps pain makes it difficult to reach certain areas. Perhaps an illness is impacting skin and coat, making it harder to keep up with grooming. As your cat ages, you may need to take a more active part in grooming! Helping your older cat with grooming is a good way to monitor changes in health. Look for changes in your pet’s skin as they age. Some pets develop dry skin and dandruff as they age; others tend to get oily skin that leaves the coat feeling … Continue reading →

Senility On The Rise In Dogs and Cats

Humans aren’t the only ones who have to worry about senility. Dogs and cats can suffer from cognitive dysfunction syndrome, also known as senility or dementia in humans. As dogs — and cats — live longer, owners are starting to see more issues that never used to be a problem. Why? Because the pets used to never live that long! Cats and small dogs are living to see twenty; medium and large dogs are reaching their teens. This is all thanks to improved nutrition, better veterinary care, and home environments. Recent research shows that nearly a third of dogs ages … Continue reading →

Aggression in Older Cats

Your sweet, friendly, loving cat may change personality as she moves into her senior years. As cats age, they can become aggressive toward people or other animals in the household. What causes aggression in older cats? Often, the problem has a medical basis. An older cat with arthritis may object to being touched when her joints are especially achy. A cat with vision or hearing loss may be easily startled by a human or pet’s approach. Stress is another major cause of aggression in older cats. Moving or remodeling can be stressful for a cat of any age, but especially … Continue reading →

Living with Dogs Might Improve Baby Health

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a real reason to keep our dogs around our babies? Some people are terrified of the idea, thinking that it’s dangerous to let dogs around small children. At first it’s best never to leave dogs alone with babies, to make sure the animals know to be gentle around them. However, we pet owners know that some dogs are great with babies. There have already been some studies about how being around dogs in the first year of infancy can help reduce the chances of a child later developing allergies to dogs, but what about … Continue reading →

What to Consider When Getting a Rabbit

Every Easter a recurring pet fad rears its floppy ears: the rabbit. Previous pet blogger Aimee Amodio covered many details one needs to consider when getting a rabbit. Today’s blog is instead for those just curious as to whether or not their lifestyles can fit a pet rabbit at this time. I’ll cover the basics of what rabbit care will entail. As always, the first idea to consider is for whom is the rabbit intended? Rabbits live for 5-10 years, depending on their breed and their indoor/outdoor situation. Make sure the rabbit’s intended caretaker can commit to that length of … Continue reading →

Skin and Coat Care for Senior Pets

Did you know that the skin is the heaviest organ in your pet’s body? It can account for an average sixteen percent of your pet’s total weight! What does the skin do? Prevents water loss Allows us to perceive touch Allows swelling after injuries Protects against impact and friction injuries Protects against damaging UV rays Helps regulate body temperature Acts as the first line of defense against germs, bacteria, parasites, and other disease-causing organisms. Skin and coat care is important for pets of all ages — but especially for the senior pet. Taking care of your aging pet’s skin and … Continue reading →

Paying Attention When Pets Act Weird

This morning there was an attempted break-in in our neighborhood and Murphy, Kitty, and Tabby alerted me to it. Murphy started it. He’s not much of a barker, but every once in a while he’ll let loose at someone walking by or at another dog strolling past. In fact, just a couple of minutes before he went nuts this morning he barked at this one woman out for her morning walk. (In her case, I told him it was okay to keep barking because she was the wife of a mean man who was nasty to us about keeping off … Continue reading →