Search Results for: blog pet phobias

Some Pets Help Sell Homes

The New York Times recently posted an interesting article relating to pets, one that the story itself acknowledges contradicts popular assumed wisdom: pets help sell homes. Normally one would assume that leaving pets in a house or apartment while it’s toured by prospective buyers is a bad idea, because who knows how potential buyers feel about animals? To an extent that will always be true. People touring the house might have severe pet allergies or phobias. Some pets might be ill-behaved, following the tour around the house, making noise, and perhaps even trying to jump on people. Certain hallmarks of … Continue reading →

PETA’s 30th Anniversary Gala

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) held its 30th anniversary gala this past Saturday night at the Hollywood Palladium. Hosted by Alec Baldwin, plenty of celebs turned out to support the cause. The organization handed out Humanitarian Awards to Eli Roth, Olivia Munn, Dave Navarro, Joanna Krupa, Emily and Rose McCoy, Kellan Lutz, Charo, Lea Michele, Eva Mendes, and Anjelica Huston. Christina Cho was named the Nanci Alexander Award Winner and Dan Neri was named the Bea Arthur Activist Award Winner. Presenters included Casey Affleck, Joaquin Phoenix, Pamela Anderson, Abbie Cornish, Kelly Osbourne, Sophia Bush, Jena Malone, and … Continue reading →

Strange Celebrity Phobias

I was listening to a recent podcast of one of my favorite NPR shows, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me. On this particular broadcast, their guest was Philippe Petit. If you don’t know who Philippe Petit is, you obviously didn’t read my review of the 81st Annual Academy Awards. Philippe Petit was the guy that walked on a high wire (illegally of course) stretched between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. A film about his feat, Man on Wire, won an Oscar for Best Documentary at the awards ceremony this year. Anyhow, I found it funny when the … Continue reading →

Treating Pets with Compulsive Behavior Problems

Before you can treat a compulsive behavior in your pet, you should try to figure out what’s causing it. The source of the behavior may be medical, environmental, genetic, or emotional. You may need to work with your veterinarian and/or a behavioral specialist before you can figure out the cause. Once you know the cause, you can work on reducing the compulsive behavior. Anti-anxiety medications won’t solve the problem, but they can help. Medicating your pet can help reduce the intensity of a behavior while you work on behavior modification and/or environmental changes. Yes, pets can take Prozac — and … Continue reading →

Finding the Cause of Compulsive Behavior Problems in Pets

When a pet is stuck in a compulsive behavior, it can be hard to figure out what set things off. Often, the farther a pet gets from the initial trigger, the harder it is to make the connection between compulsive behavior and trigger. The first thing your veterinarian may do is try to rule out a medical cause. Some spinal and neurological diseases can trigger repetitive behaviors — the change of feeling in an animal’s limbs may cause them to lick or chew the area. A medically-inspired behavior isn’t actually a compulsive behavior. If a repetitive behavior truly is compulsive … Continue reading →

Pets with Compulsive Behavior Problems

There is a cat who comes to stay at the cats-only boarding facility who has chewed her rump and the base of her tail naked. We have another guest who has stripped the fur off her throat and chest. My dog Moose sometimes licks bare spots onto his forelegs. My parents’ dog Becca used to chew her tail raw during the day while my parents were at work. All of these may be compulsive behaviors. Sometimes, behaviors like licking, chewing, tail-chasing, and spinning are normal. Sometimes they’re beyond normal and into harmful for pets AND their owners. Yes, pets can … Continue reading →

Pets and Home Renovations

We’ve had a lot of guests at the cats-only boarding facility lately who are in need of a safe, quiet haven while their homes are under construction. But you don’t have to remove your pets from the house while workers are there — as long as you’re careful. Make a safe room for pets. If you can, keep one room free of the chaos of construction. You can keep your pets safely in the safe room with food, fresh water, and some kind of distractions — a special toy, soft music, and tasty treats. If your pets are unsettled by … Continue reading →

Pets with Noise Phobias

With the Fourth of July on the horizon, this is a good time to take another look at pets with noise phobia. Some veterinarians and behaviorists believe that as many as one out of five dogs suffers from noise phobia. For some pets, reactions to noises can be mild. Perhaps they shake or hide. For others, the reactions can approach full panic. Some pets go into total panic and can hurt themselves trying to escape. Shelters can end up with lots of pets who got spooked and took off during a thunderstorm or the Fourth of July fireworks. Storms and … Continue reading →

The Problem of Selling a House with Pets

First Aimee and her crew decided to move, now it looks like me and my crew will too. Except we’re moving exactly opposite from where Aimee ended up –we’re going back to Jacksonville, Florida. That means selling the house. But before we do that, we have to get the house ready to go on the market. For homeowners with pets (like us), this can present some challenges. People’s Pet Peeves and Phobias Some people do not like to live in houses where pets lived before. The owners who bought our last house demanded we have the carpets cleaned prior to … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for Apr 16-22

Politics, first aid, pet phobias, and our pets many quirks were among the hot topics Aimee and I wrote about this week in the Pets Blog. Snippets of what we covered each day follow below: Monday, April 16 Panda Politics: The Tale of Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling recounts the life and times of two pandas who became ambassadors not only for their country, but for the cause of environmental conservation as well. Who won the Moose vs. the Vacuum showdown in Aimee’s house? You’ll have to read her blog to find out! Tuesday, April 17 Spring has sprung and the bugs … Continue reading →