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Happy Halloween from Natural Solutions! |
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The Catkins Diet |
After writing “Time to Put Kitty on a Diet” for our June issue, I felt compelled put my own little fur ball on a preventative diet plan. He’s still young, only a year, very active and lean, but I’ve seen what happens to house cats who spend years munching unchecked on unhealthy cat food. So in an effort to keep TK (The Kitty), long and lean well into the future, I embarked on a plan to enact Dr. Schwabe’s advice from the article: namely, to switch from high-carb dry food, to the more protein-packed wet version; a “Catkins diet,” if you will. Apparently I grossly underestimated TK’s commitment to what must be the cat equivalent of sugary cereal.
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Pet Peeve |
Most Saturday mornings I sit on my couch with a cup of coffee and gaze out the storm door to watch the colorful parade of joggers, bikers, and walkers as they make their way past my little house. This calm reverie is usually accompanied by the high-pitched, incessant yapping of the two terrier mixes that live across the street.
Don’t get me wrong, they’re sweet dogs and I’ve learned to tune them out. What drives me to distraction is that passing dog owners allow their dogs to walk right up to the terriers’ gate and nose them through the bars. Not only does this bring on a crescendo of frenetic barking, but it inevitably ends in yelping as one of the terriers redirects his aggression onto the other. This redirection is common in territorial breeds and can happen in a variety of circumstances. Not only do these little guys get extremely agitated by the perceived threat to their domain, but left uncorrected this behavior will probably get worse. But territorialism is only one reason NOT to let your dog nose other dogs through the fence.
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More Dog Dilemmas |
In the three years I’ve been Pasha’s dog mom, we’ve gone through four different vets and thousands of dollars. His chronic ear infections—common to Bernese mountain dogs like him—were taking a toll on my budget and stressing both of us out. Our first vet immediately suggested surgery, a lateral ear resection to open up the ear canal for better drainage and easier cleaning. Only three short months into my mommy-hood, I wasn’t ready for such a big step (and certainly not without a second opinion).
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To The Rescue |
About two weeks ago, my partner and I decided to volunteer at a local cat shelter. Being kitten season and all, what they really needed were “foster parents,” or temporary housing for momma cats and kittens.
In less than a week, we had a brown tabby mother cat and five 5-day-old kittens staying in our little guest bedroom. The first 24 hours went smoothly; Chevelle, the feral mom, seemed to be pretty friendly and even would strike up a purr session once in awhile. The next afternoon proved to be more of the same… until one of her territory marking sessions proved to be too much excitement for her.
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Mud Season: Not In My Living Room! |
It’s officially mud season, and as the fickle Colorado springtime waxes between blizzard and 75-degree paradise, the melting snow turns my backyard into a swamp. Naturally, my fuzzy buddy seems to feel that there’s no better place in the world to curl up for a nap than right in the middle of the deepest, squishiest sludge. It’s no easy task keeping my carpets clean, but Pasha’s getting used to the routine. I wipe his feet every time he walks through the door, and if he’s been wallowing, we make a beeline to the bathtub. Now all I have to do is point, and he reluctantly climbs into the tub after shooting me this pitiful look that seems to ask, “Really?” Yes, really!
I used to worry about using conventional dog shampoos, given everything I’ve learned about sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and a host of other harmful chemicals that I spotted in my own cleansing products. But I’m glad to say I’ve found a product I can trust to take care of the dirtiest jobs and protect Pasha’s sensitive skin—even when I have to bathe him a couple of times a week.
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Wag Swag |
Treats, bones, balls, squeakers, leashes, collars, suds, and duds. My cubicle is a doggie paradise. And my pooch is getting a little spoiled. Sure, I spread the wealth of pet swag around the office, but Pasha, my 4-year-old Bernese mix, definitely gets his fair share. And since TK (The Kitty) is convinced that everything in life exists for him alone, he’s not a bit deterred that most of what I bring home is made for dogs. I used to come home to a furry reception of ecstatic wags and kitty cuddles, but now they’ve both got their snotty little noses buried in my bag of tricks the second it hits the floor. I feel so used.
But Pasha’s most recent swag score has been a real godsend for both of us. Pasha was a rescue dog picked up in rural New Mexico. It’s putting it mildly to say he’s anxious—not in a cowering, trembling way but in an in-your-face, don’t-mess-with-me kind of way. Like a lot of dogs, he’s aggressive because he’s scared. He whines when I leave the house and seems to think most people and other dogs are a threat to his very existence. So I was thrilled when I heard that the makers of Q-Link—renowned for its ability to ease pain and anxiety and increase focus—have made a Pet Link. And since a 2001 study on humans showed that wearing the Q-Link could reduce anxiety as well as improve attitude and sense of well-being, I figured Pasha had to be the perfect doggy test subject.
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Dogs and Cats...Living Together |
My cat and dog fight like, well, like cats and dogs. In one corner of the ring is Spike, an 8-year-old, black, long-haired catzilla, weighing in at more than 16 pounds. Sure, a few of those pounds come from too much snacking and catnapping. But he’s also just big-boned…really! He has paws like kitty-asaurus.
In the other corner (cowering) is Clyde, a 90-pound, 3-year-old Plott Hound wuss. He is ruled by his nose, which often leads him into the vicinity of the cat food. And so the trouble begins. First, we hear a growl, low as faraway thunder, vibrate through the house. That erupts into a frenzy of hissing, screeching, and RWARRs, and soon after, Clyde is seen fleeing, tail between his legs, to the safety of his crate, baying mournfully the whole way. It’s pathetic really. He’s the laughingstock of the neighborhood dog park.
Both Clyde and Spike are pound pets, and they’ve only been living together for about a year. And while I’ve had a few roommates of my own I’ve wanted to growl and claw at myself, I feel like Clyde and Spike should be friends. Growing up, I had three dogs and three cats. And they got along famously. One dog would curl up asleep on the couch and a cat would lie curled asleep on top him—yes, on top of him.
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