Taming Maggie
One dog's battle against stress and separation anxiety
It often takes six weeks to see the full effect of the medication and training, says Susan McLellan, a veterinarian who shares a practice with Zausner. But she sees the "small signs" Maggie has shown so far as encouraging. Kate plans to continue the program with Maggie for at least another month. The regimen takes considerable discipline--Kate has to get up a lot earlier, and she says, "It's hard not to hug your dog before you leave." But Kate says it has been worth it to save her sanity and her stuff.
CONVERSATION
When your cat uses the rug as its litter box
Pet care is a hot seller in bookstores these days, with topics ranging from natural healing to the care and feeding of potbellied pigs. Among the experts filling the shelves is Nicholas Dodman, director of the Animal Behavior clinic at Tufts University and the author of The Cat Who Cried for Help and, coming out next week, Dogs Behaving Badly. Dodman recently talked with U.S. News about cat misbehavior and how to correct it.
How common are behavior problems among cats in the United States? Maybe 5 percent have a serious problem. Some are normal for a cat, but they're not suitable for the owner. For example, it's natural for a cat to mark [territory] by scratching furniture. We think the sofa looks best when it's unadulterated, and they think it looks best when it has tatty pieces of thread hanging off of it.
But you're not a fan of declawing. It's painful to recover from. Imagine waking up with the tips of your fingers cut off.
But scratching posts don't always work. People don't manage to make scratching posts work [because] they are unknowledgeable and, to some extent, lazy. You need to acquaint yourself with what is necessary to make a scratching post work.
Other deterrents? Lemon, cats tend not to like. Cats have a superior sense of smell. Something as acrid as citrus is enough to make a cat wince and shake its head and sneeze.
How can pet owners make a trip to the vet less traumatic? Leave the cat carrier out all day long. Put a blanket in it and a few food treats. You can desensitize the cat to the carrier, to the car [by taking the cat on nonvet trips]. Give the cat a few treats on the way.
Is medicating cats right? If it works, you can't knock it. Modern drugs have minimal or no organ toxicity. I take aspirin for a headache, and when necessary I prescribe a drug to an animal. This is actually life-saving medication.
Do behavior problems affect a cat's life span? Failing to use the litter box is one of the most common reasons for a cat to be brought to a shelter. It's amazing what is the final straw for some people. By educating vets better about how to deal with these problems, we can make [pets'] whole existence better.
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