Castaways is a documentary series chronicling the successful rehabilitation program of inmates that train unwanted dogs for re-introduction or adoption. The series highlights the plight that both prisoners and unwanted dogs face, and how an unlikely union between the two brings out a change in character of both man and beast — each trying to save and serve the other. The results are life-changing for the prisoner, the dog, and the future pet owner. In the video below, you’ll meet a dog named Esther who was severely abused in a puppy mill before being rehabilitated through the Prison-trained K-9 Companion Program. It’s simply incredible to watch as Jason, a prison inmate, forms his bond with Esther, and eventually must say an emotional goodbye after successfully training her and helping her emerge from her shell. We’ve seen the impact made when these two groups of societal outcasts meet. It’s truly heartwarming — because, while many people shun both inmates and “undesirable” breeds like pit bulls and rottweilers, this program gives them an opportunity to look to each other for affection, friendship, and understanding and to foster each other’s growth. This type of program should be employed in more prisons across the country.
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When people call their dogs their "fur babies," they may be onto something, at least on a chemical level. Dogs that make so-called puppy eyes at their owners get a spike in the "love hormone" oxytocin — and their owners do too, according to a new study. This same positive feedback in oxytocin release occurs when a mom gazes at her newborn infant, studies have shown. Because dogs don't otherwise use eye contact as a way to cement bonds with other dogs, the study researchers suggest that man's best friend may have gotten its prized place in human hearts by tapping into an ancient human bonding pathway. "We humans use eye gaze for affiliative communications, and are very much sensitive to eye contact," study co-author Takefumi Kikusui, a professor of veterinary medicine at the Companion Animal Research Lab at Azabu University in Japan, said in an email. "Therefore, the dogs who can use eye gaze to the owner efficiently would have more benefits from humans." Loving Feeling Oxytocin, often called the "love hormone," performs various actions in humans, such as triggering the onset of labor, reducing stress and helping group members recognize individual members. But in all mammals, one of its key roles is to help a parent and infant bond. For instance, when rodent pups are separated from their moms, they emit a series of ultrasonic noises that spur moms to release more oxytocin and to scoop up their pups and behave in a more nurturing way. This, in turn, leads to the release of more oxytocin and, as a result, more attachment behavior in pups. In humans, both moms and babies get a spike in oxytocin during breast-feeding, and they will spend hours gazing at each other, each fueling the release of oxytocin in the other, various studies have suggested. For domesticated dogs and wolves, however, eye contact isn't normally a bonding behavior. Rather, dominant dogs stare down canines lower in the group's hierarchy, and pups that are nervous will look away, said Evan MacLean, an evolutionary anthropologist at Duke University who was not involved in the new study. Gazing Behavior Kikusui and his colleagues wondered exactly what dogs are getting out of their affectionate gazing at humans. In the new study, which is detailed in the journal Science, the team measured the oxytocin levels of dogs and their owners before and after the pairs spent 30 minutes together. After the owners spent quality time gazing into their dogs' eyes, petting and talking to the furballs, both the people and dogs showed increases in the levels of oxytocin in their urine. What's more, the more oxytocin rose in humans, the more it did in dogs as well. In similar experiments with wolves, the researchers found no such interspecies-oxytocin loop — even though the wolves were interacting with people who had raised them from pups. In a second experiment, the researchers spritzed an oxytocin nasal spray into dogs' nostrils and found that female dogs stared longer at their owners afterward, and that both the pups and the humans showed a rise in oxytocin as a result. The findings suggest that the oxytocin feedback loop can cross species boundaries, at least between man and his best friend. "This tells us something about our relationships with dogs," MacLean, who wrote a Perspectives article in the same issue of Science, told Live Science. "In many ways, they're similar to our relationships with people." Partners in Evolutionary Change The findings may help explain one of the most puzzling stories in human history: how a predatory, fearsome wolf transformed into man's best friend. Kikusui speculated that, at some point early in the domestication of dogs, a small group of naturally more friendly dogs may have gazed at their human counterparts for bonding. In doing so, the dogs unwittingly tapped into the natural human system designed for parent-child bonding. Humans and dogs may have co-evolved this ability in order for love to flourish across species, Kikusui speculated. In follow-up research, they hope to identify the genes involved, in both humans and dogs. MacLean, however, doesn't think humans necessarily needed to undergo genetic changes to get an oxytocin boost when they lock eyes with their canine companions. "Originally, this kind of bonding mechanism was very important between mother and infant, and then we've probably already recycled those same mechanisms in our relationships with other individuals," MacLean said. Therefore, the human ability to bond via eye contact is already very flexible and easily repurposed, he added.
Akron, Ohio - Police pulled over a man after they received multiple 911 calls from concerned drivers about caged puppies tied to the roof of a minivan. The Nova, Ohio man told Akron police that he was taking the 3-month-old puppies to his wife’s family in Pennsylvania after his father couldn’t take care of them any longer. A trip that would have had the young dogs on the van’s roof for over 300 miles. The man, who had his wife and four children with him, told police he didn’t understand that he was doing anything wrong by leaving the caged pups on the roof of the car. “We had more important things to put inside the vehicle. We have four children,” he said, "If I had known, I’d never agree to it. I would have kept them in Nova.” The Mennonite family wasn’t charged but was educated on the proper transportation of animals. “He had absolutely no idea what he was doing was wrong,” Sgt. Kris Beitze stated, “In this case, the cultural issues, he now knows that this is absolutely not the way to transport puppies." The mixed-breed puppies, who were shaken but okay, were handed over to the Humane Society of Greater Akron. "The puppies are traumatized," Beitze comments, "but I think they’ll come around with a little love and attention."
Working at Disney World exposes you to everything imaginable. It’s not just castles, fairy tale characters, and insane rides you see on a daily basis, but all types of people as well. Sometimes people do strange things, but nothing prepared park employees for a woman trying to enter with her pet tiger. On April 6th, 2015, an unidentified woman tried to enter the park with her pet tiger, and was promptly stopped by park employees. The tiger had been staying with the family in their hotel room, and walked to the park on a leash. While service animals are allowed in the park, the woman could not prove that it was an “emotional support animal,” according to employees. After a long winded argument at the parks entrance, Central Florida Zoo was called to retrieve the baby Bengal tiger until the end of the woman’s vacation. However, for the “inconvenience,” Disney gave reservations at a restaurant on site, and gave them fast passes for the rest of their trip. This situation highlights just how easy it is to acquire an exotic animal as a “pet,” and the cavalier attitude people have towards them. Far too many animals are adopted while they are “still cute,” only to be abandoned or killed when they become too difficult to take care of. Hopefully it will become impossible for these wild creatures to be bought and traded with impunity. Thankfully, we can all pitch in to help. As with many news stories, things are constantly changing. As it turns out, the animals was a bengal CAT, which is a semi-domesticated exotic breed of cat. However, many parts of the United States outlaw or regulate bengal cats, considering them exotic, and in the same category as an actual tiger. While there is some comfort in knowing the details, it still stirs up the questions of morality and safety of trying to “own” exotic animals and treating them as house pets.
Canine influenza has reached Lafayette, according to the Purdue University's Pet Wellness Clinic. Clinic director Steve Thompson said Friday that several tests on Lafayette dogs came up positive for the virus Thursday evening. It's unclear how many dogs have been diagnosed with the virus locally. Thompson said Purdue will be releasing more information later today. Indiana State Board of Animal Health spokeswoman Denise Derrer said the board has heard of about a dozen cases of the virus in Indiana dogs. The board last week had asked veterinarians to informally notify the board of any cases they diagnose. "But that's not an official count by any means," Derrer said, noting that the virus isn't considered "reportable," meaning that veterinarians aren't required to report canine influenza cases to the state. The virus has swept Chicago in recent weeks, sickening more than 1,000 dogs and killed five dogs between January and March. Experts originally thought it to be the H3N8 dog flu virus already found in the United States. They now believe it is a new strain, H3N2, that likely originated in Asia and hasn't been seen before in the U.S. Though a vaccine is available for the H3N8 virus, it's unclear yet whether it will ward off the H3N2 virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus is rarely fatal, but young and old canines can be especially at risk. About canine influenza What is it? Canine influenza is a very contagious respiratory infection in dogs. How is it transmitted? The virus can be transmitted from dog to dog via the air (coughing or close proximity), by contaminated objects such as food bowls or toys, or by humans moving between infected and healthy dogs. What are the symptoms? The signs of this illness in dogs are coughing, runny nose and fever. A small portion of infected dogs can develop severe disease. What to do if dog shows symptoms? Though there is a vaccine for the older H3N8 virus, but it is unknown whether that vaccine will protect against the new H3N2 virus currently sweeping the Midwest. Veterinarians still recommend receiving the H3N8 vaccine. Contact your vet for details. Treatment largely consists of supportive care including fluids and making the dog comfortable. Is it fatal? The percent of dogs with the disease that die is very small. Eighty percent of infected dogs will have a mild form of the virus. Sources: Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The cutest nurse at a Polish animal shelter is under a foot tall, with pointed ears and black fur. Rademenes, a black cat who lives at the shelter in Bydgoszcz, does the important work of providing comfort and companionship to animals undergoing medical treatment. Duties include gently resting on top of recovering cats and spooning canine patients. Rademenes came to live at the animal shelter after his original owners brought him in with an inflamed respiratory tract, and feared he was too sick to make a recovery, Polish news channel TVN Meteo reported. But veterinarian Lucyna Kuziel-Zawalich took a liking to the cat, and managed to nurse him back to health before taking him in as her own. Now Rademenes is considered an important asset to office staff, comforting patients after surgery and sometimes cleaning their ears.
We love our pets. Two thirds of Americans live with an animal, and according to a 2011 Harris poll, 90 percent of pet owners think of their dogs and cats as members of the family. These relationships have benefits. For example, in a survey by the American Animal Hospital Association, 40 percent of married female dog owners reported they received more emotional support from their pet than from their husband or their kids. The pet products industry calls this “the humanization of pets.” One of my colleagues recently spent $12,000 on cancer treatments for her best friend Asha, a Labrador retriever. Newspaper editors tell me stories about animal abuse often generate more responses from upset readers than articles about violence directed toward humans. But do Americans really care more about pets than people? Take, for example, police shootings. The FBI claims that about 400 people a year are killed by police in “justifiable homicides.” The number of incidents in which cops shoot dogs is very hard to pin down. You sometimes hear the claim that a dog is shot by a police officer “every 98 minutes.” That’s would be about 5,000 dogs a year. But Merritt Clifton, editor of Animals 24-7 thinks, based on his analyses of media reports, that the number of dogs killed each year in “confrontational incidents” with cops is probably between 300 and 500 – about the same as human cop shootings. On July 8, 2014, Jeanetta Riley, pregnant and a mother of two, was killed by police officers outside a hospital in Sandpoint, Idaho. Riley reportedly had a history of drug addiction and alcoholism, and she was drunk, incoherent, and waving a filet knife at the three police officers who showed up at the hospital. A dashboard video camera mounted on one of the police cars shows that Riley was at least 10 feet from the cops when they opened fire. Why the police opted to shoot Riley rather than zap a 100-pound woman with one of the Tasers they were carrying is unclear. The officers were subsequently exonerated, no apology was given to Riley’s family, and the story never made national news until it was recently dredged up by a reporter from The Guardian. Fast forward 14 hours and travel 50 miles south to a café in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho where Craig Jones was eating lunch, having locked his dog Arfee in the cab of his van. Jones had rolled the windows part-way down so the dog would stay cool. Unfortunately, when the two-year old black Lab mix started barking, someone called the cops. Officer Dave Kelly caught the call. Kelly later claimed that when he approached the van, Arfee (who was initially described as a vicious pit bull) lunged at him, though the van’s window was mostly rolled up. Kelly put a bullet in Arfee’s chest. This time the media did respond. A headline in the New York Daily News proclaimed “Idaho Cop Shoots, Kills Adorable Black Lab Named Arfee After Mistaking Him For Aggressive Pit Bull.” A “Justice For Arfee” Facebook Page was soon created, and a shadowy organization called “Anonymous” posted several ominous videos on YouTube vaguely threatening Coeur d’Alene police officers with retribution. Two months later, when a police review board ruled that the shooting of the dog was unjustified, the citizens of Coeur d’Alene staged a “Justice for Alfee” rally, demanding that Officer Kelly be fired. The police department issued an official apology to Jones who was awarded $80,000 in damages for the loss of his pet. Testing the Pets Over People Hypothesis As The Guardian article indicates, the mismatch between the public outrage over the shootings of a dog and a pregnant mom a mere 14 hours and 50 miles apart is striking. But was this an aberration? In the wake of Ferguson and now South Carolina, police shootings of human beings have been big news. Do the tragic cases of Jeanetta Riley and Arfee support the view that our love of animals trumps our concern for people? Two sociologists at Northeastern University have tested the claim that people are more upset by news stories of animal abuse than they are about attacks directed toward humans. The researchers, Arnold Arluke, an authority on human-animal relationships, and Jack Levin, an expert on serial killers and mass murders, had college students read fake news accounts on a crime wave in Boston. For instance, one of the articles included the statement, “According to witnesses present, one particularly vicious assault involved a one-year-old puppy that was beaten with a baseball bat by an unknown assailant. Arriving on the scene a few minutes after the attack, a police officer found the victim with one broken leg, multiple lacerations, and unconscious. No arrests have been made in the case.” The subjects in the experiment did not know the articles were bogus. Nor did they know that there were actually four slightly different versions of the newspaper articles, each portraying a different victim: a puppy, an adult dog, a human infant, or a human adult. After they read one of the four news stories, each subject completed a scale which measured how much empathy and emotional distress they felt for the victim of the beating. Arluke and Levin reported the results of their study at the 2013 meeting of the American Sociological Association. As you might guess, the story in which the victim was a human adult elicited, by far, the lowest levels of emotional distress in the readers. The “winner” when it came to evoking empathy was not the puppy but the human infant. The puppy, however, came in a close second with the adult dog not far behind. Arluke and Levin concluded that species is important when it comes to generating sympathy with the downtrodden. But they argued that the critical difference in responses to the stories was based on our special concern for creatures that are innocent and defenseless. Save Your Dog or a Stranger? In another experiment, psychologists at Georgia Regents University also explored circumstances in which people value animals over human lives. In the study, 573 individuals were asked who they would save in a series of hypothetical scenarios in which a dog and a person were in the path of an out-of-control bus. The researchers found that decisions to save the person or the dog were affected by three factors. The first: who the person in danger was. The subjects were much more likely to save the dog over a foreign tourist than, say, their best friend or a sibling. The second factor was the dog. Forty percent of participants said they would save their personal pet at the expense of a foreign tourist. But only 14 percent claimed they would sacrifice the tourist when the animal in the scenario was described generically as “a dog.” Finally, as other studies have found, women care more about animals than men do. In the run-away-bus scenario, female subjects were nearly twice as likely as males to say they would save a dog over a person. Living With Moral Inconsistency The bottom line is that, at least in some circumstances, we do value animals over people. But the differences in public outrage over the deaths of Jeanetta Riley and Arfee illustrate a more general point. It is that our attitudes to other species are fraught with inconsistency. We share the earth with roughly 40,000 other kinds of vertebrate animals, but most of us only get bent out of shape over the treatment of a handful of species. You know the ones: the big-eye baby seals, circus elephants, chimpanzees, killer whales at Sea World, etc. And while we deeply love our pets, there is little hue and cry over the 24 horses that die on race tracks in the United States each week, let alone the horrific treatment of the nine billion broiler chickens American consume annually. Most people, it seems, live easily with what the environmental philosopher Chris Diehm calls “the paradox of the cats in our houses and cows on our plates.” Go figure. Source: Hal Herzog
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The need to train a cat to eliminate in the right area arises in many situations, including when adopting a new cat, bringing an outdoor cat inside and getting a new kitten. Training a cat to eliminate in a litterbox sounds easy, and for many cat owners litterbox training is hassle free. But for those who face the challenge of their cats going in places such as carpeting and bedding, teaching them to use the proper area can seem like a monumental feat. Here are some quick tips for training your feline, from kitten to mature adult, to eliminate in the litterbox. 1. The first thing to do if you cat isn't using the litterbox is visit your veterinarian. There are numerous reasons cats may resist going to the litterbox, which are medically related. Your veterinarian can be a valuable resource in helping ensure that your cat eliminates in the right areas. 2. Keep the litterbox in an area separate from your cat's food and water, since cat's are naturally clean and unlikely to use the bathroom where they eat and drink. Ensure litterboxes are in easily accessible locations, such as rooms the cat freguents. The more out of the way litterboxes are such as in the basement, laundry room or garage, the less likely they will be used. Keep boxes on the ground for easy access, rather than high up and hidden. 3. Try different litterboxes. In general, most cats prefer uncovered boxes. The optimal size for a litterbox is at least as long as the cat from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail. Most cats prefer unscented, clumping litter as opposed to highly scented versions. 4. If your cat has an accident, use a pet-safe cleaner with enzyme-eating properties on the area to destroy the scent, which can prompt your cat to eliminate in the same place in the future. If your feline leaves only small amounts of urine, lower in volume than his normal elimination, or if he marks on vertical surfaces, the behavior may be linked to spraying. Spraying is different from inappropriate elimination outside the litterbox, and specific techniques, including reducing stress for the feline, need to be used to end the behavior. 5. Feline pheromones spritzed around your cat's living area can help calm your cat when you are adopting a new cat or during the transition from outdoors to indoors, further e encouraging proper litterbox use. Feliway is a synthetic pheromones that simulates the cheek pheromones in a cat that provide the feline with a sense of well-being and safety. The less stress a cat feels, the less likely he is to express stress through inappropriate elimination.
This comes from dog rescuer Jennifer Quesenberry in Virginia: I know this is a long shot request, but these two girls really need our help. May and Princess — AGES: 8-9 Unknown with cats or kids. May and Princess are two female seniors who have been bred their entire lives. Their owner dumped them at a rural shelter in NC, saying “they weren’t in good shape.” The shelter has taken them to the vet, as they cannot walk and are dragging their legs. They suspect DM [degenerative myelopathy] and one may have hip dysplasia, but all blood work and x-rays looked good otherwise. They are both HW negative. We would like to keep these two in the same foster home. The shelter told us they lived with dogs in their previous home and do not pay attention to the shelter dogs. They are in a chain link kennel outside at this shelter, directly next to another GSD and seem to do well. They can be put to sleep at any time and are extremely urgent. I have been begging and pleading with everyone I know to pull these seniors, and am told they have NO commitment. With several people offering boarding we have decided that if money can be raised to have them boarded while we work out the details of where they go, then we will help them. Please help us save these girls. We need to commit TODAY to get them out. I set a high goal due to their current health and the unknown with taking them on. They will still need a foster, if you can help please email us at info@trainingrescues.org. We are 501c3 and your donation is tax-deductible. Thank you!
UPDATE: 04/11/15 I picked up May and Princess last night from a transport at 2:00am and dropped them off at my local emergency vet for boarding. Once we got there I realized just how pitiful their situation is. My heart stopped. Was this the right thing to do? Would they be better off with humane euthanasia? I went home and the four hours I slept were spent dreaming about them. This morning, I went to see them. They were completely different dogs! The shy withdrawn dogs were suddenly true GSDs – they just couldn’t walk! I had planned to bring them home with me for one night, but Princess wasn’t having it with my current dogs. She may have been defending herself or simply trying to play, but she was a feisty one. I went back into the vet and spent over an hour with them. I saw their true selves emerge. They can’t walk, but they can scoot and they loved every second of my attention. I went and bought new toys and after a brief moment of confusion and a few squeaks – they were all games! I spent over an hour tossing the toy back and forth, numerous ear rubs and just loving on them. It was difficult to leave, but I will be back in the morning.
These girls need a solution. The vet is not the place to be. Even though they were generous enough to donate their entire office to the girls, they need a real loving home. They have so much left in them. Please help us find that special home willing to give them the love they have deserved their whole lives. We have a vet appointment tomorrow. We hope there is something we can do, but our funds are really tight and we’re not sure what to expect. They both really need an MRI, but at this time we do not have enough money to order one. Training Rescue Dogs does TRANSPORTS! Contact here for details. If you would like to donate towards their boarding fees or medical care, please CLICK HERE. For updates, please follow our Facebook page. .
A D.C. dog owner did what anyone with a missing pet would do. He posted flyers -- but then, he says, police threatened him with a $750,000 fine. Roger Horowitz was out Friday, ripping down flyers he posted about his missing dog, Ollie -- not because the dog has been found, but because he's afraid of being hit with the huge fine. Horowitz and his wife, Annemarie, had recently adopted Ollie, a rescue dog that had been shot in Georgia. "He'd been abused by his previous owner and actually shot with a shotgun," Horowitz said. "So he has about 23 pellets still in his back." On March 30, Horowitz was walking Ollie near Georgia Avenue and Euclid Street NW when the dog broke loose. "A car just backfired, and he suddenly just bolted and managed to get away with the leash," he said. He filed a missing dog report, and said he was initially encouraged by police to post flyers. Volunteers helped put out thousands of them -- but then a phone call changed everything The couple said they got a call from a D.C. officer, saying the signs had to come down or they'd face a hefty fine "So he told me that regardless if we put up the flyers, or if other people put them up, we had made the original flyer that had my phone number, and that we could get fined up to 750,000," Horowitz said. News4 asked D.C. police about the sign rules and fines. Authorities said sent a list of regulations about posting flyers. The rules say that violations can result in a $300 fine. It's unclear if that's per sign. The Horowitzes say they'd like to see the law change to help people looking for missing pets and loved ones. "It's kind of this big unknown, of what can we do next?" said Annemarie Horowit. "What should we do to find our dog?" They hope their social media campaign, #FindOllie, will help them do just that.
Bringing a cuddly, appealing bundle of purr home is exciting, whether the kitten is your first or an addition to your current pet family. Your kitten will be entirely reliant on you to ease his transition from mom cat's side or animal shelter to this strange new place. Keeping him safe and happy takes planning and patience for everyone in the household. The efforts will pay off, as your new little friend grows into a confident, affectionate kitty who knows there's no place like home. Here are some tips for making your new friend's arrival easier.
Kittens are sometimes adopted at six weeks of age, but 10 to 12 weeks is better. Those extra weeks spent with his mother and siblings help a kitten learn acceptable behavior, from getting along with siblings to getting used to human contact. A six- or seven-week-old kitten may be stressed and confused at being separated from his or her family too soon; your kitten may be fearful of people, and could try to hide or run away from interaction. If a kitten has been gently handled and has gotten used to humans, he will be friendlier and better adjusted. In choosing a kitten, look for one that is inquisitive, doesn't shy away from your touch, and is ready to play. Kittens are growth machines for their first year and need different nutrition than adult cats. Extra protein for muscle and tissue development, fat for fatty acids and plenty of calories are key to kittens' health. Specially formulated kitten foods fitting their nutritional requirements should be given until the kitten is a year old. Away from his littermates or mother, the kitten needs to feel secure as well as warm. Whether you provide a cardboard box lined with a blanket or a fancier bed from a pet supply store, keep your kitten's bed in a quiet place, away from household traffic.
Litter training is easy -- cats instinctively bury their waste -- but takes patience. Put the litter box in a corner or other secluded spot. After your kitten has awakened from a nap, or shortly after she's finished eating, place her in the box. If she doesn't dig or scratch, gently take one of her front paws and simulate digging with it. Praise her if she uses the box, but never punish her if he doesn't. Just place her in it at hourly intervals until she gets the idea. To discourage clawing furniture, provide a carpet-covered scratching post.
Although everyone will want to hold the kitten, limit handling for the first few days while your new pet adjusts. Set up his bed, litter box and food in a quiet room where he can be secured until he gets to know his new home. Introduce one family member at a time, allowing the kitten to come to you and learn your touch. Children under five should not interact with kittens; many shelters and rescue groups will not allow families with very young children to adopt kittens because children can be rough, sometimes tragically, with kittens. Older children can be shown how to hold a cat -- with one hand just behind the front legs, the other supporting his hindquarters. They should be taught never to grab a kitten's tail or ears, or pick it up by its scruff. Show children how to gently pet a cat's head and back. Remind them to always wash their hands after being around kitty. Always supervise children's interaction with kittens, especially if they have friends visiting.
Kittens can get tangled or choked by anything swinging or hanging. Therefore, keep your new pet safe by securely anchoring drape or blind cords out of reach. To prevent chewing on electric and phone cords, bundle them with a cord manager and fasten away from kittens' reach. Rubber bands, jewelry, Christmas decorations, balloons and other small items are dangerous to kittens that may swallow them. Remove poisonous plants, and roach or ant traps and make sure the toilet lid is down. Keep kitchen and bathroom cabinets closed so your kitten doesn't encounter bleach, detergent, dental floss and other household items when exploring. In the laundry area, keep washer and dryer doors closed: A kitten may climb into a warm dryer for a nap. Remember, if something would be harmful for a toddler, it's the same for your kitten.
After you've kitten-proofed, introduce your kitten to your home one room at a time. Place his open carrier in whichever room you are introducing him to so he has a retreat if he wants it, and let him walk around while you sit quietly. Talk to him softly as he explores. He may hide under a bed or scoot behind a refrigerator, so you need to be vigilant. If you don't want him in the habit of climbing on your bed, gently remove him and place him on the floor. Bring him back to his own space, and repeat this introduction process in each room of your home until he has explored everyplace.
Before bringing in a new kitten, be sure your resident pets have recently been checked by your vet, and are disease-free. When the kitten is in his or her secured room, your other cat will sniff around the doorway. Give your resident cat extra attention to ease his or her anxiety. Once the kitten feels comfortable, allow the two to meet briefly. Stay in the room while they sniff and explore each other. There may be some hissing and growling. If one cat shows real hostility, separate them and try again a few days later.
Never leave a dog alone with a new kitten. Dogs can become aggressive, or a kitten may claw at a dog's face. Make sure your dog is properly leashed as you introduce him or her to your kitten following the same procedure you would to introduce a cat to your kitten. This lets the animals learn each other's scent. The kitten should not be allowed to run away because the dog may think chasing it is a game. Reward both pets for calm behavior. Always supervise their interactions until the kitten is fully grown.
A kitten's high energy level makes her eager to play at any time. To keep her safe, choose toys carefully, just as you would for a child. Avoid those with buttons, bells or other small parts that can come off and be swallowed. Watch for sharp edges, and beware of string, yarn or ribbon, as these are dangerous if ingested. If a toy has any of these, always supervise the kitten when she plays with it. Small stuffed animals to attack and a ball too large to fit into her mouth will provide hours of kitten fun. You can hold a plastic fishing pole, anchored by a secure line to a fuzzy mouse or other small toy, in front of the kitten who will delight in chasing this prey.
Your vet should see your kitten within a day or two of his arrival. She'll check for ear mites and fleas, and examine a fecal sample, because most kittens have some form of worms. Many vets routinely deworm all kittens with an oral medication. At six to seven weeks, your kitten should receive a "three-way" vaccine that protects against the respiratory diseases FVR (feline viral rhinotracheitis) and FCV (feline calicivirus), as well as distemper (feline panleukopenia), with a booster shot given 12 to 14 weeks later. If your kitten is at least nine to 10 weeks old, he'll be tested for FeLV (feline leukemia) and FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus). He can get a rabies shot, usually required by law, at 12 weeks of age. Kittens can be spayed or neutered as early as eight weeks of age, but your vet can determine the best time for this surgery. Spaying protects your female kitten from the risk of mammary, uterine and ovarian cancers, and spares her the stresses of pregnancy. Neutering a male reduces his risk of prostate cancer, and he won't "spray" to mark his territory. Because the urine of intact males literally stinks, neutering your kitten will make the litter box cleanup less of a chore. Spaying or neutering also helps reduce the problem of cat overpopulation.
A kitten left home alone should be secured in one room with his bed, litter box, scratching post, food and water. If you'll be gone until evening, add a nightlight. Give him enough safe toys to keep him busy, such as a trackball toy. Place a radio just outside his door, turned to a classical music or country western station. Many pet sitters have found cats seem to prefer these two genres. Other cats like listening to talk shows, perhaps soothed by the human voice. If your kitten will always be alone during the day, spend extra time petting and playing with him when you return.
When you first bring your kitten home, he may miss his siblings and mother. He'll meow in confusion or wake up during the night. Ease his stress by picking him up, stroking him while speaking in a soothing tone. Wrapping a ticking clock in a towel and placing it near his bed to remind him of his mother's heartbeat. Kittens have so much energy, they need to stay active to be happy. If you bring home two kittens together rather than one, they'll focus their play-fighting, scratching and wrestling on each other, and are less likely to feel lonely. They are also a lot more fun to watch.
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Memphis, TN - The FBI has now named animal cruelty as a top tier crime along with arson, burglary, kidnapping, and homicide. The new federal category for animal cruelty crimes is expected to root out pet abusers and give a boost to prosecutions. Animal advocate Cindy Sanders, who co-founded the Community Action for Animals organization, is happy about the changes. "Animal cruelty is a huge problem," said Sanders. "Honestly, it's big everywhere but the Mid-South and the Deep South show some of the highest concentrations. When the changes go into effect, federal law will regard animal cruelty as a crime against society. "If it's a dog fighting case where it's taking part in a couple of states, that's a federal law," Sanders explained. "If it is an animal abuse case of a puppy mill that is shipping across the country that makes it a federal type thing." For years, the FBI has filed animal abuse charges under the label "other," along with a variety of lesser crimes. This categorization made cruelty hard to find, count, and track. Since animal cruelty is considered a more serious crime under the new rules, reports will now be documented in the National Incident-Based Reporting System. This action will advance how law enforcement officials understand how to prevent these often violent crimes. Sanders says the collected information could be used as an early warning sign to help identify people who start out abusing animals and end up abusing humans. "We see almost every defendant accused of a level of animal cruelty has had child abuse, spouse abuse, violent assault arrests," Sanders explained. "They have a history." Sanders says cities and states will still have their own criteria for animal cruelty charges, but she sees the new laws as a level of enforcement regarding people who hurt animals. She hopes the federal changes will motivate state legislatures to put more laws on the books to protect animals.
Prince George's County, Maryland - A big 'thank you' to Vincent and Ekuba MacDonnell-Monahan, who raised money for the homeless animals by selling lemonade. Their parents matched their donation and wrote the check. What fantastic kids, whose Grandma Joan volunteers at the Prince George's County Animal Shelter every Wednesday! Here they are posing with Chief Rodney Taylor, of the Prince George's County Animal Shelter.
Police in Prince William County are warning residents that they might see some unexpected neighbors this spring. Coyotes have been spotted in the county often in recent years, and the number of sightings is only expected to increase as the human population grows, authorities said in a release Monday. Coyotes are mostly nocturnal, but have been seen during the day in urban and suburban areas. Authorities say that it's usually because they've been attracted to a food source or to areas under porches, decks and crawlspaces that would be ideal dens for their spring litters. Police offer the following tips to keep coyotes away:
Don't feed wildlife directly or indirectly, which can cause animals to lose their fear of humans.
Keep trash inside until it's about to be picked up, or keep it in an animal-proof bid.
Don't leave pet food outside, and keep any outdoor pet feeding areas clean.
Remove bird feeders when if you've seen problem species around them.
Close up all openings under and into your home and garage.
Clear fallen fruit from around trees.
Keep brushy areas in your yard cut down.
Keep small pets inside and on a leash when outside. Larger dogs are viewed as a threat, especially from January to June when coyotes are breeding.
Install coyote-proof fencing to protect unsupervised pets.
Remember that it's illegal in Virginia to trap and relocate an animal.
If a coyote or another animal is showing signs of rabies (stumbling, foaming at the mouth or aggression), call 703-792-6500 for an animal control officer and the police. For more information, click here:Prince William County Animal Control Bureau .
A small dog found running loose in Fairfax County received a much needed makeover. Fairfax County police are looking for the owners of a male Bichon Frise, about 3 years old, which was found last Tuesday in the area of Rolling Road and Delong Drive. Several residents helped capture the dog. It was taken to the veterinarian and treated for a number of ailments. Police released photos of the dog before and after its grooming. If you know anything about the dog or its owners, call Master Animal Control Officer D.L. Cook at 703-691-2131.
