Why is My Older Cat Refusing to Use the Litter Box?

DEAR JOAN: One of my cats is a 15-year-old male that was feral. We’ve had him a good long time in the house, and, finally, after 10 years, he isn’t spending most of his time under a bed because there was a noise.

He has never had a problem holding everything until he could sneak out to the litter box in the dark and do his business. Then all of a sudden about two months ago he started peeing on the bath mat in one of our bathrooms. This was usually at night.

We started keeping the door shut, but he then started using the carpet in my office as his private commode, both peeing and defecating on it sometimes. I tried using some repellent that contained methyl nonyl ketone (didn’t want coyote pee smell, too) on the carpet with little or no effect on his behavior. I ended up discarding the carpet and now keep the door closed.

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Dogmantics Dog Training - Separation Training Tips

Leave your dog alone while you are home - This teaches the dog to enjoy being alone while it is not associated only with you leaving the house.   You can use baby gates and pens to keep your dog in one part of the house while you are in another.   You can give your dog food puzzles, chews, and hide treats for your dog to find while you are in another part of the house to make the alone time highly reinforcing.

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Kristen Bell Makes Plea to Adopt Senior Dogs After Death of Beloved Pet

The "Frozen" actor, mourning the loss of her dog Barbara, reflected on the benefits of adopting an older dog.

After saying goodbye to her dog Barbara, Kristen Bell is encouraging potential pet parents to consider adopting senior dogs.

In an emotional video posted to her Instagram Stories on Sunday, the "Frozen" actor thanked fans and followers for their well-wishes after the beloved family pet passed away on Saturday.

"I'm going to miss her a ton, but I'm also really, really grateful that I got to spoil her in her last two years," said Bell, 40.

To read more on this story, click here: Kristen Bell Makes Plea to Adopt Senior Dogs After Death of Beloved Pet

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An Ohio Man Built a Backyard Squirrel Bar with Seven Varieties of Nuts on Tap

(CNN) — People are going nuts for an Ohio woodworker's latest creation: A bar that caters to neighborhood squirrels.

Michael Dutko, a 35-year-old hobbyist, has been creating art and household items from wood for most of his life, and even chronicles it on his YouTube channel Duke Harmon Woodworking. But it's his fun twist on a squirrel feeder that's made him Internet famous.

"The Nutty Bar," which is attached to his backyard fence in Hilliard, looks just like a real bar, and even has a range of nuts on tap.

To read more on this story, click here: An Ohio Man Built a Backyard Squirrel Bar with Seven Varieties of Nuts on Tap

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Man Shelters 300 Dogs From Hurricane Delta In Mexico Home

LEONA VICARIO, Mexico (AP) — As the dangerous Hurricane Delta closed in on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Ricardo Pimentel opened his home — to about 300 dogs.

There were plenty of other critters too: Dozens of cats were harbored in his son's room; his daughter's room served as a refuge for chicks, bunnies and even a hedgehog; a patio became a haven for a flock of sheep.

Not surprisingly, the house smelled terrible, he says. But it was worth it: All survived the storm.

To read more on this story, click here: Man Shelters 300 Dogs From Hurricane Delta In Mexico Home

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Lockdown Puppies Being Increasingly Abandoned By Owners

Lockdown puppies are being increasingly abandoned by their owners, the RSPCA has warned, as its centres begin to be flooded with cats and dogs.

There was a huge surge in demand for puppies over lockdown as people on furlough and working from home wanted companionship. For some, it was the perfect opportunity to train a young dog.

However, as people return to work they have found they no longer have time for their pooch, and have been abandoning their pets at animal welfare charities.

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It’s Illegal To Own Just One Guinea Pig In Switzerland Because They Get Lonely

Guinea pigs are adorable creatures who are often kept as pets. While most people immediately think of a cat or dog when contemplating a family pet, guinea pigs bring something a bit more unusual to the table (and can be a fine option for those who are allergic to cats and dogs).

Guinea pigs can be very loving and are totally lovable themselves. But, like many creatures, they can get lonely — even with an incredibly caring human owner. So it’s important that they have another guinea pig around to keep them company.

While this is just a suggestion in most countries, it’s the law in Switzerland.

To read more on this story, click here: It’s Illegal To Own Just One Guinea Pig In Switzerland Because They Get Lonely

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Rare Horse Cloned From Cells Taken From A Stallion In 1980

Little Kurt looks like any other baby horse as he frolics playfully in his pen. He isn't afraid to kick or head-butt an intruder who gets in his way and, when he's hungry, dashes over to his mother for milk.

But 2-month-old Kurt differs from every other baby horse of his kind in one distinct way: He's a clone.

The rare, endangered Przewalski's horse was created from cells taken from a stallion that had sat frozen at the San Diego Zoo for 40 years before they were fused with an egg from a domestic horse.

To read more on this story, click here: Rare Horse Cloned From Cells Taken From A Stallion In 1980

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Massachusetts Coastal Town Orders Locals To Stop Calling 911 About Giant Fish

The local government of Wareham, a town in southern Massachusetts’ Plymouth County, has asked locals to please stop calling the police about a big, blobby fish that has been spotted minding its own business in coastal waters.

The fish — a whopper of a creature that has attracted dozens of emergency calls since Monday from locals mistaking it for a shark or a seal, according to The Cape Code Times — is an ocean sunfish.

Formally known by the genus name Mola, the ocean sunfish (Mola mola) can grow to nearly 10 feet in length, weighing in at more than a stunning 4,400 pounds.

To read more on this story, click here: Massachusetts Coastal Town Orders Locals To Stop Calling 911 About Giant Fish

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FDA Dog Food Recall Expands: The Bags And Brands To Check For

The FDA’s released several pet food recalls over the past few months, most of which center on dog food. Today we’re going to go over the several recalls that you’re going to want to pay attention to, leading up the the latest from Sunshine Mills. Included on the list are Nature’s Menu, Family Pet, Heartland Farms, Paws Happy Life, Billy+Margot Wild Kangaroo and Superfoods Recipe, Champ, Field Trial, Good Dog, and others.

To read more on this story, click here: FDA Dog Food Recall Expands: The Bags And Brands To Check For

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PLUMP AND FEISTY: Baby Panda at National Zoo adds 2 Inches to Waist, Turns 8 Weeks Old

When mama bear Mei Xiang left the den yesterday to eat a fruitsicle (frozen treat made from diluted apple juice), zookeepers were able to retrieve the cub for a quick exam.

To read more on this story, click here: PLUMP AND FEISTY: Baby Panda at National Zoo adds 2 Inches to Waist, Turns 8 Weeks Old

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Hypothyroidism is a Condition That Can Affect Cats and Lead to an Array of Serious Health Issues

Detecting, Diagnosing, and Treating Underactive Thyroid Low thyroid hormone, or hypothyroidism (not to be confused with hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid), is a condition that can affect cats and lead to an array of serious health issues if it goes untreated. Though hypothyroidism is relatively rare in cats and affects many key aspects of a cat’s metabolism, it is usually manageable.

Low levels of hormones produced by the thyroid are usually the result of treatment for a far more common condition, hyperthyroidism. As such, most cases can be treated by simply adjusting the treatment regimen for the original condition so that the cat is producing thyroid hormones within the normal range.

Other causes of this condition include a reaction to radioactive iodine treatment, an iodine deficiency in the diet of the cat, a side effect of taking methimazole that results in the reduced production of thyroxine, the removal of either or both of the cat’s thyroid glands, a thyroid tumor or a tumor in the immediate area of the thyroid, and a variety of other autoimmune diseases.

Symptoms of Feline Thyroid Hormone Deficiency

Producing insufficient levels of thyroid hormones can have various effects throughout a cat’s metabolism, and many of these effects are undetectable at home. Symptoms of thyroid hormone deficiency in cats can include:

• A thinning of the coat
• General muscle weakness
• Hair loss
• Weight gain due to slowed metabolism
• Lethargy
• Sleeping more than usual
• Loss of appetite
• Pale gums
• Hypothermia
• Constipation
• Dry skin and dandruff

Diagnosis of Thyroid Hormone Deficiency in Cats

In most cases, diagnosing low thyroid hormone levels is as simple as running a few tests to determine the hormone levels in the blood. However, in some cases a veterinarian will need to perform a variety of other tests in order to arrive at a conclusive diagnosis. These tests can include:

• A urinalysis
• Blood tests, sometimes including a complete blood count
• Chest x-rays or abdominal x-rays

Treating Thyroid Hormone Deficiency in Your Cat
Treatment for this condition in cats usually depends upon what the vet determines to be the underlying cause. As mentioned above, the overwhelming majority of hypothyroidism in cats is caused by treatment for hyperthyroid, in which case a simple adjustment of medication generally clears up the issue. In cats where other underlying causes are to blame, treatment for the condition can vary from surgery to remove tumors, to supplemental thyroid hormones.

If the cat has had their thyroid glands removed, then treatment will be needed for the remainder of the cat’s life. Medication typically has a positive effect on the condition following the first six weeks of treatment, but ongoing monitoring of the condition may be required for the life of the cat.

Prognosis for Cats Dealing With Thyroid Issues
Hypothyroidism can be prevented in many cases where treatment for hyperthyroidism is the cause. If the cat is seen regularly and has its hormone levels monitored, adjustment of medication can be completed proactively. In other cases, where the thyroid glands have been removed or are no longer functioning, medication and monitoring can allow for the cat to live a normal life.



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New Jersey Prepares to Open a Gruesome Black Bear Trophy Hunt

New Jersey is poised to allow trophy hunters to kill the state’s beloved black bears starting next month using barbaric methods like baiting the animals with piles of rotting sugary food. The plan would also allow hunters to chase bears off state lands, where bear hunting is not allowed, and onto private lands, just so they can be killed. Worse, it would allow the killing of baby bear cubs—a cruelty now allowed in only one other state, Alaska.

This unethical policy from the state’s Division of Fish and Wildlife is highly unpopular within the state, and a Humane Society of the United States poll last year showed that a supermajority of New Jersey residents oppose it. An even stronger majority is opposed to bear baiting. But unfortunately, attempts in the state legislature to prohibit baiting bears or bear trophy hunting have not been brought up for full floor votes.

To read more on this story, click here: New Jersey Prepares to Open a Gruesome Black Bear Trophy Hunt

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Your Dog Has Diabetes. Here Are The Next Steps:

My dog has what?! Whatever the symptoms were that made you take your pup to the vet, good for you for taking him/her in to see your veterinarian! For most people, the diagnosis is a shock… a HUGE surprise! Who even knew that dogs can get diabetes? The first thing that you do now is breathe. Deep breaths…

To read more on this story, click here: Your Dog Has Diabetes. Here Are The Next Steps:

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