Q–Frequently, my male cat brings me gifts–birds, chipmunks, lizards–which he then releases in the house, chases and eventually kills, leaving the uneaten parts for me to clean. I’m tired of dealing with lizard heads and bird feathers. It’s too boring indoors for a cat, especially because I’m not home all day. How do I convince him to leave prey outdoors?
–Las Vegas
A–Your home sounds like the set of a horror movie. Aside from the annoyance of strewn body parts, letting your cat roam outdoors will decrease his lifespan in comparison to indoor cats. Outdoor hazards include coyotes, birds of prey, fights with other cats and incurable feline diseases. Even in rural places, the chief cat-killers are cars.
Alice Rhea, author of “Good Cats, Bad Habits” (Fireside Books, $12.95), lives in Snoqualmie, Wash., which is about as rural as you can get. Still, she keeps her cats indoors. “Indoor life doesn’t have to be boring,” she says.
Cat trees are terrific, providing playgrounds for cats to scratch, perch and lounge. A cat making the transition to life indoors needs places to scratch, and at least one area for sunning. All cats enjoy live theater. A window ledge with a view of birds is terrific entertainment.
Toys are important too. Although pet stores increasingly have wonderful cat toys, you don’t have to spend a fortune. Make your own. Drop a ping pong ball in a tissue box or sprinkle catnip on some wrapping paper and roll it into a ball. Take an empty toilet paper tube, cut two holes along the side, fold over the ends and drop kibble inside. Cats learn to push the rolls around to get the goodies out. A pet store version of this is called Play-n-Treat. Hide several of these toys around the house to activate a former outdoor cat’s prey drive, not to mention the benefit of added exercise.
In addition, it is imperative to play with your cat with an interactive toy, such as a Cat Dancer or a fishing pole-type toy. “If you ignore all this good advice and continue allowing your cat outdoors, at least neuter him so he can’t contribute to the overpopulation problem,” says Rhea.
If you insist on letting your cat roam, consider giving him access through a cat door into a mudroom, laundry room or garage. At least his little gifts also will be restricted to those rooms.
Q–My 6-month-old Pomeranian, Dani, chews on everything, including table legs and wood gates. She doesn’t chew on dog toys, such as Nylabones. I tried deterrents, including hot sauce and Bitter Apple. This little brat has me stumped. She is a very smart dog, but the only one of our bunch who chews like this. What can I do?
–Coral Springs, Fla.
A–Being smart may have something to do with the problem, says New York City-based author/trainer Brian Kilcommons. Dani isn’t content to sit around all day starring at a Nylabone.
“People too often overlook training for small dogs,” says Kilcommons. “Training teaches dogs how to learn, it exercises their mind and opens a line a communication between the dog and its people.”
Of course, a training class won’t teach Dani not to chew when you’re not home. The best way to prevent her from chewing on inappropriate items is to eliminate the opportunity. Dani must be crated when you are not at home for her own protection. Chewing chair legs may be inconvenient and expensive for you, but it’s dangerous for your dog.
You must teach Dani patiently the crate is a positive place, says Kilcommons. This is where she is fed, gets toys and earns valued one-on-one play time with you. Dani may feel left out, lost among your pack of Pomeranians. In part, she may even be “acting out” for the negative attention she gets from you.
When you are home, tie Dani’s leash around your waist or belt loop as you go about your business. If you like, attach two 6-foot leashes together, giving Dani extra mobility. She always should be within eyesight and within reach. If she begins to chew on something she shouldn’t, sternly say “no,” then offer her something she can’t turn down, such as a sterilized bone stuffed with low-fat peanut butter. Tell her to sit, present the bone, then praise her like crazy when she begins to work at the bone.
Kilcommons, author of the several books, including “Good Owners, Great Dogs” (Warner Books, $22.95), says exercising a pooch before you leave the house helps.
“If your dog is sleeping, she won’t be chewing. But don’t overlook indoor games to exercise your dog’s mind, such as hide-and-seek,” he says.
Remember, also, dogs have personal preferences. Instead of a Nylabone, try leaving Dani a Kong toy stuffed with low-fat peanut butter or cream cheese.
Q–I live on the fifth floor of an apartment and my cat never goes outdoors, except on the balcony. I discovered two fleas on him. Is it possible for a flea to jump up five stories?
–Boca Raton, Fla.
A–A flea can jump much farther than a person–more than 50 times the length of its body. Still, jumping five stories is beyond the reach of even a Jim Thorpe flea. John Payne, vice president of marketing/sales at Bayer Corporation Animal Health, the Kansas City, Mo.-based company that makes the flea-control product Advantage, says there are numerous ways for fleas to enter your house.
Payne says you can blame flea-ridden canine neighbors. The fleas can hatch out in the common hallway, then, seeking a blood meal, sense your cat from the hallway and slip under the door into your home. If your cat ever bolts into the hallway, the odds of fleas finding him increase. It also is possible to bring flea eggs into the house on your shoes. Squirrels, chipmunks or vermin might visit that balcony, or it might be accessible to other cats.
Don’t worry so much about the messenger. Because a flea can lay up to 50 eggs daily, your concern is not from where the buggers came but what to do about the problem. Don’t run to a local pet store snatching up whatever product is on sale. Folks see a pair of fleas, they panic and buy a dip. Thinking more is better, they sometimes use too much of the product, which can be toxic. Also, there is little, if any, long-lasting effect.
Because you have seen only a pair of those nasty blood-suckers, and you are up on the fifth floor, fogging the house is not necessary. See your vet for advice. Use the product determined by you and your vet for about a month to six weeks to maintain protection just in case these two fleas aren’t the first, and eggs already have been laid in your house.
Q–Is it true there is a breed of dog that never barks?
–Orlando
A–Yes. The basenji, from Africa originally, is a mid-size tan-and-white or black-and-white dog with a wrinkled brow. The basenji always wears white “socks” and a white tip on its curlicue tail. Because it is quiet, this breed is a good choice for apartment dwellers, although basenjis do make a chortling or yodellike call.
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Steve Dale welcomes letters. He cannot reply individually but will answer those of general interest in this column. You may write to him in care of the Chicago Tribune, Home section, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611. Or send e-mail to TribHome@aol.com. If the problem is urgent, consult a veterinarian immediately.
