Home Sweet Hairball

Anyone and everyone who has ever been owned by a cat knows that from time to time, the inevitable occurs: that choking, hacking, coughing, and gagging sound we have all come to know and love as throwing up a hairball. Yes, it’s a true delight, a serendipitous occasion where we may all observe true cat behavior within the domestic environment.

Because they have a lot less fur to lick and ultimately swallow, short hair cats present us with their hairy gifts rather infrequently. And that’s a good thing. In contrast, our little long-haired friends like the Persian build up such an abundant supply of gullet hair that the production of a hairball is often a daily, if not twice daily extravaganza. Uhhh, not so good …

Curiously enough for hairball aficionados, the surface upon which the hairball is ultimately deposited is directly proportional to how expensive it is to clean, replace, or refinish. No self-respecting cat worth their weight in catnip would think of spewing its fuzzy ball of flop upon a tiled floor—even if said surface happens to make up 90 percent of a home’s walking area. Rest assured, if there is a postage stamp-sized carpet in a far off room, Tinkerbell will find it at just the right time and christen it with her indigestible delights.

The same can be said for genuine wood floors, concrete, marble, slate, laminates, Linoleum, Terrazzo, Silestone, granite, Corian, Astroturf, or the myriad of other long-wearing materials that are often picked by pet lovers as durable flooring or counter top material.

Whether we like it or not, cats possess an internal sensor that steers them away from these slick surfaces and directs them—however inappropriately—to areas that are “softer” and more receptive to their upchuck activities (i.e. carpet). Why heave up a hunk of hairball upon the plain old ordinary floor when you can hurl it skyward so it lands in the middle of an easy chair arm or right between the couch cushion cracks where you sometimes find loose change? You can always find lost money in your furniture, but the occasional hairball uncovered accidentally by a guest attending your next cocktail party is a much more thrilling trophy to behold.

For this reason, the hairball and any accompanying vomit, bile, and/or stomach acid are routinely revisited by the feline upon our fine, expensive Persian rugs, shag carpeting, Berber, and other fibrous surfaces. After all, these are the friendly materials which are eager to absorb and trap the various fluids expelled by our companion critters. These are the types of surfaces that hold color forever and are difficult to clean, leaving us with a lasting reminder of our furry friends and just how much we love them …

Eliminate all of the rugs on your floor you say? Nice try. Your cat knows better and will home in and leap up upon your bed, chair, or any other comfortable surface inside the home and ultimately grace its presence with his or her hairballs. Hairballs and porous fiber just go together; it’s one of the immutable laws of pet ownership.

The only recourse that you have is to accept the situation as it is and revel in the wonder of it all. Let nature take its course without meddling. After all, your cat’s hairball is a small part of him or her, no matter how distasteful you may find it. Truly, when it’s deposited in just the right spot, it’s a lasting greeting card— a precious gift that keeps on giving.

©2009 Michael Karl Witzel
All Rights Reserved, No Reproduction Without Permission

Dealing with Separation Anxiety Problems in Dogs

Article provided with the courtesy of the ASPCA

Resolving Separation Anxiety Problems in Dogs

by Jacque Lynn Schultz, Director, ASPCA Special Projects ASPCA

Supposedly, absence makes the heart grow fonder. However, the absence of an owner sends some dogs into wailing and barking, frequent house soiling, and self-destructive behaviors. These are all signs that a dog is suffering from separation anxiety.

The canines most likely to fall victim are second-hand dogs. Whether from a shelter, rescue group, or greyhound-track adoption program, dogs re-homed in adolescence or older are at greater risk of suffering separation anxiety than puppies. This is probably because it is more difficult for these dogs to accept changes in their routine and environment. They cling to their new pack leader and panic when that leader leaves home to go about his or her daily business. For similar reasons, unemployed companion animal owners or those who take lengthy at-home vacations or recuperations may find that their dog becomes disoriented when they return to work. These distressed pets need help.

Separation anxiety is often a problem of over-bonding. It is not healthy for a dog to follow his caretakers’ every step, to be constantly in the same room, sharing the same piece of furniture, being in close contact all the time. Promote independence by teaching the dog to down and stay on his own bed while you go out of sight. Start with a few seconds, then build up to a length of time the dog can tolerate. Put up a gate and eventually close a door between the two of you. Get family members involved in dispensing the “good stuff” to the dog. Walks, play sessions, and feedings should not be provided by only one person, for that person’s absence means the end of all that is good in the world to the dog. Panic can ensue. If you live alone, perhaps a neighbor or relative will share the duties, or hire a pet-care professional to assist you.

The worst of a dog’s hysteria is often during the first hour after departure. Diffuse the emotion of your leave-taking by heartily exercising the dog right after you wake up. Then, after feeding him, scale back your attention to the point of ignoring him during the last 15 minutes before you leave. Turn off the lights and turn on the television, radio, or white-noise machine—whatever you play most when you are home. And with no more than a whispered “Be good,” leave the house.

Some dogs will read the signs of imminent departure and begin to work themselves into a frenzy. If putting on make-up, packing a lunch, or shuffling papers in your briefcase distresses the dog, desensitize him to these or other actions by doing them frequently and at other times (such as before mealtime) so they lose their direct connection to the dreaded departure. Presenting a toy stuffed with goodies can draw the focus of less seriously afflicted canines toward cleaning out the item and away from your leaving. Buster cubes, Kong toys, Goodie balls/ships work well as canine diversions. Unfortunately, the seriously afflicted dog will not give the toy a second look until his pack is together again.

Separation anxiety can be severe and all-consuming to some dogs. I have known dogs to jump through second-story plate-glass windows, eat through sheetrock walls into neighboring apartments, and bloody their paws and noses trying to dig through wooden doors or out of crates. These individuals need professional assessment by an applied animal behaviorist or veterinary behaviorist, for they may need pharmacological aid while they undergo desensitization exercises. Some people choose to manage the problem by dropping off their dogs at day care or adopting a second dog so they are never truly alone.

Luckily, if the earlier suggestions are followed, the majority of dogs will be howling “I will survive” in no time.

Starved Horses owned by Veterinarians!

Starving Horses Owned by Vets!

The Surrey SPCA was called in to deal with a dead horse on December 8, 2008. The emaciated animal collapsed after being forced to pull a car from a ditch. More shocking still was the discovery of five more horses in varying degrees of starvation inside the barn. Yet, the Langley, British Columbia farm (where the horses were housed) was hiding an even more sinister fact: it was the home of two veterinarians, Mark Morohn and Carol Schoyen.

Animal Protection Officer, Shawn Eccles, remarked on the preposterous notion that anyone in their right mind frame would use an animal in this condition to pull a vehicle out of ditch, “That’s outrageous … to take a look at the animal itself they believe that animal has the health to do this. I’m stunned. Stunned.

British Columbia CTV News discovered that the veterinarian’s practice has changed ownership. When asked to comment on this situation Dr. Jeff Grognet, President of the BC Veterinary Medical Association stated, “Veterinarians, in my mind, would be held at a higher standard of care. They can pull a license pending the investigation. In our situation, we have to investigate and reach a conclusion before we can look at suspending a license.”

In the meantime these unfortunate horses have a hope for a brighter and healthier future. The public support and offers for foster homes have been pouring in. And it is obvious that these noble thoroughbreds have captured the hearts of shelter works and the public.

Click here to sign the online petition to have Mark Morohn’s and Carol Schoyen’s license to practice veterinary medicine revoked.

The video of the downed horse forced to pull an automobile out of a ditch by its owners can be viewed below. The horse was in such a severe state of starvation and weakness it had to be euthanized.

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