Did you know that today is National Holistic Pet Day? Who knew, right? It seems like if you look hard enough, there’s a “holiday” for just about anything these days.
Since holistic medicine and health are subjects I consider important, I decided to look into this particular “holiday” a littlemore. I actually don’t like the term holistic health all that much since it is often interpreted as only encompassing what are considered “alternative” therapies such as acupuncture, massage, Reiki and more. I prefer the term “integrative.” Integrative medicine is defined by The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) at the National Institutes of Health, as “combining mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness.” That, to me, is a truly holistic approach: combining the best of all worlds.
National Holistic Pet Day was originally founded by Colleen Paige of the Animal Miracle Foundation and Network. And apparently, I’m not the only one who didn’t know about this day. 90% of the more than 700 pet owners surveyed by Halo Purely for Pets didn’t know about it, either.
Halo’s survey uncovered some interesting data. Of the 700 pet owners surveyed,
73.2% exercise their pets regularly
28.7% learn about holistic living at their local pet food or natural food store
62.2% use non-toxic household products
48.9% use natural supplements for skin, coat or digestive care
38.7% take their pets for regular dental check ups
55.5% play mind stimulating activities and games with their pets
6.7% take their pets for acupuncture
48.7% help a local rescue or shelter
41.5% use all natural shampoo and grooming products
When asked what they would do to celebrate National Holistic Pet Day (now that they know there is such a thing),
37.7% plan to switch to all natural pet food
52.7% committed to getting their pet regular exercise
34.2% will visit their local pet food or natural food store to learn more
49% plan to avoid ingredients prohibited for humans (such as chicken meal)
38.5% plan to switch to non-toxic household products
40.5% would like to try mind-stimulating games with their dog and/or cat
7.7% would like to try acupuncture
28% will switch to an all-natural shampoo or grooming product
I suspect that if I surveyed our readers, the percentages of those who already do some or most of these things would be much higher than those in Halo’s survey. I’d love to hear your experiences with holistic or alternative therapies – please share them in a comment!
Making a decision about whether or when the time is right for euthanasia is one of the hardest things someone loving a pet will ever go through. Unlike human medicine, veterinary medicine is fortunate to be able to legally offer the option of gently ending suffering when there seems to be no hope for recovery. Making this decision for a beloved pet can be agonizing to the point of being nearly impossible for some pet guardians.
And even though there are some guidelines that can help with the decision process, ultimately, nobody else can make this decision for you. It’s between you, and your pet.
My personal experience with having to make the euthanasia decision:
I’ve had to make this decision three times. In April of 2000, Feebee lost his battle with lymphoma. After tolerating chemotherapy well for almost seven months, he declined rapidly, and instead of choosing more aggressive chemotherapy and blood transfusions, which might have given him some more time, I choose to let him go. And Feebee, in one final act of unconditional love, took the decision out of my hands: he died in my arms while my vet was on her way to my house.
Those of you who read Buckley’s Story already know how difficult my decision was to let Buckley go in November of 2008, when her severe heart disease was compounded by multiple other problems. I probably held on a little too long with her, but I’m now at peace with my decision. She, too, died in my arms, with my vet’s gentle assistance.
My most difficult decision was the one I had to make last May, when Amber came down with a sudden, severe illness. She was in intensive care for four days, and her prognosis was so poor that I decided against pursuing more aggressive treatment and took her home. I spent the afternoon with her before my vet came to the house. Amber laid on my chest, and looked right into my eyes as she took her final, peaceful breath with my vet’s help. I’m still not entirely at peace with this decision, a part of me will always wonder whether I gave up too soon.
Image Credit: Nestor Rizhniak, Shutterstock
How do you decide when it’s time?
There are some markers that can be used as guides. Pain is one of them. No pet parent wants to see a beloved pet suffer. Animals, especially cats, are masters at masking pain, so this can be difficult to detect. Another marker is appetite. For most pet guardians, the first indication that something is wrong is usually when a pet stops eating. A third important marker is dignity. Is the pet still able to relieve herself on her own, or does she need assistance with urination and defecation?
Dr. Alice Villalobos, founder of Pawspice, a hospice program for pets, has developed a Feline Quality of Life Scale that can help care givers determine quality of life based on criteria such as pain, appetite, hygiene, and whether the number of good days outweighs the bad.
Each relationship is unique
But decision points aren’t the only part of the equation. Each pet and each relationship between human and animal is unique. There is no one right answer. And that’s why making this decision can make you feel like you’re all alone with this awful responsibility.
The emotional aspects of making the euthanasia decision can be incredibly complex. In addition to the love for the pet, and the fear of losing him and not being able to imagine life without him, a care giver’s prior experience with illness and death, be it of a pet or a human, will influence the decision. Religious beliefs may also impact the decision.
Denial can play a significant role in the process. When faced with difficult situations, denial is a natural defense mechanism that initially saves the person from anxiety or pain. However, getting stuck in denial can become paralyzing. When it comes to dealing with a terminally ill pet, love and denial can be intricately linked, and it can sometimes be difficult to separate one from the other.
Image Credit: wavebreakmedia, Shutterstock
A lonely decision
Making the euthanasia decision is a lonely decision. While others may provide support and advice, ultimately, nobody other than the pet’s caregiver can make this decision. And that’s where things get challenging. I’m currently dealing with a situation where a client’s cat has been ill for a long time, but the client is not ready to make a decision. She’s gone far past the stage where I would have made the decision, if the cat was mine. But at the same time, I can’t fault this client for not being able to make a decision: her cat, while medically in very bad shape, still responds to her, still purrs for her, and still eats well.
Sometimes, it can be hard for a caregiver to really see how far an animal may have declined. Watching a pet deteriorate a little more every day is hard, but seeing the decline happen a little bit at a time can feed the natural amount of denial most people have that the pet just isn’t that sick. Sometimes, it takes a visit from someone who hasn’t seen the pet in a while to make the pet’s guardian realize just how much the pet has declined.
One aspect to making the decision that is not often talked about was recently addressed in a beautiful post by Robin Olson of Covered in Cat Hair. Robin’s 14-year-old cat Bob has lymphoma, and has recently stopped responding to chemotherapy. He’s also dealing with multiple other problems. Robin writes: “Try to watch out for the urge to just get it over with because YOU are suffering watching this natural process occur. This is very very difficult, but we owe it to our animals to give them every option and every day we can.” I couldn’t agree more. We don’t want our animals to suffer, that’s a given. But the euthanasia decision should never be based on our own discomfort with the dying process. I encourage you to read Robin’s entire post about Bob’s battle with cancer, and her struggle to do the right thing for him.
Image Credit: Africa Studio, Shutterstock
Will you “just know?”
It is often said that we will “just know” when the time is right. And I believe that when we do connect with the essence of our animals and manage to set aside worry and fear for even just a few moments at a time, we will know. It takes courage to set aside our fears, and to tune in to the animal and really “hear” them.
Ultimately, the only way any of us can make this decision is by listening to our animal friends with our hearts, not with our heads. It becomes a decision of love, not something to be reasoned out on an analytical and intellectual level.
The sad reality of making the euthanasia decision is that there is probably no way to ever be completely at peace with it. And that, too, makes it the loneliest decision.
Have you had to make the euthanasia decision for a beloved cat? What helped you during the decision process?
Cat videos are taking over the internet. According to some statistics, 30% of all videos on YouTube are cat videos. You’ve probably seen some of them: Surprised Kitty (52 million views), The Two Talking Cats (44 million views), or Cat Mom Hugs Baby Kitten (32 million views), just to name a few.
Did you ever wonder how these viral videos are created? You’ll be surprised to find out that it takes a lot more than a camera and some cute cats. Watch and find out what purrportedly goes on behind the scenes at the filming of cat videos.
The common wisdom in introducing a newly adopted cat to a resident one in the past was to open the carrying case and “let them work it out.” We most definitely have a new way of looking at things; from the cat’s perspective. Cats are, after all, about territory. Bring a new, utterly alien scent of the same species into the house, and more times than not, we’re asking for chaos. Of course everyone has a story about introducing two cats that went smoothly doing the old fashioned technique. The point to stress is, if it goes poorly, this one meeting is the association that these two cats will hold onto for quite a long time and make a peaceable kingdom a difficult task. It is, ultimately, better to be safe than sorry.
The 8 Tips for Cat to Cat Introductions
1. Base camp for the newcomer
A slow and steady introduction starts with the establishment of a base camp for the newcomer. Once you’ve set up his or her space, you’re ready to start letting the cats make positive associations between one another. This is key, and will be repeated ad infinitum; all associations between the cats during this critical period have to be as pleasing as possible to reduce possible friction when they finally have free access.
2. Use food as a motivator
Let’s start with one of the most pleasing motivators-food! Feeding time will happen at the door of base camp until introduction is complete. If the resident cat is not on a scheduled feeding diet, it might be best to put him or her on one for now. Or, if you leave dry food out and supplement with wet food, greatly decrease the amount of dry so that wet feeding time is looked forward to more. Remember that the only time either cat gets wet food is during these “meet and greets” at the base camp door, which can be divided into two daily sessions. Place food bowls on either side of the door with a couple of feet of breathing room for each cat. Ideally, there should be a family member on either side of the door to praise each cat as they eat. The idea is that they are rewarded with food for being so close to the scent of the unfamiliar cat, and also rewarded by you with praise for eating. At this initial point, the door should be closed; the cats can smell one another just fine. If they don’t devour their food at first, that’s okay. They will eventually eat. Don’t give in and move the food.
Image Credit: Nils Jacobi, Shutterstock
3. First eye contact
The next step is to open the door just a tiny crack, giving the cats limited visual access to each other. How soon do you move on to this step? As with all steps in introduction, pay attention to the cats; let their body language tell you when they are comfortable enough to move on. Remember that proceeding too quickly will force you to jump backwards by anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Slow and steady definitely wins this race. We need to remain safe, so use rubber doorstops on either side of the introduction door to prevent any more than visual accessibility. If the door is too high off the ground to use stops, or if one or both cats are muscling the door open, try using a hook and eye setup. Instead of using it to lock a door shut, you would employ it backwards, to give us just a couple of inches of cracked space between the door and the jamb.
Again, the time required in moving from step to step is determined by your observation and the cats’ level of comfort. Keep cracking the door further until each cat could, if they wished, bat at one another-first up to the elbow joint then all the way to the shoulder, just making sure not to leave enough room to let a head get through. The object of “the game” is to give them enough rope to succeed. If they fail, just go back to the previous step.
4. Scent and site swapping
Other tricks to use during the introduction period are “scent swapping” and “site swapping.” In scent swapping, we take a washcloth per cat and rub them down with it, making sure to go across their cheeks, head, sides, and around the base of the tail. Then, present the other cat with the scent of the washcloth in a conspicuous part of their territory, perhaps near a favored sleeping spot or near (but respecting the space of) their food or water. This will start getting them accustomed to the new facts of life; their space will have to be shared with one another, and better to have this fact introduced by scent than sight.
Site swapping relies on more paws–on physical exploration of one another’s space. Once a day, switch the two cats. The new cat gets to explore the house while the resident cat is base camp to freely explore the scent of new arrival without the fear of retribution. This process is best done with a human partner just to make sure the cats don’t inadvertently get in each other’s way while trading places; but if you don’t have help, try putting the resident in, say, a bedroom. When the new cat heads for the kitchen or other area out of sight, move the resident cat into base camp. Both cats should get the praise and encouragement they need/deserve in bravely going where they have not gone before!
Image Credit: Pixabay
5. Play therapy
Don’t forget, during this entire process, to play with the cats! This may seem elementary, but remember, they are just energetic balloons naturally, and even more so during these intense times of stress. Of course, you will have separate play sessions during the introduction phase. Once they’ve met and cohabitated for a bit, group playtime will be another wonderful way of diverting aggression they might have towards one another into a positive route. Refer to our article on play therapy to learn the ins and outs of keeping them both as happy as possible during the period of adjustment.
6. Flower essences
Additionally, consider flower essences to help both (or all) cats get through the initial introduction period with the least amount of stress and anxiety. Spirit Essences has many formulas to choose from, depending on the personalities involved, including “Peacemaker” and “New Beginnings.”
Image Credit: Mariia Khamidulina
7. Supervise initial interactions
When you think it’s time to let them be in the territory together at the same time, take precautions. If a fight breaks out, do not try to break it up with your hands! Unfortunately, this is most of the time our first instinct. You are almost sure to be clawed and bitten, and it will not be pretty. In the heat of the moment, the cats will not be able to distinguish between your arm and each other, and they will have no inhibition about attacking whatever is handy, even if it’s you. Instead, have an immediate barrier like a couple of large, thick towels or blankets at the ready. You can toss them over the cats to disorient them, and immediately relocate them by scooping them up inside the towel (to protect yourself). There is no need to follow this up with a scolding. That will not do anything except increase the cats’ agitation, which is just what you don’t need! Let the event pass with each cat in their own “time–out”, and start again fresh tomorrow–at the very beginning. Also make sure that when the two cats meet, they have escape routes from one another. Getting cornered is a sure recipe for a fight in the mind of a defense–minded animal like a cat. Keep a close eye on all interactions for the first week or so, not letting the cats have free access to one another when nobody is home.
8. Litterboxes: 1 box per cat + 1
Finally, keep the food and litter setup established in the base camp room, at least for the next while. The accepted “recipe” is three litterboxes for two cats (to be precise, 1 box per cat + 1), so bear that in mind. Also bear in mind escape routes from the boxes, as the last place we want a skirmish to erupt is while one of the cats is having a “private moment.” They should be able to see as much of the room around them as possible when in the litterbox, which is why uncovered boxes would be highly recommended.
This should pretty well cover the bases for the initial introduction between your cats. Of course there are always variables, but the broken record theme should get you going; do it slow–there’s always tomorrow to make another positive impression. They can, over time, learn that every time they view or smell the other, something good will happen. Do it too quickly and that negative first impression might very well be the one that lasts.
Image Credit: Nils Jacobi, Shutterstock
Jackson Galaxy, cat behaviorist and host of Animal Planet’s new show, My Cat From Hell, has been reading about, writing about and working hands-on with cats for 15 years. For more information, please visit Jackson’s website.
I’ve always believed that animals come into our lives for a reason. They teach us about unconditional love. They help up open our hearts. And sometimes, they even save our lives.
The beautiful poem below makes the rounds on the web periodically, and every time I read it, it moves me to tears. I recently came across this version, slightly altered and adapted for cats, on Romeo the Cat’s blog, and wanted to share it with you today.
Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the cages.
I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.
I meowed, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn’t be afraid.
As she read the sign on my cage I hoped that she wouldn’t feel sad about my past.
I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone’s life.
She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me.
I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her.
Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship.
A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.
Soon my cage door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms.
I would promise to keep her safe.
I would promise to always be by her side.
I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.
I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor.
So many more are out there who haven’t walked the corridors.
So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.
I rescued a human today.
Did your cat rescue you? Please share your stories!
This poem was originally written by Janine Allen CPDT, Rescue Me Dog’s professional dog trainer. Janine’s passion is working with people and their dogs. She provides demonstrations for those who have adopted shelter dogs, lends email support to adopted dog owners that need information beyond our Training Support Pages, and aids shelter staff and volunteers in understanding dog behavior to increase their adoptability. Copyright 2011 Rescue Me Dog; http://www.rescuemedog.org/.
Most of us consider our homes cat friendly. We provide scratching posts, cat trees, and lots of toys to keep our feline family members happy and entertained. But how many of us have an entire house that was designed specifically for cats?
A family in Japan does. The Cats’ House was designed by the Japanese architectural firm Fauna+DeSIGN for an avid cat lover.
The house, owned by a family with 16 cats and 5 dogs, features beautifully designed modern furniture and various structures that were created especially for cats: shelves and platforms with rounded corners, bookcases that work like stairs, hidden tunnels and passageways, catwalks on the ceilings, a floor-to-ceiling scratching post and all kinds of other goodies meant for discovering, climbing, playing and of course sleeping. The architecture is very open and invites a lot of natural light to every room.
Be sure to visit The Cats’ House website and look around. I don’t know Japanese, but the page headers are in English, and it’s well worth clicking around for more images of this stunning house.
Here’s a video to give you an idea about what this amazing house looks like:
At least not in human years. Conventional wisdom used to be that cats age seven human years for every feline year. The limitations of this calculation become particularly obvious on the high and low ends of the age spectrum. With advances in veterinary care, some cats now life well into their teens and even into their twenties, which, using the old paradigm, would make a 15-year-old cat 105 years old, a 20-year-old cat 140 years! On the low end of the age spectrum, a 9-month-old kitten would be the equivalent of a 5-year-old child. If you’ve ever had a 9-month-old kitten, you know that they act much more like a teenager than a young child.
The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) recognizes that there is a better way to classify feline life stages. Individual cats and individual body systems age at different rates, and while any type of age grouping is inevitably arbitrary, they felt that the new age designations take physical and behavioral changes that occur at different ages into account (for example, congenital defects in kittens, obesity prevention in young cats). Of course, aging is a process that is influenced by many factors, including diet, preventive care, genetics, and environment.
The following chart was developed by the AAFP’s Feline Advisory Bureau, and may give you a better indication of where on the human age spectrum your cat falls:
Why is this important? Cats need different levels of health care at different ages. The AAFP recommends a minimum of annual wellness exams for cats of all ages, with more frequent exams for seniors, geriatrics and cats with known medical conditions. I recommend bi-annual exams for cats age 7 and older. Cats are masters at hiding discomfort, and annual or bi-annual exams are the best way to detect problems early. Once a cat shows symptoms, treatment may be much more extensive, not as effective, and will also cost more.
According to this chart, Allegra and Ruby are both Juniors. Allegra is almost two in feline years, and Ruby is almost a year, which makes her fall right into the middle of the teenage years in human years. Yup – I’d say that’s an accurate assessment!
We’ve all heard of dogs who love to run with their owners. We’ve also heard of some cat owners who train their cats to walk on a leash – walk being the operative word. But a cat who runs with her owner? Now that’s unusual!
Meet Roadrunner and his human, Michael Greenblatt.
Michael Greenblatt is a fitness trainer who trains high profile athletes and celebrities. He lives in West Long Branch, NJ. One day, three years ago, he went on his morning run like he does every other morning. But that day was going to be different, and little did Michael know at the time how the encounter with the little black kitten would change his life. He noticed the small black cat with the golden eyes sitting on a hill across the street from his house. She reminded him of his black childhood cat Nubbs.
Michael had been a runner for many years, and he was used to cats taking off at the sound of his feet. Not this little kitten. She would just sit and stare at him as he ran by. After about three weeks, he asked the woman who had clearly been feeding the kitten whether she belonged to someone. The woman told him that she was just feeding her, and that he could take the kitten if he wanted her. A few moments later, the kitten came up to Michael and rubbed up against his legs. It was as if she’d understood what he was asking.
The following morning, when Michael went for his run, an amazing thing happened. The kitten was waiting for him in the usual spot, but unlike all the other times, when she just watched Michael run past, that day, she started running with Michael! She ran all the way down the block with him, but thankfully, she stopped when traffic increased. When he returned, the kitten came charging down the streeet to greet him, and accompanied him on his cool down walk back to his house.
After three weeks of this, Michael decided that this kitten was going to be his. He named her Roadrunner – as if there really was another choice for a name!
He has been training Roadrunner for almost two years now. She runs on the sidewalk to the end of Michael’s cul-de-sac, and back. She particularly enjoys running on the Long Branch beach. Running up and down the jetty is one of her favorite tricks. Not surprisingly, she stretches before and after her runs.
When Roadrunner is not running, she likes to “help” Michael when he’s on his laptop computer. That help involves head butting, and biting and swiping at his fingers so he can’t type. She also likes to sit on his cell phone so he can’t find it. At night, she likes to sleep on his stomach with her head on his chest and her paws around his neck.
You can learn more about Roadrunner on her website. She also has her own Facebook page.
Watch Roadrunner in action:
Allegra and Ruby watched this video with great interest, but they’ve both decided that the only running they’ll do will be when they chase each other through the house.
