Problem pooch? Cantankerous kitty? Have no fear, Diana Foley of the Washington Human Societys Behavior & Learning Center is here to share her expertise. SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS ANY TIME BEFORE SEPT. 9. CHECK BACK FOR ANSWERSSTARTING THURSDAY, SEPT 18! Behavior and training counselor Diana Foley has spent more than six years training shelter dogs at the Washington Humane Society. During that time, she has undergone an intensive apprenticeship with WHSs longtime director of behavior and training, Kevin Simpson, CPDT. The most satisfying part of my job is seeing shelter animals go home with their new families, says Foley. At home, Foleys pets include a 2-year-old Dalmation/Border Collie mix, adopted from WHS, who I take to agility classes; two mini-lop rabbits--an 8-year-old male and a 4-year-old female--(both spayed/neutered, and rescued, of course!); 2 guinea pigs (also adopted from rescue groups); and the occasional litter of foster kittens. To find out more about WHSs Behavior & Learning Center, please visit http://www.washhumane.org/learningcenter.asp. http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/list.php?12 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 04:10:49 -0500 Phorum 5.2.10 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,54,54#msg-54 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,54,54#msg-54
First and foremost, if you haven’t done so already, you’ll want to have your cat examined by your veterinarian to ensure that no medical issues are causing him to urinate inappropriately. Possible medical issues could include bladder stones, cystitis or a urinary tract infection (UTI); a mobility issue, such as arthritis, that makes it unpleasant for your cat to reach the litterbox; or a condition, like kidney disease, that increases the cat’s water consumption.

It’s very important to rule out medical issues first, as often times the problem may be physiological. Once these are ruled out, we should try to figure out:

• Why he’s avoiding the litter box?
  
• How to make the litter box more desirable
  
• How to make the inappropriate areas undesirable for eliminating
  

Stress factors:

Cats can be finicky little creatures that don’t always adapt well to sudden changes. Stress arising from environmental changes (such as a new home, a new cat or dog, a new family member, or even a change in litter type, or going from an uncovered box to a hooded one, etc.) can lead to a cat not using the litter box. If a change in environment is the cause, giving your cat time to adjust to his new situation might be part of the solution.

You should also ask yourself questions such as:

• Was kitty scared while in the litter box, or possibly even just while in that room - a loud noise in the house or outside, or did something happen to him while he was using the litter box, such as being “ambushed” by another cat in the home?
  
• What’s appealing about the places where he is urinating? Are they in a more quiet, private area? Are they closer and more accessible than his litter box? Are they random places or is there a pattern?

Territorial Marking:

Urinating in the corners and around the house or on human items such as bedding, laundry, or your sofa, are indicators of territorial marking, which can also be brought on by stress or changes to the household, such as moving to a new house or the addition of a new person or pet.

Good, deep, enzymatic cleaning (try Nature’s Miracle, Simple Solution, or Anti-Icky-Poo) and Feliway in the environment are the BEST first steps to managing this behavior. Especially incorporating Feliway plug-ins. Feliway is a spray (you can purchase it at Friendship’s online store, or at most pet stores) that mimics the naturally occurring facial pheromone in cats. Cats produce this pheromone and use it to mark their environment when they feel safe. You would want to spray it in areas where you do NOT want him to urinate, as well as the place where you DO want him to, i.e., his litter box. This product is excellent for reducing stress in multiple cat households and homes where a new cat was introduced to a resident cat. Here is a link to Feliway’s website where you can find more information on how to most effectively use it: [www.feliway.com]

Making kitty’s litter box more “attractive”:
The litter box should be in a quiet place that’s easily accessible to your cat. Try to avoid moving the box too much as it may confuse him, but if there’s a private spot where you find him “hanging out” a lot, try putting the box there – you can move it a bit at a time to where you’d eventually like it.

Additionally, as a rule-of-thumb, I would suggest having a litter box for each cat, plus one extra. Keep the litter boxes extremely clean. This means scooping at least once a day for a single cat, and more frequently for multiple cat households.

Making other places less attractive:
Clean the area thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner such as Nature's Miracle or Simple Solution.

Try covering the area with aluminum foil and tape it down, or use a strip of plastic carpet protector, the kind with little plastic teeth to hold it in place. Because these feel differently than the original flooring, he will not want to venture onto it.

If he keeps “going” in the same room, deny him access to it.

Starting Over

Sometimes it’s necessary to start over with litter box training, confining the cat to one room and then gradually allowing him into larger areas of the house, once they’ve consistently used the litter box in the room.

With patience, your cat should be on the path to proper litter box usage in no time. For information more specific to you and your cat, you can contact the Washington Humane Society’s Behavior & Learning Center and speak with a cat behavior counselor who can help you sort out the cause of the inappropriate elimination and establish a plan to resolve it.]]> Diana Foley, Behavior & Training Counselor, WHS Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:13:35 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,53,53#msg-53 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,53,53#msg-53
Briah has had a history of UTIs so I keep a liner on her bed at all times and wash all bedding when soiled. I also spray the affected areas with Nature's Miracle to eliminate odors. In the past when Briah had an active infection she would have accidents on the rug or floor, but never on her bed. And the only way we have found to stop Briah from doing this is to either just let her out whenever her actions seems suspicious or put a diaper on her so hopefully you can help us to understand what is going on in her brain so that we are better able to help her.]]> briahtarpit Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:57:45 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,52,52#msg-52 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,52,52#msg-52
My name is Nancy and my 1-year-old Maine Coon's name is Mr. Magoo. I adopted him from a breeder in Baltimore shortly after his first birthday (so I've had him for almost 3 months now). Prior to coming to my home, he lived with several other male Maine Coons in a separate area of the breeder's home. In my home, he is a single kitty living a studio apartment in DC. He is very active and playful, and so I try to commit 15 minutes in the morning before work (sometimes it's only 5 or 10) and 15 minutes at night before going to bed to really playing with him -- getting him running and jumping and 'hunting.' This seems to have substantially improved his nighttime behavior (prior to my starting this he would keep me up a good deal at night wanting to play). However, there are still some nights that he jumps in bed and wants to play at 2:00am. If I ignore this behavior, he will continue bugging me (nuzzling his nose in my face) until I respond or if I hold out and do nothing, he often bites me (not breaking the skin, just an attention-getting attempt on his part to get me to respond). I wonder what you recommend to discourage this behavior (a firm, loud 'no' and escorting him out of the bed? a spritz from a water bottle? ignoring every time even if he bites; other options?)

My second question involves discouraging chewing electrical wires. All of the wires in my apartment are now covered with either cord covers or this medical wrapping material (made for horses) that tastes bitter. I unplug everything when I leave the house. However, it would be nice not to have to unplug everything at a certain point in the future. Do you have recommendations for chew toys for such kitties so that they get their chewing needs taken out in appropriate places. I have tried N-bone chews (which he likes to play with more than eat), dental chews (that he doesn't chew at all - just bats under the furniture), leathery shoe laces (not particularly interested despite their similarity to the wires he loves), kong toys (which he doesn't get), rawhide(also not appealing). I thought about a rabbit toy with all sorts of chewing things, but not sure if it's safe for kitties. Any suggestions? And do you have any suggestions for other cord covers -- the ones that are citrus scented are kind of repulsive to live with.

Finally, Mr. Magoo sometimes bites when petted on either shoulder when lying on his side. I was concerned for a while that he might be in pain, but have decided that this seems unlikely because he doesn't bite when you touch him there when he is resting on all fours or standing -- it is only when he is lying on one side. Do you have any recommendations to help stop this behavior? (I do plan to take him to the vet in the next week and will have his shoulders checked for any medical problems, but I do think that this is behavioral and not physical).

Lastly, a number of people have recommended that I get another kitty, because he seems like he is bored and that is root of all of these problems. I would prefer not to do that, because my studio apartment is not big and I like to be able to give Mr. Magoo a lot of attention. I just don't want two cats. So, if you have alternative strategies , I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks so much for your guidance!!

Best wishes,
Nancy & Magoo]]> MagooandNancy Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:15:24 -0600 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,51,51#msg-51 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,51,51#msg-51 cschaefer Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:23:50 -0600 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,50,50#msg-50 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,50,50#msg-50
The dog for its part initially barked like crazy when the cat was around, but we've managed to get him to cut that out. He still however goes into his "critter frenzy" sometimes, and will give chase. The cat is fast and smart so he hasn't been caught yet, but we'd really like to get this situation under control.]]> cschaefer Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:21:53 -0600 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,48,48#msg-48 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,48,48#msg-48
Some months ago we adopted a young female cat from Pet Smart assuming that we could use our tried-and-true method of introducing her to our 3 other cats--keeping the new cat behind a door all day for a while, then letting all the cats be in a room "under supervision" for another period, and eventually letting everybody just range around together.

Unfortunately, the new cat (Rita) became extremely anxious from the beginning when the other cats were around. She becomes panicked (hyperventilating) and attacks them. Thinking that time would fix this--that is, she would relax--we've keep her in our large bedroom and hoped that a slower timetable for gradual introduction would work. But it hasn't. At the beginning she attacked the biggest of the 3 cats (a Maine Coon foundling, enormous) and now of course he wants to attack her. She fitfully gets along with the other 2, but she is unpredictable, sometimes swiping, sometimes ignoring. She remains terrified of the big one.

We're not giving up on her (against our code!) but it would be fantastic if we could merge everybody and get on with life. I am assuming that she had some bad shelter experiences or is on the feral side of things, but it's bad for everybody in the house. If you have any ideas, I'd be grateful to hear them.

Many thanks,

Darcy Tell]]> darcytell Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:59:31 -0600 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,46,46#msg-46 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,46,46#msg-46
We adopted a wonderful, gigantic, chocolate boy from Lab Rescue last year. He's a handsome charmer who was pretty easily trained to good manners. There's one thing he does that I wonder if you can translate for us. Very often when one of us goes to pet him he reaches out a front paw and places it on our chest or over our arm. Or if he's laying down he'll put his arm up against your chest. He doesn't try to get away or avoid the touching, so it's hard to know if he's saying back off, or just wants to be touching you. Thoughts?]]> j-mo Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:17:21 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,44,44#msg-44 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,44,44#msg-44
Tsuki (luck in Japanese) is about 10 months old. She was found at 5 weeks along a highway. She is a social kitty, does not run from people, even likes our grandchildren. She demands a lot of play time and she gets it. We have had kitties before so we are very aware of the need for socialization and stimulation.

The first question is directed to her desire to chew things. We have weened her (almost) from chewing the wires to our phone chargers, speakers etc. She was never one to go after the AC cords. Now she chews plastics, paper, etc. Last week she swallowed plastic from a Fed Ex envelope and vomited on the carpet. She recovered but it was scarey. Will she outgrow this? Is there something in the paper or plastic that smells like food? (She eats indoor kitty dry food but not canned food.)

The other question is when can we expect her to be more affectionate. (I understand that "expect" is not a word that should be used about felines). She takes a limited amount of petting, likes to be scratched but does not attempt to sit on us or sleep with us.

Thanks much.]]> elight60 Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:12:54 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,43,43#msg-43 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,43,43#msg-43
I hope that you can help me with a problem that has seemed to intensify over the past several months.

Addis, my four-year-old miniature poodle, has had a problem with marking in the house over the past year or so. He has never been crated, is the big brother to a toy poodle, Bliss, and has the energy of a Red Bull-and-Coffee addict. Generally, he is a great dog -- I have had him since he was a delicious puppy --- but he has recently become more aggressive with his marking. I have tossed two comforters and one sofa (oh, and the ottoman) because of his sneak attacks. When I leave the house, he and his brother are placed in their own area. Addis will not touch the wee-wee pad that I leave down, but will spray his brother's bed pretty well. This began over a year ago (no traumatic events or changes to speak of that would have facilitated the 'bad dog' behavior) and the first victim was my bed, specifically, my pillows (yep, the decorative kind with the frills).

I have a keen nose and have recently discovered a few other places in his domain --- so room doors are now closed. But I want him to learn to exist in MY environment and don't want feel as though every area has to be quarantined against him.

Are there products or training manuals or suggestions that you have for this? Thanks for your help!

Marj]]> PoodleHugsJordansKisses Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:10:45 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,42,42#msg-42 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,42,42#msg-42 jpl20816 Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:09:14 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,41,41#msg-41 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,41,41#msg-41
He also barks at the postman when he comes into work -- that's never happened before. And it's only ONE of the delivery men...he doesn't mind the others. Is it really "just the uniform?"

Any ideas? I use his choke collar to correct him when he barks at the apartment door, but that doesn't seem to stop him.

Thanks in advance for taking our questions!]]> corbb Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:06:56 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,40,40#msg-40 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,40,40#msg-40 mertischek Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:34:57 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,39,39#msg-39 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,39,39#msg-39
We have two approximately 3-years-old rescue dogs: one is a female street dog from Thailand named Lexi and one is a purebred black Lab named George from Lab Rescue, DC/Potomac (rescued at 18 months). Lexi has two problems that we think stem from her feral background. Although she was rescued at 2 weeks, she is very shy and timid towards our teenaged boy (and all new people), and she gets really scared when we raise our voice to discipline her. Is there a way to make her less timid, or is that just in her nature? Her only real discipline problem is she occasionally pees on the living room rug--often the same spot and only from time to time. I've smoothered it in vinegar and water and cleaning products, to kill the smell, but she seems to like that area. We let her out regularly and she gets at least one walk a day. On walks with me or when she goes in the yard, I praise her with all kinds of sweetness that she seems to respond to. How do I get her to understand it's not acceptable to pee in the house?

George on the other hand is very house-trained and a typical friendly Lab. His problems are that he is an escape artist and he eats his poop. If he sees a cat on the other side of the fence, he jumps very easily and is gone for awhile to try to get the cat and then to carouse the neighborhood. He comes back either to the front or the back within several minutes, but of course we are worried he might run into the street and get hit by a car. We have tried a shock collar but he is so afraid of the shock and the noise that he won't leave the backdoor to go into the yard to do his business or sniff around. Like Lexi, he gets out for a walk at least once a day, and we try to exercise him with a ball at least a couple times a day. And the two of them have big wrestling match sessions at least twice a day. I called Friendship once about George's poop-eating and was told to try to split up his feeding to several times a day rather than two big lumps a day, so that he better digested his food and the poop wouldn't "taste so good." Ew. It didn't really work, but we still give him three or four cups three times a day rather than two times a day. I think it's better for digestion, anyway.

They're such sweet, wonderful dogs but these behavioral problems are driving us crazy!!!

What do you think? Any advice will be MUCH appreciated. Thanks,

Naya and Denis]]> Naya Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:03:16 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,38,38#msg-38 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,38,38#msg-38
(1) Why does cat stick his paw in water bowl 5-6 times before drinking?

(2) Why does dog circle 20 times before she poops?

Thanks.]]> mjabrams Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:59:22 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,37,37#msg-37 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,37,37#msg-37 leothecat Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:57:44 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,36,36#msg-36 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,36,36#msg-36 mvpercival Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:56:30 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,35,35#msg-35 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,35,35#msg-35 huntleca Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:40:36 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,34,34#msg-34 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,34,34#msg-34 cpantelias Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:52:20 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,33,33#msg-33 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,33,33#msg-33 cpantelias Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:47:14 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,32,32#msg-32 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,32,32#msg-32
Ms Foley--On Tuesday when the house is cleaned my cat gets very distressed and regularly urinates outside her box--I cannot keep her completely confined all day and I could try one of those homeopathic calming agents, is there anything you might suggest?

Thanks.]]> clarice Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:45:46 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,31,31#msg-31 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,31,31#msg-31
We have a dog that we rescued from a puppy mill (she was a breeder). She is WONDERFUL but, goes crazy barking at dogs that walk by our house. Any tips on how to get her to be less territorial over our house (and the sidewalk in front of it)?

Thank you,
Embarrassed Pooch Mother]]> bld@alum.dartmouth.org Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:38:35 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,30,30#msg-30 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,30,30#msg-30 marissa Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:36:00 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,29,29#msg-29 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,29,29#msg-29
I recently adopted two four-month-old shelter kittens, one male and one female. They are from different litters but briefly lived together with a foster mom before we brought them home (they get along swimmingly).

The male will eat both wet and dry food voraciously. The female has quite the appetite, but she was never properly weaned off of kitten formula. She has no interest in her buddy's cat food. On the vet's recommendation, we're gradually incorporating ground up dried food and some wet food into her KMR (stage 2) formula, while gradually decreasing the amount of formula in the dish. She'll eat the mixture, but only if the incorporated cat food is nearly powder-fine. Otherwise she eats around bigger chunks or turns her nose up at them entirely -- and she always, always, always exhibits an anxious, sometimes prolonged pawing or digging motion around the bowl after she's done, sometimes accompanied by meowing. (She is fully litter trained and has never tried to use the bathroom near her food dish, which is why I'm not sure this reaction is litter box related.)

How common is it for kittens her age to have this problem? What can we be doing to make this easier for her, and ultimately, for us? As you can imagine, we have concerns about her long-term nutrition, and hope we can help her move past it in an effective, loving way. Any advice would be great. Thanks in advance.]]> marissa Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:34:22 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,28,28#msg-28 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,28,28#msg-28
So my question, what else can I do? His behavior has obviously become an issue on both of our qualities of life. If you have some direction on how I should proceed I would be grateful.]]> ataloss19147 Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:31:53 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,27,27#msg-27 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,27,27#msg-27
We have a 20 yr old male cat named Anuli, another 8 yr. old male named Monkey, & have a new female kitten, Missoni who is 8 months old. We found Missoni back in March. It took a few weeks, but we introduced Missoni very slowly to the house. Room by room divided by french doors. So that the cats could meet & smell eachother gradually. It has worked & we haven't had too many cat fights.

Monkey has always been the dominate cat. Missoni, the new female kitten has always wanted to play with Monkey but he got upset & thought she was challenging his dominance. She wasn't, because she would immediately roll onto her back-show her belly to him & be submissive. Well, after about 5 months, all of a sudden yesterday....I found someone pooped twice in the kitchen bath (where monkey always drinks water) and someone peed in the large tub (monkey's favorite place to drink) & finally one of the cats peed on my good leather sofa upstairs exactly where I sit at night!

I am pretty sure it is Monkey, being jealous over the new kitten. And marking my spot on the sofa where I sit, because I shower the kitten with attention.

After 5 months of smooth sailing, why now? and monkey being almost 9; he has NEVER marked before (even with 2 other cats)

My husband & I completely neutralized & cleaned the 3 areas last night. Nothing so far today. And my husband has been trying to shower monkey with love & kisses & sweet conversation to help balance the attention that Missoni gets.

What can we try to do to make them both feel secure enough to stop before it gets too bad?
Do female cats poop when they mark & males tend to pee?

so do you think it is Monkey or Missoni?

I am a concerned kitty lover! I have had cats since 1988 & Missoni is my 4th kitty.
sincerely,
crys]]> crysandcharles Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:28:55 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,26,26#msg-26 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,26,26#msg-26 In case it's helpful, my dog is a 30 lb male cairn terrier mix who I've had for 4 years though he was taken from an abusive or neglectful home (though I don't know more details, such as whether there were other dogs there). He is very sweet and affectionate with me and has overcome a lot of fears since I've had him. I'd love the rest of the world to get to enjoy this sweet side too! I have another 35lb female mix who is def in charge between the two of them. Thank you so much for any suggestions you have! Or if there is nothing that can be done and that's just him, I'd love to know that too. Thanks,

Anne]]> anne_davis@hotmail.com Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:24:35 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,25,25#msg-25 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,25,25#msg-25
My 8 year old Westie attacks the television whenever an animal appears. We have tried squirting him with water, throwing a pillow at him, etc... Nothing works! Please help!

Thanks!]]> Karen0324 Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:22:31 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,24,24#msg-24 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,24,24#msg-24
At this point, the only way to ensure that she has no accidents is to 1) crate her 2) tether her to my waist (with a lead long enough to reach the bell) or 3) start watching her every move after 30 minutes if she's off-leash and playing.

She has not had access to more than one small room at a time since she came to live with us in April. At this rate, it is hard to imagine leaving her unattended for more than 30 minutes unless she is crated. Is it normal for a small puppy at this age to have the need to urinate after 30-45 minutes of play or chewing? I had a male bichon puppy who was only 7 lbs who was able to hold urine for up to 4 hours in a small room, but he was not active when left alone.

She has been checked for urinary tract infections and bloodwork is normal. She was spayed at 8 months. I have heard females are more difficult to housebreak than males, but am wondering at what age I might reasonably expect an active female pup to hold her urine for more than 30-45 minutes?]]> themaxinamillion Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:22:49 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,23,23#msg-23 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,23,23#msg-23
My girlfriend is moving in with me in a few months. She has an 8 year-old female domestic shorthair and I have one of the same. In general, what is the best way to introduce cats in a situation like this? What are the big gotchas to look out for? Both cats are very sweet and we really want to minimize the stress on them and ensure there is as little friction between them as possible.

Thank you very much in advance! :-)


-Ali]]> hourback Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:19:02 -0500 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,22,22#msg-22 http://friendshiphospital.com/forums/read.php?12,22,22#msg-22
One of our cats just loves seems to miss the point to why we go to bed at night. After a few hours, he's bounding all over us, crying and sometimes biting, and he keeps it up until morning at irregular intervals. He's neutered, he's not hurting for attention during waking hours, there's food out all night and he's recently had blood work done to make sure he doesn't have any metabolic problems (he doesn't). We've moved his favorite bed into our room to no effect. The real problem is that he's not a cat you can ignore: He's aggressive when he wants your attention (pawing, biting, crying) and a banshee-like howler (otherwise, we'd close the door or otherwise keep him in another room). We also really can't bring ourselves to do anything that'd make him miserable because, well, we love him.

This likely got started when he and his brother moved in with their grandparents for a spell: Instead of getting his treats when we got up in the morning, he started getting them when his grandfather was up in the wee hours. After a couple years of that, it was obviously a pattern, and I give the kids their treats when he first wakes us up, but it just doesn't stop after that.

We'd like to maybe get some sleep again one of these days, but we're completely out of ideas. Do you have any solutions?]]> jon.miller984 Ask the Expert: WHS training counselor Diana Foley Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:16:06 -0500