Gretchen Featured In Article In HuffPo About Separation Anxiety In Dogs

Hello, animal lovers.  I hope you are having a most excellent almost-summer.  So, far my communications requesting mosquitos to stop biting me have had no effect, but since that's pretty much what they do to survive, I didn't expect results.  I guess one price to pay for getting on well with animals is that sometimes the ones that bite are especially attracted to you!

Back on topic, I wanted to let you to know that I have been featured in an article in The Huffington Post called

Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Can You Teach an Old Dog New Tricks?  I enjoyed talking with the author and her anxious dog, Rapunzel, and giving them some tips to help with the anxious barking and urination.  In my experience with anxious animals, it often takes not just communication, but consistency and practice with new training methods and supplements to encourage relaxation and openness.  I'm sending Reiki and best wishes to Rapunzel and her human "mom" for continued improvement.

I hope you enjoy the article, and feel free to comment, share it, or ask me questions about the topic. 

Can You Help These Cats?

Schnoodles a 14 y.o., female, DMH, dilute tortoiseshell

Hi, Animal Lovers,

I was recently forwarded this bulletin from a close friend, long-time client and dedicated animal rescuer.  The rescuers from Concerned People for Animals have had some cats come in that have been through a lot and need new homes.  If you know of anyone who may be interested, please contact Melissa at CPA via the information below.  Even though these cats are in Southern California, they can be moved cross-country for the right home.  Please feel free to forward and post this elsewhere. Thank you!

Product Review: PetSafe Universal Pet Bed Warmer

Not Annie, but they got her colour right!

Now that cooler temperatures are moving in, it's especially important to ensure that your pets stay warm and healthy.  Older animals, particularly those with arthritis, thin and small animals not built for the cold, like chihuahuas and hairless cats, often need a good amount of warmth to feel comfortable.

Having already addressed the basics of Winterizing for Animals, I found myself having to test an alternative source of heat for pets.  My mother was going away from her house for some time, and had someone to stop in and care for her cat, Annie, but she had to turn the heat down in her house while she was gone to meet her budget. Adding a timer to her furnace would be too expensive, so she asked me about what sort of warming device she could provide for Annie, instead.

Senior Kitty, I Issue You A Challenge!

Is your senior cat inactive?  While senior dogs often get walked daily (a great way to keep them alert, happy and in shape, even if they get other outside time or are little city canines) senior kitties often spend a lot of their time resting and being under-stimulated. 

When my senior kitty, Maurice, became less active, I was concerned. Although he does have several physical issues such as hyperthyroidism, irritable bowel disease and spinal arthritis, he was generally pretty active and youthful for an older cat.  I made sure to get him checked thoroughly by the vet, be consistent about his medications and consider that the weakness in his hind legs from the arthritis made him cautious.  I was careful to feed him a high quality diet and supplement it with probiotics and glucosamine and chondritin to help with his digestion and arthritic joints.  However, I knew that he greatly enjoyed running and playing and had become even more interested in getting my attention after our other cats passed away. While he’s not the most chatty communicator, I could tell he was becoming bored and unfocussed, having “senior moments” of forgetting we had fed him or why he was meowing (loudly, at 4:00 AM.)  He just felt “blah.” So, I decided to stop just worrying about him and figure out ways to get him safely active.