Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 2 minutes Independence Day is an exciting holiday for humans, but it can be a stressful one for dogs. The loud noises and bright flashes from fireworks can frighten them so severely that they run away, ending up lost or in shelters. Fortunately, you can take precautions to help your dog be less fearful as well as […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Can fear, anxiety, and stress be stealing precious heartbeats from your beloved pet at home? That’s the theory being studied by Dr. Robert Hamlin, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVIM. His work is examining the idea that stress, especially when it triggers the body’s fight or flee “sympathetic storm” mechanism, not only affects the quality of your […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Have you ever felt you are about to die? I mean that literally, like you’ve been held up at gunpoint or held out a window by your suspenders 30 stories up? I’ve suggested for years that too many of our pets at the veterinary clinic feel like they are being held up at gunpoint or are […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes When your dog meets you at the door, head low with ears slicked back and eyes averted, is that a canine apology? Does your dog look guilty? The behaviors certainly mimic what humans associate with feeling shame or apology. Whether or not this accurately reflects the dog’s true feelings is open to debate. Not all […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Cats can make great pets when we learn what each one needs to thrive, and then meet these needs. When we do, we have cats who are friendly, active, and safe. That makes them the great “low maintenance” companions we enjoy. But when things go wrong, fear, anxiety, and stress can be the result in […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Is your sofa arm shredded? Is the toilet paper off the roll and sprinkled like confetti on the bathroom floor? Are the items on your coffee table splattered across your living room floor? Ahem, your indoor cat is desperately trying to get your attention…and desperately trying to battle boredom. While studies show that indoor cats […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes How cats play varies between kitties, but there are some techniques nearly all share. My cat Seren-Kitty played “gravity experiments,” knocking things off tables, until the past few years. At age 21, she’s finally slowed down, but before that Seren never had an off-switch and was a cat-play maniac from the moment she entered my […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Do cats develop fears of loud noises such as fireworks? You bet! Cats have keen hearing that is as sensitive as that of dogs. We don’t always recognize that a cat may be fearful of loud noises because unlike dogs, who may engage in destructive behavior in an attempt to escape, the typical feline response […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes The scare of care begins at home for many cats. Being shoved into a carrier and taken on an unwanted car ride causes stress levels to rise and often become overwhelming before the cat ever sets paw inside the exam room. That cumulative unease and upset have a detrimental effect on the cat’s ability to […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes You’ve had a long day and all you want to do is slide in between the sheets. As you do so, however, you feel a cold wet spot. Ugh! Your dog has urinated on your bed. Why Does This Happen? Many theories have been offered as to why some dogs urinate on their owners’ beds. […]