Scout & Lu

I just found that my next door neighbors, Justin and Sarah and their Bostons Scout and Lulu, make dog bandanas right out of their apartment here in the South End.  Another sign of landing in the right place.  I’m looking forward to bringing their well-made reversible bandanas in cool patterns to Portland on my next trip home Monday.  Check them out on their website.

No it’s true, ‘Tatts on Cats’

I was googling ‘cat tattoos’ after reading a great news piece in the Chicago Tribune about a tattoo shop that donated 2 days of proceeds to their local animal shelter as a fundraiser.  I was hoping to find images of cat tattoos on humans, preferably custom artwork in the likeness of the owners’ own cats.

But first I came up with the pic in the previous post.  Then this Catster post on tattoos on cats.  I lost a kitty to anesthesia many years ago & can’t imagine putting an animal under unless it’s necessary.  I just can’t wrap my brain around this.

Please tell me it’s Photoshop

Hidden “Sweetener”

Read a post this morning by Marion Nestle (author of Pet Food Politics and What to Eat); her reaction to a NY Times piece revealing that purchasing managers for certain big processed food brands have been bribed into taking inferior ingredients, like moldy tomato sauce.  It was only 3 years ago that we watched the tragedy unfold of melamine-tainted pet food (& baby formula too).  This is insane.  And beyond food safety, there’s also the impact the fraud must have had on driving food costs even higher (which utimately get passed down to consumers).

Introducing A New Cat

My brother is combining domestic forces with the woman in his life (and her cat).  He asked me what would be the best way to introduce their two cats.  I’ll call them Primo and Secundo (remember Big Night?  First and Second, or in this case, Resident Kitty and New Kitty) to keep them straight.

As I’ve read somewhere, “Amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics”.  I think with cats you are always an amateur so we’ll talk both.

Tactic:  Introduce slowly, safely; allow plenty of time for both cats to get used to the idea.  Build space into your plan.  Remember that you are setting the template for their future relationship.  If you rush this process, it may backfire, and you may not be able to undo bad blood.

Logistics:  I read a thorough, clear method by Tracie Hotchner in her book, the The Cat Bible, and I’ll summarize here.  Start with providing a safe zone in the home you’ll all be inhabiting together (the resident cat, Primo’s, house).  Ideally, an entire room with a door that closes.  This will be where Secundo lives, eats, plays and poops, so you’ll need bowls/toys/bedding/litter box.  If you don’t have extra room you can substitute the bathroom.

Bring Secundo into the house in a carrier with appropriate ventilation/viewing holes.  Walk right into the safe room with Secundo in carrier.  Primo will get a whiff of the new cat smells and that’s about it.  Once in the safe room, open the carrier but don’t force Secundo to come out. Reward in form of treat outside carrier door as encouragement, and try not to get Secundo’s scent on you.  That’s interesting isn’t it?  You don’t want Primo getting jealous.

According to Tracie, “any change from the norm is cause for concern in a cat”.  So don’t overdo it with attention to either one.

She recommends Feliway, as do I.  It’s an odorless (to humans) spray or diffuser that mimics the pheromone secreted by the cat’s cheek glands.  You know how cats rub their cheeks on vertical surfaces usually then they are happy?  They are leaving a pheromone signal of a safe, happy environment.  You can help increase your chances of succes, or ease any kitty’s anxiety, if you use the Feliway to mark their indoor environment as safe.

This is my favorite part of her recommendations, “Scent Socks”.  Again according to Tracie Hotchner:

“A cat’s senses, in order of importance, are smell, sounds, sight and touch-so the best way to get right to the heart of it with a cat is through her nose.”  The socks (4 clean, unscented) are used to absorb the smell of each cat (2 per kitty) and allow introduction by proxy.  Rub each cat with two socks, one over each hand, and don’t miss the cheek glands.   Put the socks in the other kitty’s zone, one near food, and one near sleeping quarters.  Allow them to sniff eachother’s socks, and reward with a treat or food when they do.  Hotchner writes that “the cats’ individual reactions to the scented socks will tell you a lot about how the actual introduction will go.”  This is very, very useful.  If the cats seem indifferent, that is a great sign that you can move ahead with the actual introduction; but if there’s a lot of hissing or growling, you’ll have to take it  more slowly.

Then there’s a period of trading places.  Primo is put into a carrier and kept out of sight while the door’s opened to Secundo’s safe room.  Primo is brought into Secundo’s room, and they are each allowed to inspect the other’s smells and spaces.  Both are rewarded after with a treat, or their food.  Be sure not to get Secundo’s scent on you, as that might make Primo jealous.  Just let them explore.

After a few days of this, if it’s going well you are ready to allow them to meet.  Be sure to have “escape routes”, like high places to jump to.  Remember that you are not to rush the process.  A short, happy meeting is plenty.  Have treats or toys on hand to toss to each one of them while they are in the same room.  Continue to mix them in the same room for short periods of time, with Secundo returning to her safe room for eating and sleeping, and only giving attention during that time to Primo, until you see them sitting peacefully together in the same area.  When that happens, give yourself a treat, because you’ve done a great job in mixing two very independent creatures.

Separated at Birth?

Here in our Boston HQ, a studio apt on Shawmut Ave in the South End, we have two dog parks within a 5 minute walk.  Peter’s Park is city-sanctioned and the other one, Franklin Square, is kind of unofficial.  This morning’s stroll took us to Peter’s Park, where we met Norman, a very tall & very sweet Mastiff.  He offered undercarriage clearance like Zip has never experienced; no ducking to walk right under.  I didn’t know how the scale of Norman would go over with Zip, who can be fearful, but gentle Norman seemed like a long lost brother.

Zip's body could almost fit inside Norman's head

Loch Ness Monster Munchies? I’m Gobsmacked!

I was looking for a piece on the web that I listened to this morning on WGBH (Boston’s NPR), and I came across this bit on Nelly, the Loch Ness Monster, for Nova (cut & pasted here, but the link will take you to the audio too):

Right, I’m driving along the Loch side, glancing out of the window. You can see the rock formation, I was just down on the road there, it just rises. I saw this boiling in the water. I thought, “No, it can’t be anything,” and I carried on a wee bit. Then I looked again, and I saw three black humps. I mean, you know, there’s the chance, I’ve seen something in the water. But what is it?

So I’m gobsmacked, I’m looking out the window, I just didn’t know what it was. Then the people came behind me, and they obviously wanted me to move. But I didn’t want to lose sight of this thing. So I just pulled over to the side, grabbed my camera, and I thought I was being very cool and very nonchalant and took two or three photos. In fact, as I say, I had taken nine or ten, without realizing, I just punched the button. It was just a pity it was a small camera.

NOVA: Did anybody else see anything?

WHITE: Yeah, the other two people who were there—I was just so excited I didn’t get their name and address or anything—they saw it exactly the same as me. Because the wee wifey, who would have been a lady in her fifties, on holiday, she was Scottish, she said to me, “I’ve not been in the bar this morning!” And her husband said, “Ach, it’s an eel! It’s an eel!” And I said, “There’s no eels that big!” And he said, “Ach, it’s otters!” And I said, “You don’t get otters swimming out like that!”

I saw what I saw, and I’m not going to be dissuaded. It wasn’t just an imagination. I’m a sane guy, and I’ve got no ax to grind. As I say I sell pet food! What use to me is the Loch Ness monster? Unless I can invent a food called, I don’t know, Monster Munchies perhaps?

Hee hee.  Monster Munchies, they’re Gobsmacking Good!

Looking for a Holistic Vet

You may not realize, if you live in Southern Maine, how fortunate we are in the veterinary dept.  I thought I was in tune with that, but just now understand that I took our resources for granted.  I assumed that in coming to Boston, it would be easy to find established holistic veterinarians that I could probably even walk to from our centrally-located apt in the South End.  In fact I anticipated that choosing which vet would be the problem.  At the surprisingly impressive Integrative Health Pet Expo last fall in fact I asked questions about how to identify a really good vet (look for graduates of the Chi Institute).

Now that it’s time to get Zip into some play groups, I need to check his titers, so it’s time to choose a Boston area vet.  I checked the AHVMA database (American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association) to start my homework, and there’s only one holistic vet listed in the Boston area (West Roxbury).  Since it seems we’re already in for at least a 20 minute drive, I went with  MASH, the holistic vet hospital run by Dr. Margo Roman another 20 minutes away in Hopkinton.  Dr. Roman was the organizer of the Expo I mentioned above, and so I know her to be very committed  to alternative/integrative medicine.  She was the first female vet to take the International Veterinary Acupuncture course in 1975.  I like that she has that long a history with needles.

So, fellow Portlanders, say a silent (or audible, next opportunity) thank you for the holistic veterinary community we have.  In a population one 7th the size of Boston, we’ve got Dr. Ruth Dalto in Yarmouth and Dr. Kate Steinhacker, who does housecalls.  Not to mention Dr. Lynda Bond in Cape Elizabeth.  Various holistic or nutrition-minded vets have come & gone to other local clinics, and I’d love to be kept informed, so if you have a favorite, send me a note.

Old Mother Hubbard Goes to Hollywood

There’s a story on the front page of the The Globe today on the growth of natural pet foods since 2005.  It’s essentially a story on Wellness, who launched a new marketing campaign at this year’s Golden Globes with an opening party at an LA venue called the Buddha Bark Celebrity and Canine Lounge.  That’s kind of flashy for the  company out of Tewksbury, MA, originally known as Old Mother Hubbard (now known as Wellpet, after a merger with Eagle).  One vet mentioned acknowledges the huge amount of media behind natural foods and is reticent in endorsing any benefit of feeding premium diets, saying “only time will tell”.  To some extent she is right, but I would rather wait and watch for benefits of a healthy diet, than wait and watch for negative effects of a unhealthy diet. What is interesting is, why are people switching (now) to premium foods?  There is the China melamine tragedy, but that was going on 3 yrs ago.  The piece suggests that as we’re staying at home more, as a result of the recession, we’re naturally paying more attention to the pets in the household.  I like that.  I’m not sure what the reason was for front page placement.  Was this a result of some great PR work?  I guess I am that naive.

Good Brushing Videos

A customer wrote after our last newsletter that the link to the brushing video (how to brush your dog’s teeth) was kind of long and not very strong on technique.  I can see he’s right.  So I’m looking for better ones.  If you have any suggestions, please comment below or email me. I happened to mention this a few minutes ago in an email about a couple of fundraising events we’re hosting this coming week, and Connie Pacillo was kind enough to write back right away with this brushing video that she thought was good.  Check it out.  Any tips, photos, videos are welcome.