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Assimilating your pets to newborns
DEAR DR. FOX: I would like some advice for helping my two cats (3 and 5 years old) adapt to the baby we will be bringing home in less than a month. They have shown only curiosity, as I have been bringing a few new furniture items into the house. They have never shown any signs of annoyance toward any of our friends' children. Our plan is to do what many friends have done: Start leaving baby items around, bring an item home from the hospital with the baby's scent and then create positive association with baby by playing with the cats and giving treats in baby's presence. However, yesterday, our older cat did something that worries me.
I washed all of the baby items in new baby laundry soap. Then, right in front of me, she climbed into one of the laundry baskets and peed on the clean clothes. She has never eliminated inappropriately in the house, even when our now-deceased diabetic cat would pee everywhere.
She appears totally healthy. Clearly, there is no baby yet, so it can't be jealousy or an annoyance at the disruption in her routine. Could she be reacting to the new laundry soap? I use an eco-friendly, low-scent, vegetable-based soap, and I have always switched between several different brands of eco-friendly, vegetable-based detergents with natural or no scent. Some of the items are hand-me-downs, so maybe there was a scent she did not like from a previous household. -- C.G., Washington, D.C.
DEAR C.G.: Cats are extremely sensitive to odors, and it is possible that either the new laundry detergent or the scent of another baby triggered the unexpected urination. I would go back to the old eco-friendly brand you were using if this happens again. While hand-me-down baby clothes could have had some strange scent (even after laundering) that made your cat mark-over, your cat may also be affected by changes in your behavior and scent. But first you must rule out cystitis and have her checked by the vet if there are more incidents like this anywhere in the house.
For both dogs and cats, buying a lifelike baby doll that cries and that you swaddle can help them habituate and better accept a new baby. Allowing them to sniff the baby's soiled diapers is also part of this socialization process.
The cries of a baby can upset some animals, so it is important to reassure them as you comfort the baby. Spraying some Feliway periodically on a towel or throw rug beside the baby's crib may help the cat adapt to the new member of the family.
DEAR DR. FOX: Does a person ever get over the loss of a beloved dog?
My wife and I are devastated because we recently had to put down our 13-year-old female English Manchester terrier due to kidney failure. She was more than just a pet: very loving, intelligent and obedient.
It seems that everywhere we go we see things that remind us of her. I wonder if most pet lovers that have experienced loss of a pet feel the same as we do. -- J.D'A., Bedford, Texas
DEAR J.D'A.: Many people grieve with an intensity often unanticipated following the death of a companion animal. My sincere condolences to you.
I had to take my two dogs to walk and run in new places after the third member of our pack died. It was just too painful for me to remember the familiar places she enjoyed and where we went as a pack. One of our surviving dogs that was particularly close to her was depressed for weeks and, to this day, is not the same dog.
You may want to consider adopting another dog, not as a replacement but to honor your deceased terrier by helping another of her kind that needs a loving home. Alternatively, consider being foster parents for dogs needing temporary homes prior to adoption. Many local animal shelters and community networks have set up such programs, and you may enjoy providing loving service to dogs in need.
DEFECTIVE DOG GENE IDENTIFIED
Researchers at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine have identified a gene in Labrador retriever dogs that is linked to exercise-induced collapse. After intense activity, afflicted dogs become wobbly, lose control of their hind limbs and occasionally die. An estimated 3 percent to 5 percent of Labradors have this condition that is also seen (less often) in other breeds like Chesapeake Bay and curly-coated retrievers. Gene identification is a first step toward prevention.
To order Dr. Michael W. Fox's newsletter, Animal Doctor, on providing the best care for your animal companion, send a check or money order for $2 and a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Send your questions to Dr. Fox in care of this newspaper. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.
Copyright 2008, United Feature Syndicate, Inc.
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