PetLvr.com - [The Blog]

Dear PetLvr Mailbag …

Okay, a 1-2 year old male feral/stray/whatever cat moved into my back yard. Got attacked by, I think, a raccoon, as the possums left and I have a few kits, one mom, and prolly 2 males right now.
He wont go into a trap, so how can I catch him ( the cat ) so I can get him checked out at the vets ? Several released ferals live in backyard so withholding food is not an option.

–Friend of Ferals

More →

Dear PetLvr Mailbag ..

I have two cats. The boy is tall and strong, and the other (female) is a runt. She’s 4 years old but looks like a kitten, she is so tiny. Anyway, my question is if I should separate them when they fight, or just let them work it our on their own. I’ve had the girl all her life and the boys I just got a little under a year ago from a shelter. He’s very bossy. As time passes, the female is getting more timid and jumpy. Should I intervene?

–Stuck in the Middle with Cats

More →

Dear PetLvr Mailbag,

My 4 month old kitten totally dominates my 8 year old Australian Shepherd.

The kitten, Freckles, is 4 months old. She’ll walk up to the dog, Luke, and he’ll freeze in panic. She’ll rub around his legs, purr, snuggle against him, and he’ll stand in one place with the most pathetic look you’re ever seen on a dog’s face.

Dinner time? If she’s in the same room, she runs to his dish and starts to eat his food, even if he’s already there. She’ll whap him on the nose, and start to eat his food. The kibbles are bigger than her mouth, but she’ll chew on one until it’s eaten, and them move on to another one. It’ll be a good 15 minutes of this before she’s finished and the dog can eat.

And no, I don’t under-feed her. She’s got a dish of her own Iams kitten kibble that’s kept full at all times.

Is my dog just a big wuss, or is there more to it than I’m seeing?

Signed,

Erich

More →

It’s easy to explain most of the behaviors displayed by a dog as related to dominance. But is it correct? Sometimes, yes, but sometimes this over-simplified characterization of behavior does more for the human than the dog. It’s easier to convince someone that to change a behavior like mounting, scent marking, or jumping on the furniture, you just need to dominate your dog and show him that you are the alpha, than to convince someone that training, time, and patience are needed.

There is a pervasive myth in play here: More →