Frequently Asked Questions

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A: Cats love to scratch things. It removes the dead outer layer of their claws and keeps their claws sharp and conditioned. It's a way for kitty to mark territory - cats have scent glands on their feet, and the scratching leaves a scent mark. Scratching also helps cats stretch while flexing their feet and claws. Unfortunately, we humans don't share the cat's enthusiasm over scratching up the new sofa. Observe in which rooms your cat likes to scratch, and on what. Then, substitute that object with something similar that's okay for both you and the cat. For example corrugated cardboard, a log, or a carpeted post. Cover the forbidden object in something cats don't like, for example aluminum foil, cotton balls with perfume, or double-sided tape. Then, place the new and acceptable object close by. Patience is key. Let your cat get used to the new acceptable object, and move it gradually - nor more than 1 inch every day - to a spot more suitable to you. The closer you can keep it to the cat's preferred location, the bigger the chance this will work in the long run. Keep the unappealing foil, tape, or cotton balls on the forbidden object until the cat has used the acceptable object in its right place for at least a month. If you cat likes cat nip, looking for a scratching post with catnip hidden under the surface might help motivate him or her to use the "right" object for scratching.

A: The International Assistance Dog Week is celebrated August 3 to August 9 2014. The event was created to celebrate all the devoted and hard working dogs that help individuals around the world every day. The goals of the week is to recognize and honor assistance dogs, to raise awareness and educate, honor the trainers, and recognize heroic deeds performed by assistance dogs. Assistance dogs can be pure bred or mutts. Many come from shelters. Regardless of size and color they all have one thing in common: they change the lives of their handlers and provide independence. They often make the difference between isolation and an active life. Examples of assistance dogs include Guide Dogs, Hearing dogs, and Service dogs. These fantastic dogs can guide a blind handler safety through traffic, hear alarms, alert for seizures, and some are even trained to do household chores. They can learn to fetch items, pull a wheelchair, open and close doors, alert for high or low blood sugar, and a long number of other important tasks. Assistance dogs offer hope, dignity, and independence. Don't approach working dogs. Leave them alone to do their job. For company owners it is important to know that assistance dogs are allowed to accompany their humans to all places open to the general public - including restaurants and shops. While an assistance dog can wear an identifying vest, this is not a requirement. To learn more about this week, visit assistancedogweek.org

A: Cats are great companions, but their behavior can be puzzling. For example, why do they love cardboard boxes so much? In the wild, cats like to claim locations as their own, and they like to be in enclosed spaces. This is what we see today when a cat climbs into a narrow cardboard box. Computer keyboards also hold a special allure to cats. It is a thing to claim as theirs, laptop keyboards are often warm and comfy, and humans touch keyboards all the time, which makes them special. And why do cats always climb on the one person allergic to them? Many cats gravitate towards people who are allergic or don't like cats. This seems counterproductive, but cats play it safe and often choose to approach people who aren't trying to get their attention. When a cat doesn't know a human, gestures and calls can feel like pressure to perform, or even seem threatening. A person who doesn't want a cat on their lap can be interpreted as safer. Why do cats drink out of glasses or even the sink instead of the water bowl? This too comes from their behavior in nature. Cats will avoid drinking from a water source close to something dead, because the water can be contaminated. This instinct remains. They will choose water as far away from their store-bought food as possible, to make sure it's clean and healthy. Put the water bowl in another corner than the food bowl, and kitty will probably like it better.

A: It's easy to know what breed a dog belongs to if it comes with a pedigree. Some shelter pets can show their heritage, but most are completely without papers, whether they're purebreds or mutts. Many dog owners would still love to know what their dog is, and science has given us the doggie DNA test. A canine DNA test starts with ordering a kit to take a cheek-swab from your dog. This sample is sent to a research-company where it is compared to a database with DNA samples from different breeds, and the answer comes back in a few weeks. The DNA of the original dogs would have been pretty similar, but over time genetic mutations have given birth to the breeds we have today. The differences can be seen in DNA, and form the base of breed DNA testing. The analysis is fairly accurate in mutts with a purebred parent or grandparent, but some purebred dogs can also be difficult to ascertain. Some breeds are closely related, and some breeds are derived from another still in existence. Many DNA reports also give in-depth explanations of a dog's unique behaviors, personality traits, and wellness needs.