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Page 1: Metro Pet Mag April 2011
Page 2: Metro Pet Mag April 2011
Page 3: Metro Pet Mag April 2011

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Feature Articles

6 Traveling through GriefLosing a pet is difficult. Here is an explanation of the grieving process.

10 You Get What You GiveYou can’t train away from what you want, but you can train toward what it.

14 Kitty Cat CornerThere are many different varieties of cats. Learn more about the benefit of cat companionship.

18 Inappropriate UrinationWhat do you do with a cat who doesn’t use the litter box?

22 A Funny Little Look...at the insides of a dog trainer’s brain!

24 So Many OptionsHow does a dog owner pick the right trainer?

29 Ebenezer the DonkeyThis donkey has became a legend in South Kansas City.

30 The Price of LoveThis owner has accepted some pretty unacceptable behavior from her four legged friends.

31 The Great KC Pet ExpoThe Overland Park convention center will be filled with pets on April 16-17!

32 Disposable Pets Adding a pet to your family is a lifelong commitment.

In Every Issue

4 Happy Spring! We are all ready for a great Spring!

16 Chip’s Corner — Complete this pawzzle about cats and have some fun!

21 Cat Horoscopes — How well do you know your cat?

25 Dog Horoscopes — How well do you know your dog?

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6April 2011

3

Follow us on

Page 4: Metro Pet Mag April 2011

It Is Springtime!Spring is here! I think everyone is ready to get outside

to breathe warm air and spend time with their pets!

I also think we are ready for some springtime events.So, get ready, because April is when the events start! Ifyou want details on upcoming events, just go tometropetmag.com. We update events on a regularbasis.

While you are there, sign up for our News N’ Deals email newsletter. Thisweekly newsletter includes information, events and a weekly deal. If you are asocial butterfly, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.! Come by and see us at theGreat KC Pet Expo, April 16-17 at the Overland Park Convention Center. See thearticle on page 31 for more details.

Pet of the Week Contest! MetroPet is thrilled to announce its new Pet

of the Week winners! We have received hun-dreds of photos since the contest started. Thismakes it very difficult to choose the winners_ but we have some great photos.

And, it’s not to late. If you have thecutest pet in Kansas City, make sure youenter your photo at metropetmag.com.

Prizes for April will include a Family fourPack (4 tickets) to the Great KC Pet Expo, daycare at Camp Bow Wow in Olathe, afree bag of dog food from American Midwest Distributors, and more. See detailson page 5.

Training, Training and More Training This issue of MetroPet is filled with training articles. Why? Because to really

have a great relationship with your animal companion, you need to understandwhat is expected from each other. This understanding is built on communica-tion and mutual trust. If a new pet has just joined your family, these articlesprovide tips on how to choose a trainer and what to expect from training.

Support our Advertisers The companies who advertise with MetroPet pay for the costs to of publishing

this magazine. Without them, we couldn’t deliver this quality publication. Sowhen you need a pet related product (pet food, training, grooming, or boarding)or a non-pet related product (insurance, a new car, a fence) call our advertisersfirst. Make sure you say “I saw your ad in MetroPet magazine.” Then theywill know their advertising is working, and they will continue to help us to pub-lish this magazine.

Barbara Riedel, Publisher

P.S. Send in your favorite pet photo to win great prizes!

Publisher’s Message

Publishing Policy: Articles printed in the MetroPetMagazine express the opinions of the individual authors and donot necessarily represent the formal position of MetroPetMagazine. Acceptance of advertising does not necessarily con-stitute endorsement by MetroPet Magazine.

Articles: Readers are invited to submit articles for considerationfor publication to [email protected]. All materials are sub-ject to editorial review.

© 2011 MetroPet Magazine. All rights reserved. Requestreprint permissions at [email protected].

MetroPet Magazine is owned and published by ROI MarketingServices, all rights reserved. 4

Staff andContacts

PublisherBarbara Riedel

[email protected]

EditorDan O’Leary

[email protected]

Magazine LayoutROI Marketing

816.942.1600 • [email protected]

Web Masterwww.2Amarketing.com

Advertising [email protected]

Deals of the [email protected]

Contributing AuthorsMike DeatheJoe Dimino

Cathy EricksonChrista Grunzinger

Pat HennessyPatty HomerHeddie LegerCynthia SmithNancy Piper

Cheryl Waterman

Contact MetroPetPO Box 480065

Kansas City, MO 64148Phone: 913.548.1433

Ad Sales: 913.548.1433Fax: 913.387.4313

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Aazoyah, Paris, Max

New email newsletter

These three little guys are our “kids.” Mywife is disabled so she is home all the timeand these are her companions. Aazoyah is 41/2 lbs, almost 5 years old, Paris and Max(we call them the twins), are 7 lbs and 6 lbsrespectively, they are about a month apart inage (3 years). Submitted by LeRoy S.

Won a $25 Gift Certificate Whiskers and Wags

the gift shop at Wayside Waifswww.waysidewaifs.org

Check it Out!Visit www.metropetmag.com

• Read the issue online• Check out upcoming events• Sign up for the News N’ Deals newsletter• Enter the Pet of the Week contest• Locate advertisers

www.americanmidwestkc.com

www.campbowwow.com/us/ks/olathe/

www.greatpetkcexpo.com

Details in the email newsletterSign up today!

Pet of the Week

Winner

Pet of the Week

Winner

Olathe

New WebDesign

Prizes for April

Page 6: Metro Pet Mag April 2011

Grief hurts. Ignoring your grief, hidingyour grief from yourself and others, just hop-ing it will go away doesn’t help. Grief is aprocess, a journey, not an event. You have toexperience the emotion, go through theprocess, work through the pain even a littlebit at a time, in order to come out the otherside and be healed. If you actively workthrough your grief, you will eventually suc-cessfully navigate your grief journey. There isnot a set time frame for this. You will eventu-ally arrive at a new “normal” because life willnever be the same.

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Travelingthrough

Grief

Grief is a process, ajourney, not an event.

You have to experi-ence the emotion, gothrough the process,

work through the paineven a little bit at a

time, in order to comeout the other side and

be healed.

by Nancy Piper

Page 7: Metro Pet Mag April 2011

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STAGES OF GRIEFElizabeth Kubler-Ross first identified

the stages of grief in her book On Deathand Dying. John James and RussellFriedman of the Grief Recovery Institutebelieve there aren’t any stages. However,it is helpful to realize grievers passthrough several emotions on their griefjourney. These emotions may appear in adifferent order than listed. A person mayalso revisit the different emotions. It ishelpful for you, as well as the peoplearound you, to know what you are expe-riencing is normal. It helps us all to beunderstanding.

SHOCK AND DISBELIEFThe first place you go to is usually

shock and disbelief. When you are inshock, you are unable to concentrate ortake in information. You are in emotion-al overload; you experience mental orphysical numbness which is your mind’sway of protecting itself. It is not a time tomake important decisions. If you areasked to make a decision and your mindisn’t prepared to do that, ask for time tomake that decision.

GUILT AND REGRETThe second place you visit is usually

anger, guilt and regret. You are frustratedand outraged because you have lost con-trol of the situation. There is nothing youcan do about what has happened. Youare likely to lash out at people. Then youexperience the “What ifs” and “If onlys.”“What if I had noticed sooner he didn’tfeel good?” “If only I had taken him to thevet the night before.” We can come upwith any number of “What ifs” and “Ifonlys.” The anger needs to be identifiedand released to allow yourself to let goand go on. Physical activities can help —punching a pillow, running, working outin the gym, cleaning house. These areshort term energy relieving behaviors.Anger turned inward becomes guilt. Thedefinition of guilt implies intent to harm.You had no intent to harm, so you shouldnot feel guilty. Often, you are actually feel-ing regret instead of guilt. We always do

what we feel is right, given the knowledge we have at the time. Please forgive yourself fornot knowing more or for not doing something else. We always wish the result had beendifferent.

DENIALThe third stop on the grief journey is commonly denial, and is normally brief. Denial is

easily confused with shock and disbelief. You know the death has occurred but at thesame time want it not to be true. Surely you will wake up from this bad dream. Surely yourbeloved pet will be there when you go home and open the front door. You desperatelywish everything will be okay again. But your pet isn’t there. Your pet really is dead.

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DEPRESSIONAnother place on the grief

journey is depression.Sometimes depression isalong for the whole journey.This type of depression iscommonly a lowered stateof feeling or energy. You arevery sad. You painfullyremember the good times.Everything is overwhelmingand you just need to detach.All you care about is theway you feel. This is actual-ly a time of healing. Yourmind is giving you a chanceto heal. This gives you timeto arrive at your new “nor-mal”. For the first time it ispossible to think you mightsurvive the pain.

RESOLUTIONThe fifth place is resolution. This is a time of spiritual

inner healing. You become stronger. You release the painand keep the beloved memories close. You look for a les-son to be learned from your pet’s life with you. Youbecome accustomed to carrying your grief around – itmakes you stronger and more capable. There will alwaysbe a scar, even though the emotional wounds heal. Thespecial love you had with your companion animal isalways with you.

WRITE YOUR STORYPart of grief recovery is discovering what is unfinished

for you in your relationships and completing it. To helpyourself find out what is incomplete is to ask yourself

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You are frustrated andoutraged because you

have lost control of thesituation. There is noth-

ing you can do aboutwhat has happened.

Page 9: Metro Pet Mag April 2011

“What do I wish had been different, better, or more?” One ofthe best recovery techniques during your grief journey is towrite a letter to your pet, writing down how you feel aboutwhat happened, telling your pet all the things you wish youwould have told him or things you wish you would have done.Pour out your heart in this letter. You should close it withsomething like “I love you. I miss you. Good-bye, Mom.” Youcould also close with “I have to go now, and I have to let go ofthe pain. Good-bye, Dad.” Then read your letter out loud toyour pet. There will be strong emotion, both in the writing andin the reading, but that is okay. Have a box of tissues at hand.

Another similar technique is to write the story of your lifetogether; tell your pet’s story. Write how your pet came intoyour life; write both of the good and no-so-good times; writeabout the favorite things you did together, your favorite mem-ories as well as your not-so-favorite memories. It is almostimpossible to complete your grief journey without looking ateverything about the relationship, both good and bad. One oflife’s ironies is that you have to feel the pain in order to healthe pain.

TELL YOUR STORYFind a person or people who will listen to your story. You

need to tell and retell your story in order to make sense of itand to reconcile with your loss. A non-judgmental friend isgood for this. If you don’t have anyone you can trust with yourfeelings, find a pet grief recovery group. There are also on-line email groups or chat rooms where you can tell your storyand share with other people who can relate to your loss. Youwill know you are not alone in the way you feel.

“Our grief lives with us as long as we live. Grief changes. Ithas rhythms. Sometimes it is present in its absence andsometimes it is absence that makes our grief present.Sometimes we are strong and fearless in the face of our griefand sometimes we are frightened and vulnerable. It is all partof the tapestry of our lives and by the very act of weaving ourlosses into that tapestry we ensure that our losses are part ofour wholeness. And so we heal.” (Deborah Morris Coryell,Healing Through the Shadow of Loss)

Nancy Bush Piper has owned Rolling AcresMemorial Gardens for Pets, a pet cemetery,crematorium, and funeral home in KansasCity for over 32 years. She has a Bachelor ofArts degree in psychology and sociology.Piper continued her education in the ceme-tery industry, attending the InternationalCemetery, Cremation and FuneralAssociation University for two years, whereshe also taught a course one year. She was certified as a Grief RecoverySpecialist in 1999 by the Grief Recovery Institute. Piper worked in thehuman cemetery and funeral industry before, and after she becameinvolved with the after-life care of pets. Nancy and her husband, Gary,are blessed with many animals. For fun, she studies horsemanshipand plays with her horses and mules.

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There will be strong emotion, bothin the writing and in the reading,

but that is okay. Have a box oftissues at hand.

Next month’s MetroPet Magazine will include an article on Tributes to Your Pet.

Page 10: Metro Pet Mag April 2011

Your companion animal’s behavior is directly proportional to the timeand training that you put into the relationship. What you give is what you get.When you give training you get desired behavior, if you don’t give training youget whatever the animal wants to do and that behavior (wanted or unwanted)gets reinforced. The longer it gets reinforced, the more ingrained it becomesand the more difficult it is to modify.

DETERMINE YOUR GOALSIf there is an area where your dog needs improvement, you first need to

determine your goals. You can’t train away from what you don’t want, but youcan train toward what you do want. You need to choose an alternate behaviorand teach a “cue” (aka command) to get that behavior. Preferably you want

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You GetWhat You Give

by Pat Hennessy

to choose an opposing behavior, one thatwould allow the dog to do somethingappropriate while not being able to dosomething inappropriate. For example, ifyour dog jumps on guests when they comeover then you might teach your dog to “sit”or “down” when people arrive. If the dog issitting then he can’t be jumping. It is more

You can’t train awayfrom what you don’t

want, but you cantrain toward what

you do want.

Page 11: Metro Pet Mag April 2011

difficult to get from the sitting or lying down positioninto a jump than from the standing position.

TRAINING INCENTIVESYour dog will reinforce an unwanted behavior until

she is motivated to change it. Training incentives comein two forms — positive or negative. It is important touse positive reinforcement when training, because it notonly motivates your dog it asks her to think, creating alearning experience for stronger reinforcement vs. herjust reacting to avoid punishment.

Positive reinforcement also builds a healthy relation-ship — one that is based on trust vs. fear. When harm-ful or fearful punishment is used you may get yourdesired behavior at the time, but that behavior may beinconsistent and the fear may cause other unwantedbehaviors (some of which may pop up unexpectedly).For example, if you punish your dog for growling thenyou may suppress the growl but if your dog is in a situ-ation where he feels threatened he will not give thegrowl (warning), and may go straight into the bite.

POSITIVE REWARDSWhen using positive training you reward the behavior

you want and provide feedback if you get an undesiredbehavior. The non-reward feedback should not be

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painful or fearful just a “marker” (a word such as “uh-oh” ora gesture such as turning your head away), to indicate that itwas incorrect and let her try again. When she gets it right shewill be rewarded. Training with positive reinforcement is fun.It is all a matter of repetition, reward, and consistency. Wehave all seen programs on TV where they make a disclaimer“Don’t try this at home,” and you should heed that advice. Inthe case of positive dog training, the phrase should be “Do trythis at home, over and over again, until your dog gets it!”

TRAINING TAKES TIMEIn our current culture we have busy lives and hectic sched-

ules; however, you won’t modify your dog’s behavior unlessyou put some training into it. It doesn’t have to be a chore

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In the case of positive dogtraining, the phrase should be

“Do try this at home, over and over again,

until your dog gets it!”

Page 12: Metro Pet Mag April 2011

though, as you can build training into many activities. Your dogwill love positive training because it involves reward (whichcould be food, praise, or play). You can turn play into a train-ing session (fetch, come, drop it). You can use feeding time asa training session (sit, stay, release). In general when you seeyour dog doing something that is good, reward him! Never passup an opportunity for praise.

THERE IS NO PERFECT DOG!Even those of us who train dogs may

not have “perfect dogs.” Trainingdoes take time so we may pick andchoose what is important for usto train. Something thatbothers you might notbother me. A behavior isnot a problem if youdon’t mind it, as long asit doesn’t disrupt yourhousehold or create adangerous situation.There are many thingsyou may be comfortableliving with, such as barking whenthe doorbell rings. But if you havea dog that tears up everything when youleave, soils in the house, or guards the food dish, those wouldbe behaviors you would want to fix.

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You can avoid many of your dog’s issues byproviding him the training (skills) and

leadership (communica-tion) he needs. Ofcourse, all of that takestime, but in the end it willbe worth it. You canspend $800 joining a gym

to lose weight or tone muscles, but youwon’t meet your goals unless you goand put in the time and effort. Thesame goes for training your dog.There is no such thing as a bad dog,

only an uninformed or reluctant owner. You wouldn’tlet your child play in the street or swear at his teacherand you don’t want your dog to get into danger or actobnoxious either. The more cues that you teach your dog,the bigger his vocabulary and the more options you havein any given situation.

Now that you know who is in control, you can chooseto be the trainer or be satisfied to bethe trainee. Grab a handful of livertreats and see how many words yourdog can learn. Make it fun. Practicein different places and scenarios –mix it up. The more he learns the bet-ter off both of you are, and you neverknow when that one little word mightsave his life or win a prize.

Pat Hennessy is thefounder of N2paws,LLC, an organizationthat provides a holisticapproach to compan-ion animal carethrough behavior edu-cation, energy work,and positive training methods. Pat is a Level2 TTouch® practitioner, CPDT and memberof the IAABC, IAATH and AWA. You may con-tact N2Paws via email [email protected],phone 816-522-7005, or visit the websitewww.n2paws.com.

Even those of us who traindogs may not have “perfect

dogs.” Training does taketime so we may pick andchoose what is important

for us to train.

Page 13: Metro Pet Mag April 2011

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Submit your photo atmetropetmag.com.

A Great Dane, is the happiest and goofiest dogon the planet. We fell in love with her ears the

moment we met her and she has made us laughevery day since. Submitted by Theresa

Pet ofthe

Week

Myla

Winner

Won a custom collar andleash from dogIDcollar

www.dogidcollar.com

(aka Miss Moo)

1. Anything with a

squeaker – and lots

of them

2. Liver treats* - and

lot’s of them too

3. Kong®or Squirrel

Dude™

4. Going for long rides in the car

5. A new softer, bigger, bed

6. BULLY STICKS*

7. A laser pointer and

plenty of batteries

(but beware it can cause me to go OCD

8. A bubble making machine or an automatic

ball thrower

9. A fun class (like Doga* or Agility)

And... the number one way

to spend your tax return,

10. Take time off work to

play hooky with me!!!!!!

ROVER’S TOP TEN

WAYS TO SPEND

YOUR TAX REFUND*

* Contact N2paws for more informa-tion about product and service recom-mendations, usage, and availability.

Go to www.metropetmag.comfor upcoming events

Page 14: Metro Pet Mag April 2011

Categorically speaking not many people realize there are so manydifferent varieties of cats. This brings up a host of challenges in find-ing homes for cats. If people don’t know what they want or like, howcan they select the cat that will best suit their personality orlifestyle.

BETTER EDUCATIONWhen looking for a pet dog, people are becoming better educat-

ed regarding consideration of these simple facts when looking toadd a four-footed family member, but those looking to add a cat havenot yet come to realize some may fit their life better than others. Asalways, when it comes to bringing a pet into our lives, it is impor-tant to have the mindset of making a lifelong commitment to thatanimal and thinking in advance to take into consideration whatwould happen with the pet, in the event of an unfortunate turn ofevents in your life. We are featuring cats in the hope of increasing

What Do You Know?

Kitty CatCorner

awareness of the joys and draw-backs of adding a cat to your fam-ily unit.

BENEFITS OF CATSCats often make great compan-

ions for people who are housebound, travel frequently, do nothave or do not want to be lockedinto a schedule of having to takea dog for a walk several times aday. For those who like to keeplife simple, a cat is a wonderfuladdition being generally self-suf-ficient and able to self potty in alitter box. There are a few simplerules of cleanliness that all catsmust have, and their needs mustbe respected in order to have ahealthy relationship.

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by Heddie Leger

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TWO MAJOR BREED ORGANIZATIONSThere are two major established breed organizations for

cat fanciers interested in showing cats. These groups keeprecords and breeding registration. These groups are the CatFanciers Association, Inc., and the American Cat FanciersAssociation. Both hold shows where up to 1,000 cats may beentered for competition. In any case, whether a cat is keptfor show or a companion animal, responsible ownership ofcats involves making sure the pet is spayed or neutered todiminish unwanted litters. There are never enough homesfor cats and each spring untold numbers end up on thestreets, only the lucky few find their way to a shelter, rescueor wonderful home.

FUN FACTOIDSJust for fun, here are some real and fictional factoids

about cats that are interesting and amusing. Next month, wewill feature a special breed cat and its history.

• Mohammed so loved his cat Muezzo that, according totradition, he cut off his robe rather than disturb the cat,which was sleeping on it.

• The cat, Tobermory, whose ability to speak devastatedthe guests at a house party in the story “Tobermory”from The Chronicles of Clovis’, by Saki.

• A gray cat with six toes, Slippers, favored by PresidentTheodore Roosevelt, who is said to have allowed the catto appear at diplomatic dinners.

• The Cheshire cat is a cat that can slowly disappear, leav-ing only its grin behind, as described in Lewis Carroll’snovel “Alice in Wonderland.”

• One of the first great stars of the animated cartoon andthe hero of Pat Sullivan’s cartoon strip series was Felixthe Cat.

• The inscrutable cat, Mehitabel, that tells of her formerlife as Cleopatra in Don Marquis’ novel ‘the lives andtimes of archy and mehitabel’.

• The favorite cat of Dr. Samuel Johnson, named Hodge,who is reputed to have bought fresh oysters personallyeach day and fed them to his pet.

• Lucifer was a black angora, one of many cats thatbelonged to Cardinal Richelieu of France.

• A real cat that belonged to Horace Walpole called Selimawas immortalized by Thomas Gray in the poem Ode onthe Death of a Favorite Cat Drowned in a Tub of Goldfish.

Join us next month and learn more about Chip’s Kitty-Corner friends.

There are two major establishedbreed organizations for cat

fanciers for those interestedin showing cats...

Page 16: Metro Pet Mag April 2011

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Chip’s Corner

Pawzzleby Heddie Leger

Go towww.metropetmag.com

for upcoming events

Page 17: Metro Pet Mag April 2011

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Across:

1. When bringing a pet into a homethe commitment should be__________.

4. A cat’s tongue is _________ forgrooming purposes.

6. Another word for cat.7. Cats make great _______________.9. Otherwise known as Cleopatra.11. A box where the cat can relieve

itself inside.12. Cat’s nails are referred to as

__________.13. This cat could speak.15. Cat’s are fastidious about being

___________.16. Cats are generally self-__________.17. A male cat should be ____________

so it can not reproduce.18. Cats should always have lots of

fresh _________.20. A female cat should be

____________ in order to cut downon unwanted litters of kittens.

21. A pets needs must be met andrespected in order to have ahealthy _____________.

Down:

2. One organization is the American Cat___________ Association

3. This cat can disappear leaving only hissmile.

5. A cat is a good companion for someonewho is ______________.

6. Famous cartoon character cat.8. The name of Mohammed’s cat.10. Word for baby cat.14. President Theodore Roosevelt’s cat that

had six toes.16. Name of cat in the poem Ode on the

Death of a Favorite Cat Drowned in a Tubof Goldfish.

19. How many established catbreeding/showing organizations are there?

Page 18: Metro Pet Mag April 2011

U nfortunately, manypeople totally misunder-stand this behavior. Theythink, the cat is “mad”about something or “actingout.”

Urine marking or goingoutside the litter box can becaused by a “health” issue,like a UTI (urinary tractinfection or crystals or stonesin the bladder. Which, oncetested for and confirmed,can be easily treated.Urination becomes extremelypainful in these types of situa-tions, and cats begin to associate thelitter box with that pain. They begin try-ing different areas to urinate, seekingrelief. There is often blood in the urine, andanyone who has ever experienced a blad-der infection can testify to how uncomfort-able it can be. It is the same for your cat.

COMMUNICATIONOnce a UTI is ruled out, it

is probably simply a form ofcommunication, i.e., your catis trying to tell you something.Of course, this normal felinebehavior is unacceptable in our homes. Itis most often “secondary” to territorial issues or anxiety of some type.Most people understand territorial issues, but anxieties can be due to avariety of stressors (e.g. changes in household events or dynamics).

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InappropriateUrination

The Number OneBehavioral Reason

for Cats BeingAbused, Abandoned

or Euthanized

by Cheryl Waterman

WHERE TO STARTOur first recommendation is that

you bring your cat in for a physical examand urinalysis. The urinalysis is a fairly sim-ple procedure and can tell us right away ifthere is a “physical” reason for the inappro-priate urination. Should the urinalysis provenegative for infection, we then begin thesearch for other causes.

Page 19: Metro Pet Mag April 2011

CLEAN LITTER BOXA couple of things are good to know right off... one is

that poor litter box hygiene is the No. 1 cause of housesoiling. Would you choose to use a dirty toilet? Cats feelthe same way. The litter box should be scooped at leastonce a day, and emptied and totally cleaned at leastonce per week. The litter depth should be 1.5” to 2.0”in most cases. If you have more than one cat in yourhousehold, then there should be one litter box per cat,plus one, as a rule of thumb.

Another thing you’ll want to do is check the location ofyour cat’s litter box. Is it near a noisy washer/dryer orfurnace? Is it near dog dishes, or can children harassyour cat too easily? Is one of your other cats restricting

access to the box? Any of these possibilities may requiregradual relocation of the box. Also, cats may be able tosee in the dark, but that doesn’t mean they like urinatingin the dark. If the box is in a dark area, a small night lightmay be helpful. Likewise, hooded boxes are not recom-mended. People like them; however, most cats do not.

THE SCOOP ON KITTY LITTERIf you have recently changed brands of litter and then

the inappropriate urination occurs, then return to theprevious brand or type. In general, the finer the litter is,the better – and a better choice is usually unscented vs.scented. (Scents are for people, not cats.)

If you have an older, possibly arthritic kitty, providinga lower sided box in an easily accessible area (don’tmake them go up and down stairs to get to the box) maybe the answer. Also, many times, if your cat happens tobe long-haired, having the hair between their toestrimmed may be helpful, cats are very fastidious, anddon’t like having litter stuck between their toes or any-where else, for that matter.

Once your cat has urinated in an inappropriate area,it is important that the area be thoroughly cleaned (alllayers: carpet, pad, flooring) with an enzymatic cleaner.The area should be thoroughly saturated, then coveredwith plain plastic for 24 hours, allowed to dry and thenassessed for remaining odor. If odor persists, thenrepeat the process. After cleaning the area, blockaccess to the area if at all possible. If not, you might trycovering the area with upside-down carpet protector,aluminum foil or even placing your cat’s food/waterdish in the area. A

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Another thing you’ll want todo is check the location of

your cat’s litter box.

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There are so many options,that it would beunrealistic to listthem all here.However, if you are having thisproblem with your cat, pleasegive your veterinarian achance to help him or her.Your cat is looking to you forcomfort and companionship, heor she is trying to communicatethat something is just not right for them.

Cheryl Waterman is the Hospital Administrator at the Cat Clinicof Johnson County and a long-time cat lover. She has been withthe Clinic for the past 13 years, and in 2007 received Certificationin Veterinary Practice Management (CVPM) designation. She is amember of the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association and theAmerican Animal Hospital Association. You can contact herdirected at the Cat Clinic of Johnson County, (913) 541-0478.

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March Pawzzle Answers

Submit your photo atmetropetmag.com.

At 8 months old, He has got the most awe-some personality. He can and will turn yourday around if it has gone bad which is why I

love him so much. Submitted by Kelly

Pet ofthe

Week

Rocco(aka Bubba)

Winner

Won a t-shirt from Muttz R’ Us

www.muttzrus.com

Dr. Irene Schomacker at the Cat Clinic of Johnson County has25 years of experience in feline medicine and behavioral issues.There isn’t much she hasn’t seen when it comes to issues suchlike inappropriate urination. As a result, we rarely euthanize acat for inappropriate urination at the Cat Clinic of JohnsonCounty. Call us at 913-941-0478 if you have questions aboutyour cat. We are a feline exclusive clinic.

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Aries (Mar. 21 - Apr. 19) The Stray Cat. Basically a loner, if forcibly confinedto the lap of one who feels the need for company, theAries Cat will quickly convert from a feline to awrithing bundle of needle-ridden fur.

Taurus (Apr. 20 - May 20) The Earth Mother. It will be necessary to vacuum,dust and step around this feline. This cat sleeps mostof time and during slumber, nothing will awaken it.

Gemini (May 21 - June 21) Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. This feline will cavort end-lessly, sliding down banisters and climbing up curtains,but hardly ever sits still long enough for a cuddle.

Cancer (June 22 - July 22)The Crazy Cat. The Cancer Cat has the uncannyability to melt a human heart with its constant desirefor affection.

Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22)The Top Cat. This cat is intensely loyal (in its own way)and equally as faithful as it is self-opinionated. In fact,as cats go, this feline can be quite a friendly soul.

Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) The Kitten Cat. Outside, with nature at paw’s reach,this feline will forget all his or her problems andhang-ups.

Libra (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22)The Copy-Cat. An inherent urge for unity with otherswill make it natural for this cat to create an atmosphereof harmonious relationships with home companions.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21)The Cat’s Pajamas. The Scorpio Cat is alwaysstrangely drawn to those unfortunate humans who arenot fond of cats.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21)The Stable Cat. The Sagittarius Cat is fond of felinecompanionship and delighted to allow another cat (oreven more than one) to share home and family!

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 20)The Cat Burglar. The Capricorn Cat prefers city life tocountry living. They will be house-trained almostovernight.

Aquarius (Jan. 21 - Feb. 18)The Hip Cat. Contact with humans (albeit from a dis-tance) is more important to an Aquarius Cat than thetime spent with other felines.

Pisces (Feb. 19 - Mar. 20)The Ship’s Cat. Cancer subjects possess a bigenough sense of humor to actually enjoy this feline’smany quirks and peculiarities.

Feline Signs

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O ne ofthe most frus-trating thingsabout being adog trainer istrying toexplain, andillustrate theimportance andidea of manage-ment. So, I amgoing to attemptto use humor as away to teach justwhat trainers meanswhen we say “manage-ment.”

As you read this, it mightleave you laughing, or it mightjust make you mad. Either way, Ihope it will make you think about themyth of training and how at least half, ifnot more, of the answers to the riddle liesdirectly in the definition of the word management.

In a nutshell... man-agement means pay-ing attention to yourdog, puppy, spouseor child. My moth-er used to say “Idlehands are theDevil’s play thing,”and nowhere isthis more true thanwith a dog orpuppy!

Let’s face it, apuppy will never get a

chance to chew upyour brand new red

leather Manolo pumpsunless you have conve-

niently “spaced out,” leavingthem on the floor (unattended)

after coming home from a hardday’s work. So with that being said,

here are my Top 10 “management” cus-tomer comments and the corresponding internal

thoughts of a trainer, upon hearing my customers’ lamen-tations.

1 My dog keeps peeing and pooping on the com-forter in the back bedroom.

A If you would just pay attention to Fido the 5-6times he tried to tell you he had to go, or keep him

in his crate or x-pen when you are not able to watch him,this phone call would not be taking place. You might eventry keeping the bedroom door shut till he learns the rules.

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by Mike Deathe

at the insides of a dogtrainer’s brain!

One of the most frustratingthings about being a dog

trainer is trying to explain andillustrate the importance and

idea of management!

A Funny Little Look...

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2 Can you believe the nerve of my dog? Shekeeps chewing my clothes!

A Ever heard of a laundry hamper? Or maybe put-ting the “clean” clothes away

instead of leaving them in the basketon the living room floor? Did Fidoopen up your drawer and get theclothes out himself? If you willremember to put them away, then Fidowon’t have a chance to chew them.

3 I really need your help, my 16week old lab puppy just ateour second couch while we were at work,and my wife says if we can’t getthe behavior fixed, the dog has togo.”

A I am really surprised — would youlet your two-year old child loose in

the den while you went to the grocery store?Probably not. So why would you expect a 16week old puppy to “behave” all alone, whileyou are at work? Consider crate trainingand/or doggy daycare. It may take moreeffort and cost more in the short term, butin the end everyone will be happier!

4 I am at my wits end. Fido jumpsall over everyone who walksthrough the front door. Now hehas broken my mom’s hip. I thinkit is okay for him to give me hugs,but how do I teach him he can’tgreet guests this way?

A If you know when or where yourthree year old son will throw a tem-

per tantrum, you can “train” him not tothrow it, and you can be prepared to han-dle it. With your dog, you have a few cluesabout when and where they will act up, sostart training now.

5 How do you teach a dog to quitbegging at the table? It is gettingreally bad, our dog has even start-ed taking food right out of ourkid’s hands at the table!

A If this is happening, then we allknow that someone is feeding the

dog at the table! Congratulations... you (orsomeone else in your family) have nowbecome a slot machine for Fido. Your dog is A

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now programmed to think if I just keep staringand/or stealing I will get human food. After all, itworks most of the time!

6 Every time I open the frontdoor the dog barrels through. Ittakes us 30 minutes to catch him!What do I do to stop this behav-ior?

A Maybe you should watch to see wherethe dog is before you open the door. Or

maybe you could just teach the dog to sit atthe door? You probably want to teach a goodsolid recall before something bad happens. Atraining program of six sessions overseveral weeks. One other question— how often are you taking Fido forwalks? Is this the only time he gets outside? Maybethat explains why he runs outside.

7 Can you explain to me why my dog runs from meevery time I call him after he gets loose?

A From the dog’s perspective, he sees a crazy, unstablehuman at least 6-10 times his height, yelling and run-

ning towards him. Your dog may think it is a game or just wantto get the heck gone!

8 I am so tired of this. Every time my dog does some-thing bad, I tell him very clearly he has been bad, butit is just getting worse. How long will it take beforethis dog outgrows this behavior?

A You learned as a kid that this did not work with your petrock, didn’t you? Is this question really serious or are you

just making a “funny?”

9 Just how long is it going to take beforethis dog can sleep through the nightwithout waking me at 3:00 am to pee?

A I will bet a hundred bucks this is the per-son who lets the dog tank up on water or

eat within an hour of going to bed. Or this is apuppy that can’t yet hold it all night?

10 Why is it every time I try to establishdominance with my dog he justsquats down and pees on the damnfloor?

A How about teaching Fido the “house rules”before enforcing them. Try this first and see

what happens.

IN SUMMARYIf dog trainers had the “secret,” we would have

already published the book and we would be mil-lionaires. Unfortunately, there is no “secret” unlessyou think that “dogs only do what is rewarded andwhat they are allowed to do” is the “secret.”

I can save you money and time by saying “a behav-ior never tried is a habit never learned.” Focus on“mistake-free” training with Fido and be ready toredirect or eliminate opportunities for Fido to makemistakes. That is what dog trainers mean by manage-ment.

If you don’t pay attention or actively train, thenknow something bad is going to happen. So putdown the phone, car keys or computer keyboard andsave yourself some money by not calling a dog train-er. Instead, go spend the time, pay attention andmanage the behavior of that furry little ball of fur youlove so much!

Mike Deathe is a stay-at-home dadwho found his passion as a dog trainerin 2008. The author of the Keep ItSimple Stupid (K.I.S.S.) Pet Blog. Mikehas had dogs since he was four yearsold! In 2009, he and his wife Katefounded Muttz “R” Us, a t-shirt and petproduct company with a philanthropic motto of “Adopt a Pet,Save a Life.” In 2010 Muttz “R” Us also launched KEEP IT SIM-PLE STUPID DOG TRAINING. He is a charter member ofHeartland Positive Dog Training Alliance and just earned hisCPDT — KA credential! Visit him at facebook or twitter or followthe blog @http://muttzmembers.blogspot.com/ or checkout the website muttzrus.com for details about shirts.

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Aries (Mar. 21 - Apr. 19) Leader of the Pack. Most Aries dogs are com-pletely intolerant of other dogs, constantly gettinginto scraps and trying to dominate every other pet.

Taurus (Apr. 20 - May 20) The Strong Silent Type The owner must be preparedfor the Taurus Dog to sit in front of the refrigerator andmournfully stare.

Gemini (May 21 - June 21) The Yapper. Aquarius owners, being broad-mindedenough to allow things to follow their natural course,will find the Gemini Dog to be a suitable pet.

Cancer (June 22 - July 22)The Home-Lover. About once a month, the pull of theMoon will fill the Cancer Dog with a feeling of restless-ness, urging him or her to spend the night in the gar-den, where he or she will howl until daybreak.

Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22)The Boss-Dog. Fiercely loyal, this canine would ratherdie while protecting an owner than allow that owner tocome to any harm.

Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) The Helper. Sheep and working dogs governed byVirgo thrive very nicely, working from dusk until dawn andcontent in the productive nature of its employment.

Libra (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22)The Shop-Steward This canine is remarkably per-suasive... some might say even manipulative. Theycan also be ridiculously stubborn.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21)The Paragon. Owners who keep on top of thingsand will discover that the Scorpio Dog is basically anaffectionate canine... beneath its prickly exterior.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21)The Problem Dog. The Sagittarius Dog will eithertake to an owner or not, based purely and solely onthat owner’s merits as a person.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 20)The Social Climber. Ideally, this canine would prefer tobe in a favored position enjoyed by such dogs as theQueen of England’s Royal Corgis.

Aquarius (Jan. 21 - Feb. 18)The Friend. The Aquarius canine must be calmed tosome extent. Humans born under Gemini and Libra

are a good match.

Pisces (Feb. 19 - Mar. 20)The Interpreter. Forceful and pushy one minute,this dog is gentle, retiring and loving the next.

Canine Signs

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So Many Options...

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by Patty Homer

What’s a Dog Owner to Do?

Dog training is not an exactscience; there is not one way

to teach a new behavior orone way to modify an

unwanted behavior

When the need arises to hire a dog trainer,whether it is for simple obedience training or complexbehavior solving, the vast number of trainers and tech-niques can be overwhelming and confusing. Dog train-ing is not an exact science; there is not one way toteach a new behavior or one way to modify an unwant-

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ed behavior. There are toomany variables in dog train-ing; just a few are: the dog’senvironment, owner compli-ance, physical and mentalhealth of the dog and thedog’s individual motivation.For these reasons alone, nodog trainer should ever givea guarantee to the outcomeof training.

Obedience training is differ-ent than behavior modifica-tion. Obedience training isteaching a dog to sit, liedown, come, stay, and walknicely on a leash — for thisyou would hire a dog trainer.Behavior modification ismodifying unacceptablebehavior such as excessivebarking, biting or jumpingand aggressive, anxious or fearful behavior — for this youwould hire either a behavior consultant or a veterinarybehaviorist.

There are two major training methods — traditional andpositive. Most training options fall into one method or theother, but each method may include techniques that crossthe line into the other method. Every dog trainer, regardlessof what method they use, has different opinions and tech-niques.

TRADITIONAL TRAININGFormal dog training began during World War I when

troops started using dogs in combat. Many dogs becamecasualties of war which created the need for the rapid train-ing of new dogs to replace those who gave their lives. Themethod that was used to quickly train these dogs is knownas “traditional” training. Traditional training is based onphysical punishment and/or intimidation.

Traditional training involves leash “jerks” and the use ofchoke, pinch and/or shock collars. This method creates atraining atmosphere of pain and intimidation and is some-times linked to ideas of dominance training, meaning thebelief that it is impossible to train a dog unless you are thedominant animal.

Traditional trainers believe that this method provideshighly reliable results and that the aversive equipment(choke, pinch, shock collars) does not harm the dog whenused correctly. Critics of traditional training believe that themethod and tools are cruel and harmful even when usedcorrectly. Lately, traditional training has become popularand made to look simple on television and while these meth-ods may work for some dogs, it has a very undesirable effect

on dogs that are by nature fearful, shy, sensitiveand/or aggressive or if the trainer does not haveimpeccable timing, control, and skill.

POSITIVE TRAININGOver the years, methods have changed and

morphed into gentler methods thanks to the sci-entific study of animal behavior and trainingresults. Positive training started to become popu-lar in the 1990’s and includes “lure and reward”and “clicker” training.

Positive trainers believe that you can get better,longer lasting results using a combination of pos-itive rewards for good behavior (food, toys,praise) and non-hurtful consequences (ignoringthe bad, verbal corrections) for unwanted behav-ior. They also believe that pain-free methods cre-ate dogs that are eager to please, enjoy workingand builds a stronger bond between you and yourdog. Critics say that using food as a learning tool

or reward system is just “bribing” the dog. Positive training whendone correctly, however, uses food as a reward (not bribe) andthose food rewards are replaced with life rewards (praise, play,affection, privileges) as soon as the dog understands what youwant.

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Dog trainers are not controlledby any governing agency.This means that anybody

can hang out a shingleclaiming to be a

dog trainer.

TRAINER QUALIFICATIONSDog trainers are not controlled by any governing agency. This

means that anybody can hang out a shingle claiming to be a dogtrainer; it is definitely “buyers beware.” There are only a few dogtraining associations that test and certify dog trainers’ knowl-edge and abilities: the Certification Counsel for ProfessionalDog Trainers (ccpdt.org), the International Association ofCanine Professionals (IACP canineprofessionals.com)and the International Association of Animal BehaviorConsultants (IAABC iaabc.org).

Many trainers advertise that they are certified, but before youhire them, ask who they are certified through! Since there are nolegal regulations, it is up to the consumerto check out a trainer’s qualifications.Some companies hire employees, putthem through a few weeks of trainingand declare them certified. There arealso correspondence schools that con-sider a student certified upon comple-tion of some coursework regardless ifthey have ever laid hands on a dog ornot.

Not all trainers offer behavior mod-ification and not all behavior consult-ants offer obediencetraining, so it is impor-tant to ask how much expe-rience a trainer has with whatever behavior issue your dog is having.You should check references and certifications. The certifying organi-zations listed above have a list of their certified trainers on their web-site.

VETERINARIANSVeterinarians are the only professionals allowed to prescribe and

oversee behavior modifying medications. There are board certified vet-erinary specialists that work with pet owners and trainers to manage

behavior problems. The governing agencyfor veterinary behaviorists is the American

College of VeterinaryB e h a v i o r i s t s(dacvb.org). All vet-erinarians areallowed by law to pre-scribe medications,but most vets are notqualified to counseldog owners aboutbehavior or trainingissues unless theyhave a special inter-est in behavior orare board certified.There are many

choices to be madebefore choosing the right trainer. It’s important to startyour dog’s training as early as possible, but don’t rushthe decision on which trainer to use. Consider all ofyour choices and interview morethan one trainer before deciding onwhich one is right for you. As inmost things in life, having knowl-edge, skills and experience is ideal.

Patty Homer is a Certified Pet Dog Trainerand a Pet First Aid instructor. She has beentraining dogs for 20 years. She owns GoodPup dog training and boarding in SouthKansas City. Her certifications include CPDT-KA (certified through theCertification Counsel of Professional Dog Trainers); CDT certifiedthrough the International Association of Canine Professionals. She isthe Founder and President of HEARTland Positive Dog Training Alliance.For more information, visit her website at www.goodpupkc.com.

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HEARTland Positive Dog Training Alliance(HEART) is a group of local positive rewards dogtrainers, pet professionals and dog owners thatare dedicated to educating others about the ben-efits of positive dog training. For more informa-tion visit the HEART website at www.trainer-swithheart.com.

Page 29: Metro Pet Mag April 2011

A rock star of the animal world resides inGrandview, Missouri. He is a 32-year old donkeynamed Ebenezer. His exact location is east of MainStreet and the intersection of 129th Street.

The 30-plus year old donkey is both a staple and theunofficial goodwill ambassador in the Grandview,Missouri area.

2010 — A SCARY YEAREbenezer underwent an exhilarating and scary 2010.

At the beginning of the year, he was diagnosed withwhite line disease in all of his hooves, badly diseasedgums and a lung filled with fluid. Following articles inthe Jackson County Advocate and the Kansas CityStar, the generosity of the Kansas City metro pouredforth.

A total of $10,000 was raised to get Ebenezer backto health via an 83-day stay at Equine Health Solutionsin Raymore, MO. Ebenezer was welcomed back hometo a new barn, concrete floor and signage on theproperty.

In present day 2011, Ebenezer is back in businessfor folks to visit him on a daily basis. His owners areBen & Victoria Alvarado, while his regular caretakersare Shirley and Randy Phillips. Many visitors stop by ona daily basis to visit this simple donkey on the prairiethat has done so much to make folks happy over thedecades.

Ebenezer will celebrate his 32nd birthday on April10, 2011. The life span of a donkey is 30-50- years.

MORE ABOUT EBENEZERFor all things Ebenezer, along with his life story, pic-

tures, video, audio and surprises go to www.ebenez-erthedonkey.com.

by Joe Dimino

EbenezerEbenezerthethe

DonkeyDonkey

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My house is filled with evidence that dogshave been a big part of my life. And it dawned on merecently, that through the years, I have accepted somepretty unacceptable behavior from my four-leggedfriends. Behavior, I would never accept from ahuman family member. In the late 70’s, I had aBasset Hound named Fonzi who ate all the “hid-den” Easter candy and opened all the presentsunder the tree at Christmas. I was furious at thetime but, looking back, it was pretty funny.

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GNAWING ONTABLE LEGS

I have a wonderful six-footwooden Indian in my din-ing room whose feet weregnawed by English Bulldogsisters in the 80’s. I am

sure it was their way of get-ting back at me for dressing

them up in costumes every holiday.

EATING THE GOLDFISHIn the 90’s, my son fell in love with a golden

retriever who turned out to be the best dog a littleboy could ask for. But Wishbone wasn’t perfect. Asa puppy, he cut his tongue in half on a glass potfull of macaroni and cheese, he had knocked offthe stove.

By the time the crisis was over, he had eaten allthe macaroni off the floor and blood was every-where. A few weeks later he developed a taste forsushi and ate my son’s goldfish right out of thetank. I thought Wishbone’s head was wet becausehe drank from the toilet. My son was so distraughthe had to spend time with the school Chaplain.The Chaplain looked sympathetic as my son satthere holding a stuffed animal, balling his eyes outand talking about how Sparky the fish was his best

The Priceof Love

30

by Cynthia Smith

I thought Wishbone’shead was wet because hedrank from the toilet. But

he had eaten the fishright out of the fishbowl!

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friend. I, on the other hand, was sitting in the cor-ner trying desperately not to laugh.

BLINDS AS CHEW TOYS?Now in the 2000’s I am cleaning up remnants

from window blinds that were used as chew toysfor two very gregarious golden retrievers. As I wassweeping up the debris, I noticed that one of thelegs on the rocker my mother bought during theKennedy administration looked like it had been asatisfying meal for woodchucks. I’ve been won-dering why I find this behavior amusing. If my sonate the blinds or peeled wallpaper off the wall, Iwould make him empty his piggy bank to pay forthe repairs. If he ate his goldfish I would havetaken him to see a therapist. But with animals,these antics become family lore. I am ashamedthat I don’t demand the same standards of behav-ior from my dogs that I expect from my friendsand family. My son hates this double standard andthinks I should sell the dog’s favorite treats onEBAY to pay for the damage, and ground themfrom going to the park. The truth is every petcomes with a price. For me, it’s been worth it tohave animals in my life that have given me greatmemories, more than a few laughs, and uncondi-tional love.

Cynthia Smith is nowPresident of Wayside Waifs,the largest no-kill AnimalAdoption Center in KansasCity, MO. Smith has hadmany animals over the years.She recently wrote the bookDogs Get Cancer Too. She isa first time author, but a sea-soned journalist. She is a two-time Emmy win-ner and a former news anchor for WDAF-TV inKansas City. She also served as President andCEO of Sunflower House, a Child AbusePrevention Center. She can be reached atWayside Waifs at (816) 761-8151 or visitwww.waysidewaifs.org.

Pet lovers can shop, adopt, learn and compete at the new Great KC PetExpo slated for April 16 & 17, 2011 in Overland Park at the Overland ParkInternational Trade Center.

EXHIBITOR BOOTHSThe Great KC Pet Expo

features approximately 100exhibitor booths showcas-ing everything new in thepet industry. It’s a petlovers mall with productsand services from fashion-able collars, beds and tagsto DNA kits, jewelry andbling for the proud petowner. Premium pet foods,waste removal services,training and health tips are all available on the show floor.

PET CONTESTSPet owners love to compete in the Ultimate Stay, Leave It, Tiny Dog and

Costume Contests. Everyone gets a ribbon and the winners take home greatprizes from our trade show exhibitors.

Celebrity Trainer and Animal Planet alum Joel Silverman shares all thebackstage scoop on training animals for TV and movies, plus he’ll use hisown dog, Foster, to demo training tips and tricks.

TRAINING AND AGILITYEach day we’ll host training sessions, followed by testing, for the Good

Canine Citizen Award. Anyone interested in knowing more about Agilitycan try the supervised Agility equipment on site.

Rescue groups will be on hand with adoptable pets and one group isbringing the most unique fundraiser we’ve ever seen: the DeLorean carfrom Back To The Future will be on site for photo opportunities for youand your pet!

SEE YOU THERE! The Great KC Pet Expo Admission is $8.00 for adults, $4.00 for children

6 - 12, kids 5 & under admitted free. All event details available atwww.GreatKCPetExpo.com.

GreatKC Pet Expo

by Cathy Erickson

My house is filled with evidence that dogs have

been a big part of my life. Ihave accepted some prettyunacceptable behavior from

my four-legged friends.

Go to www.metropetmag.com for upcoming events

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other member of the family, but view them as moreof an entertainment value. In the United States, forevery one human, there are five homeless pets.Receiving a pet you didn’t choose yourself is nevera safe bet.

Deron Riley, an assistant director of a animal res-cue organization said, “We tell our potential

Have you ever thought of gifting ananimal to someone you love?

All you can imagine of is how precious it would be to cuddlewith a fuzzy, brown puppy tied with a red, satin bow sitting underthe tree on a crisp Christmas morning. Or how about a cuddly,soft bunny or a feisty, little kitten, all of which couldn’t be moreexciting to receive during the Easter Holiday, right? Perhaps, thatis, if you’re trying to instill the notion of disposable pets to yourfamily, this is precisely the route you should take.

FAMILY MEMBER OR DISPOSABLE PET?Often, animals become disposable, as in, unnecessarily re-

homed because of lack of preparation before being brought intoa new home. Often, pet owners don’t consider their pets as any

Disposable Petsby Christa Grunzinger

We tell our potentialadopters that not every pet

is right for every family,and not every family is

right for every pet

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adopters that not every pet is right for every family, andnot every family is right for every pet.” Conners alsoexpressed, “Most animals adopted by families who don’tinvolve all members of the family, such as the husband orthe wife, are returned in less than two months because ofa contradictive opinion about owning the pet. Most peo-ple look for specific details in an animal, such as breed,size and temperament. Reasons behind this contradictionwill vary from person to person, such as the activity levelof their household or the age(s) of their children. Whenfamilies neglect to discuss the ownership of a new pet,these concerns fail to become known until it’s too late.”

According to the Humane Society of the United States,animals are statistically proven to be less fortunate crea-tures, amongst the world of humans, in that only one inthree pets will remain with the same owner their entirelifetime. Considering most animals only live about adecade, this is a very disturbing fact indeed. While ourworld consists of interests outside of our pets, their exis-tence depends entirely on the love, companionship andsocialization mankind provides.

NOT AN IMPULSIVE PURCHASEThe acquisition of a new pet shouldn’t be an impulsive

purchase. However, if you’re truly set on giving a pet as agift, perhaps a simple IOU or handcrafted certificate forthe pet of their choice can be given instead. And when thetime is right, all members of the family can participate inchoosing the right pet for their family and lifestyle. Thereare internet sources, books and shelter organizationsavailable, which are helpful in educating new pet ownerswith choosing the right pet.

As an upcoming pet owner, be aware of the finan-cial responsibilities, such as annual veterinary

care, supplies and foods that are associ-ated with pet ownership. Be

sure everyone in thehome is agreeable tothe individual pet that’schosen. Also, remem-ber to ensure that no

one in the home is affectedby allergies caused from pets or pet dander. Preparingyourself before the arrival of your new pet allows you tospend more time with training, and getting to know andlove your pet right from the start. From hamsters to rab-bits, dogs and cats, and even birds and reptiles, animals

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measures to reduce or even eliminate the adoption ofcats in the month of October in an attempt to protectthem from the All Hallow’s Eve celebrations.Unfortunately, in today’s satanic cult practices, cats ofnearly any color are used for sacrifice, mutilation and

torture. Through the years, expansion ofthese practices has transitioned as far asteenagers using animals just for thespookiness of the occasion, then leavingthem homeless when the night is over;that’s if the animals are even still alive.

Remember to keep a close watch onyour four-legged friends during themonths of September and October toensure their safety from the possiblenightmares Halloween can bring. Our petsdon’t appreciate the collage of noise shuf-fling, trick-or-treaters and party goers.Also, keep in mind that animals kept out-doors during this time become a target

subject for theft and pranks, which can range from

comical to down-right cruel.No matter what the occasion, pro-

tect your pets by making the rightdecisions for your family and for theanimals. More information aboutholiday hazards, general pet owner-ship and choosing the right pet canbe found online at the HumaneSociety of the United Stateswww.hsus.org.

Christa Grunzinger is a freelance writerwho loves dogs. She works with the DoggyDoodles Adoptions, an animal rescue,made up of volunteers who are dedicatedto the rescue of St. Louis’ Homeless PetPopulation. They focus on educatingadopters and the community about spayand neuter. She can be contacted [email protected].

have been considered a romantic and sentimental gift for centuries.Although having household pets is common, it’s best to educateyourself about responsible pet ownership and the significance ofpet maintenance.

HOLIDAYS — NOT A GOOD TIME FOR A NEW PETChristmas isn’t the only traditional occasion when

animals are given as gifts. The ASPCA reminds us thatEaster holds the same destiny for rabbits. Rabbits arethe third most common animal found in shelters, butare the most difficult to find adequate homes wherethey’re treated as companion animals.

The ASPCA promotes the Make Mine Chocolatecampaign, founded in 2002 by the Columbus HouseRabbit Society. The campaign aims to educate the pub-lic about the challenges of owning a rabbit andencourages parents to give chocolate or toy bunnies asEaster gifts instead of live rabbits. More informationcan be found on the group’s website www.makem-inechocolate.org.

OTHER HOLIDAYS IMPACT PETSAnimals become disposable more often than just during gift giving

holidays. For instance Halloween can be a disastrous time for pets,especially for black cats. Many people obtain them to use for deco-ration, demonstration, and the sport of satanic practices, only todiscard them afterwards. In recent years, animal shelters take

No matter what the occasion,protect your pets by makingthe right decisions for yourfamily and for the animals.

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