Category Archives: Behavior

When Your Cat Won’t Use the Litter Box

cat litter box

It happens on your linoleum floor. Or worse, on your carpet. Your cat has done her litter-box business somewhere other than in the litter box.Why? And what can you do?

When Your Cat Scratches the Furniture

cat scratches furiture

Your prized furniture has become a collection of cat scratching posts. While Fluffy can’t stop herself from scratching, you can’t accept the destruction of your furniture. Can scratch-free furniture and cats co-exist? To prevent your cat from scratching furniture, you need to convince her that scratching furniture isn’t pleasurable, and that the alternatives you provide […]

5 Steps to Crate Training Your Dog

Dog In crate

Bringing a new pet home can be both exciting and scary. Whether your dog was bought as a puppy or adopted as an adult, crate training helps to establish important routines, provide discipline, aids in house-breaking, and prevents inappropriate urination and other problems that can lead to difficult and hard to remove pet odors.  Crate […]

Cats and Socialization

group of cats

Some cats are playful and affectionate with people. Others bite and scratch. Many cats do both. Aggression is natural with cats. After all, they are predators by nature. Play is an expression of their predatory behavior. Biting and clawing are also instinctive reactions to protect themselves when cats are afraid or upset.

How to handle a jealous dog

You and your honey are spending some quiet time together. Your honey touches you, and your dog whines, growls, or tries to get between the two of you. Or perhaps a new baby has joined the family, and your dog has become withdrawn or aggressive.

What to Do if Your Cat Is Afraid of Fireworks

Hiding cat

It is not just dogs that can be afraid of fireworks, cats can find it very distressing too. While for dog owners it is fairly easy to tell that their pet doesn’t like the noise, cat owners are often unaware of the fact that their cat is uncomfortable.

Separation Anxiety in Dogs

dog with anxiety

While you were out, Fido scratched your door, chewed your shoes, and urinated on your living room carpet. Your neighbors tell you that they hear your dog howling whenever you aren’t home. Separation anxiety: causes, symptoms, and treatment

What to do when Your Dog Chases Cars, Bicyclists, or Joggers

Dog chasing mailman

He sees the moving object or person. Or perhaps he sees it or him or her as a threat to his territory. His instinct to chase overcomes him, so he runs after the car, the bus, the truck, the bicyclist, the jogger. Victory! Although he didn’t manage to bring down lunch, he did frighten off […]

When Your Dog Barks Too Much

Dog Barking

It’s annoying. It’s sometimes maddening. It can even be life threatening.Your dog’s bark may not be as bad as his bite, but dogs’ barking is a common reason that dogs are poisoned. The good news is that you can work with your dog to reduce his urge to bark.