Question:

We have an 8-year-old cat, Nelly, who has a strange fetish: Whenever she encounters a plastic bag (grocery, trash, diaper), she licks it obsessively. Her housemate, Shaneequa (roughly the same age), has never done this sort of thing (nor have any of the dozen cats I''ve lived with over the years).Any thoughts on why Nelly can''t stop licking?.

M.S., Silver Spring, Md Nov 20, 2005

Answer:

Many people with cats write to me about this feline addiction to plastic. Some also lick paper money and photographs. Paper money is sized with an extract of tallow (animal fat), and photos often have an emulsion finish that contain stearates derived from animal fat, which are used to soften plastic.Cats also like various soaps, hand and face creams, and other toiletries. These, too (unless the label declares "no animal ingredients" or "all vegetable products"), contain extracts of animal fat and other materials. I would check the label and only buy if it says, "not tested on animals." If cats could read, they surely would agree with my choice!Finally, since plastics contain phthalates and other potentially toxic petrochemicals, do not let your cat lick plastic or eat and drink out of plastic bowls.

Question:

I am a 13-year-old with a 5-year-old mutt called Oreo. My family and I love her very much, and she has lived a very calm and comfortable life filled with love.However, we have recently noticed that she twitches in her sleep quite often. Is she dreaming? Is it serious or common for an adult dog to shudder during deep sleep? We have never seen Oreo do this when she was a puppy. Should we be concerned?.

The W. Family, Silver Spring, Md Jan 23, 2005

Answer:

Many people still find it hard to accept that other animals dream. Maybe this is because it means that animals also have feelings, imaginations and "souls," just like us, which some religious traditions find unacceptable because they assume that humans are superior to animals. The idea that animals have more similarities to human beings than differences is, to their way of thinking, lowering humans to the level of the beastly realm, and that makes many people uncomfortable. If animals are like us we should clearly give them basic rights and not exploit them, but this upsets entrenched notions of human chauvinism and species-ism.So, yes, your dog dreams just like you do, but she has doggie dreams -- sometimes they''re nightmares after a scary day, or she might relive a happy afternoon of chasing squirrels (that''s when you''ll see her paddling her legs and rolling her eyes).

Question:

Jacob, our 3-year-old fixed male cockapoo (he may also have some terrier in him) has "visitors leaving" anxiety.It started about a year ago with Jacob jumping and nipping on the sleeves and feet of our weekly housekeeper as she left for the night. Once the behavior began, Jacob repeated it with all departing visitors. In order to protect them, we now put the leash on Jacob whenever we are able to plan for a visitor''s departure. Even with the leash on, though, every time a visitor gets up to leave and approaches the front door, Jacob violently pulls on the leash, manically scratches the floor and barks violently.During the six-month period following the initial onset of this behavior, Jacob was twice attacked by a neighbor''s pit bull/chow mix; perhaps this added a level of anxiety. In fact, he restarted the behavior following a very difficult recovery from the second, more-serious attack by the dog.He never exhibits this behavior when the three of us leave the house (including our 12-year-old son), and someti

L.R., Silver Spring, Md Aug 15, 2004

Answer:

Your dog is indeed suffering from an anxiety disorder that could well have been aggravated by being attacked by your neighbor''s dog,The best and most workable behavior modification program is to hire an animal behavior consultant who know the ropes and will put your dog through a desensitization and re-motivation program. But you can try this procedure first:Get a dog-training clicker or whistle (or shake a coffee can containing coins and pebbles) and employ it as soon as your dog begins to act up -- as your housekeeper is leaving, for instance. The noise will break his focused obsession. Keep him on the leash and, immediately after the noise distraction, give him a treat or favorite toy to re-motivate him. Have your housekeeper come and go several times and repeat the noise-reward sequence, then praise him for being still.

Question:

My beloved 6-yar-old cat Pinto had to be euthanized recently due to complications related to vaccine-associated feline sarcoma. This is a cancer, said to be caused by agents added to the rabies and the feline leukemia vaccines to make them more potent. If these vaccines cause cancer, why are the pharmaceutical companies marketing them and why are the vets using them?Pinto had two operations. The first, performed by the local vet, was to remove visible cancer; the second, performed by a veterinary surgeon, was an amputation of his right hind leg, where the sarcoma was located. He lived for only three months after the amputation, but with a good quality of life -- it was a blood clot that took his life in the end.I wonder, however, if I did the right thing. Were both operations necessary? Did the first one spread the cancer? And, if so, did the amputation do any good? Would Pinto have lived just as long, or longer, had I simply managed the pain?.

A.L., Silver Spring, Md Mar 28, 2004

Answer:

I am sorry to hear of the terrible ordeal that you and your cat went through. The vaccine-induced sarcoma problem (which can also be caused by other injections) is being researched, and hopefully a new generation of safer vaccines -- some of which can be sprayed into a cat or dog''s nose -- may soon be marketed.Extreme caution is warranted when it comes to vaccinating cats. Permanent indoor cats may require fewer (if any) than those who are allowed out and risk exposure to sick cats.Injecting the vaccines under the skin of the cat''s tail may be a cautionary step, since it would be less traumatic to amputate the tail rather than a leg if cancer were to develop. Both operations were necessary for your cat, I believe, offering him the best chance of some quality of life if not actual recovery.

Question:

I have a wonderful, beautiful, 6-year-old cat named Summer. From the day I got her (at 3 months of age), even though she was an outdoor kitten, she has used the litter box faithfully. Never did she urinate outside of her litter box -- until about six months ago.I have wall-to-wall white carpeting in the bathroom with a blue throw rug over it and, all of a sudden, Summer began urinating on the blue rug. I took her to the vet who said she was OK, but that she must be relieving herself somewhere because her bladder was empty. This went on for a while until I finally threw the blue rug away.I bought a new throw rug and she proceeded to urinate on it, too, so I cleaned it and put it in the closet. While it was in the closet, she would lie on it but never once peed on it. The minute I put it back in the bathroom, she peed on it again.She''s had no trauma or changes in her life, so what would make her start urinating outside her box after six years?.

J.P., Silver Spring, Md Mar 28, 2004

Answer:

There are many reasons why cats become house-soilers, and from your account I think it is most likely that your cat is a "substrate marker."Certain surfaces (like a shag rug or a crunchy beanbag chair) act as triggers for cats to urinate (and also sometimes to defecate), as they would do naturally outdoors on a grassy or gravelly substrate in the garden or backyard.Removing such trigger-surfaces or materials in the home eliminates the problem, as when your cat chose to sleep on the throw rug when it was rolled up and put in a closet.

Question:

Have you read "God''s Messengers: What Animals Teach Us About the Divine" (New World Library, 2003), by Allen and Linda Anderson? It will inspire and comfort many readers of your column.

J.G., Silver Spring, Md Feb 15, 2004

Answer:

Animal lovers will enjoy this book, which is filled with short essays by pet owners. It reminds me how animals are indeed superior to us humans in many ways.I would be proud to be able to love as unconditionally as a dog, or to contribute (as wild animals do) to the good of nature and the quality of the environment. Animals, wild and tame, have served people since the origin of our species (and we''re the most recent mammal to evolve) in a myriad of ways, from the utilitarian to the spiritual. If any of us were to serve the greater good like our animal kin, we would be called saints. So we should never call our animal brethren "beasts" or treat them as lesser beings.

Question:

My husband and I are very fond of dogs and plan to purchase/adopt one in the future. Here is where we disagree:I have a regular 9-to-5 job and he does shift-work. Occasionally, we are both away from the house for 10 hours at a time. I would rather get two dogs so they have each other for companionship, but my husband says that a dog left alone would learn to amuse itself while we are away. The thought of leaving a dog alone for that amount of time breaks my heart.Do you think two dogs are better than one? Your opinion is highly valued in this matter. Thank you.

J.C., Silver Spring, Md Feb 08, 2004

Answer:

You are right. Our lifestyles and work patterns do affect the well-being of our animal companions. Dogs left alone all day suffer from boredom, loneliness and separation anxiety, and often physical and psychological stress when they need to go out to evacuate and cannot. Either get two dogs, or a dog and a cat. Hire a dog walker when you are both going to be away for long stretches. Never keep a dog shut up all day in a crate, which is an all too common practice today.