Petting–biting syndrome

Cat behavior problems: Why does the cat bite a second after being petted?

Orli Zacai – Chinese Medicine for Animals and Consultation for Cat behavioral

Many cat owners recognize this situation all too well: their cat enjoys being petted on its head or back, but the minute that they touch its stomach or its paws, the cat growls or scratches their hand. Some of the cats even use their back paws to try to distance their owners. Right afterwards, in a second, the cat runs away a short distance and sometimes just stands their and looks at its owner with its ears back, and with an uncertain expression on its face about the next step to take. In general, following this, the cat sits down and cleans itself enthusiastically, an activity that is usually an expression of stress or confusion or the desire to rid itself of the odor remaining from the owner’s petting hands.

Is this normal or not?
Aggressive behavior in cats can be divided into two principal types: normal behavior (a reaction that is essential in specific situations) or abnormal behavior (an exaggerated response). Most cat owners believe that aggressive behavior in their cat is abnormal, and since the normative behavior is often mixed with a scratch or a bite, they have no patience for this type of behavior.
The larger problem is not the scratch itself, but the disappointment or the surprise of the owner when they see their cat go from such a very relaxed state of being petted and comfortable to a state of aggression. The fear people have of being scratched or bitten, and their lack of understanding of this intelligent animal causes many to withdraw from the cat, and abandoning the cat is unfortunately but a short
step away.

Relaxed and calm or aggressive?
Through the years, during domestication, housecats forgot or lost some of the reasons to attack. In spite of this, aggressive behavior still exists, primarily among non-castrated cats or cats that are in situations where their physical and emotional needs are not being met.
Most cats love to curl up and be petted, and they generally purr with enjoyment, since this generally reminds them of the time they had been little kittens being cared for by their mothers.
Adult cats have very well developed instincts for survival, and in some situations, if they allowed themselves to be too relaxed, they might feel vulnerable. The minute that they feel there is a potential to be hurt, they are likely to attack or simply to run away from the situation.
The common situation that is described at the beginning of this article is one of the examples of aggressiveness in cats, and it received the name: the Petting–biting syndrome.
Cats that are used to being petted and the feel of your hands, will react aggressively less frequently, that is to say, it will take them more time before they attack than it takes with cats unused to petting. However, the latter cats could go from a relaxed state to aggressiveness even if they are only being approached or from an attempt at petting.

So what do we do?
In order to deal with the problem we must attempt not to get to this border between calm and stress. If your cat gets to this point relatively quickly, learn to pet it each time only a little. In this situation it is advisable not to pick it up, and thus to avoid an additional scratch to yourself. Little by little the cat will become accustomed to you, and you will be able to pet it for longer periods of time.
Furthermore, it is always worthwhile to pay attention to the cat’s body language. The cats will provide us with signs in order to warn us, and all that we have to do is to be aware of their body language and learn to read the preliminary signs. Cessation of purring or violent waving of the tail from side to side, are examples of preliminary signs, after which you should discontinue petting the cat.
If your cat continues to attack, and you are unable to find the reason and to change the situation, it is advisable to turn to a cat behavior specialist.

Babies and cats: How to prepare the cat for the arrival of the infant in the home

Congratulations! The birth is approaching, but with all the excitement around, you are troubled about how the new arrival will get along with your adult cat

Orli Zacai – Chinese Medicine for Animals and Consultation for Cat behavioral

Almost everything is ready. You’ve read all the possible books, chosen a number of names, you know exactly what shade of blue you want for the baby carriage, you attend all the birthing classes and you feel emotionally prepared for parenthood.

Stop a moment….you’ve forgotten something important! Your cat has no idea that a new baby is coming into the home and life is going to change, and therefore, it is important to also prepare him before the birth. For a moment, look at the situation through the eyes of your cat: when a baby comes into the home without any prior preparation, from his point of view it is a very noisy intruder who is stealing a lot of attention. This is not the impression that we want the cat to receive, and we of course prefer that they will be good friends.

It is important to note that in the event that there are behavioral problems such as defecating outside of the kitty litter, aggression and such, they need to be treated during the pregnancy and before the birth of the baby. These problems have various causes, such as improper environmental conditions, and therefore, it is advisable to confer with a professional behavior therapist who will identify the causes and offer ways of solving the problems.

As stated, preparing the cat for the coming of the adorable infant and the changes that are going to occur in the home needs to be done gradually before the birth, in order that the encounter should not be too stressful. Here are a few tips that can make it easier for all sides:

– Get the cat used to the sounds and odors of babies. Spread on your hands some of the cream that you will use on the baby, let the cat smell you and then give it a tasty treat. Thus, he will connect the odor to a positive experience.

– Invite friends with a baby to your house and let the cat wander around the room and smell the baby. Pet the cat and give it a treat.

– Let the cat sniff and get used to the area in the house that you have prepared for the baby, whether this is in your room or in a separate room. It is important at this stage to satisfy the cat’s curiosity, so that his interest in this area will lessen.

– If you do not want the cat to jump on the baby’s bed, it is advisable to cover the bed with nylon sheeting and stick double sided tape on the upper surface so that the glue will remain exposed. After the cat has jumped on the bed a few times, it will understand that the surface is not a pleasant place for it.

– If you really don’t want the cat to go into the baby’s room, you can install a screen door ahead of time.

– Close to the return from the hospital it would be worthwhile to bring a diaper or clothing from the baby and let the cat get used to the odors.

– When you arrive home with the baby, pet the cat and let it sniff you and the baby carefully. Remember that the cat was yearning for you, and therefore it is important not to lock it up alone in a room until you get arranged since this is likely to over-stress it and to increase its curiosity.

– Try to play with the cat and to maintain the routine of the games, the petting, the grooming and basically everything that the cat is used to, even after the baby is already in the home.

In summary, it is important to maintain the life routine of the cat and to make it feel like an inseparable part of the family. In spite of the understandable difficulty and lack of time, do not neglect your cat. Paying attention to your cat will reduce its stress and will prevent behavioral difficulties that are likely to occur otherwise.

A baby and a cat. Photographed by Dr. Aya Peri

Cats’ Claws

Behavioral problems of cats: How do we solve the problem of cats sharpening their claws on the furniture?

Orli Zacai – Chinese Medicine for Animals and Consultation for Cat behavioral

“I have gotten to the point where I don’t know what to do…my cat is destroying the sofa with its claw sharpening. I want to buy a new sofa, but I am afraid that he will also destroy that one too. I am really desperate”.
Sharpening claws on the furniture is a very common problem among cats, and many times their owners wonder: “Why are they doing this?” Of course, we’re not talking about revenge or making a statement about your prized piece of furniture or your taste in home decoration. If you did not train your cat to sharpen its claws on a sharpening stand while it was young, it is logical that it will find functional equivalents in the form of furniture or other hard surfaces.
It is important to understand that claw sharpening is a natural action for a cat, which is genetically part of its make-up as part of its survival mechanisms. By sharpening, the cat removes the dead layer of the claw and exposes the new, younger, sharper layer. Our goal is to supply a suitable alternative and to direct the cat to the surfaces that are meant for sharpening, and of course not to punish it for behavior that stems from a natural urge.

We do not de-claw
Unfortunately, there are cat owners who chose a cruel and unnecessary solution – de-clawing. This operation is done only for the convenience of humans, who are not paying attention to what terrible suffering it causes to their beloved pet cat.
De-clawing is not similar to a manicure! We are talking about the cutting off of the last joint of every finger. Look for a moment at your own fingers and imagine the process. This is a difficult operation with a long, difficult and painful recuperation period, during which the cat still must walk on its legs, jump and dig in the kitty litter – in spite of the pain it is experiencing.
It is no wonder that in England and in other European countries this operation is now against the law.
Cat lovers know that there is no doubt that the cat is suffering. A cat of course can hide its pain better than we can since it feels itself endangered, that is to say, in a position of weakness. And in a situation such as this in nature, it would have to hide its weakness. However, do not make the mistake and consider this operation lightly.
The cat’s body is designed perfectly to give it an elegant, slight and beautiful form. Its claws are an important part of this design, and cutting them off dramatically influences the cat’s balance and prevents it from defending itself. This is the basic genetic purpose of claws, even if it seems to you that the cat has nothing to defend itself against at home.
Now you understand that the de-clawing is a very cruel process, but you are still worried about the damage to the sofa in the living room. Is there a logical solution? I am happy to tell you that the answer is yes – and the truth is that there are a few solutions.
Before we get to the problem of claw sharpening on furniture, we have to understand why the cat feels a need to mark an area where it already feels comfortable and secure, and whether or not the sharpening stems from the need to mark the territory. After we understand the reason for sharpening claws, we can then choose a relevant solution.

Territory Marking
Cats that sharpen their claws on various places in the home, especially near to windows and doors, are in essence marking their territory by means of their scent and by means of sharpening marks on those same surfaces, in a very similar way to their marking places in the house with their urine.
There are various reasons why a cat desires to mark its territory, for example, bringing a new cat into the home, without properly getting them acquainted, is likely to upset the cat’s feeling of security. This secure feeling could also be disturbed by bringing in a new mate, or when outside yard cats try to enter the home.

Attention
If the cat sharpens its claws in one or two fixed areas, the reason is usually strengthening and preservation and maintenance of healthy claws. However, sharpening of claws on furniture could stem from the cat’s desire for attention from its owners. The cat is an intelligent animal that is expert in manipulating human behavior, and quickly learns new methods for getting noticed. A cat that walks on the window sill, for example, learns how fast we jump up and pick it up. In the same way, it will learn that chewing the pretty plant in the living room or sharpening its nails on the armchair are excellent ways of being noticed.

Scratching Post
So what should you do? Buy a suitable scratching post for your cat. You can find in the market a large variety of surfaces for cats that are intended for claw sharpening, in many shapes and sizes, made of blocks of wood, rope or cardboard. Each cat has its preferences regarding sharpening surfaces. Finding the correct surface is a matter of trial and error, but the way the cat sharpens its claws could guide you to the correct surface. (Does it stretch out and sharpen its claws on a high surface such as your sofa? Or does it prefer flat and low surfaces?).

Encouraging the use of the scratching post
Below are some tips that will help your cat use the new scratching post:

– It is recommended to place the scratching post next to the sofa or the furniture that the cat uses for sharpening its claws, and then afterwards teach it to use the new surface.

– “Sharpen” your nails on the scratching post. If the cat imitates you, give it a treat.

– Gently and without force, hold your cat’s forepaw and make sharpening movements with it on the surface. If the cat cooperates, give it a treat.

– Scatter catnip on the scratching post. There are cats that really love the scent and there are those that do not react to it at all.

– Give the cat a treat or a caress each time it touches or sharpens its claws on the scratching post.

– At the moment when the cat goes over to sharpen its claws on the sofa, move it gently to the scratching post.

To sum up, it is important to remember that sharpening claws is a basic need of a cat and that it is our job to provide it with a good enough alternative. If you supply the cat with all its physical and mental needs, and if you are persistent and patient in getting the cat used to using the new scratching post, you will not have to worry about damage to your furniture or about purchasing a new sofa.

Night Creature

Is your cat not letting you sleep at night? A short adaptation period, including games, stimuli and patience, will solve the problem

Orli Zacai – Chinese Medicine for Animals and Consultation for Cat behavioral

Many cat owners know this phenomenon very well: night falls, the cat wants more attention, it’s time to sleep and the people are tired, but their cat has other plans, which include games, howling, running through the house, and a desire for attention.
Everyone knows that a cat is a creature of the night and its night activities are natural to nocturnal animals such as cats. Cats are active primarily from the evening until the early morning hours, so that if you let the cat choose, it will sleep all day and at about eight or nine at night it will wake up, stretch itself, sharpen its claws and begin its cat activities.
As stated, the problem with this picture is that the natural schedule of the cat is 180 degrees away from that of most people, and therefore what we need to do is to change its daily schedule from being awake at night to being awake during the day, and this is a lot easier than you might think.

Opposite schedule
The most important aspect of dealing with a “behavioral problem” such as this is not to make the situation even worse. What do we mean by this? One of the reasons that cats act like this is that their owners permit them to act this way. Some people get out of bed and play with them—thinking that the cat is lonely and bored. Others feed the cat and then wonder why the cat wakes them up over and over again in the middle of the night. They actually educated the cat to do this by not only getting out of bed but by giving the cat a prize.
In attempting to solve the problem we must not punish the cat for behaving in the natural way of his species. It is of course clear that we should be sensitive to the cat’s needs and that we cannot expect a cat to sleep for 24 hours a day. A cat needs stimuli and it can be assumed that when you are away from home during the day, that the cat spends most of its time sleeping. You need to teach the cat to change its schedule so that its more active time period will be in the earlier part of the evening.

Games
Instead of allowing the cat to sleep all evening, while you are watching television, turn it off, sign out of Facebook and play a bit with the cat. Take a fishing rod game and let the cat chase it and run around the house. Teach the cat to use its claw sharpening stand, through games, to climb the ‘cat tree’ in the house or the shelves; bring it new toys every once in a while or be creative and prepare some toys yourself.
Most cats love to crawl into crates or boxes in which you place some catnip. We recommend that you play with and then feed the cat near bedtime and even provide it with quiet games to play with during the night to keep it busy when you are sleeping.
If you make sure that the cat will play during the evening and will be tired out before you go to bed, this will significantly increase the possibility that it will sleep at night.

Patience
Make sure that you play with the cat during the day and in the evening. Then you can assume that your cat will get used to sleeping at night since it will be tired out, and because it will be satisfied that you are providing it with its physical and intellectual needs. Do not give up if your cat still wakes you up at night during this adaptation period to the new daily schedule. Even if you are doing everything correctly, simply be patient and wait. If you give in you will have to start the whole process over again.
After you have supplied the cat with a bunch of enjoyable games, it is time to teach it that jumping on your face or howling outside the bedroom will not work and will not bring any interaction. The more consistent that you are – the quicker the changes will come.

There are no shortcuts
If you believe that just ignoring the cat during the night will change its schedule, you are mistaken. That way you will cause a bigger problem then the one you had previously, and the cat will become more frustrated and even nervous. In many cases a frustrated and nervous cat will eliminate in various places in the house, our will develop other problems, which will not be pleasant to either party. Therefore, it is worth making an effort during a short period, during which you reset the cat’s “clocks” and so eventually improve your own quality of life.

Putting Your Dog on a Diet

Is your dog overweight? Dr. Able's controlled weight-loss program will improve your dog's health and quality of life

Dr.Vered Ables, veterinarian of the Mapet Company Ltd.

Everyone knows people who are constantly dieting. Every now and then, the media advertises new diets that guarantee to finally resolve obesity that are always accompanied by Before and After pictures. Another familiar phenomenon is known as rebound – people who managed to lose weight only to gain it right back along with several additional pounds. This phenomenon is generally attributed to extreme dieting during which the body fails to adapt to the daily caloric intake it receives and maintain its new weight. Once the restrictions are lifted, the body returns to its former weight.
People, however, are not the only ones suffering from overweight. Our best friends, dogs, also suffer from being overweight, a phenomenon that has been worsening in recent years.

What is obesity?
Dogs are defined as obese if its weight exceeds 20-25% of its ideal weight. In obese dogs, fat is evident around the waist, pelvic area or around the rib cage.
It is important to understand that obesity is not just an esthetic problem but one that might damage the dog’s health and even endanger its life. An understanding of the causes of obesity and the failure of diets in dogs is the key to successful dieting.

What causes obesity?
1. Poor diet. Overeating (irregularly scheduled meals, excessive amounts of food), homemade food (leftovers) and excessive snacking as well as excessive intake of calorie-, fat- and sugar-laden food.
2. Inactivity or insufficient amount of exercise.
3. Aging. Because older dogs tend to be less active, they require fewer calories.
4. Neutered or spayed dogs are less active and when resting, require less energy. In addition, the absence of a sex hormone causes the metabolism to slow down.
5. Genetic predisposition towards obesity. Certain breeds, such as the Labrador, are prone to being overweight in comparison with, for example, hunting dogs.
6. Hormone disorders. Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland)

Why is it difficult for dogs to lose weight?
1. Many owners do not supply food for meals, relying on the dog to decide when and how much it will eat. Eating the same amount, divided into meals ‘wastes’ calories consumed by the digestive system during a meal.
2. ‘Compensation’ by giving the dog excessive amounts of leftovers or snacks.
3. ‘Spoiling’. Dogs prefer fat- and energy-rich foods over more balanced foods. Advanced food technologies facilitate the production of quality, flavorful food.
4. A weight loss program requires commitment and investment by the owners (adhering to feeding times and amounts of food). This is a genuine difficulty and is a major cause of diet failure among human beings as well.
5. A weight loss program requires patience. Proper weight loss that is not accompanied by rebound weight gain is gradual and can take several months.
6. Overweight dogs are less active and are more prone to weight gain (vicious cycle). Some dogs behave as if they are constantly hungry although their physical needs have been satisfied.
7. Owner difficulty in changing the amount and type of food in the transition from puppy to adult dog.
8. Difficulty in regulating the amounts of food. In homes in which more than one person feeds the dog and feeding is done by filling a bowl, owners have a difficult time in monitoring the exact amount their dog eats.

Why is obesity dangerous?
1. Creates stress on the joints and back, as manifested in difficulties in getting up, walking and climbing stairs, in addition to possible ligament tears.
2. Creates stress on the heart and lungs, as manifested in breathing difficulties and rapid fatigue.
3. Digestive problems and increased cholesterol and fats in the blood. Fat-rich meals might damage, for example, pancreatic function.
4. Increased incidence in disease such as diabetes.
5. Certain types of cancer are more common among overweight dogs.
6. Esthetics. In an era in which thinness worshipped by society, and plastic surgery in dogs is becoming routine, obesity has become an esthetic flaw.

How is a weight loss program carried out?
Weight loss requires a desire, commitment and patience of every member of the household. Successful weight loss that is not accompanied by rebounding to the original weight, takes several months. Adherence to the program rules will facilitate success, lead to gradual weight loss and improve the dog’s health as well as quality of life. The good news is that our control of the dogs and what goes into their moths neutralizes one of the most difficult obstacles in human weight loss. Veterinarians should be consulted should difficulties arise in carrying out the program.
1. Blood tests should be carried out before starting the program in order to rule out any medical causes of obesity, such as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid activity) or hyperactive adrenal gland.
2. The dog should be weighed before starting the program and on a monthly basis, even after reaching the target weight. A home scale can be used to weigh oneself with the dog and then without the dog. The difference obtained is the dog’s weight.
3. Preventing obesity is easier than losing the weight. If a dog shows a tendency to obesity, his diet should be changed to include quality commercial food designed to maintain the dog’s weight or to facilitate weight loss, such as Techni-Cal’s Weight Control or Reduced Fat – a reduced fat food for dogs manufactured by Bil Jac. These foods are low in calories and fat but rich in fiber to improve metabolic activity. It is also enriched with ingredients that facilitate weight reduction. The packages include a table that lists the recommended daily allowance.
4. When transitioning between foods, the new food should be combined with the previous food over the course of a week.
5. When the dog is obese, a veterinarian should be involved to calculate the ideal target weight. Calculation of the recommended daily allowance will be based on this weight.
The daily recommended allowance for the target weight should be checked on the table that appears on the diet food package (in the column designated for weight loss), and this should be divided into several meals per day. In cases of extreme obesity, the veterinarian will recommend medical weight loss food.
6. The greater the number of meals, the more effective the weight loss will be. This method makes monitoring and weight loss easier, is more suitable to the nature of the dog and alleviates the ‘psychological hunger’ between meals.
7. Sufficient amounts of fresh water should be provided.
8. Avoid giving snacks that might hinder weight loss. If you want to make your pet happy, give low-calorie and low-fat snacks (e.g. Veterinary Select snacks. Or give your dog a carrot, rice cakes or a limited amount of peas).
9. It is highly recommended that the dog’s activity level be increased. 20 minutes of walking a day, swimming, running on soft surfaces and games will increase enjoyment, reinforce the bond with the dog and facilitate weight loss.
10. Once the ideal target weight has been reached, low-calorie foods in measured amounts should be continued for the rest of the dog’s life.

Household leftovers

Feeding table scraps to pets can be dangerous to their health

Dr.Vered Ables, veterinarian of the Mapet Company Ltd.

The question of nutrition for dogs and cats has more than once given their owners a well known dilemma – whether or not to give the beloved pet human food and how to refuse their pleas. Many dogs and cats are fed in the best circumstances with commercial food and with additional table leftovers, and in the worst of circumstances their nutrition is based only on the scraps. The owners are not always aware of the quantities of leftovers given to the animals, and when they are questioned about this, the answers range from “only some pastrami now and then” to “I can’t stand up to the looks he gives me…”.
The coming holiday season aggravates the problem even more so. The many holiday meals supply a wealth of leftovers that are too good to throw out, and feeding them to the pets seems like an efficient solution.
It is important to know that the damage done by giving leftovers to dogs and cats is great; sometimes it amounts to temporary troubles that come and go, and in other cases the damage is accumulative.

What is the damage?

Digestive problems: The digestive systems of dogs and cats are not accustomed to people food. Giving them scraps, especially spiced foods, can cause digestive disturbances such as gas, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea.
For example, chicken skin in Israel contains a high concentration of salt due to the koshering process. The high salt content causes water to be drawn into the digestive system, causing diarrhea.
One of the most common and most difficult problems is the giving of bones. Looking through children’s literature, even the most up to date, “teaches” that the food for dogs is bones. Wild dogs feast on the flesh and innards of their prey but not on the bones, and therefore everything that is not crushed by the dog’s teeth passes through the digestive system as is. This is the reason for the many cases of rips in the digestive system, bleeding due to puncturing of the mucous membrane and intestinal blockages, which require life threatening surgery.
An additional mistake that is common to the public is that the food of the cat is milk. The stomachs of cats are used to a different kind of milk altogether, and feeding them our milk products can be very costly for them.

Weight gain: Household scraps are not nutritionally balanced and in many cases they are full of fats. Dogs and cats that receive large quantities of scraps tend to get fat, even though in most case they do not get the essential nutritional components necessary for their development or their sustenance. Weight reduction for these dogs and cats is extremely difficult, since they will refuse to eat the commercial pet foods made for weight reduction.

Stress on internal organs: High salt levels, high fat levels and high protein levels found in human foods present a significant risk for dogs and cats (for that matter, also for heart patients a low sodium diet is recommended). Since excessive salts and proteins put stress on and make it difficult for internal organs to function properly, animals are likely to suffer from malfunction of the heart, liver and kidneys.

Food allergies: Most of the food allergies are due to an animal protein source. Dogs and cats that are fed scraps are exposed from an early age to a variety of protein sources from animals, and the likelihood of their developing food allergies is very high. Furthermore, it will be very difficult to suit hypoallergenic food to them that is based on a protein that they have not been exposed to previously.

Education: Every veterinarian and animal trainer knows that the one of the fundamental rules of training puppies and adults is to define the dog’s position in the family hierarchy. The dog must not be given the feeling that it is an equal in its standing with the family members, and it must be given clear boundaries. Giving table scraps at family meal times is one of the prevalent mistakes, which cause many of the common behavioral problems with puppies and adults. A dog that is used to eating in this manner will demand food from anyone who opens the refrigerator or sits down to eat, a phenomenon that is amusing at the beginning but soon becomes a serious nuisance.

Poisoning: Some household foods are likely to cause accumulated poisoning in dogs and cats, even to anemia of blood platelets. Garlic, onions and chocolate are only a few of the examples of ingredients that can cause this poisoning.

Then what is there to do?
Education towards feeding only commercial pet food to the animals starts the moment the puppy or kitten enters the house. The pet should be conditioned to eat commercial food from a bowl set aside for that purpose at set times – times that do not coincide with meal times of family members. A dog or cat that is conditioned to this from an early age will not be aware that there are other possibilities.
If you want to pamper your pet, you can give them an addition of a pet treat or an occasional snack, but not regularly.
Maintaining these rules will prevent heartache and will bring you much more pleasure from raising your pets.

An End to Fleas

Your dog does not stop scratching? Try a preventative flea treatment

The summer has arrived and with it the worsening of the flea problem that many dogs suffer. Fleas are not only an esthetic bother. It is important to remember that they are also blood suckers, they endanger your dogs and pass along many diseases, some of which are contagious to humans. A regular treatment schedule for all house pets and treatment of the yard is the only way to get rid of them permanently.

The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Israel recommends preventative flea treatment with ampoules. You drip the contents of the ampoule on the back of the neck of the dog or between his shoulder blades (a place where he cannot lick) after you make sure that the skin is dry (before the application). The material, which enters the bloodstream through the skin, gives protection against fleas for a month. Do not bathe the dog after the treatment. If the dog however is bathed, you need to re-treat it 3-4 days after the bath. It is recommended to give this preventative treatment once a month in all the seasons of the year, and it is important to pay attention to the age and weight of the dog to prevent poisoning.

How much evil can be bought?

Before we buy a purebred dog, especially if it is imported from abroad, it is a good idea to know the difficult implications. Attorney Idan Abuhav writes about this painful phenomenon

The gates of immigration to Israel are open to all those who want to import dogs and cats, most of them purebreds, which are sold for thousands of dollars and are used as business in every way, exactly that!. Only here we are not talking about a product, but about thousands of animals, mainly dogs, who will eventually be abandoned and, the best solution of all, arrive at the various voluntary agencies and societies for helping animals. Anyone who buys a purebred dog, should know what happens to the dog from the time it is separated from its mother (too early sometimes) until it arrives in your home. Maybe it is worthwhile to think twice about paying a fortune for a purebred dog that is shipped by airplane to Israel, or instead adopt one of the many abandoned dogs who are crying out for an adoptive home, waiting in our Society.

A simple glance at the “second-hand”-websites reveals that many puppies of purebreds are for sale. Is any test being done about the quality of the adoption and the ability to deal with the care of the dog? As it seems, the only thing that is important to the owners of the puppies is the readiness for you to come up with the money and, also, when you have a number of small puppies in your house, at some stage you simply want to part with them, even at a price lower than “market price”.

At the websites of many importers it is possible to purchase puppies exactly the same way as you purchase any other product on the internet, by credit card. This leads to the fact that the buyer does not know what he is buying – both in the aspect of the personality of the dog and in the aspect of its health – not to mention that the whole process of checking vaccinations is problematic.

In contrast to people for whom dogs are no more than a business, the important parameter that is checked out in every responsible society, in every organization for animal welfare that has self respect, is the character, the personality, of the prospective buyer of the animal. Even if the seller of the animal is a righteous and trustworthy person, does he make an effort to receive some more details from or about the would-be purchaser? Perhaps we are speaking of a person buying a dog who does not relate to dogs; maybe he is buying a dog that is not appropriate for him or his family. The non-compatibility will lead most of the time to the abandonment of the dog or its abuse.

Another common method of purchasing a dog is to request of someone who is going abroad to also buy you a dog. Just like that! The result is that most likely the puppy is bought by someone who has no full understanding if the dog may be appropriate to their future owners. This same willing-to-please-you person could buy you a dog which is very young (“so cute”) or who does not take a certain dog because of its external appearance, which sometimes is misleading. The puppy comes to its new owners, and from this time on the road to troubles and problems is often short.

According to testimony of many buyers, often dogs are taken from their mothers before they reach the age of adoption. According to Dr. Ayah Peri of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Israel, taking a puppy from its mother before it reaches the age of 8 weeks can cause trauma. In addition to this, the puppies that are taken from their mothers go through many hands, and since they are not vaccinated they are very sensitive to various diseases and dangers such as Parvo and Rabies. In the absence of veterinary supervision this can cause their death. And here a situation is created where the buyer, through no fault of his own, is abetting terrible suffering, or worse, to puppies by putting money into this economic (business) sector.

The Ministry of Agriculture determined a number of parameters for importing dogs that are based on regulation for importing animals. What happens to the dogs that do not stand up to the standards of the Ministry? Unfortunately these dogs are sentenced to death in Israel or are sent back to the countries from where they came, even when it is not certain if there is someone waiting to accept them back. An example of this are the Afghan puppies last year that stayed at the airport in Israel for a number of days in difficult conditions and afterwards those who were still alive were supposed to return to the airport in Bangkok.

Cooperating with cruel dog sellers
The essence of this kind of purchasing is cooperating with the sellers, whose actions and motives are not those that are for the good of the dog. Often a puppy is sold when it is ill, due to lack of proper care in the hands of the seller. The result is that the seller receives his money and uses it to order additional puppies and import them, while the desperate buyer many times has to invest thousands of shekels in veterinary care for the dog, in the best case scenario, or is in pain due to the loss upon the death of the puppy, in the worst case.

Abuse does not start in Israel. In Eastern Europe and in the Far East there is no real supervision of the breeding of dogs. The dogs come consistently from countries where people have trouble supporting themselves and it is reasonable to assume that the puppies are brought up in disgraceful conditions. Any injection of money to this industry will constitute a continuation of the situation.

These breeding-conditions, in the end, create problem dogs that are growing up with an injured personality, and it is very hard to train them.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Israel, Tel Aviv-Yafo, receives on a constant base many dogs whose owners do not want them after they have discovered that they are not suitable for apartment houses, or they cannot be trained. For dogs of this type, in spite of their beauty, it is very hard to find a new warm home.

Legislation
The situation is illogical. On one hand the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Israel works shoulder to shoulder with the Agriculture Ministry in the halls of the Knesset in order to promote the amendment to the Law for [the Prevention of] Cruelty to Animals that would guarantee a subsidy from the state for the neutering and castration of dogs and cats. On the other hand, the same Ministry, which is fighting for the budgeting of the law, enables this industry to worsen the situation of dogs in Israel, which as is known suffers from a great surplus number of dogs as opposed to those being adopted – both by bringing in more dogs into the country and also by not castrating or neutering these dogs (because they are a business-commodity). Thus a situation is created that the descendents of the imported dogs and cats end up as residents of the shelters of the societies and provide an additional financial burden on the philanthropic organizations that are already collapsing under the expenses they have to make for saving animals.

The solution should be permission to import animals only to someone who will conform to strict regulations, and a simple solution will be the obligation to neuter or castrate every dog or cat that comes into the country. This will decrease the suffering that these animals endure and the future suffering of the females whose new owners intend to use to recap their investment in their purchase.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) Cat AIDS

FIV is a virus that is transferred only between cats, and is not infectious to humans or to other animals

Doctor Hila Bareket, SPCA Israel veterinarian

Every week cats arrive at the clinic of the Society, with inflammations in their mouths and severe gum problems. Seemingly, it is possible that we are talking about cats that simply need a teeth cleaning. However, many times, a gum infection, especially in homeless cats, is likely to testify to a much more severe problem.

FIV is a virus that is transferred only between cats, and is not infectious to humans or to other animals who are not felines! It is common primarily in homeless male cats over five years old. The virus is transferred between cats primarily by bites, by blood, saliva, milk and sexual contact. The infection could also be through an infected mother to her kittens. When a cat is infected with the virus, it does not immediately show symptoms of the disease.

At the onset, the virus arrives at the lymph glands where it multiplies throughout the cells of the immune system. Within 4-6 weeks the general symptoms develop, which are fever, depression, lessoning of appetite and an enlargement of the lymph glands. The owners usually do not notice these symptoms; the cat looks “healthy”. Anti-bodies develop in its blood against the virus. However, at the same time the virus continues to multiply and to destroy cells of the immune system.

This process is slow, and could take months or years. At a certain stage, the immune system of the cat is extremely weakened and it no longer succeeds in defending the cat against infection with illnesses that without the virus the cat would not contract. We are speaking, in general, about severe chronic inflammations in the mouth, on the skin, in the respiratory or digestive systems, which are accompanied by bacteria and even develop into cancerous growths. In this stage the cat is very sick, depressed, develops fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, diarrhea, eye inflammations, neural problems and death.

It is possible to perform blood tests upon the cat who is suspected as having contracted the virus in order to detect anti-bodies that were created upon the infestation of the virus. Blood tests don’t always testify unequivocally that the cat has contracted FIV, since there is an immunization for the virus that creates the same anti-bodies. Additionally, in the terminal stages of the disease it is possible that no anti-bodies will be found in the blood at all and the test will be negative, in spite of the fact that the cat is very ill. Sometimes the test has to be repeated after a few weeks since only then will the level of anti-bodies be high enough to be detected.

The treatment is generally supportive:
– Antibiotics against the secondary infections.
– Vitamins, liquids and food with high nutritional value—to support the cells of the immune system.

To prevent the spread of the illness, we have to prevent other cats from contracting the FIV virus, and this is by: separating the healthy cats from the sick cats and preventing contact or quarrels with other cats, and by keeping the ill cats at home and immunizing the healthy cats against the disease once a year.

Nutrition for cats over six weeks old

The quality of food that you need to give your cat will seriously effect its immune system, its skin and fur, its teeth and digestive system

Doctor Hila Bareket, SPCA Israel veterinarian

Most of those who adopt cats at the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Israel, Tel Aviv raise there eyebrows in wonderment when I instruct them that it is forbidden to give milk to their cat. Most of us grew up with the accepted idea that cats need to drink milk. However, in reality the feline digestive system does not at all succeed in digesting milk, and for many cats milk only gives them diarrhea and inflammations. Cats drink only water! You need to supply them with a source of clean water that is available at all hours of the day and night.

As a hunter and carnivore the cat’s diet is based almost exclusively on food that is rich in animal protein. Its whole digestive system – from the structure of its teeth and jaws to its long intestines – is built to enable it to eat and digest meat in the best way possible.

Today, there is a wide variety of commercial foods that come in dry and wet form (canned) that supply the cat with the necessary nutritional requirements. Dry food is important for the digestive system and for the proper health of the teeth and gums. Wet food provides liquids for cats that generally drink little. The food that you choose for your cat must contain the amino acids Taurine and Arginine which are essential to its health, in addition to vitamins, minerals and a little fat.

Kittens can begin eating commercial foods by age 6 weeks. Until they are 1 year old they should be given food for kittens, which contains slightly more fat in line with their nutritional needs. At the beginning it is best to give them soft food (preserves or dry food slightly dampened) and little by little to include dry and wet foods. Older cats above 1 year can eat dry and wet foods for adults with a high level of protein and digestibles. A cat that does not eat or drink for a whole day is ill and should be brought to the veterinary doctor as soon as possible!

The quality of food that you need to give your cat will seriously effect its immune system, its skin and fur, its teeth and digestive system, and most importantly its satisfaction.