I have three cats who’ve brought much joy to my life.  I’ve had cats nearly all my life, but only females until little Rascal moved in in October. Rascal is a young neutered male (under a year old).  He’s very sweet, very active, but exhibits aggressive behavior toward my two spayed middle-aged females.  He jumps on their backs, sometimes licks, sometimes bites their neck and ears.  Needless to say, they don’t find this much fun and have resorted to spending much of their time under the bed, under tables or chairs where he can’t jump on them.  Clapping my hands to startle him doesn’t work, neither does a spray bottle with water.  He likes water and tries to play with the spray.

He exhibited this behavior when he first came into my house at three months and still exhibits the behavior after being neutered three weeks ago.  I don’t know if he’ll outgrow it.  Right now, I spend a lot of time ‘breaking up’ attacks and I shut him in a spare bedroom at night so the other two cats can have a little ‘down’ time.  Any suggestions on why he does this and what I can do to minimize or stop this behavior?  He gets a generous amount of attention already and gets the same treats at the same time as the two females.  He spent the first three months of his life in a home where his favorite playmate was a thirty-pound black lab puppy.  Does this have something to do with his aggression?

- Bonnie Pega

This Valentine Week is “Have a Heart for Chained Dogs,” a campaign created by Dogs Deserve Better organization.  The purpose is to make people aware of the problems and dangers of dogs being chained for long periods of time. 

At the Richmond SPCA, we do not believe dogs should live their lives on chains.  In our blogs this week you will hear why we feel so strongly about making your dog a part of the family.  Some communities in Virginia have already passed ordinances outlawing chaining a dog for long periods of time, and we applaud those areas who are taking proactive steps to see that dogs do not suffer on the end of a chain. 
Families acquire dogs with good intentions, but often they aren’t prepared for the responsibility involved in caring for a dog. The dog could end up alone on a chain in the backyard wondering, “Why me? What did I do to deserve this type of life?”  Dogs are such social creatures. Being ignored in the backyard is torturous. This week expect blogs from Education & Training as well as the Medical Treatment Department at the Richmond SPCA.  We will discuss the impact chaining has on a dog’s behavioral and physical well being and his or her relationships with other animals and people.

We invite you to share your success stories of bringing a dog in from the backyard to join the family.

Now that we have helped you to introduce your two new family members let’s hit on some of the health issues.  It should be said that all pets should be in optimal health before the introduction so the additional stress is not a burden on either the cat or dog in the environment. 

Any time you add a new four-legged companion to your home, the hope is that they will learn to share the home and enjoy each other’s company, but there are some areas where sharing isn’t helpful.  While dogs and cats cannot expose one another to infectious diseases, parasites are a different story.  Flea or tick problems in the house or yard can be equally shared by cat or dog. When working to get rid of parasites, you must treat all pets who share the environment.

If given the chance, many dogs will eat out of the litter box (cats seem to be a little smarter in that regard), exposing themselves to any intestinal parasites carried by the cat.  Many cats won’t eat dog food, but again the reverse is not true, and dogs can get some pretty severe stomach upsets from eating cat food.  It’s best to keep the litter box and food bowls where they can’t share.
Ringworm infections (caused by a fungus, rather than a worm) can be passed between cat and dog as well as to the human family members.  They can also share ear mites if they get along well enough to sleep with each other. 

In my practice experience, as well as my own home, a cat is usually in charge, but I am always careful of one cat with multiple dogs. I am also careful to warn owners of the protruding-eye type breeds like pugs and Boston terriers of the dangers of eye lacerations from the claw of the cat that the dog should have left alone.  Most of the time a cat can get to higher ground if rough play gets out of hand, but the cat could get hurt if he gets caught. Better to be sure they get along well before you leave them alone unattended.

Today’s blog was written by Dr. Angela Ivey, director of veterinary medicine at the Richmond SPCA. Dr. Ivey spent many years in private veterinary practice before joining the medical staff at the Richmond SPCA in 2004.

Yes, in short, but not necessarily with all other cats or dogs.

If you are considering introducing a dog to your cat household or a cat to your dog household, be prepared to provide safety and extra training for all parties involved.  The time and effort you spend ensuring a safe, gradual introduction will typically be far less stressful than that spent trying to repair an initially tumultuous relationship.

Unfortunately, there are no 100% guarantees when it comes to animal relationships.  Even though your dog may enjoy meeting cats on leash during your walks, living with one in “his” household is an entirely different situation.  Cats can also be comfortable with one particular dog, but run from all others.

Take your time.  The primary relationship you will want to build when introducing any new pet to your home is your pet’s relationship with you.  If your pet learns to view you as guardian and caretaker, he or she will generally feel safer trying new things.
• Avoid introducing Fluffy to Fido on her first night home.  Instead, establish a nice, cozy, safe room for her to rest when she needs to be away from everything.
• Let her establish a “home base’ so-to-speak before exposing her to the rest of the house. 
• During her settling in period (which may be days or weeks), spend time socializing, playing with, and training her. 
• Supervise her free-roaming periods in the house, but only with the other pets safely behind closed doors.  That way your cat can get used to everyone’s scents and sounds before actually meeting them. 

The same process applies if you are introducing a dog to your household.  Get to know your dog before he gets to know your cat.  Train him.  Play with him.  Socialize him. 
• Give your dog a short time each day to explore the cat’s room without the cat, rather than risking an unpleasant surprise meeting in the hallway. 
• After Fido has had a chance to explore, let him rest in another room while Fluffy gets to explore his room. 
• Important note: Cat litter is very hazardous when ingested in large amounts, so be sure to keep the litter box inaccessible to Fido at all times. 
• When Fido is comfortable in his new surroundings, you may give him protected access to the other pet(s). 
• Use a baby gate or just crack the room door to give your pets a safe opportunity to sniff each other.  Do this multiple times during the day, but start with very short periods. 
• Aim for calm and successful rather than long greetings.  Gradually increase their time together as they grow more comfortable with each other. 

Be safe.  Be patient.  And you may just be rewarded with a positive relationship between your pets.

Today’s blog author is Marie Tripton. Marie is the manager of the Richmond SPCA’s Behavior Helpline.

The cliché “fighting like cats and dogs” is as old as domesticated pets.  It makes us laugh with images of Garfield taunting Odie or Marmaduke chasing a cat. This doesn’t have to be the case.  In fact, cats and dogs can be wonderful companions for each other.

If you already have a dog and are thinking about finding him a buddy, you might want to adopt a cat.  With the spirit of love surrounding us this time of year, the Richmond SPCA has introduced a fun promotion we call “Find Your Dog a Feline Valentine.”  We might not always think of dogs and cats as soul mates for one another, but to the contrary, many get along swimmingly and enjoy each other’s company very much.  If you have room to expand in the furry friend department, give this some thought.  Your dog will benefit from the companionship that a cat can offer, especially during days when the family is not at home. The average pet parent is a working adult, or a pair of working adults, who leave home at least 8 hours each day.  Bring home a companion to ease their loneliness. They’ll get along better than you’d expect, and they might even enjoy snuggle time together.

Want to make sure you find the perfect cat for your dog?  We do too. That’s why our knowledgeable adoption staff will spend lots of time helping you select a cat who adores dogs.  We even recommend bringing your dog into the center for a meet-and-greet session.

Don’t disappoint your pooch this Valentine’s Day. He’ll be excited to gain a new friend, and we know you will, too!

We often hear that spaying and neutering saves lives. In fact, it’s one of the best things you can do for your pet, but the how and why might not be obvious. How does sterilizing your pet save a life?

Our community already has too many homeless pets, and adding to the population through breeding, whether intentional or not, makes it more difficult to find homes for all of the dogs and cats in our area.  Pet parents often think that letting their dogs or cats have one litter is not contributing to the problem, provided they find homes for all of the puppies or kittens that are born; however, the truth is these puppies and kittens will go to families that otherwise might have considered adopting a dog or cat from a shelter. 

In addition, every unaltered pet placed in a new home has the potential to have its own puppies or kittens down the road, which adds even more pets to the community population.  A female cat can come into season as early as 6 months of age, often surprising her well-intentioned owner with a litter just as he thought to schedule surgery with a vet. 

As pet parents, we can help reduce the number of orphaned animals in Greater Richmond by having our pets spayed or neutered.  We all love puppies and kittens, and there are plentiful opportunities to spend time with them as foster parents for one of the shelters in our area.  During the summer months, there are hundreds of little ones who need our help.

Spaying or neutering our pets will improve their health and long-term happiness.  From a medical perspective, fixing our pets will reduce a number of illnesses.  Unaltered pets are more likely to develop mammary, ovarian, uterine and prostate tumors, infections and enlarged prostates.  Neutering your male pet will make him less likely to roam, fight or spray urine to mark his territory.  For a female, with every heat cycle her odds of developing mammary tumors increase, and she is more likely to get a sexually transmitted disease that could lead to cancer.  We can protect our pets’ overall health by having them spayed or neutered.

The Richmond SPCA’s Smoky’s Spay/Neuter Clinic offers free and low-cost surgeries Monday through Friday.  Through March 31, our medical team will spay or neuter cats of residents in Hanover, Henrico, Richmond, Chesterfield or Goochland for free (without any income qualifications).  For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call the Spay/Neuter Helpline at (804) 521-1300.

Richmonders love their pets. In 2005, Richmond was voted one of the country’s top 10 dog-friendly cities by Dog Fancy magazine, which wasn’t likely to surprise anyone in Richmond. With a wide offering of canine friendly activities and businesses, Richmond is a great place for pooch parents. It’s also a great town for cats and those who love them. With the recent announcement that no healthy homeless pet was killed in Richmond during 2006, our city can also be known as a safe community for pets looking for a new home, a distinction that should bring pride to pet owners.

As with any true love, loving a pet brings a desire to do and know more. That’s why the Richmond SPCA was eager to respond to TimesDispatch.com’s invitation to provide a blog all about pets. We hope Dogblog/Catchat will become a place for dialogue.  Questions and comments are what take a blog beyond an internal monologue, and we want to welcome you and your input from the inception.

Our vets, behaviorists and adoption counselors will share this space to offer their insights and expertise on assorted topics.  Look here each Monday for Irresistible Fun! That’s our new adoption programs tagline, unveiled with an expectation of making the Robins-Starr Humane Center a fun destination for pet lovers of every age for a variety of reasons.

On Wednesdays, expect an update from the Richmond SPCA’s department of education and training.  Behavior Helpline Manager Marie Tripton brings several years of experience fielding calls from dog and cat owners.  She will weigh in on the week’s topic with general insight as well as samples of specific calls and e-mails.

Fridays give our medical team the opportunity to offer guidance from a veterinary perspective. Tips from our vets and technicians will help you make the most of your pets’ health and wellness.

Overall, our desire for this blog is to help Richmond pet parents get the most out of the love and companionship their pets bring. We look forward to chatting with you in the weeks and months ahead!