Even in an off year, the housing market traditionally picks up in the spring, as families who need to change residences get moving so the children can be settled into the new neighborhood before the next school year begins.

But moving is tough on families, pets included. Animals always know when something's amiss, even if they can't understand exactly what's changing, or why.

The key to moving pets is to keep them secure before and during the move, and to settle them safely and quickly into a routine afterward.

Cats are a particular worry at moving time because they form a bond not only with the people in a home, but also with the home itself. Because of their mobility, cats can be difficult to keep around the new home long enough for them to realize that this is where the people they love will now stay.

The family dog is a bit easier to deal with: Put his leash on and drive him to his new address. Show him his new, warm home and the securely fenced back yard. Unless the dog is a high-jumper of Olympic caliber, he'll stay put while he adjusts.

Not so with free-roaming cats. The cases of cats returning to their previous homes are common for people who move short distances, and the instances of cats disappearing forever are just as common for families moving a great distance.

Confinement is essential when moving cats: It keeps them safe while they become used to their new territory and make it their own. Bring your cat inside, if he's not already an indoor cat, before the movers arrive. Set him up in a "safe room" -- a spare bathroom or bedroom is ideal -- and leave him be. Provide him with food and water, his bed, a scratching post, litter box and a couple of favorite toys while the packing and moving is under way.

The cat's ride to the new home is best undertaken in a carrier, especially for the cat who rarely sees the inside of a car.

At the new home, work the "leaving home" procedure in reverse: Put the cat into a "safe room" for a few days -- until the movers are gone, the furniture arranged and most of the dust settled -- and then allow him to explore inside the house on his own terms after things calm down a bit.

Quickly re-establish a routine. Pick a time and a place for feeding, and stick to it for all pets.

If you've been thinking about converting your free-roaming cat to a house dweller for his health and safety, moving to a new home is the perfect time to accomplish this. In your old home, you'd be constantly listening to your cat demanding to be let out into the rest of his territory. In a new home, he hasn't established any territory of his own yet, and you can make the new home his only turf by keeping him inside from day one.

If you don't want to convert him, keep him inside for a couple of weeks, until he seems relaxed. You can introduce your cat to the new yard by accompanying him on short tours with a harness and a leash. But in the end, you'll have to take your chances, open the door and hope for the best.

Moving is stressful for all, but taking a little extra care when it comes to your pets will help to move them safely and with a minimum of stress and mess at the new home.

SIDEBAR

Don't forget ID

During a move, your pet is at a high risk for becoming lost. That's why it's essential to get new ID tags on your pets before you disconnect that old phone number, or to update the ID tags with your permanent cell phone number. If you use a tracking service or microchip ID, be sure they know where to reach you as well by updating your records with the registry.

If you're going to need to change veterinarians, let the staff at the old hospital know and provide a working phone number in case anyone calls the hospital because of a rabies tag on a found pet. (Rabies tags usually have the vet's phone number on them.) And finally, check with the animal control department in your new community to get new licenses and find out what regulations cover your pets. -- G.S.

Q&A

Don't play vet at home

Q: At the pet store where I go, they have antibiotics for sale. Would it be a good idea to keep some on hand in case our pets get sick? -- D.F., via e-mail

A: Antibiotics are one of the outstanding contributions of modern medicine and have saved countless lives of both the human and animal variety. But we have become so comfortable with these medicines and their frequent usage that we sometimes forget they are powerful drugs that should be used with care.

And yet, some pet lovers respond to any sign of illness by dosing -- and often overdosing -- their pets with antibiotics commonly available at pet-supply stores (and often labeled for fish). This sort of treatment for your sick pet is a bad idea for several reasons.

First, if your pet has a viral or fungal infection, an antibiotic will not help.

Second, not all antibiotics are the same. They all have their own target bacteria, and they may have little effect on any bacteria they're not designed to combat as well as bacteria that are resistant to them.

Third, regular use of antibiotics may hurt your pet's immune system and may lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria that will be hard to stamp out even with the "right" medication.

When your pet is sick, see your veterinarian. Getting the right diagnosis and the right medication promptly may well save your pet's life. -- Dr. Marty Becker

Vomiting parrot

Art image (little): Sun conure eating a grape

Caption: Many parrots like to share food with owners.

Q: When I get home and go to let my sun conure out of his cage, he'll start bobbing his head and then vomit food. How can I get him to stop it? -- B.F., via e-mail

A: Strange as it may seem to those of us who don't have wings, what your little guy is doing is showing you his affection.

He's "regurgitating," and isn't that a much nicer word than "vomiting"? Like many animals, birds feed their young by bringing up food. Bonded breeding pairs do this to each other as a sign of closeness. When your bird brings up food for you, it's because he's showing you that he considers you a mate or companion, and he wants you to eat well.

Birds bob their heads to bring the food up, and when the behavior is performed between birds, the food is put directly into the other's mouth.

You can't stop this natural behavior, so just accept it. The behavior, that is, not the regurgitated food. -- Gina Spadafori

(Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.)

ON GOOD BEHAVIOR

Reward pet's good manners

Animals learn from the immediate consequences of their actions. Reward-based training is based on positive reinforcement -- giving an animal an immediate reward for "getting it right."

A reward can be anything a pet desires, such as food, praise, touch, toys, playtime, and indoor or outdoor access. Reward-based training teaches an animal that you are the provider and controller of everything good. It also builds trust and keeps the animal student eager to learn more.

When teaching your pet what you want him to do, offer what he likes the best as the reward. After the new behavior is learned, continue with intermittent rewards. Once the pet knows a behavior, you can withhold the reward when your pet gets it wrong. For example, the dog who knows how to sit but won't sit for his dinner dish can have his grub withheld for a few minutes. Then try again! Chances are he'll sit, and he'll sit even more quickly the next time.

(Animal behavior experts Susan and Dr. Rolan Tripp are the authors of "On Good Behavior." For more information, visit their Web site at AnimalBehavior.net.)

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of several best-selling pet-care books.

On PetConnection.com there's more information on pets and their care, reviews of products, books and more. Contact Pet Connection in care of this newspaper by sending e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com or by visiting PetConnection.com.

PET Rx

Broken teeth common in dogs

Birds gotta fly, fish gotta swim and dogs gotta chew. But sometimes, that chewing can prompt a painful problem.

Broken teeth are a common problem with dogs. Aggressive chewing on hard objects such as rocks or fencing, or on hard treats such as cow hooves, bones or hard nylon toys, are the primary cause. (Veterinarian's rule of thumb: Don't give your pet any chew toy that's hard enough that you wouldn't want it to hit you in the knee.)

To prevent broken teeth, dental experts recommend regular exercise of your pet to help prevent destructive chewing and having several veterinarian-recommended toys to chew so as to distract them from the bad ones. For extremely aggressive chewers, get a large toy the pet can't get his mouth around, or offer softer chews.

A broken tooth exposes the delicate pulp and nerve endings, making life extremely painful for the pet. Food and other debris can get impacted in the fracture and attract bacteria, leading to infection, the loss of a tooth or worse.

The most common signs of dental problems are: excessive drooling (especially in a pet who doesn't normally salivate much), not eating, or favoring one side of the mouth.

Just as the human family gets regular dental examinations and cleanings, you should take your pet to the veterinarian at least yearly for a comprehensive physical examination that will include a look at your pet's entire mouth. If your pet is having problems sooner, don't wait for the well-pet exam -- dental problems really hurt!

Dental cleanings under anesthesia are a regular part of a preventive-care regimen for many dogs, as is at-home care such as brushing. Ask your veterinarian what's best for your pet's teeth and gums, both to prevent problems and to fix them. -- Dr. Marty Becker

BY THE NUMBERS

Up and down dogs

The popularity of small dogs (under 20 pounds) has steadily risen over the past decade. Some of the biggest increases in registration are among these breeds:

Cavalier King Charles spaniels

French bulldogs

Brussels griffon

Of the breeds that have seen the highest decrease in registrations during the past decade, larger dogs are affected the most:

Rottweilers

Dalmatians

Chows

Source: American Kennel Club

PETS ON THE WEB

Better care for hamsters

Hamsters are popular pets for children, who often manage to convince their parents to snap up the pets before anyone has thought carefully about how to care for them.

If that's the case, no worries. The Web has hamster sites that can be of great help.

The Hamster Hideout (hamsterhideout.com) is based in Singapore, so some of the information is too regional to be of much help. But beyond that, the Hideout offers sound advice on proper care and encourages sharing of hamster stories and pictures with a reader forum. The links page provides a generous selection of other sites, from those focusing on care to others dedicated to pictures, stories and online games.

Be sure to click on the "All About" link and then on the special sections just for those with a new hamster. A very useful, kid-friendly site. -- Gina Spadafori

Pet Connection is produced by a team of team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of several best-selling pet-care books. Contact Pet Connection in care of this newspaper, by sending e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com or by visiting PetConnection.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

Universal Press Syndicate

It's the question every pet lover dreads, the one for which there's often no easy answer: "When is the right time to say goodbye?"

Choosing to end a pet's life is the hardest decision we make when it comes to our pets, and we can tell you from decades of experience that it's a decision that never gets any easier. Your veterinarian will offer you advice and support, and friends and family can offer you sympathy, but no one can make the decision for you. When you live with an elderly or terminally ill pet, you look in your pet's eyes every morning and wonder if you're doing what's best.

Everyone makes the decision a little differently. Some pet lovers do not wait until their pet's discomfort becomes chronic, untreatable pain, and they choose euthanasia much sooner than others would. Some owners use an animal's appetite as the guide -- when an old or ill animal cannot be tempted into eating, they reason, he has lost most interest in life. And some owners wait until there's no doubt the time is at hand -- and later wonder if they delayed a bit too long.

There's no absolute rule, and every method for deciding is right for some pets and some owners at some times. You do the best you can, and then you try to put the decision behind you and deal with the grief.

The incredible advances in veterinary medicine in the past couple of decades have made the decisions even more difficult for many people. Not too long ago, the best you could do for a seriously ill pet was to make her comfortable until that wasn't possible anymore. Nowadays, nearly every advantage of human medicine -- from chemotherapy to pacemakers to advanced pain relief -- is available to our pets.

But the addition of high-level care shouldn't change much when it comes to easing suffering: If you can have a realistic expectation that a course of treatment will improve your pet's life -- rather than simply prolong it -- then those options should be considered. But you must also ask yourself: Am I doing right by my pet, or am I just holding on because I can't bear to say goodbye?

If it's the latter, you know what decision you have to make.

Many people are surprised at the powerful emotions that erupt after a pet's death, and they can be embarrassed by their grief. Often, we don't realize we're grieving not only for the pet we loved, but also for the special time the animal represented and the ties to other people in our lives. The death of a cat who was a gift as a kitten from a friend who has died, for example, may trigger bittersweet memories of another love lost.

Taking care of yourself is important when dealing with pet loss. Some people -- the "It's just a pet" crowd -- won't understand the loss and may shrug off grief over a pet's death as foolish. I find that the company of other animal lovers is very important. Seek them out to share your feelings, and don't be shy about getting professional help to get you through a difficult time.

Choosing to end a pet's suffering is a final act of love and nothing less. Knowing that your decisions are guided by that love is what helps us all through the sad and lonely time of losing a cherished animal companion.

SIDEBAR

Finding help when you need it

You're not alone in losing a pet, and many resources are out there to help you cope with your emotions during a difficult time. Some veterinary schools offer pet-loss support lines staffed by volunteer veterinary students, and the Web site PetHobbyist.com offers a pet-loss chat every night of the year, which is staffed with volunteer moderators and attended by other pet lovers.

Q&A

Halter problems? Try a harness

Q: I've heard that head halters can cause serious injuries if used incorrectly. A too-abrupt tug could jerk a dog's head, causing neck or spinal injuries, couldn't it? -- S.T., via e-mail

A: Anything's possible, which is why I don't recommend using a head halter with one of those long, reel-type leashes. The force of a running dog hitting the end of a 30-foot line does have the potential to cause injury.

In truth, just about every piece of canine equipment has the potential for problems if used incorrectly. Slip-chain collars can choke a dog or injure his neck. Breakaway collars, designed to release a dog who's caught on something, can result in a dog being off-leash when it's least safe, such as next to a busy street. And head halters can jerk a dog's head around.

Dogs who don't know how to walk nicely on leash end up not being walked at all -- and that can contribute to obesity and behavior problems. The same people who came up with the head halter have more recently come up with a product I like much, much better: the front-clip harness, which is called the Easy Walk. There are a few different ones on the market now, and they all work on the same theory: When the leash is clipped to the front of the harness (as opposed to the top center of the back), a dog's own forward momentum is used to keep him from pulling.

I've been recommending this product for a couple of years now because it really works. It's especially wonderful for people who run with their dogs and for making it possible for supervised children to walk even a big dog.

Mind you, it doesn't train your dog not to pull on the leash. If you switch back to a collar, your dog will pull again. It's a management tool, and a great one.

I have never liked head halters. They make even nice dogs look as if they're wearing muzzles to keep from biting someone. And some dogs don't like them, especially at first. But everyone I've recommended a front-clip harness to has come back raving about it. Again: It really works.

The Easy Walk is available from pet retailers or from Premier (www.premier.com).

If you don't know what's right for your dog or how to use it, find a trainer who can help you choose the appropriate equipment and show you how it works. Every piece of training equipment is right for some dogs, but no single item is right for all. And no piece of training equipment is safe or effective unless it's fitted and used properly. -- Gina Spadafori

(Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.)

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of several best-selling pet-care books.

On PetConnection.com there's more information on pets and their care, reviews of products, books and "dog cars." Contact Pet Connection in care of this newspaper by sending e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com or visiting PetConnection.com.

PET BUZZ

Chip cancer scare unwarranted

-- Veterinary experts say there is no evidence that cancer is a problem in microchipped pets. More than 14 million-plus microchips have been implanted with only four cases in question.

-- The ASPCA can solve crimes against animals with its mobile forensics unit. It is equipped with X-ray machines, computers, examination tables, cameras and video equipment for documenting evidence, and will travel when requested by local officials to wherever there are multiple cases of abuse or cruelty. Those most often will be dog-fighting operations, puppy mills or animal-hoarding situations.

-- Elephants are the largest land animals, yet these goliaths move quickly when they hear the buzz of a bee swarm, reports LiveScience.com. Their fear could be used to protect them from deadly conflicts between man and beast by strategically placing beehives (or even recordings of them) as an invisible fence of sorts.

-- Aging cats can develop a feline form of Alzheimer's disease, a new study reveals. Some 28 percent of pet cats aged 11 to 14 years develop at least one age-related behavior problem, and this increases to more than 50 percent for cats over the age of 15. Experts suggest that good diet, mental stimulation and companionship can reduce the risk of dementia in both humans and cats.

-- Mister Ed, the talking horse of the 1960s television show, is buried under a wild cherry tree near Tulsa, Okla. The palomino lived to the ripe old age of 33. -- Dr. Marty Becker

ON GOOD BEHAVIOR

Praise for proper placement

If you are house-training your puppy, recognize the behaviors that come right before your puppy eliminates. When you see your puppy begin to circle and sniff, or see his tail up in a certain way, quickly interrupt the moment with a loud and sharp-sounding, "Ah, Ah, Ah!"

When your puppy looks up, clap your hands and say in a friendly, excited tone, "Good puppy -- let's go," as you lead him outdoors to the place you have chosen as the puppy potty. Then look at the sky and be still like a tree. Your puppy needs to go, so it's only a matter of time.

When the deed is done, crouch down with open arms, praise your puppy, and invite him to a big heap of loving.

(Animal behavior experts Susan and Dr. Rolan Tripp are the authors of "On Good Behavior." For more information, visit their Web site at AnimalBehavior.net.)

PET TIP

Easy cleanups for messy birds

Cleaning isn't just about neatness -- it's also about health. Clean, fresh food and water are essential to pet birds, and so is keeping their environment as free as possible of bacteria, fungus and molds, all of which can lead to disease.

You can keep things relatively neat with a few supplies kept close to the cage and used on a consistent basis. Among them:

-- Newspapers. Bird lovers go through a lot of newspapers. Put all the glossy inserts in the recycling bin, and stack the rest for use in the cage tray and under play areas.

-- Cloth towels. Worn bath towels are great for protecting clothing from bird poop -- just drape a towel over your shoulders.

-- Spray bottle with cleaning solution. Keep this near the cage, along with towels. Since birds are sensitive to fumes, skip the ammonia, bleach, pine solutions or any other strong cleaners. Simple soap and water are fine for everyday touchups, or you can try Poop-Off, a product developed just for bird cleanup.

-- Handheld vacuum. Great for snarfing up food pellets and feathers.

-- Mats for underneath the cage. The heavy, clear plastic mats intended for underneath desk chairs and sold at office-supply stores keep most of the gunk off the floor. Newspapers catch the rest.

-- Trash bin. Again, right by the cage. Every time you change the cage liner, put the old newspapers in the trash.

A few minutes spent cleaning a couple of times a day keeps things in good order and makes the weekly cage scrubbing easier to accomplish. Clean cage papers daily, at a minimum, and clean everything else as soon as the mess hits. -- Gina Spadafori

PETS BY THE NUMBERS

Veterinary specialists abound

The United States has almost 85,000 veterinarians, the majority of whom (56,000) are in private practice. Among those veterinarians (those not in the chart treat a variety of other kinds of animals, such as exotics, so numbers won't total 100):

Treat companion animals 76 percent

Treat horses 6 percent

Treat food animals 9 percent

Source: American Veterinary Medical Association

PETS ON THE WEB

No need for war with wildlife

As we've grown out from the cities and developed more and more land for housing, it's no surprise that conflicts between humans and native wildlife are a big problem.

Conflicts can be kept to a minimum by blocking off attics, chimneys and crawl spaces to prevent wildlife from setting up housekeeping, and by keeping garbage cans and other food sources securely sealed.

The Humane Society of the United States has an excellent collection of articles on the group's Web site (www.humanesociety.org/animals/wild_neighbors) that offers more suggestions on living peacefully with urban wildlife. From coyotes to skunks to deer, the site provides information that will minimize the potential for nuisance. The site offers advice on products that can help discourage animals, along with case studies of nonlethal methods of dealing with conflicts. -- Gina Spadafori

Pet Connection is produced by a team of team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of several best-selling pet-care books. Contact Pet Connection in care of this newspaper, by sending e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com or by visiting PetConnection.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

We're on the verge of kitten season now, which means we'll soon be getting questions about feline pregnancy from people who often had no idea they'd be midwife to pets who are often not much more than kittens themselves.

Typical questions include: How long does a cat's pregnancy last? (On average, 66 days.) Do I need to help my pregnant cat with delivery? (Yes, usually by leaving her alone.) How do I know if she's close to delivering? (Watch for enlarged nipples and the secretion of a tiny amount of milk.)

The question we're asked least often is the most important of all: How soon after my cat gives birth can she be spayed? (As soon as the babies are weaned -- the sooner the better!)

Studies show that 80 percent of the cats and dogs in the United States and Canada are spayed or neutered. If your cat is not among them, here are a few facts to consider:

-- A neutered tomcat is less likely to roam, less likely to fight (and less likely to cost you money to patch him up), and less likely to spray urine to mark his territory. He's more likely to live longer, because the cat who's looking for a mate is really looking for trouble. If a car doesn't get him, infectious disease (spread by fighting or mating) or cancer may.

-- A spayed female is a more attentive and loving pet, because her energy isn't constantly directed toward finding a mate. (Cats are in heat nearly all the time until they become pregnant.) If you spay your cat, you protect her from some cancers, infections and from sexually transmitted infectious diseases.

"Spaying" and "neutering" are the everyday terms for the surgical sterilization of a pet. Neutering -- or altering -- is also used to describe both procedures. The technical terms for the two operations are "ovariohysterectomy," for the female, and "castration," for the male -- which pretty much explains why "spaying" and "neutering" are the preferred terms.

Although these procedures are common, many people don't understand what's involved. Spaying is the removal of the female's entire reproductive system: The uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries are taken out through an incision in the abdomen. Some veterinarians use stitches that have to be removed in about 10 days' time, while others use those that are absorbed into the body. Recovery is fast, taking just a few days, during which you should limit your cat's activities -- no jumping or boisterous play.

In neutering, the cat's testicles are removed through incisions in the scrotum, the pouch holding the testicles. These incisions are generally left unstitched in this relatively minor procedure. Post-operative care normally involves keeping the incisions clean and dry. Some veterinarians recommend keeping the cat inside (if he is not already an indoor pet) and using shredded newspaper in place of litter until the incisions close, which usually happens within three to five days.

Most of the people who write us about pregnant cats are dealing with "oops" litters, the result of not getting their cat to the veterinarian in time. We sure hope they'll be calling to schedule an appointment for neutering as soon as those babies are weaned.

If you're allowing your cat to have "just one litter" because you want a kitten, please adopt a kitten instead. You'll find plenty to choose from at any shelter or rescue group. Many of them won't find homes, so please help in any way you can.

Q&A

Cats can stay if baby on way

Q: I'm getting contradictory information on my cats now that we're expecting our first child. And it all seems credible. My doctor says I can keep my cats, if I'm careful, and if my boyfriend handles the litter box. But I've seen other doctors who disagree and also caution that cats hate babies and will kill them, if they can, out of spite.

Cat Web sites say keep the cat, but I'm not sure they have my baby's interest as top priority. I'm not sure you do, either, but I'll ask anyway. I want to keep my cats, after all. -- T.I., via e-mail

A: Your own physician is up on the current thinking in this area. In fact, you don't need to find a new home for your pet when a baby's on the way, no matter what well-meaning relatives and friends or anonymous Internet advisers may say to the contrary. Cats do not maliciously smother or suck the breath out of babies, and the litter box risk can indeed be managed.

The myth that cats have it in for babies probably came from their natural curiosity to investigate a new addition to the family, coupled with the tragedy of what's commonly known as crib death. We can easily understand how, in generations past, people may have seen a cat in the crib -- perhaps sniffing at a baby's milk-scented breath -- and later found a dead child and then tried to find an explanation for the loss by linking the two events together.

We now know there's no connection. But common sense still dictates that no animal be left unattended with an infant or small child. And, of course, before the baby arrives, safety dictates that someone other than the expectant mom clean out that litter box to reduce the risk of birth defects caused by the parasites that may be in the cat's feces.

As our Dr. Marty Becker says: Get rid of the risk, and keep the pet. It's good advice, as is taking your cats to their doctor to make sure their own health is tip-top to further protect your human family. -- Gina Spadafori

(Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.)

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of several best-selling pet-care books.

On PetConnection.com there's more information on pets and their care, reviews of products, books and more. Contact Pet Connection in care of this newspaper by sending e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com or by visiting PetConnection.com.

PET BUZZ

Vaccine offers hope for cancer

-- Dogs with cancerous growths in their mouths have the chance at an increased life expectancy after tumor removal with the help of a new therapeutic canine melanoma vaccine, Oncept. The vaccine contains a substance produced by human DNA that is similar enough to dog's genetic material that it targets canine melanoma cells, but is different enough to be considered foreign by the dog's immune system, resulting in a potent immune response against canine melanoma cells. Dogs with stage II or III melanoma typically survive six months or less after tumor removal, but dogs vaccinated with Oncept had a longer survival time than those not vaccinated, according to DVM360.com.

-- Cats should be hissing at the news that dog owners spend an average of $219 on veterinary visits each year, while cat owners spend an annual average of $179. So says the American Pet Products Association.

-- Sperm are good team players in animals who mate with several males in quick succession. Sperm will make a collaborative push with their relatives for the egg, sometimes with hundreds of sperm linking to each other in an effort to cut out the competition. The strategy has risks, as the linking can set off a chemical reaction that can leave an individual sperm infertile, but the success of one is worth the loss of some. Previously, researchers assumed sperm linked with their closest neighbors, but Harvard University found that even sperm from two brothers would not link, but would link up only when from the same male.

-- People who are overweight are more likely to have overweight dogs, although fat cats don't correlate with an increased weight of an owner, according to a study published in Public Health Nutrition. More than half of all of pets in the United States are overweight. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker Shannon

THE SCOOP

Make tracks to adopt a retired racer

Greyhound racing is a dying sport, and as more tracks close for good, more former racers are looking for their forever homes. Should yours be one of them?

Do you want a dog who is quiet and clean in the house, takes long, peaceful naps on the sofa, gazes adoringly into your eyes but never pesters you to throw the ball, and is always up for a walk or a run? If that describes you, there's a good chance you'll be happy with a greyhound.

Despite their image as driven athletes, greyhounds are in fact what their owners commonly call "40 mile-an-hour couch potatoes," and while the speeds may vary, the general concept is dead on. Retired racing greyhounds make wonderful pets and require much less exercise than you might expect. Regular walks and two or three good runs in a safe area each week should keep your sleek hound happy and healthy.

Weighing in between 60 and 85 pounds, greyhounds have long legs and necks that make them seem larger than they are. Their short coats mean grooming needs are minimal: A quick swipe every other day with a "hound glove," a two-sided combination of glove and brush, is perfect for removing dead hair and minimizing shedding.

Renowned for their gentle temperaments, greyhounds are wonderful family dogs. As with any of the quick-reacting "sighthound" breeds, there could be problems with cats and small dogs, so be careful if you have other pets. Greyhounds are usually good with other dogs and with children.

Looking for more greyhound tips and information? Be sure to visit www.adopt-a-greyhound.org. -- Christie Keith

BY THE NUMBERS

What sends pets to the vet

Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) has released its list of the top medical conditions for which claims were submitted last year for dogs and cats. VPI received more than a million claims in 2009.

The most common ailment in dogs? Ear infection, coming in at nearly 68,000 claims and an average cost of $100 per visit. And in cats? Lower urinary tract disease, with a total of 3,700 claims at an average cost of $260 per visit. Here's the complete list:

Top conditions in dogs

1. Ear infection

2. Skin allergy

3. Skin infection, or hot spots

4. Gastritis, or vomiting

5. Enteritis, or diarrhea

Top conditions in cats

1. Lower urinary tract disease

2. Gastritis, or vomiting

3. Chronic renal failure

4. Hyperthyroidism

5. Diabetes

PET Rx

'Blocked' cats need vet's help

In cats, obstipation is described as the inability to defecate, a very painful and serious condition that demands prompt veterinary attention. The causes of this backup are not well-understood, but they result in intestines that become dilated and unable to push stools out of the body normally.

If your cat is straining or crying out while trying to defecate, or if you notice an absence of feces in the litter box, your pet has a potentially serious problem. Oddly, this blockage may initially appear as diarrhea because your cat's body, so irritated by the retained feces, may generate lots of watery fluid or mucus to try to cope. This discharge may seem like "ordinary" loose stools when passed.

Any changes in your cat's litter-box habits need to be investigated by your veterinarian, the sooner the better, and obstipation is no exception. -- Dr. Marty Becker

Pet Connection is produced by a team of team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of several best-selling pet-care books. Contact Pet Connection in care of this newspaper, by sending e-mail to petconnection@gmail.com or by visiting PetConnection.com.