One of the most pervasive myths about cats is that they care more about places than people.

It's true that cats are territorial and will seek out familiar places when stressed, which is why they sometimes attempt to return to their old homes when moved. But they'll be much happier going where you go if you take steps to ease their transition from one home to another.

While you'll never manage a stress-free move for either yourself or your cat, you can make the best of the situation by keeping your pet secure before, during and after the move, and then by allowing your pet to gradually adapt to his new surroundings.

The best way to move your cat is to confine him to a "safe room" before and after the move, and to transport him from one house to another in a secure carrier. The ideal safe room is a spare bedroom or bathroom where your cat isn't going to be disturbed, and where he can be outfitted with food and water, a litter box, a scratching post and toys.

Don't feel bad about confining your pet. He'll be more relaxed in a small space where he won't be subjected to the stress of seeing people tromping around his house with the family belongings. Confining your cat also prevents him from slipping outside, which is a danger at both the old and the new home. A frightened cat may be hard to locate on the day of the move if you don't make sure he's somewhere that you can put your hands on him.

When you get to your new home, leave the carrier -- with its door open -- in the safe room. Close the door to the room and leave him be while you unpack. Coaxing him out of the carrier with treats and praise is fine, but let him choose when and how much of the safe room he wants to explore. Never drag him out -- you'll upset your cat, and you might get scratched or bitten.

A couple of days after you've unpacked and things have settled down, open the door to the safe room so your cat can explore the rest of the house. Even if you plan to let him outside, keep him in for a couple of weeks. He needs to stay inside to start forming a bond with his new surroundings. Better still, make the most of the opportunity offered by a move and convert your pet to indoor-only status. Your new neighbors will appreciate it, and your cat will live a longer, safer life.

It's relatively easy to make the conversion to indoor cat when you move to a new home. He'd carry on like crazy in your old home if locked in, but in new surroundings he'll accept the change with little fuss. Part of the reason cats don't like to convert to indoor-only is because they've marked the outside as part of their territory and have a natural desire to revisit it. A newly moved cat will learn to accept the territory he has been offered, and if the outdoors isn't part of it, he won't miss it as much.

Above all, don't rush your cat through a move. Confinement during the transition is also good for avoiding behavior problems that might pop up with the stress of moving. By limiting your cat's options to the litter box and the scratching post in his small safe room, he will quickly redevelop the good habits he had in your old home.

Q&A

Puppy classes great

for socialization

Q: After a lot of research, we found a breeder we liked who did all the health certifications on our future puppy's parents. She raises pups inside and socializes them. All good from what we've read, and we're getting our Newfoundland pup from her in about a month. But in our research we've encountered a dispute: Some sources (mostly trainers) say puppies need to get out and be socialized, and go to a puppy class, and other sources (mostly veterinarians) say puppies should never go out until all their puppy shots are done at four months. Who's right?

A: Both, really. It's essential for your puppy to be socialized, and a well-run puppy class is the best place to get your new family member off to the best possible start. And those veterinarians also are correct in saying that your puppy needs to be protected from disease until he is fully immunized.

Fortunately, you can protect your puppy from disease and still socialize your pet in a puppy class. That's because good puppy classes present minimal risk of contagious disease to the canine participants.

Whoa! I can already see readers stopping on the phrase "minimal risk." Perhaps I'd better say "acceptable risk." Or even "comparable risk," if you'll follow along to find out why.

There's nothing as important in a dog's life as getting off to a good start in terms of training and behavior. Dogs end up homeless because of poor behavior, and many such problems can be traced to a puppyhood without the proper training and socialization. It's always easier to prevent a behavior problem than to fix one, and that's why puppy classes are worth that "minimal risk."

If you look at it from a lifetime perspective, a dog is more likely to die from behavior problems than from disease. A pup's best chance at becoming a well-loved member of a family rests heavily on how easy that animal is to live with over time. The adorable puppy who grows into an out-of-control or aggressive dog is a solid candidate for a trip to a shelter, where he'll be unlikely to land a second chance.

Puppy classes teach youngsters how to get along with other dogs, be handled by any number of people, and learn the basic lessons of good behavior, from sitting on command to keeping all four paws on the ground when greeting people. A good puppy class uses positive techniques to teach puppies that learning is fun and people are good. And that's a lesson for life.

While puppy classes are fine, heed your veterinarian's advice and keep your pup away from other areas where other dogs frequent, such as parks. It's fine, though, to set up play dates in secure yards that have been inhabited by healthy dogs who are known to be up-to-date on their vaccines. The dogs of your friends and family are great for these socializing get-togethers, as are their children. The more your puppy is safely exposed to, the better. – Gina Spadafori

THE BUZZ

Dogs mean status

in the new China

-- China now counts almost a million registered pet dogs, and countless others fly beneath the government's radar. According to The New York Times, the popularity of dogs is a hot phenomenon that shows little sign of ending. Dog swimming pools, theaters for people and their pets, and dog-friendly bars are popping up, along with pet-friendly stores and canine social networks. The pets serve as stress relief and as substitute children in a society where one child is still the rule. Dogs are also considered status symbols in the new China: Walking around with a Tibetan Mastiff is a way of telling everyone that you have disposable income, and lots of it.

-- The vicious, fanged Chupacabra is a creature of legend, a scary doglike animal purported to suck the blood out of livestock. Scientists believe the Chupacabras that people report seeing are actually coyotes with severe cases of mange. The long snout, the hairlessness and the foul odor are all consistent with a mange-infested coyote. The same mite responsible for the disease causes scabies in people.

-- Animal hybrids may not be all that rare. An estimated 10 percent of animals and 25 percent of plants are said to occasionally breed with other species. Common crosses in captivity include zorses (zebra-horse) and the beefalo (bison-beef cattle). Most hybrids, like mules, are infertile. Hybrids are also far outnumbered and will be outcompeted by their parents' respective species. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker

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 many best-selling pet-care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.

By Liz Palika

Onyx is an old box turtle -- old enough that her shell is worn completely smooth. But even in her advanced years, she's active, her eyes are bright and her appetite hasn't slackened one little bit. As she bites into a strawberry, she smears it all over her face and front feet, and it's obvious she enjoys the treat.

She lives with me and my husband, and both of us have long had a soft spot for turtles, tortoises and other reptiles, along with more popular pets such as dogs and cats.

Box turtles are native to the United States, and at one time were commonly seen throughout the eastern and central states. Unfortunately, habitat loss and collection for the pet trade have significantly decreased their numbers. Some populations are so depleted that they are now protected by law.

The good news is that box turtles breed well in captivity, producing offspring who are entertaining, engaging and quickly learn to recognize their owners.

Feeding these turtles is quite interesting, as adult box turtles are omnivores -- they eat both meat and plants -- but for the first two to five years of life, young box turtles are almost exclusively carnivores.

In the wild, adult box turtles will eat insects, worms, grubs, newborn rodents, berries, fungi and just about anything else they can find. In captivity, offer earthworms and grubs from your backyard and mealworms and crickets from the pet store. Feed a variety of plant foods, too, including strawberries, blueberries, melons, tomatoes and some chopped greens. Provide your box turtle with a cuttlebone (from the bird section of the pet supply store) so that your pet has a source of calcium.

Hatchling box turtles are a little more challenging as they need worms, insects and other live foods of the correct size. Since newly hatched box turtles are about the size of a quarter, they need small mealworms, tiny grubs, sow bugs and small red worms or earthworms. As the young box turtles grow, tiny pieces of plant foods should be offered so they can get used to them.

If it's possible, keep adult box turtles in a safe enclosure outside. Ideally, the enclosure should be at least 10 square feet in size with a fence or wall around it that is at least 2 feet high.

An inside enclosure should be as large as you can make it, but at least 3 feet long and 2 feet wide. The sides of the enclosure shouldn't be glass because turtles don't understand glass and tend to beat themselves up against it. The bedding on the floor of the enclosure can be dirt with leaf litter, potting soil (without fertilizers), leaf mulch or moss.

The box turtle will need a plant saucer set into the ground or bedding for easy access to water for drinking and soaking. The turtle will also need some hiding places for both sleeping and for lying low; a plant pot on its side works well.

The outside enclosure should have both sun and shade so the box turtle can regulate his or her temperature. Inside, the turtle will need artificial heat in one area of the enclosure while the rest of the enclosure is room temperature. Indoor turtles will need to make field trips outside so they can bask in the sun and absorb some vitamin D.

Onyx has lived with us for the past 20 years. She's personable, friendly and will come running toward anyone carrying food. It's amazing how fast she can run!

(Liz Palika, a member of the Pet Connection advisory board, is a San Diego-based reptile expert and dog-trainer as well as an award-winning writer.)

Q&A

Clean environment key

to minimizing risks

Q: I say pet birds are high risk for passing disease on to people. I think they should be banned. And now everyone wants a chicken coop, including my neighbors. What do you think? -- via e-mail

A: Every animal we meet and especially those with whom we share our lives has the potential to pass health problems to us, whether it's rabies, parasites or salmonella. Medical conditions that can be passed from animals to humans are called "zoonotic."

Like any companion animal, pet birds from parrots to backyard chickens can have the potential to pass disease to their human keepers. The risk is small, but it does exist and needs to be acknowledged. However, as a suburban chicken-keeper with a friendly flock of egg-layers, I am in favor of legalizing backyard chickens and glad to see more cities do so.

The key to avoiding disease transmission from an animal is to educate yourself about risks, work with your veterinarian to keep pets healthy and parasite-free, and use plenty of basic common sense when it comes to hygiene. Keeping a pet healthy, combined with maintaining a clean environment and washing your hands after interacting with any animal, will minimize the small risk that exists.

That said, there is one problem with birds that should be noted: If you have allergies or asthma, you probably should consider avoiding certain species of pet birds, such as the cockatoo, which gives off lots of powdery white dust.

Other than that, I don't lose any sleep worrying about pet birds -- or any other pets, for that matter. As my writing partner, Dr. Marty Becker, always says: "Lose the risk and keep the pet." -- Gina Spadafori

THE BUZZ

Different views

on debark, declaw

-- Close to 60 percent of all Americans and 55 percent of those with cats approve of declawing, but only 8 percent approve of surgically altering a dog's vocal cords. According to an Associated Press-Petside.com poll, about half of pet owners would support a law making debarking illegal, with only 1 percent reporting having had the procedure done on a dog they owned. In contrast, only 18 percent would support a law making declawing illegal.

-- Chinchillas, nocturnal rodents with a lush, soft coat, were first imported to the United States from South America in 1923, promoted as a small business in raising the animals for fur. In the 1960s they began to grow in popularity as pets. Chinchillas can live up to 20 years and are known for taking regular dust baths. They are promoted today as an easy-care pet for those looking for a quiet animal suitable for a small apartment.

-- "Love me, love my pet" is the rule in the United Kingdom, where four out of five residents polled said they would not date someone who didn't like their pet. And they're looking for Mr. or Ms. Pet Lover when they are meeting people: Among dog owners, 5 percent reported meeting someone to date while walking a dog, with the love triangle still going strong for about one-fifth of those who met someone that way. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker

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 many best-selling pet-care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.

If you haven't met a rabbit kept in the house as a pet, I guarantee that you have no idea how engaging, entertaining and affectionate these pets can be. I know, because I've long been a fan of house-rabbits and have kept them off and on for several years now.

What do most people not know about rabbits? That these animals who are a popular pet for children are an even better pet for adults. Once liberated from the confinement of a backyard "hutch" and provided with a safe and secure indoor environment, bunnies really shine. They're playful and adorably willful, trainable and even amenable to using a litter box. They're quiet pets that fit perfectly into quiet households.

And, yes, they're very cute.

Even better, there's always a good selection of bunnies available from shelters or rescue groups. If you really want to make a bunny happy, adopt a pair of them, since rabbits love company.

Forget small wire-floored cages and boring diets. Here's how to keep your rabbit healthy:

-- Housing. Your rabbit will need a home base of a small pen or large cage with food, water and a litter box. Rabbits do well with a plain cat box filled with a shallow layer of recycled paper pellets, covered with a layer of fresh grass hay. You don't scoop a rabbit box -- you change it completely, every day. (The ingredients you toss are great for your compost pile.)

Because some rabbits can be chewers, you'll want to make sure that any rabbit-friendly area has electrical cords tucked away, and deny access to the legs of nice furniture and the corners of good carpets.

-- Nutrition. Fresh water needs to be available at all times. For food, you can use high-quality commercial rabbit pellets for a base diet, or you can also skip the store-bought route and feed your rabbit a good variety of fresh leafy veggies and an unlimited supply of fresh grass hay. If you go the pellet route, your rabbit should still get as much fresh grass hay as he wants, and still offer fresh leafy vegetables to complement the pellets. Treat your rabbit, too: Bunnies love little bits of fruits and root vegetables.

If you have storage space, hay is cheaper by the bale and lasts for weeks in a cool, dry location if protected from the elements. And stop throwing away veggie trimmings from meal preparation -- give them to your rabbit!

-- Health care. Get your rabbit spayed or neutered. In addition to keeping your rabbit from reproducing, you'll have a better pet. Unaltered rabbits can have behavior problems such as aggression and urine-spraying. Your rabbit will need a wellness check, just as a cat or dog would, and a good rabbit vet will help you catch little health problems before they become big ones.

Check with your local rabbit rescue group for the names of veterinarians who are known to be good with rabbits.

-- Exercise and play. Make sure your rabbit is allowed time outside the cage or pen every day. If you can't manage letting your rabbit roam at will indoors, block off a single rabbit-proofed room. A secure, supervised area outside is fine as well, but don't leave your rabbit unattended. Rabbits can be scared literally to death by cats, dogs and even jays and crows.

Rabbits love toys. Cat toys, dog toys, hard-plastic baby toys and even the cardboard tubes from inside toilet paper and paper towel rolls are fun for rabbits. Cardboard boxes stuffed with hay and treats are also fun for bunnies.

Once you've gotten the hang of rabbit care, think of adding another such pet. Rabbits are social animals and do very well in pairs. For more information, check out the House Rabbit Society (rabbit.org).

Q&A

(Waiting for new headline

about this Q&A section)

Q: I just got married. My husband has a cat, which is great because I have always had a cat, but was cat-less after my sweet Miranda died. I would like to get a kitten because Harry likes my husband best, and I want a cat who likes me best. What's the best way to keep Harry happy when a new baby arrives? -- via e-mail

A: If you take over feeding Harry and also dedicate time to playing with him, you'll probably rise up in his list of priorities. You may even top your husband in Harry's affection. You never know!

But I'm real believer in "the more the merrier," so I think you should still add a cat. Living with more than one cat doesn't have to be contentious. The trick to domestic harmony for co-habiting felines is to introduce -- or reintroduce -- them slowly and carefully. You might also ask your veterinarian about a product called Feliway, which mimics the scent of feline pheromones and makes many cats feel more relaxed in stressful circumstances.

Prepare a room for your new kitten with food and water bowls, and a litter box and scratching post that needn't be shared. This room will be your new pet's home turf while Harry gets used to the kitten being around.

Take your new kitten to your veterinarian first, to be checked for parasites such as ear mites and contagious diseases such as feline leukemia. When you're sure your new pet is healthy, the introductions can begin.

Bring the kitten home in a carrier and set him in the room you've prepared. Let your resident cat discover the caged baby, and don't be discouraged by initial hisses. When the new cat is alone in the room, close the door and let him out of the carrier. If he doesn't want to leave the carrier at first, let him be. Just leave the carrier door open and the kitten alone.

Maintain each cat separately for a week or so -- with lots of love and play for both -- and then on a day when you're around to observe, leave the door to the new cat's room open. Above all: Don't force them together. Territory negotiations between cats can be drawn-out and delicate, and you must let them work it out on their own, ignoring the hisses and glares.

Since your husband's cat got used to having you around, it's a pretty good bet he'll adjust to a kitten, too. If you decide to adopt an adult cat instead of a kitten, the introductions may be a little more difficult, but with patience going from a one-cat home to a two-cat home will usually work out in the end. – Mikkel Becker

THE BUZZ

Dogs keep owners

busy with walks

-- Dog owners walk an average of 23,000 miles with their pet during the animal's lifetime. A study commissioned by the U.K. insurance company Esure reports that the average owner walks his or her dog for eight hours and 54 minutes per week, going 36 miles per week, which adds up to more than 1,800 miles per year and nearly equals the circumference of the Earth in the average canine life span of 12.8 years. They don't go far racking up the miles: 41 percent of dog owners walk with their pets around the neighborhood, while 42 percent choose a local park to walk their dogs. And they don't all go willingly, with 15 percent of owners saying walking the dog was the worst part of owning one.

-- Once one of the most notable equine regions in the country -- Pimlico, after all, was the site of the historic Sea Biscuit-War Admiral race -- Maryland's horse population is in decline. The Maryland Horse Industry Board notes that the number of horses in the state has decreased 7 percent from 2002 to 2010.

-- One of the most accomplished veterinarians in U.S. history was Frederick Douglass Patterson, who was graduated from Cornell in 1932 and eventually became the third president of Tuskegee University. He also developed the Tuskegee Airmen program and was instrumental in establishing the United Negro College Fund. In the segregated South, Dr. Patterson made it possible for African-Americans to follow in his footsteps by founding Tuskegee's veterinary college. Before the founding of the veterinary school at Tuskegee, Cornell and Ohio State University led the country with the most African-American veterinary students. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker

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 many best-selling pet-care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.