TIGHT BUDGETS LEAD SOME CITY SHELTERS TO STOP TREATING CATS LIKE DOGS

How do you help more cats with less money? Contrary to decades of conventional practice, some in the shelter community are now arguing that for municipal shelters, the answer is to leave free-roaming cats alone, and to ask communities' nonprofit shelters to do the same.

"We help when a cat is in trouble, or is causing trouble," says Tracy Mohr, a 30-year shelter veteran who recently turned the California college town of Chico into one where cats are no longer routinely accepted at the city's tax-funded shelter. "If that's not the case, we leave them alone and ask that others do, too."

Chico's city shelter no longer accepts "nuisance" cats trapped and brought in by citizens, nor cats presumed to be lost pets. The city shelter also no longer accepts cats given up by their owners for adoption. Those animals now go to the Butte Humane Society, a local nonprofit that had already been pulling cats from the city shelter for adoption. By sending people looking to rehome a pet directly to the nonprofit shelter, the community has "one-stop shopping" for adopting cats while sparing the animals the stress of being moved from one shelter to another.

The changes were put in place in February, and they've resulted in fewer cats killed and, more surprisingly, fewer unhappy citizens. Mohr says that's because the shelters were all on the same page when it came to handling cats, and because the community outreach ahead of the change was extensive.

"We have a very active animal welfare community here, with a lot of organizations and a lot of very active, concerned people," says Mohr. "The change made perfect sense."

What didn't make sense was continuing with traditional sheltering methods when budgets are being slashed, says shelter medicine pioneer Dr. Kate Hurley of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis. Hurley points out that landing in a shelter is a good thing if you're a dog, but that's rarely the case for cats.

"People know when a dog is missing, and they know it right away," she says. "The dog was here, and now he's not. That's not true with cats. It's not uncommon for an owned cat to be missing for a while, and an owner won't start looking because the cat always came back before."

"With all our efforts in shelters to reunite cats with their owners, more commonly what we're doing is killing people's pets," says Hurley, noting that 67 percent of lost cats are reunited with their owners by returning on their own, but only 2 percent of shelter cats are reclaimed by their owners. In other words: Cities can save money by not dealing with "lost" cats or feral cat colonies, which are both situations that typically will resolve or can be resolved without official intervention.

The change is in part a realization that free-roaming cats, whether pets or feral, have more in common with wild animals than with dogs. No one would ever suggest that there were enough money and man-hours to eradicate entire populations of wild species in urban areas. Instead, the strategy is to remove dangerous animals and help those wild animals in trouble. The same strategy works for cats, says Dr. Hurley, and Mohr agrees.

"Take people complaining that there's a cat in their yard, going to the bathroom in their garden," says Mohr. "If they trap that cat, really, is that going to solve the problem? No, because there are probably more cats in the neighborhood. Trapping will be an exercise in futility.

"What we're counseling people to do, the same way we counsel them with wildlife, is to use strategies that make a yard less attractive for a cat.

"The problem gets solved by leaving the animal alone in most cases, and we're using our community to solve it."

The bottom line, says Mohr, is a collaborative community effort aimed at problem-solving, using strategies that actually work with and for cats, while saving money for taxpayers.

Q&A

No easy cure for bird's

self-destructive actions

Q: Is there anything I can do to keep my bird from pulling out his own feathers? Specifically, is this a dietary problem? -- via Facebook

A: Feather-picking is a symptom of something else that's wrong with your bird. Any one (or any combination) of the following can be at the root of the issue:

-- Health problems. Medical conditions behind feather-picking include allergies, parasitic infections, bacterial infections, abnormal growths (cysts) in the feather follicle, internal health problems, vitamin deficiencies and hormone-associated problems. And that's the short list. Low humidity can also be a factor.

-- Boredom, pent-up energy and psychological problems. Birds are active and intelligent, and they don't handle the strain of being forced to sit around in a cage all day very well. Without things to play with and stuff to destroy, and without being able to get out of the cage and exercise, birds may direct all their energy toward self-mutilation. Obsessive-compulsive disorders can also trigger feather-picking, as can attention seeking.

Find a veterinarian with experience in caring for birds as soon as the problem appears. Medical problems need to be addressed before looking at any behavioral strategies.

After any medical issues are resolved, start a diary to record changes to your bird's world and any effects they may have on his behavior. For example, a daily misting with a spray bottle and the addition of a room humidifier may be help, as might different toys, a smaller or larger cage, a new cage location, keeping a radio playing during the day, covering the cage to ensure your bird gets 12 solid hours of sleep, and more interaction and play with you.

Some birds will never stop plucking. The best you can do is to be patient, work with an avian veterinarian toward fixing the problems and be prepared to love your bird no matter what he looks like. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori

Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Famous feline paradise

for sale in San Diego

-- The world-famous San Diego house where cats wandered freely on overhead walkways is for sale. Updated and remodeled, but with its cat-friendly features left intact, The Cats' House is listed at nearly $600,000. Owned by artists Bob Walker and Frances Mooney, the house has been the subject of two best-selling books and countless media appearances. Once a wild display of color inside and out, the home's interior walls now sport an off-white hue, and the old, deep-purple exterior is now a more sedate and traditional green. The couple is moving to the Washington, D.C., area with plans for a second Cats' House.

-- Americans spend about $500 on average, or 1 percent of their annual budgets, on their pets. Statistics released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal that people ages 55 to 64 and couples without children are most likely to spend money on pets and their care, dedicating hundreds of dollars more per year than people in their 20s and 30s. While the spending accounts for $61.4 billion last year, it wasn't all for health care: One-fourth of all pet owners admitted skipping veterinary visits for wellness care or other pet needs.

-- Want to catch a glimpse of one of the rarest of cats? Check out the big cat view from the Center for International Forestry Research's 30 hidden cameras in the rainforests of Java (http://tinyurl.com/JavaLeopard). Images of three Javan leopards looking healthy and acting normally have given hope to researchers studying these beautiful and endangered animals. The Javan leopard population is believed to comprise fewer than 250 adults. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori

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 affiliated with Vetstreet.com and 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.

STRESS-FREE CATS ARE LESS LIKELY TO DEVELOP ILLNESSES OR BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS

Sometimes when I talk to a pet owner about her cat's stress, I can almost hear what she's thinking.

"Stress? You must be kidding. This cat sleeps 20 hours a day, gets handed food to him twice a day and never has to lift a paw for anything," I imagine her saying. "Now if you want to talk about stress, listen to what I'm dealing with every day."

It's true that cats aren't dealing with long commutes, tight budgets and all the other modern strains that we people have. But it's also true that many of them feel stressed. You need to care about that, because when a cat is stressed, he's more likely to get sick or develop behavior problems.

My colleague and longtime friend Dr. Tony Buffington leads the Indoor Pet Initiative at The Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Here are some of his suggestions for keeping your cat calmer -- and healthier, as a result.

-- Understand that cats do not respond to force, and that they do respond to praise. Punishment that follows an action by more than a few seconds won't stop the cat from doing it again, and may even cause the animal to become fearful of the owner or the surroundings.

-- Provide a room or other space that the cat can call his own, complete with food and water, a bed (a cat carrier with a soft pad inside is a good choice), a litter box, a scratching/climbing post (cats need to be able to scratch and climb), a window to look out of and some toys.

-- Offer vertical space as well as horizontal. Even a small apartment can become a good-sized place for a cat if you provide cat trees, feline stairways and other ways for him to enjoy living the high life.

-- Place food and the litter boxes away from appliances and air ducts that could come on unexpectedly, and locate them so that another animal (or human) cannot sneak up on the cat while he's using the box. Food and water should be kept fresh, and the litter box should be scooped every day.

-- Give your cat something to scratch on to ensure that he can engage in this normal behavior without damaging furniture. A cat can easily be enticed to use scratching structures by placing them in places the cat likes, pairing with treats, feeding and playing near the structure, and praising profusely when the cat is seen using it.

-- Remember that cats seem to prefer to feel like they are "in control" of their surroundings, so allow them to choose the changes they want to make. When you make changes (food, litter, toys, etc.), offer them in a separate container next to the familiar one so your cat can decide whether or not to change.

-- Take your cat to the veterinarian regularly. In addition to providing preventive health care through regular checkups, your cat's doctor can help you troubleshoot and resolve any issues before they become problems.

There's more to keeping a cat happy and healthy indoors than putting down food, water and a litter box. Learn more at The Indoor Cat Initiative (indoorpet.osu.edu), where you will find more ideas and a free video to download that will help you turn your home into a feline spa.

Q&A

Yellow ribbon on leash

helps keep everyone safe

Q: We're the proud owners of a poodle mix we adopted from a rescue. She doesn't like strangers, and she is especially frightened of men. She has snapped, but never bitten, when strangers reach to pet her because she is so cute. How can we tell people that she needs her space? -- via Facebook

A: You're certainly not alone in having a hard time saying, "My dog needs her space." Top veterinary behaviorist Dr. Ilana Reisner (ReisnerVetBehavior.com) says she actually role-plays with some of her clients so they get used to standing up for their dogs. The Philadelphia-area veterinarian says that people are proud of their dogs, and don't like admitting that the dog may have an issue.

"A stranger will say, 'What a cute dog,'" she said, and then move to pet your dog without formally asking. "It's fine to acknowledge the compliment and say, 'Please don't come any closer.'"

No further explanation is needed, she said, and in fact, it's really not advised. Although many people do have the common sense to ask before petting, many don't. And if you admit beforehand that your dog "may bite," you're setting yourself up for a lawsuit if someone swoops in anyway. I've actually found that more children know to ask permission to pet a dog than adults do, perhaps because adults figure they can "read" a dog, while children are often taught to always ask, no matter what.

While speaking up for your dog is still the best method of keeping strangers at bay, you might also put a yellow ribbon on your dog's leash. In the past couple of years, people in the training and behavior community have been promoting the use of yellow ribbons to let people know a dog needs some room. The concept (more at TheYellowDogProject.com) likely came from the horse world, where a ribbon on a horse's tail is used to signify an animal who may kick.

Dr. Reisner likes the idea of a yellow ribbon, but cautions that it will take a while to catch on. "If you mentioned the idea to the average Joe, they've never heard of it, and that's true of many veterinarians as well," she said.

That's certainly true, but if you put a yellow ribbon on your dog's leash, you may slow someone down long enough for them to ask what the ribbon means. Letting them know not only gives you a polite way to keep them at a safe distance, but it also spreads the word about yellow ribbons. -- Gina Spadafori

Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Flame retardant may be

linked to feline illness

-- Is a chemical commonly found in homes linked to an increase in hyperthyroidism in cats? As laws are introduced to ban the flame retardants known as PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, advocates for ending the use of these products point to "canary in the coal mine" studies that link the chemicals to a commonly malady in cats. A study in the February 2012 issue of the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health showed that levels of PBDEs in owned cats, even those with no symptoms of hyperthyroidism, were higher than those in feral cats. Cats with the condition have thyroid glands that overproduce, shifting their metabolism into overdrive. Left untreated, the animals will die; the preferred treatment, however, is an expensive stay at a special veterinary clinic where the affected gland is treated with radiation.

-- The Maine Coon Cat is thought to have the highest incidence of extra toes among all feline breeds. The condition is known as "polydactyl," and is considered a harmless and even endearing genetic mutation.

-- Stand-alone veterinary emergency clinics have long been the norm in most communities, allowing the "family veterinarian" to turn off her pager after hours. Many "pet ERs" are staffed by veterinarians certified in emergency and critical care. The organization that accredits these specialists, the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, is now providing additional certification for practices. Nine veterinary hospitals and clinics in the United States have been conditionally identified as veterinary trauma centers. Most of the centers are in the teaching hospitals of university-based veterinary schools and colleges, but four are stand-alone practices, including two in Southern California. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori

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 affiliated with Vetstreet.com and 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.

MADDIE'S FUND CHALLENGES ADOPTION MYTHS TO GET SHELTER PETS PLACED

If someone else pays the adoption fee when you adopt a pet, does it change how much you "value" the animal as a member of your family? How you answer that question may reveal how you feel about many of the changes currently underway in the shelter and rescue community.

It has long been a core belief in the community that people who didn't pay for a pet were more likely to "get rid of it" for pretty much any reason at all -- or for no reason at all.

In recent years, though, organizations such as Maddie's Fund, the Association of Shelter Veterinarians and the No-Kill Advocacy Center have challenged those views and many others, working to increase the number of homeless animals placed in good homes by changing the way shelters do business.

One of the first things they looked at: the idea that adoption fees help pets find better homes. After Maddie's Fund experimented with paying the adoption fees for a relatively small adoption drive, the Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine tracked the people and the pets they adopted. They found that the overwhelming majority of the animals were still in their homes months later, most sleeping on the beds of the people who adopted them.

This year, Maddie's Fund has expanded its adoption drive. On June 1 and June 2, more than 200 shelters and rescue groups from eight communities in five states will participate in the fourth annual Maddie's Pet Adoption Days, with Maddie's Fund ready with $4 million to provide the adoption fees that shelters and rescue groups are counting on. Adoption drive organizers hope to place 5,000 pets in new forever homes, adding to the nearly 7,000 pets placed in the three prior, more geographically limited events. (For locations and more information, go to Adopt.Maddiesfund.org.)

A few years ago, I would have been in the "people value what they pay for" camp. I ran a breed rescue for a couple of years, taking in and rehoming about 200 dogs in that time. You definitely can get burned out and cynical when dealing with people who are giving up pets.

But the relatively few "bad eggs" in the pet-owner population seem to get concentrated into the "baskets" of rescuers and shelter workers. It's easy to start thinking that pretty much everyone is a pet-dumping jerk, even those who don't want to give up pets but have to, such as when someone loses their home.

There will always be some people who don't do right by their pets, but studies show that most people truly are doing the very best they can for the pets they consider family. Even if sometimes the "best" is finding another home.

When you stop looking at everyone as an enemy, you can ask your communities for help -- and you'll get it. That's why this year I volunteered to help Maddie's Fund spread the word of this year's Pet Adoption Days. For weeks now, I've been helping the group connect with people who will share the information -- and with some, I hope, who'll adopt a pet!

We are pet-loving societies here in the United States and Canada, and Maddie's is truly on to something here. In providing shelters and rescue groups with the resources to change how they work with their communities, they're giving them room to change -- for the better.

It's a pretty good bet that 5,000 pets will find new homes during Maddie's Pet Adoption Days as planned, but it's just as likely that more hearts will be changed forever by drives like these than can be filled by shelters operating on their own.

And that's great news for pets and the people who love them.

Q&A

What's the cure for

ringworm on a cat?

Q: My daughter has ringworm, and her pediatrician said our cat is the likely source. My husband and I caught it, too. Is there something we can do to treat this? We're tired of itching. -- via Facebook

A: Ringworm typically shows up as a red, hairless patch on people or pets, often in the shape of a ring. But it's caused by a fungus, not a worm of any kind. We veterinarians are exposed to ringworm in our patients so often that getting a case of it ourselves is not uncommon. Fortunately, it's not considered a serious condition, in either pets or people, even if it is an itchy one.

I'm going to assume that you're asking about treatment for your cat, since I hope you wouldn't be asking a veterinarian for human medical advice (although it surely wouldn't be the first time). You need to take your cat in for diagnosis and treatment. Your daughter's pediatrician's educated guess may be correct, but your veterinarian needs to confirm it.

Do be aware that while you can get ringworm from a pet, you're more likely to get it from another person. Places such as locker rooms are common areas where funguses might live, since moist, warm areas are a perfect breeding ground for them. Protect yourself by wearing sandals in locker rooms and communal showers and by not sharing towels with anyone. (When you get ringworm from a locker room, it's referred to as "athlete's foot.")

While dogs, cats and many other animals can get ringworm, cats are more likely to pick it up than other pets. To prevent the fungus from spreading, promptly take your pet to the veterinarian for diagnosis, treatment and a strategy to prevent a repeat infection. Ringworm can certainly be ugly and itchy, but it's usually not hard to cure in people or animals, and is typically treated with cream and pills. -- Dr. Marty Becker

Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Scratching tops canine list

of reasons for veterinary visit

-- There's nothing that drives a dog crazier than itching, and nothing that drives the dog's owner to the veterinarian more quickly than scratching. That may be why three of the top 10 reasons that dog owners took their pets in for medical care in 2012 involved skin issues, according to the pet-health insurance company VPI. The Brea, Calif.-based VPI is the largest insurer of pet health in the country, and every year it issues a list of the top claims for dogs and cats. While itching was the top reason why dogs saw the veterinarian, urinary-tract problems led the list for cats, followed by dental disease and hyperthyroidism. VPI's data are based on an analysis of almost a half-million cats and dogs covered by the insurance.

-- A top racing greyhound running at full speed can hit 43 mph. Racehorses can go just a little faster. The cheetah can smoke them both, though, hitting 70 mph in full flight.

-- The maker of a sugar-free gum that guarded information about xylitol being an ingredient changed its policy after veterinarians pressed on behalf of poisoned pets. Xylitol is a replacement for sugar in many gums, candies and other products meant for human consumption, but the substance can be lethal to pets. The Veterinary Information Network News Service (news.vin.com) reports that the makers of Stride gum required veterinarians inquiring about xylitol levels to sign a non-disclosure agreement before it released information, causing a delay in treatment. The change in policy brought the company in line with the rest of the industry. The ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center has tracked xylitol poisoning in pets since 2007; in 2012 it logged more than 3,000 calls on products containing the sweetener. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori

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 affiliated with Vetstreet.com and 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.