Moving cross-country with cats? Ten tips to help the journey go smoothly

By Kim Campbell Thornton

A road trip with a dog is a classic experience, but you don't hear so much about traveling with cats. Felines can be fine traveling companions, though, especially if you prepare them beforehand and take some common-sense precautions to keep them safe and happy. Here's our expert advice on taking cats for a ride -- whether your destination is a day away or on the other side of the country.

-- If you have a few weeks or months before the big move, begin now to accustom your cat to his carrier. Leave it out in the house for him to explore, and make it extra-appealing by placing treats or catnip toys inside for him to find. You may also want to feed meals in it, leaving the door open. If you see your cat napping in the carrier, lavish him with praise, treats or a nice head scratch.

-- Accustom your cat to car rides that don't involve going to the veterinarian. Start with short trips down the street or around the block and right back home. Always make sure the ride is comfortable, with the carriers resting on a level, stable surface. Gradually increase the distance of the trips, with occasional stops for a treat such as a tiny bite of your hamburger at a drive-through or other special treat.

-- Feline pheromone sprays or wipes can enhance a carrier's allure and may help your cat relax when he's in it.

-- Tranquilizers are usually not a good idea, but if you have an anxious cat, talk to your veterinarian about chewable nutritional supplements that can have a calming effect. If your cat shows signs of motion sickness, such as drooling or vomiting, he may benefit from a prescription for Cerenia, an anti-nausea medication.

-- Plot your trip based on the location of pet-friendly hotels. Even if a website says a particular hotel or chain permits pets, call beforehand to confirm that cats are welcome.

-- Stock up on disposable litter boxes. Annette Maxberry-Carrara, who has moved around the world with various cats, recommends buying one for every stop until you reach your destination and using "crystal" litter, individually bagged for each stop. "It's lighter than clay, cuts the stink in the hotel room or car and absorbs liquid quickly," she says. "Toss the whole thing when you leave the hotel."

-- Feed your cat at least an hour before departure every morning so he has a chance to use the litter box before you set out. "Cats generally eat and drink less while traveling," says JaneA Kelley, who moved from Maine to Seattle with her three cats, ages 17, 13 and 1 year. "That gave my cats all the opportunity they needed until we stopped 8 to 10 hours later."

-- On the road, keep your cat in his carrier. It's safer for him and for you.

-- At hotels, take the cat in first -- in his carrier -- place it in the bathroom and close the door. Then you can bring in other items from the car without fear that the cat will bolt. "Try to make a corner of the hotel room as cozy as possible for the cat, with his carrier, familiar food dishes and litter box," says former Cat Fancy editor Debbie Phillips-Donaldson.

-- Plan ahead for your arrival. Terry Albert, who moved her cats from Seattle to San Diego and back again, says, "I'm probably the only person who ever checked luggage with an unwashed litter box in a trash bag so the cats would have something that smelled like home when we got to the new place."

Q&A

Secondhand smoke

affects dogs, cats

Q: My boyfriend smokes. I know that smoking around pets isn't good for them, but he says that as long as he doesn't smoke near them, there won't be any harmful effect. -- via email

A: You are right to be concerned about the effects of secondhand smoke on your pets. There's a direct link between pets living in a smoking environment and a higher risk of health problems. And your boyfriend is wrong to think that stepping outdoors or into another room is enough to offset the risk.

An ongoing study by the University of Glasgow found that while cats whose owners smoked away from them had a reduced amount of smoke taken into their body, the cats were not altogether protected from exposure. The same study found that a gene that acts as a marker of cell damage was higher in dogs living in smoking homes than those in nonsmoking homes.

Professor Clare Knottenbelt, professor of small animal medicine and oncology at the university's Small Animal Hospital, says, "Our findings show that exposure to smoke in the home is having a direct impact on pets. It risks ongoing cell damage, increasing weight gain after castration and has previously been shown to increase the risk of certain cancers."

Cats are especially at risk, possibly because they take in more smoke from grooming themselves. Veterinarian Victoria Smith, who is investigating the links between passive smoking and lymphoma, a cancer of the blood cells in cats, says, "Our work so far has shown that cats take in significant amounts of smoke, and even having outdoor access makes very little difference."

For his own health and that of your pets, encourage your boyfriend to stop smoking. If he won't, make a rule that he can't smoke in or around your home. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Dogs at risk may benefit

from canine flu vaccine

-- It's flu season for you, but what about your dog? Does he need a flu vaccination? Canine influenza isn't common, but it's making an appearance in some parts of the country, including a recent outbreak in Austin, Texas. The H3N2 virus is a newer infection, making dogs more susceptible, but a vaccine is available for dogs at risk. If your dog spends a lot of time with large numbers of other dogs -- at dog parks, boarding kennels or dog shows, for instance -- is already sick or has a weak immune system, or will be traveling to areas where there is an outbreak, ask your veterinarian if the vaccine is right for your dog.

-- An online database created to track animals who are taken in by shelters and rescue groups is up and running. Shelter Animals Count, which has on board organizations including the University of Wisconsin and University of Florida Veterinary Schools, the Association of Shelter Veterinarians and Maddie's Fund, will help animal welfare organizations large and small accurately count the numbers of animals entering and leaving shelters, share and compare data and improve their efforts to save animals' lives and prevent pet homelessness.

-- Captain Cat? Bailey, a sealpoint Siamese with a yen for adventure, sails the bounding main with his humans, Louise Kennedy and her partner, James. The seafaring feline blogs about his life on their sailboat, Nocturne, and has clawed his way to literary fame with his book, "Bailey Boat Cat: Adventures of a Feline Afloat." The Museum of Maritime Pets even named him an Ambassador at Sea. Like any good sailor, Bailey is skilled at climbing ropes and ladders. He also enjoys watching seagulls and other birds, as well as dolphins, and snacking on the occasional fish that mistakenly lands on board. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. They are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and are the authors of many best-selling pet-care books. Joining them is dog trainer and behavior consultant Mikkel Becker. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Cats may be better long-distance travelers than you think. Many curl up and sleep the whole way. Photo by JaneA Kelley; used by permission. Position: Main Story

Caption 02: Sailor cat Bailey enjoys bird watching, sunbathing and fishing. Position: Pet Buzz/Item 3

Fitness training for your dog (or cat) includes balance work, stretching, tricks and aerobics

By Kim Campbell Thornton

The holidays are over, you're back at work or school and you're still enthusiastic about your New Year's resolution to get in better shape. I think most of us commit to some version of that resolution every year: to exercise more, take up a new activity, eat right. Include your pet in that fitness resolution, and you'll improve his health, performance and longevity, says veterinary sports medicine specialist Cindy Otto, DVM.

My cavalier Harper and I started a little early with this resolution when we attended a working dog fitness class last November, led by Dr. Otto. The exercises we learned are often taught to working dogs and canine athletes to help them stay agile and teach them body awareness, but any pet can benefit.

"I think pet dogs benefit even more because often they're bored to tears, they're fat and they don't have anything to mentally stimulate them," Dr. Otto says. "I think the whole process, especially training and working with your dog, changes your relationship."

A pet workout isn't that different from one you might do for yourself. It includes a warmup, stretching, balance exercises for core power, strength training and a cool down. You can take a fitness class with your dog or learn some simple strategies to work with him on your own, using equipment you may already have or can build easily.

A warmup is as simple as walking your dog around for a few minutes to get the blood flowing (especially if he has been crated for any length of time), some active stretches such as downward dog (a play bow) and a counter stretch such as "frog dog" for groin muscles. A trick such as "wave" or "high five" is a good stretch for limbs and shoulders. Complete the warmup with some sits and downs and a rubdown to get the blood flowing.

Balance exercises to build a strong core (think "pupilates") include sitting up on the hind legs; walking a plank -- a board placed atop two balance discs so it's a little wobbly when the pet crosses it; or standing on single or multiple balance discs. Core exercises can also be as simple as having your pet stand or walk on a sofa cushion or inflatable bed.

"Dogs need core strength to keep their spine and pelvis healthy and happy," Dr. Otto says. "A lot of dogs end up losing their lives because of hind end weakness. Bad hips and bad backs are big causes of euthanasia."

Balance work doesn't take long. Spend three to five minutes daily practicing these exercises with your pet. If your dog has a long back or doesn't have good control, be cautious and go slowly with difficult exercises such as "sit pretty."

Another important aspect of fitness is what's known as proprioception, or body awareness. Learning to back up, fitting all four feet in a box and spinning in both directions are all skills that can help to build this ability.

Exercises for building strength and proprioception include walking up hills or walking sideways up hills. Backing up a hill strengthens the rear end while backing down a hill strengthens the front end. Other good strength exercises are "pushups" -- repeated sits and downs -- rolling over in both directions, crawling and trotting through the rungs of a ladder on the ground.

"Fit dogs have muscle tone," Dr. Otto says. "Just being thin isn't enough."

To find a class, do a web search for "fitness class for pets." You can find classes for puppies, seniors and people and pets of all fitness levels.

Q&A

Shedding or hair loss:

What's the difference?

Q: My cat seems to be losing a lot of hair. He even has a couple of bald patches. What is the problem? -- via Facebook

A: It's normal for cats to shed, of course. Hairs grow and then fall out on a regular basis, adorning our "fur-niture" (that's why they call it that), floors and clothing. Sometimes cats spontaneously lose a lot of hair when they are nervous or afraid. Stress activates their arrector pili muscles, attached to the hair follicles, causing the cat to suddenly lose hairs that have been in the resting phase of the hair growth cycle. That's a harmless condition, although it may leave your hands and clothing extra furry, but if your cat is starting to get bare patches, it's time to see your veterinarian. Any time you can see skin, hair loss is not normal.

Cats can lose fur from scratching or chewing at themselves. Known as traumatic hair loss, it's usually related to itchy skin caused by allergies or fleabites. Cats with traumatic hair loss are often allergic to substances in the environment, such as pollens or to ingredients in their diet.

Occasionally, cats can experience spontaneous hair loss from endocrine diseases such as Cushing's or from certain forms of cancer, such as lymphoma or liver or pancreatic cancer.

To diagnose the problem, your veterinarian will need to perform a physical exam. If the cause isn't obvious -- fleas, for instance -- blood work and possibly a skin biopsy can help to pinpoint the problem. If your cat has an endocrine disease or allergies, your veterinarian can prescribe medication or a change in diet. These types of conditions usually respond well to treatment.

If medical causes are ruled out, seek the advice of a veterinary behaviorist. Your cat may have a compulsive disorder that's causing him to pull out his fur. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Pacemaker gives dog

new leash on life

-- A 7-year-old bulldog named Joe is the first canine recipient of a state-of-the-art pacemaker, a small device that helps to control abnormal heart rhythms. The human-grade pacemaker, implanted by Auburn University veterinarian SeungWoo Jung, stimulates more of the heart than older models more commonly used in dogs. Older-style pacemakers regulated only the heart's bottom chamber, while newer models regulate top and bottom chambers. Manufacturers have made the devices available to veterinary cardiology programs at low or no cost.

-- Max and Bella top the list of most popular pet names of 2015, followed by Charlie and Buddy for male dogs and Lucy and Daisy for females. The trend toward human names for pets has been going strong for several years (last year, 49 percent of pet lovers chose "people" names for their dogs and cats), but pop culture is a force as well. "Star Wars" fans are naming pets Chewbacca, Yoda and Wicket, not to mention Luke and Leia. And who wouldn't name a Lab Boba Fetch? "Harry Potter" aficionados name pets Luna or Dobby as well as variations on the scarred wizard himself: Harry Pawter or Hairy Potter, anyone?

-- When foxes nearly wiped out a colony of fairy, or little, penguins on Australia's Middle Island, the flightless birds were rescued by an unusual savior: a Maremma sheepdog named Oddball. The uninhabited (except by penguins) island was invaded by foxes, who crossed to it from the mainland during low tide and feasted on the tiny penguins, which stand only 8 to 12 inches high. A chicken farmer suggested that his Maremma, a guardian breed, be used to protect the birds. That was 10 years ago, and the experiment was a success -- the fairy penguin population has risen to 200. Currently, two dogs named Eudy and Tula patrol Middle Island, and a new puppy is in training to start work this year. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. They are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and are the authors of many best-selling pet-care books. Joining them is dog trainer and behavior consultant Mikkel Becker. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Dogs and cats can benefit from "core" and strength training. Position: Main Story

Caption 02: Dogs as diverse as briards and Brussels griffons are named after the "Star Wars" character Chewbacca, said to have been inspired by George Lucas' big, furry Alaskan malamute. Position: Pet Buzz/Item 2

A missing-dog story has a happy ending thanks to an identification tag

By Kim Campbell Thornton

It's one of the most alarming phone calls a pet owner can receive: "Hello? I've found a dog. His tag says 'Thornton' on it, and it has this phone number."

That was the call I received last month while I was in Oklahoma, visiting my parents. My husband was recovering from surgery and had a cold, so we placed the dogs with a pet sitter who had kept them many times previously.

I was stunned and frightened. Had all the dogs escaped the sitter's home, or just this one? Were the other two still running loose somewhere? I rummaged for a pen and some paper so I could take down the caller's name and phone number. I called my husband to alert him that he needed to call the person and arrange to get our dog. I wasn't sure which one it was, since Keeper and Harper both have brown-and-white coloring.

Then I called the pet sitter. "Do you have my dogs?" He admitted that Keeper was missing -- he had somehow slipped out of the house unseen. They were searching for him. Happily, Harper and Gemma were still there. I let him know that Keeper had been found -- turns out he was just next door -- and that my husband would be by soon to pick them all up.

You might say that I'm a little obsessive when it comes to the amount of information I put on my pets' identification tags. They are engraved with our last name, our home phone number, two cellphone numbers and our veterinarian's phone number. Of course, my dogs are also microchipped, but an ID tag is the first and easiest option for recovery. All the finder has to do is read the tag and call the phone number on it.

In our case, the man called our house phone first but didn't leave a message. My husband didn't recognize the number, so he didn't pick up the call. I had my phone on silent because my parents and I had just gotten out of the movies, but luckily I felt it vibrate. I didn't recognize the number either, but it was an Orange County area code, so I answered.

In addition to their ID tags, my dogs wear tags from HomeAgain and the American Kennel Club's Reunite service. The microchips are registered with those organizations, so if the man had called either of those numbers, we would have been notified. And of course they all have their license tags from the county. Those tags don't have phone numbers, but if the finder had called Orange County Animal Control, they would have been able to identify Keeper and get in touch with me.

Accidents like Keeper's escape can happen to anyone. He's very good at home about not running out the door, and I would not have expected him to escape in such a manner, but you never know what a dog is going to do.

You can never prevent your dog from becoming lost, but you can take easy, inexpensive steps to increase the likelihood that he'll come home safely:

-- Keep a collar with an up-to-date ID tag on him.

-- Put multiple phone numbers on the tag.

-- Check the tag regularly to make sure the engraving hasn't faded.

-- Microchip him.

-- License him.

-- Register his identification with an organization such as the American Kennel Club's Reunite service.

And remember: If you find a lost dog, be sure to leave a message at all the phone numbers.

Q&A

How often should

I deworm my cat?

Q: I just read that cat owners should deworm their cats monthly instead of annually. Why is that? I never see worms in my cat's poop, and he gets a fecal exam every year with a deworming if he needs it. -- via Facebook

A: I know it sounds like a lot, but veterinary parasitologists now recommend year-round parasite prevention for good reason. A recently published study in the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association found that more than half the cats examined had tapeworms that weren't evident through a fecal flotation test (how your veterinarian checks for the presence of intestinal parasites). Many of the cats also had roundworms. In most of the cases, the cats did not have evidence of worms in their feces or on fecal flotation. That means a lot of cats are carrying intestinal parasite loads that haven't been identified.

It's not unusual for cats to have a negative fecal exam for tapeworms or for your indoor cat to be exposed to roundworm or hookworm eggs brought into your home through mud, dirt or soil on your shoes. If your cat hunts and eats crickets, beetles or rodents, he can ingest roundworm eggs or larvae that way.

Ask your veterinarian about a parasite prevention program that's appropriate for your cat's lifestyle and health, as well as the types of parasites common in your area. He or she can recommend a broad-spectrum monthly preventive that's safe for cats and effective against intestinal parasites, fleas and heartworms, which are a risk to cats as well as dogs. If that's not a good option for you, have your adult cat dewormed two to four times a year as a preventive measure. During their first year, kittens should be screened at least four times for intestinal parasites. Dog owners, the same information applies to your pets. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

"Test-tube" puppies yield

hope for dog, human health

-- Researchers at Cornell recently whelped a litter of beagle-cocker spaniel puppies using in vitro fertilization, a scientific first. The technique lays the foundation for conserving endangered wild dogs and rare dog breeds, and using gene-editing technologies to eradicate heritable diseases in dogs. It also provides a powerful tool for understanding the genetic basis of diseases, says Alex Travis, associate professor of reproductive biology in the Baker Institute for Animal Health in Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine. The study describing the effort was published online in the Dec. 9 issue of the journal PLOS One.

-- If you have muscle or joint pain and use a topical pain medication containing the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) flurbiprofen, your pet could be at risk if he licks your skin or otherwise ingests the drug. The Food and Drug Administration received reports of five cats in two households who became ill or died after their owners applied the cream or lotion to themselves. Even small amounts of the drug can be dangerous to pets, so it's important to store the medications out of their reach, discard applicators or gloves used to apply the medication in a place where pets can't get to them and prevent pets from licking skin of people who use the drugs.

-- Vaccinating dogs for rabies may help to eliminate the disease in humans. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 80 percent of people at risk for the disease live in poor, rural areas in Asia and Africa. "Vaccinating 70 percent of dogs regularly in zones where rabies is present can reduce human cases to zero," says OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) director-general Dr. Bernard Vallat. It's easier and less expensive to vaccinate dogs for the disease than it is to treat humans bitten by rabid dogs. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Kim Campbell Thornton

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. They are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and are the authors of many best-selling pet-care books. Joining them is dog trainer and behavior consultant Mikkel Becker. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: An identification tag helped ensure that a lost dog was returned quickly to his owners. Position: Main Story

Caption 02: The first litter of puppies born as a result of in vitro fertilization. Credit: Mike Carroll, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Position: Pet Buzz/Item 1