When you don’t know what gift to buy, a book is often the perfect answer

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

It’s that time of year again -- the season of gift giving. We gave up long ago trying to find just the right trinket for family and friends; we just give books instead. There is always something to suit anyone’s interests. If you’re buying for pet lovers this year -- or for yourself -- there’s a “bone-anza” of books from which to choose.

Raise a glass to working-class cats employed in security, brand management and customer relations at breweries, distilleries and wineries. You’ll giggle your way through Brad Thomas Parsons’ “Distillery Cats,” profiles of 36 feline members of the organic pest control brigade. With its charming illustrations, quotes from cat lovers and drink recipes, it’s a spirited choice for anyone who appreciates cats and cocktails.

Does your cat have mojo? He will if Jackson Galaxy, star of “My Cat From Hell,” has anything to say about it. Cat mojo is all about confidence, Galaxy says, in his new book “Total Cat Mojo: The Ultimate Guide To Life With Your Cat.” Filled with Cat Daddy Facts about feline genetics, anatomy, habits and history, the crash course in cats, co-authored with animal behavior expert Mikel Delgado, Ph.D., covers the whys and wherefores of cat behavior, physical and emotional needs, and how to troubleshoot tabby tizzies.

First-time dog owners will benefit from “Modern Dog Parenting” by trainer and behavior consultant Sarah Hodgson. There’s advice on understanding canine behavior, dealing with dog dramas; recognizing fears; providing good grooming, first aid and nutrition; and, of course, having fun together.

John Shivik didn’t like cats. Then Pinguino entered his life. The relationship they developed led to the wildlife biologist’s study of animal personalities, presented in his book “Mousy Cats and Sheepish Coyotes.” With humor, heart and science, he explores the bonds between humans and animals. “All of us would do better if we learned to accept individual personality in all animals, even when it means giving up a little of our own individuality,” he writes.

Here’s one for the murder-mystery fans. At a Christmas tree farm, Melanie Travis finds a surprise beneath one of the trees -- a dead body guarded by a shivering Maltese. Travis finds herself plunged into a mystery as she seeks to identify the man and notify his family. In “Wagging Through the Snow,” the 21st of the series, author Laurien Berenson weaves together mystery, humor, dogs (of course!) and the effects of alcoholism and homelessness on families to create a short but sweet holiday tale.

Readers with a strong interest in the science behind the workings of the brain will appreciate “What It’s Like to Be a Dog: And Other Adventures in Animal Neuroscience.” Author Gregory Berns, who trained dogs to willingly enter (and lie quietly in) an MRI scanner so he could better understand how they thought, follows up by addressing the complexity of animal intelligence and emotions.

Remember ultramarathoner Dion Leonard, who unexpectedly acquired a canine teammate during a 155-mile race through China’s Gobi Desert last year? His book “Finding Gobi” chronicles the story of how the little stray dog attached herself to him during the race, determined not to fall behind, and how he grew to love her. But love is never easy, and Leonard encountered numerous obstacles to bringing Gobi home to Edinburgh, not least of which was her mysterious disappearance after the race, miraculous recovery and a four-month quarantine in China before they could go home together. He writes: “...from the moment I said yes to Gobi, my life has been different. She has added to all the good things in my life and brought healing to some of the bad.”

Q&A

Should we get an

Abyssinian cat?

Q: My 12-year-old daughter has her heart set on an Abyssinian cat. What can you tell us about this breed? Are they good family cats?

A: In the right family, Abys are wonderful cats. Kids love them because they’re active and smart, good at learning tricks -- including walking on leash and playing fetch -- and funny as can be. There’s a reason they are nicknamed the clowns of the cat world.

Count on an Aby finding the highest spot in every room and then scaling it. They are highly athletic climbers and jumpers, so be prepared to find your cat on top of the refrigerator or taking a look inside your cabinets. They’re perfectly capable of getting around any child locks you may have installed. Abys get along with children who respect them and don’t disturb them during naptime. They love attention from and interaction with their humans, so living with one is a big commitment.

Abyssinians have an average lifespan of 15 years, but they have been known to die as young as 10 years or to live as long as 18 years. I asked my colleague Marybeth Rymer, DVM, who has loved and lived with Abyssinians for 25 years, to weigh in on their health. She says Abys can live long, healthy lives, but like any cat, they are at risk from certain genetic diseases.

The UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory offers testing for erythrocyte pyruvate kinase deficiency, a disease of the red blood cells, and for progressive retinal atrophy, an eye disease that can lead to blindness. A fatal kidney disease called amyloidosis does not yet have a screening test. The bottom line, Dr. Rymer says, is to buy a kitten from a breeder who tests for genetic diseases and whose line of cats doesn’t carry amyloidosis. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Burned cat home

after 10-year odyssey

-- A cat who survived last month’s California wildfires has been returned to his family -- 10 years after he disappeared. A microchip was his way back home. Pilot was found with severe burns and taken to Petcare Veterinary Hospital in Santa Rosa. A microchip scan turned up the name of his owners, who said he disappeared in 2007, three years after they acquired him as a kitten. They checked shelters for months with no luck. A few years later they moved to Colorado, with no expectation of ever seeing their cat again. Jennifer Leigh Thompson flew out to California to retrieve Pilot, and he is home recuperating from his injuries.

-- Because of their frequent exposure to chemicals and toxic fumes, firefighters are at risk for certain types of cancer, including respiratory and urinary cancers. A Canadian organization called Cancer Dogs is hoping to reduce that risk through screenings with dogs trained to detect cancer by sniffing the breath and alerting when they smell signs of disease. More than 20,000 firefighters have been tested since the program began in 2011. People who have been diagnosed with cancer but have not yet begun treatment can donate breath samples to help train the dogs. For more information, visit cancerdogs.ca.

-- Veterinarians from the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe, California, are helping people and pets who are homeless through Pets Without Walls, a program to provide health checks, preventive care, vaccinations, microchips, flea and tick medication, and food. The organization also offers the AniMeals program to help ensure that people who are homebound or have disabilities can feed their pets. It currently feeds more than 250 pets per week in the San Diego metropolitan area, thanks to the approximately 40 volunteers who package and deliver pet food donations to distribution centers. -- 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.

How much do you know about the history of dogs and cats? Take our quiz and test your knowledge.

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Lots of dog and cat breeds have a history that seemingly stretches back into the mists of time. They adorned Renaissance royal courts, hunted with King Arthur, or were the favored pets of Chinese emperors.

But some breeds have a more recent origin. They were developed in the United States or have associations with certain American places or people. Take our quiz to see how much you know about pets who can claim to be among the country’s founding animals.

1. Name the states with which the following breeds are associated.

Catahoula leopard dog

B. Boykin spaniel

Plott hound

Chinook

2. Which of the following groups of dogs cannot claim to be born in the USA?

A. American Eskimo, Australian shepherd, Boston terrier, Carolina dog

B. Cocker spaniel, Chihuahua, Labrador retriever, curly coated retriever

C. American pit bull terrier, Boston terrier, black and tan coonhound, American foxhound

D. Alaskan malamute, black mouth cur, blue lacy, treeing walker

3. The American water spaniel was developed in which state?

Minnesota

Oklahoma

South Carolina

Wisconsin

4. The blue lacy, also known as the lacy dog, is native to which one of the following states?

Arkansas

Texas

Louisiana

Florida

5. Popular early American farm dogs included which breed?

American pit bull terrier

English shepherd

Rat terrier

All of the above

6. What is the state cat of Maryland?

A. Baltimore tabby

B. Calico

C. Chessie

D. Maryland mouser

7. What is the state cat of Massachusetts?

A. Boston bobtail

B. American shorthair

C. Tabby cat

D. Patriot mewsile

8. In which state did the American wirehair cat originate?

New York

Montana

Wyoming

Colorado

9. The Hemingway cats of Key West, Florida, named after the American author, are known for which unusual quality?

A. Short tails

B. Curly coats

C. Extra toes

D. Enjoying swimming in the ocean

10. Which of the following cat breeds did not originate in the United States?

A. Selkirk rex

B. Ragdoll

C. Havana brown

D. La perm

Answers

1. The Catahoula is the state dog of Louisiana; the Boykin of South Carolina; the Plott hound of North Carolina; and the Chinook of New Hampshire.

2. B. The original cocker spaniel was developed in Britain, although a distinct American variety was recognized in the U.S. in 1946. The labrador and curly coat were developed in Britain. The Chihuahua is native to Mexico.

3. The American water spaniel is the state dog of Wisconsin, where the curly coated breed was developed to hunt from boats.

4. The blue lacy is the official state dog of Texas where it is a herding, tracking and hunting dog.

5. All of these dogs found a home with American farmers, who prized them for their versatile working abilities and family friendliness.

6. Maryland named the calico -- a pattern, not a breed -- the state cat in 2001 because the orange, black and white colors match those of the Baltimore oriole and the Baltimore checkerspot butterfly.

7. The state cat of Massachusetts is the tabby. Tabbies aren’t a specific breed, but their stripes often form the shape of an M on the cat’s forehead, possibly the inspiration for their choice as state cat.

8. The American wirehair was developed from a cat with a natural mutation that was first seen in upstate New York.

9. The Hemingway cats of Key West are famous for polydactyly, the characteristic of having extra toes.

10. The Havana brown, an offshoot of the Siamese, was developed in the United Kingdom. The goal was to create a chocolate-colored cat.

Q&A

Do sugar gliders

make good pets?

Q: I just saw the cutest picture on Facebook of a pair of sugar gliders. What are they, and do they make good pets?

A: They are awfully cute, with their big eyes, swiveling ears, bushy tails and black-striped markings. Sugar gliders are marsupials, native to Australia, Papua New Guinea and certain Indonesian islands. Think of them as small gliding possums.

As with any animal, whether sugar gliders make good pets depends on your individual situation and desires in a companion animal. They are nocturnal, so if you work during the day but have the time and inclination to spend with an animal in the evening, a sugar glider may be a good choice. They can be noisy and active at night, though, so you may not want them in your bedroom.

For mental and physical stimulation, they need foraging toys, a glider-safe exercise wheel, and areas where they can climb. In the wild they live in groups, so you should always have at least a pair. When handled appropriately, they can bond closely to family members, but this takes time -- in some cases up to a year. They are not appropriate pets for young children.

A rescue organization, SuggieSavers, warns that sugar gliders are messy eaters, cannot be potty trained, will mark people with their urine and scent glands, and they require fresh food daily. If they don’t get an appropriate balance of protein, fruits and vegetables, they can develop health problems. A veterinarian who is knowledgeable about exotics is a must.

Sugar gliders are not domesticated animals and are not legal as pets in every state. They can live 12 to 15 years, so they aren’t a short-term commitment. As you can see, there’s a lot to learn and consider before deciding to share your home with a sugar glider.

-- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Cats may quash gene

triggering asthma

-- Danish researchers found that toddlers who grew up with a cat in the home were less likely to develop asthma, according to a study published last month in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The scientists reported that a variation in the TT gene appears to play a role in triggering asthma but seems to be neutralized in homes with cats. Lead researcher Jakob Stokholm suggests that beneficial bacteria, fungi and viruses in the cat’s skin microbiome may somehow affect the expression of genes. It’s an interesting take on the ways genes and the environment may interact and affect health.

-- Contribute to knowledge about pet health trends and emerging pet health issues by completing a 26-question survey for the One Health Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency. Questions include the type of water pets drink, the food they eat, where they live and health problems they’ve experienced. Surveys are completed separately for each pet in the home. The information, which will be collected until January 2020 or until 300,000 surveys are completed, will help to build a health and disease database for U.S. dogs and cats, including geographic patterns of disease. To take the survey, you can visit surveygizmo.com/s3/3876800/National-Pet-Health-Survey.

-- Baby, it’s cold outside! To prevent pets from developing frostbite or hypothermia, gradually acclimate them to cold-weather conditions. For dogs, start with shorter walks than usual and build up to normal distances. While Nordic breeds and other furry friends will be in their element, pets with thin skin or little coat or very small animals may benefit from a sweater or coat for protection from wind and snow. Check paws to make sure they aren’t dry and cracked, and clean them to remove deicing chemicals or icy buildup. Pets need access to shelter that is 60 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. -- 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.

Dogs are the unsung heroes of the conservation movement

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Train, aka Mr. T or Big Brown Monster, has made four trips to Misiones, Argentina, a rugged and rainy province with an economy that relies primarily on agriculture and logging, as well as some tourism. He’s not a sightseer -- at least not in the usual way. Train detects the scat, or feces, of jaguar, puma, ocelot, oncilla and bush dog. What he finds helps Washington University researchers analyze the paths the animals travel. This allows them to plan habitat corridors that protect the ability of wildlife to travel through territory while limiting their impact on surrounding environments, which include public and private wildlife reserves, privately owned plantations and farms, and roads and pathways.

Conservation dogs like Train hold jobs around the world. Besides sniffing for scat, they seek out turtle nests that need protection, detect pests that attack plants and monitor the presence of invasive fish species in streams and other waterways. The dogs are employed by wildlife researchers; local, state, and national agencies; and international organizations where they help to track poachers by finding the scent of ammunition or contraband such as rhino horn. You may also see them at work in airports, where they hunt for smuggled products or animals such as bear bile and gallbladders, snakes and even baby monkeys.

At Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in Namibia, a border collie named Finn and a Malinois/German shepherd cross named Levi search for cheetah scat. What they find is analyzed in CCF’s genetics laboratory.

“We can do DNA and understand more about population structure and find out what the cheetah has eaten, so we have prey analysis that we can use as well,” says Laurie Marker, Ph.D., CCF’s founder and executive director.

Finn has been on the job for approximately eight years and is still active at 10 years old. Levi is his younger understudy, capable of covering more ground. They work off leash in the bush, accompanied by a handler who rewards them with a toss of a ball or toy when they give an alert. They wear tracking collars in case they range out of sight. Despite facing risks such as leopards and baboons, Dr. Marker says they’ve had only one injury. An English springer spaniel named Tiger, now retired, broke a leg from falling in a hole.

The traits that make a good conservation dog are not what most people look for in a companion, so it’s no surprise that many dogs who excel in these careers were pulled from animal shelters, Train among them.

The then-2-year-old dog was selected for his high energy level and ball-driven spirit, says his handler, Karen DeMatteo, a biology research scientist at Washington University in St. Louis. Dogs suited to these types of jobs can’t simply focus on a ball or toy, though. They must also be willing to pay attention to the handler and have the stamina and drive to work for long periods without getting bored.

“They work for play,” Dr. Marker says.

The dogs are capable of learning to identify multiple scents, making them valuable in a number of situations. In addition to identifying cheetah scat, Levi -- trained in South Africa -- knows rhino horn and ammunition and is being trained on leopard. Together, the scents give him a well-rounded skill set.

In addition to his work in Argentina, where his repertoire odors include tapir, white-lipped peccary, collared peccary and paca, Train has helped with mountain lion surveys for Nebraska Game and Parks and the Missouri Department of Conservation. DeMatteo is planning to expand his repertoire to include spotted skunk to help find this endangered species in Missouri, where she and Train live.

“Even at 10 years old, he shows no sign of wanting to slow down,” she says.

Q&A

By a whisker?

How cats measure space

Q: I’ve heard a cat’s whiskers are as wide as their body so they can fit through certain areas. If the cat puts on enough weight, do the whiskers also grow? -- via email

A: Whiskers are an important feline sensory organ. The thick, stiff hairs, known technically as vibrissae, are arranged in neat rows. Like the kids in a school picture, short whiskers are located in front, longer ones at the rear. They project from the side of the muzzle, fan out above the eyes or from the ears, and are found on the hind side of the front legs.

Whiskers are interesting because they can tell you a lot about what a cat is thinking. When whiskers face forward, a cat is feeling friendly or curious. A cat whose whiskers are pulled back is in defensive mode. And if the whiskers twitch during a catnap, the likely reason is that the cat is dreaming about catching that mouse in your house!

The reason I say that whiskers are a sensory organ is because the specialized hairs help cats detect slight air movements. Cats rely on their whiskers as they make their way through darkness. Whiskers, which are packed with nerves, send signals to the brain about whatever they contact, and they prevent cats from bumping into things. And, as you mention, whiskers also serve as a feline measuring device. Typically, if a cat’s head and whiskers can fit through an opening, the rest of his body is flexible enough to squeeze through as well. Whiskers are one reason blind cats can get around so well.

A cat who puts on too much weight, though, can’t necessarily count on his whiskers to accurately determine if a space is navigable. The whiskers don’t grow to match his excess size. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Drug eases stress

for cats at vet

-- Cats who suffer from fear, anxiety and stress before and during vet visits may benefit from a pre-visit dose of a drug called gabapentin, according to new research published last week in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. The inexpensive medication is not labeled for treating anxiety in cats, but is increasingly used for that purpose. The 20 healthy cats in the study were randomly assigned to receive gabapentin or a placebo before a vet visit. The treatment was reversed for each cat on follow-up visits a week later. Owners reported that the cats who received gabapentin were significantly less stressed during transportation and examination, and veterinarians said those cats were significantly more compliant during the exam.

-- An outbreak of multidrug-resistant Campylobacter infections has affected 67 people in 15 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. In 93 percent of the cases, the bacterial infection was linked to contact with puppies in Petland pet stores. Of those 62 people, 18 were Petland employees, and 44 had recently purchased a puppy from Petland, visited a Petland store, or lived in or visited a home with a puppy sold by Petland. Signs of disease usually appear two to three days after exposure and include diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting. To help prevent illness, always wash hands with soap and water after handling puppies or picking up their waste.

-- The Yorkshire terrier is one of America’s most popular dogs. The toy breed has the spirit of a terrier in a tiny package. Weight ranges from four to seven pounds, although some are larger. Yorkies enjoy cuddling, but they are also mischievous and curious with a wicked sense of humor. These are smart dogs who enjoy learning if people make the effort to train them. -- 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.