Halloween can be fun or frightening for pets. Three experts share tips on making it a good experience for them

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Lightsabers swish through the air. Jack-o’-lanterns cast spooky shadows. Giant spiders crouch outside homes. Halloween is delightfully frightful for people who enjoy dressing up, collecting or handing out candy, and visiting the pumpkin patch.

Pets? Not so much. Some get into the spirit, rocking unicorn, dragon or bumblebee costumes, but others are bewitched, bothered and bewildered by all the goings-on. Plan ahead to ensure that a good time is had by all.

Prep steps. Start conditioning your pet now to the sight of people in costumes, to the sights and sounds of electronic or inflatable decorations, or to wearing a costume herself.

“Condition all that with treats,” says Halloween-loving veterinarian Lisa Radosta, DVM, co-author of the book “From Fearful to Fear Free” (with Dr. Marty Becker). She decorates her home with strobe lights, pumpkins, fake candles, hanging decorations, items that glow in the dark and figures that say “Boo” when people -- or pets -- walk past them.

Combine all of those things with something special that your pet loves. That might be tiny bits of cheese, steak or low-sodium deli turkey. And you don’t have to use food treats. “For a border collie, if the decoration makes a sound, you toss a frisbee. For a Lab, a tennis ball,” Dr. Radosta says.

Let your pet watch you don your costume. “You can look really scary,” Radosta says. “Put on your whole outfit and condition your dog not to be scared of you when you dress up.” Walk around the house with the costume on, offering treats or play as you do so.

Instead of just shoving your pet into a costume a couple of hours before a party or pet costume parade, start practicing now. Put the costume on a little at a time, rewarding each step of the way.

Make sure it fits well and doesn’t restrict vision, hearing or movement. Once your pet is used to wearing the entire costume, gradually increase the length of time she wears it. “Most dogs and cats will appreciate wearing the costume for only a short period for a photo opportunity in exchange for treats,” says Mikkel Becker, lead trainer for Fear Free Pets.

And remember, there’s nothing wrong with dogs or cats dressing up in only a bat-themed bandana or even just their birthday suit.

Ding dong. How many of you have dogs who bark wildly or cats who head under the bed when they hear the doorbell ring? On Halloween, that can go on for hours, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Cover the doorbell and use something outside the door that makes a different sound or lights up when people approach, Radosta suggests. That way you’re alerted to the presence of trick-or-treaters, but your pet isn’t reacting to the sound of the doorbell or a knock at the door. Or set up a treat station in the yard so you aren’t constantly opening and closing the door.

That also prevents your pet from slipping out the door and becoming lost. Halloween is the second most common time of the year for pets to become lost, says Marty Becker, DVM, founder of Fear Free. That’s because the front door opens more frequently than usual, pets may feel territorial at the approach of so many strangers, or pets who are taken trick-or-treating may slip their collars.

Finally, if your pet just doesn’t enjoy this haunting holiday, give him a quiet retreat in your home away from the action -- a little-used bathroom or guest bedroom are good choices -- or consider boarding him overnight and picking him up the next day. You’ll both be happier.

Q&A

Allergic to cats?

New food may help

Q: I heard about a new food for cats that will reduce human allergies to them. Is that really available?

A: The short answer is that a product like that is in the works and may be available within the year. That’s huge for people who love cats but are allergic to them, as well as for cats in shelters who need homes.

Cats are the most common cause of animal-origin allergies in humans. What causes the allergy is a protein called Fel d1 that’s produced by cats and found in their saliva; anal and sebaceous glands; skin; and fur. It’s often said that certain cat breeds are hypoallergenic, but the truth is that all cats produce Fel d1 to varying degrees. The amount they produce depends on hormonal status and has nothing to do with breed or fur color or length.

The Purina Institute sought to find ways to manage cat allergens and reduce the numbers of cats given up to shelters by allergic people. Researchers didn’t want to knock out Fel d1 because right now, its purpose is unknown. It could turn out to be important to feline health.

Instead, they looked at ways to prevent the allergen from interacting with Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies produced by the human immune system when it reacts to an allergen. The solution was an antibody in food that would bind Fel d1 in cat saliva and neutralize the allergen at the source.

The product has been tested for safety in cats and efficacy in humans in double-blinded crossover studies with good results.

Most people with allergies are allergic to multiple things. Even if the food doesn’t completely eliminate their allergy to cats, it may reduce it enough to help them stay below the threshold that causes their allergies to flare. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Kim Campbell Thornton

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

THE BUZZ

Pet DNA tests

fun, useful

-- Wondering whether to get a DNA test for your dog or cat? Besides finding out if your guess as to his breed or mix is correct, the tests can have some other benefits you might not have considered. Swabbing a pet’s cheek and mailing the collected cells in a test tube for analysis not only identifies a dog or cat’s genetic heritage, it can also give you some health background, such as whether a pet carries a gene for a particular disease or may be sensitive to certain drugs. The results are not specific enough to use for diagnosing disease, but they can provide insights into a pet’s behavior and health.

-- Beneath his dignified demeanor, the British shorthair is an easygoing and affectionate companion for anyone who loves a cat with a cushy, full-cheeked appearance; large, round eyes; and a plush coat of many colors. In fact, while you might have always thought the breed was actually the British blue, the cats’ fur palette includes white, black, red, smoke, the various tabby patterns, calico, tortoiseshell and many other patterns and combinations. Exceptions include chocolate, lavender and the Himalayan pattern. Because of their laid-back nature, British shorthairs are good companions for both quiet households and families with kids and other pets.

-- Inhalant allergies caused by pollen, trees, grasses, molds and other substances affect approximately 15% of dogs and usually develop between the ages of 6 months and 3 years. Suspect allergies if your dog is itchy, licks or chews at his feet, rubs his face on the floor, or has rashes in armpit and groin areas. Allergies are best dealt with by avoiding the offending allergen whenever possible. Keep your dog indoors when pollen counts are high, and switch to fragrance-free detergents and fabric softeners. -- 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, founder of the Fear Free organization and author of many best-selling pet care books, and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. Joining them is behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets 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.

A quartet of new books examine different facets of the ways we love pets -- and the ways they love us

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Do dogs love us? It’s the eternal question. It has been argued that dogs simply pretend to love us because we feed them, but in “Dog Is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You,” Clive D.L. Wynne, Ph.D., sets out a convincing case that dogs have a real capacity for love, and humans are the beneficiaries.

Wynne, founding director of the Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State University, began as a skeptic. His background as a scientist warred with the anthropomorphism inherent in the study of whether dogs truly love humans. But the more he investigated the science, the more he found that the canine brain is wired to build bonds with other species, including humans. From levels of oxytocin (nicknamed the “love hormone” because it plays a key role in bonding) to fMRI brain scans to genes for sociability, research backs up the idea that the human-animal bond is real. It didn’t hurt that the affection shown by his dog Xephos continually nudged Wynne in the direction of a new scientific understanding of dogs.

In the last chapter, Wynne calls for humans to do better by dogs, not only those in shelters but also the ones napping at our sides, writing, “To be loved by a dog is a great privilege, perhaps one of the finest in a human life. May we prove ourselves worthy of it.”

Cognitive scientist Alexandra Horowitz has been writing about dogs since her 2009 bestseller “Inside of a Dog.” In her new book, “Our Dogs, Ourselves,” the head of the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College turns her eye to our relationship with dogs: the history of dog ownership, how we name them, what we talk to them about and the ways we live together. Like Wynne, she describes the ways we can know whether our dogs love us. (Hint: Just look at them.) She addresses issues we may have thought were settled -- whether dogs are property, whether we should breed purebreds and “designer” dogs, whether we should spay and neuter our dogs -- and comes to sometimes surprising, sometimes controversial conclusions. Combining science with observations of her own dogs, Horowitz tells the story of a relationship that has existed for more than 15,000 years.

Having a cat go missing is frightening and frustrating, because as any cat lover knows, felines are experts at hiding in the tiniest, darkest, most unlikely places. Finding them is often a matter of luck, but owners can take specific steps to bring a lost cat home. Corralling information from lost-pet studies and the experiences of professional pet finders and people who have successfully found their cats, author Dusty Rainbolt outlines the techniques in “Finding Your Lost Cat.”

Getting inside a cat’s head is the secret, and Rainbolt explains how knowing the ways a cat thinks and behaves can contribute to success. Chapters, charts, photos and checklists address how to make effective signs and flyers, describe a cat, write press releases, use live traps and much more. Most important, she writes, “Never give up.” We all hope our pets will never get lost, but when they do, this book is a must for getting them back.

Hannah Shaw is the Kitten Lady, and her goal is to make all of us Kitten People. Kittens are among the most vulnerable animals in shelters: too young to be adopted and so needful of intensive care to survive that more often they are euthanized than saved. With her book “Tiny but Mighty,” Shaw aims to turn that around by explaining in simple but passionate language not only how to care for baby kittens, but also how to become an activist for them. Step by step, with helpful photos and checklists, she shows how to evaluate, bottle-feed, litter box train, socialize and play with kittens to help them grow up to be great cats.

Q&A

What should be

in cat’s food?

Q: What are the best ingredients for cat foods? I’ve read different opinions, and I’m confused. All protein -- or some grains?

A: Good question. I asked cat nutrition expert Tony Buffington, DVM, to weigh in. Cats are what biologists call “obligate carnivores” or “hypercarnivores.” That means that to survive, they need to get nutrients from animal tissue or synthetic sources in their diet, thanks to a lack of some enzymes needed to produce them. Cats can’t make the essential amino acids arginine and taurine; vitamins A, D and niacin; or certain essential fatty acids.

But cats can’t survive on “all protein” diets. According to a recent study, when fed diets of similar palatability, cats seemed to prefer diets containing about 30% of calories as protein, 27% as fat and 43% as carbohydrates.

Cats can digest and absorb carbohydrates from grains that are properly processed and cooked, and they may get some benefits from them. The body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, which provides energy to the brain, red blood cells and other tissues and organs. Fiber from plant carbohydrates can help to give a feeling of fullness and help the gastrointestinal tract work more effectively.

The bottom line is that there’s a lot of debate about the appropriate amount of carbohydrates in cat food, and we don’t really know how much is optimal. Factors that may affect the appropriate level of carbohydrate intake for an individual cat include age, whether the cat is spayed or neutered or lives indoors or outdoors.

The best thing you can do is to choose a food with a statement on the label saying that the diet is complete and balanced for a particular life stage -- such as kitten or adult -- and has passed animal feeding trials for cats. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Looking for a

few good dogs

-- Want to be a citizen scientist? You can nominate your dog to be among the 10,000 canine participants in the Dog Aging Project. Researchers for the longitudinal study -- meaning data is gathered from subjects over a period of time -- seek to understand how genes, lifestyle and environment influence aging, with the goal of increasing healthspan, the period of time before diseases of old age begin to affect both humans and dogs. A subset of participating dogs will be selected to be part of a new clinical study to explore the potential of the drug rapamycin to improve healthspan. Visit DogAgingProject.org for more information.

-- With Halloween and other holidays coming up, your home is sure to be overflowing with sweets and baked goods. Be sure to read labels on candy, mints, gum and peanut butter, and ask gift-givers if cookies, cakes or other baked items were made with anything containing xylitol, a sugar substitute. Dogs who gobble down items containing xylitol can suffer a dangerous drop in blood glucose levels, resulting in liver failure and even death. If you believe your dog has eaten anything containing xylitol, take him to the veterinarian immediately.

-- Need to get your dog somewhere but don’t have a car or are turned away by Uber, Lyft or cab drivers? SpotOn.pet to the rescue. The ridesharing service gives pet owners a lift to the veterinarian, the park or wherever else they need to go together. Founded by dog lover Aparna Srinivasan, who was frustrated when other rideshare services wouldn’t take her dog, SpotOn rides are currently available in New York City’s five boroughs. Bonus: Every time you and your dog ride, SpotOn gives a free ride to a dog in need at one of the company’s shelter or rescue group partners. -- 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, founder of the Fear Free organization and author of many best-selling pet care books, and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. Joining them is behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets 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.

Living under the cat’s paw? Here are a few pawsome facts you might not know about that fascinating bit of feline anatomy

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Our cats’ paws tap us gently on the face to wake us. They touch the ground silently as cats stalk their prey. They sheathe lethal blades of death -- for mice, anyway.

Beautiful, soft and deadly, paws are an integral part of felinity. Here’s how they work.

A paw is gloved in thin, pigmented skin. This well-designed, soft-yet-tough covering overlays an impressive supply of blood vessels, nerve endings, fatty tissue and connective tissue, which all work together to provide shock absorption, balance, cushioning, insulation and tactile information about surfaces and prey. Their sensitivity also makes them valuable in detecting vibrations of approaching or fleeing animals.

Each paw has at least four small digital pads, often nicknamed “toe beans” for their appearance. The digital pads and the larger metacarpal (foreleg) and metatarsal (hind leg) pads help support the cat’s weight. Cats also have a carpal pad on the backside of each front leg. It doesn’t contribute to weight-bearing, but it does help to provide traction if a cat jumps down, skids to a stop or is moving downhill.

Because cats have greater circulation in their paws than humans do in their feet, they can withstand lower temperatures -- and even snow on the ground -- without booting up. They can, however, suffer frostbite from prolonged exposure to bitter cold.

If you’ve ever looked closely at your cat’s paw pads, you’ve probably noticed that they are a particular color, usually black, pink, lavender or spotted. They can even be different colors. Paw pad color is usually related to the color or pattern of a cat’s coat. For instance, in the ocicat breed, chocolate-colored cats have chocolate-pink paw pads, fawn cats have pink pads and blue cats have blue (gray) pads.

At least two studies have shown that cats have paw preferences when it comes to stepping over an object, going down steps or which side they prefer to nap on. Interestingly, males tend to prefer using their left paw for these actions; females prefer the right paw.

Cats use their paws for grooming and for drinking water. A classic image is of a cat licking her paw and then using it to wash her head, ears and face. You may also have seen your cat holding her paw beneath a dripping faucet or dipping it into her water bowl and then licking water from it.

Paws are communication devices as well. They are loaded with scent glands, which release pheromones that deliver chemical messages when the cat scratches objects.

Paws also tell us how a cat is feeling. If you notice that your cat is leaving damp paw prints on surfaces, it might be a signal that she’s feeling nervous.

“I have seen the presence of a wet paw print left by patients who are nervous during a veterinary exam,” says Julie Reck, DVM, a Fear Free Certified veterinarian and owner of Veterinary Medical Center of Fort Mill in South Carolina. “Paw pads are one of the only places that have sweat glands in the cat’s body. They are designed to provide a cooling mechanism through evaporation during hot external temperatures, but when cats are scared or nervous, cortisol and adrenaline flood through the bloodstream. Those hormones inadvertently activate the sweating mechanism that was designed to provide thermal regulation to the body.”

Another characteristic of paws is that they have claws. In the case of cats, the claws are protractible, meaning that the cat can extend them at will. (The exception is cheetahs, with semi-retractable claws that act like cleats, providing traction for the speedy cats.) When the cat is at rest, the tiny but sharp sabers are too, cloaked by protective skin folds and fur. Keeping claws sheathed until needed prevents wear from striking the ground and allows cats to move silently on those soft paws.

Q&A

Housetraining hints

for older puppies

Q: We got a Shih Tzu puppy during the winter. It was really cold, so we potty trained her on pee pads. She is now 11 months old. Is there any way she will figure out that she needs to go outside to go potty?

A: You can definitely teach her that outside is the place to go, but it will take some time, training and scheduling.

Start as if she were still a puppy (and she is, mentally, even if she looks full-grown). As soon as she wakes up in the morning, pick her up and take her outside to potty so she doesn’t have the opportunity to use the pee pad. Stay with her and praise her immediately after she pees or poops. If you have a clicker, click immediately after she is done going potty, and give a treat.

Do the same thing immediately after each meal, after she wakes up from a nap or after you’ve been playing with her. If you know when she typically likes to use the pee pad, set a timer so you can take her outdoors just before she would normally use it.

Gradually move the potty pad closer to the door outside. Eventually phase out the potty pad altogether.

Tether her to you with a leash when you’re at home so you can notice instantly if she gets up and starts to move around. Restlessness can be a signal that she needs to go out.

She will probably start to develop ways to tell you that she needs to go out. These could include going to or looking at the door or stairs, whining or pawing at you. Each dog has different behaviors, so watch carefully until you know what hers are. You can read more about housetraining at fearfreehappyhomes.com -- Mikkel Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Don’t toss floss

in cat’s reach

-- You probably know to keep things like yarn, string and ribbon out of your cat’s reach, but don’t forget about other stringlike items, such as dental floss. After you’ve flossed, place it into a trashcan with a lid so your cat can’t steal it to floss his fangs. If he swallows it, floss can cause an intestinal blockage, a life-threatening emergency that requires surgical repair. Floss can pass through intact. If you notice it hanging out of your cat’s rear, don’t try to pull it out; you could injure him. Let it pass on its own, and take the cat to the veterinarian if you see signs such as vomiting, appetite loss, straining to defecate, depression or acting as if the abdomen is painful.

-- Pets with hair loss (known as alopecia) may be experiencing a hormonal imbalance, an infection or an allergic reaction. Take them to the veterinarian as soon as you notice unusual hair loss or itchiness. If there’s no obvious cause -- such as parasites -- skin scrapings and bloodwork may be helpful in pinning down a diagnosis. Signs of abnormal hair loss include bald spots, hair loss in a single area or hair loss on both sides of the body.

-- Lovebirds are small parrots popular for their inquisitive, affectionate and lively nature as well as a long lifespan of 10 to 20 years. Nine different species are found in the wild -- Africa and Madagascar -- but the ones primarily available as companion birds are peach-faced, masked and Fischer’s lovebirds. True to their name, they are social and cuddly and do best with at least one other avian friend, although they can also bond with humans. Beware: Lovebirds chatter pleasantly but can also have a loud screech that may not make them suited to apartments with thin walls. -- 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, founder of the Fear Free organization and author of many best-selling pet care books, and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. Joining them is behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets 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.