Bright lights and big noises can leave pets cowering. Here's how to help

By Mikkel Becker

Andrews McMeel Syndication

It's two weeks before Independence Day, and fireworks are already popping. That's bad news for dogs and cats -- not to mention for the many people who find the explosions and sparkling lights fear-inducing rather than fun. Take steps now to positively condition your pet to the holiday sounds and help them remain calm. Here's what you can do.

-- Provide positive exposure to sounds. Just exposing your pet to scary sounds such as fireworks can easily backfire. Instead, provide gradual exposure to recordings of fireworks, paired with rewards such as special treats (break out the deli turkey or roast chicken), a favorite game, or a meal.

-- Go low and slow. Play the recording at very low volume, perhaps even in another room so that it's barely audible. (Don't forget that your dog or cat's hearing is much more sensitive than your own.) Offer rewards during this time. Gradually increase the sound intensity. You want your pet to stay relaxed and happy. If your pet seems fearful, go back to a volume at which they were comfortable or increase their distance from the noise. Depending on your pet's level of sensitivity, this process can take days, weeks or months, so be patient.

-- Offer a "spaw" room. Depending on the animal, you may not be able to condition your pet to the sound of fireworks in time for this year's displays. But you can still provide them with a cozy retreat where they can relax away from the sound and sight of fireworks. This can be a small area such as a closet or bathroom without windows, or another room set up with everything they like and need: food, water, a bed, a couple of favorite puzzle toys or chews, and an open crate or "pup" tent for pets who like snug spots. For cats, include a scratching post and litter box. Limit the outside view by closing curtains or blinds. Turn on lights in the room to decrease the contrast of light flashes from fireworks or lightning. Leave doors open so pets can enter and exit freely; you don't want them to feel trapped. Hang out with pets in this room on a regular basis (not just during fireworks or thunderstorms) and hide food rewards for them to find so they develop pleasant associations with being there.

-- Enhance the environment. Buffer outdoor noise with calming music (you can find music composed especially for pets, such as at iCalmPet.com), a white-noise machine or a soothing television show such as "Sesame Street," "The Muppet Show," the Food Channel, HGTV, the Hallmark Channel, "The Mandalorian" or "Mr. Bean." (The last two recommendations are based on research by design company Wren Kitchens.) Synthetic pheromones are also available for dogs and cats. You can spray a pet's bedding or crate with them (while the bed or crate is empty) or purchase a diffuser that emits the calming chemical messages. Lacking pheromone products, you can try soothing scents such as lavender or chamomile. Learn more here: fearfreehappyhomes.com/new-study-finds-four-scents-that-can-relax-dogs.

-- Give a hug. Not with your arms -- pets don't especially like that -- but with a close-fitting compression garment or T-shirt. For some pets, these garments can provide a feeling of comfort. It's worth a try. It's also OK to pet or speak soothingly to animals when they're frightened; it's a myth that doing so will reinforce your pet's fear.

-- Supplements and medications. For pets with profound fireworks fears, talk to your veterinarian about nutraceuticals (foods or supplements with health benefits) or medications that can help. Try them beforehand to see how your pet reacts to their effects.

These techniques can also help pets with fears of thunderstorms, gunshots or other loud or unpredictable sounds. For severe cases, you can find help from a trainer or veterinary behaviorist through the directory at fearfreehappyhomes.com.

Q&A

Give your cat

some greens

Q: My cat loves to nibble on plants. What are some safe ways to allow her to indulge her love of greenery?

A: That's a great question. Cats, despite being obligate carnivores who require meat in their diets, are also fans of a nice salad once in a while. They enjoy plants for nibbling, sniffing and play, and you have several options to keep them happy.

For chewing, offer a pot of tender grass seedlings: rye, alfalfa and wheat. Place it in a sunny spot so your cat can take a nap after her nibble.

Cats may also enjoy sniffing and chewing herbs such as parsley and thyme, which are easily grown indoors. Grow different varieties and see which ones your cat likes best. Cat thyme (not a true thyme) and lemongrass are also feline favorites.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is a natural, of course. Let it reach full growth out of reach of your cat, then snip off pieces to give for her enjoyment. You can also stuff the leaves into toys or rub them on a cat tree or scratching post -- a practice that has been found to increase scratching time. There's no such thing as an overdose of catnip, so let your cat bliss out as much as she wants.

Cats also enjoy valerian (Valeriana officinalis), silver vine (Actinidia polygama) and tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica is the only variety that seems to have an effect on cats). If you have a catio, consider planting one or more of these plants around or in it to give your cat an olfactory thrill.

Give your cat the greens she wants, and make the rest less attractive to her by hanging them up high or otherwise out of reach. Now you can both enjoy greenery. -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Keep pets safe

on moving day

-- Are you moving this summer? Don't forget to think about your pets' needs on moving day. At your new home, choose one room that you can set up for your pets and stock it with their bedding, toys, litter box and scratching post for cats, and food and water. The familiar items and smells will help them relax. A diffuser with calming pheromones is a good idea, too. Let them settle in there with the door closed while you're unpacking boxes and getting furniture moved in. That way, you don't have to worry about Baxter or Basil sneaking out a door when no one's looking and getting lost.

-- You love your dog, but you also love your lawn and garden. Take both into account when planning landscaping. Think about how your dog traverses your yard: If he loves to run the fence line, leaving a well-worn trail, don't fight the behavior. Place plants out away from the fence and let him patrol behind them. Hate yellow spots where your dog urinates? Dilute the urine by flushing the area right away with fresh water. (For folks in drought-stricken areas, this is a great way to use water you've collected in a bucket after a shower. Use it to fill a watering can daily and rinse pee spots without guilt.) Finally, for borders, use plants capable of standing up to being trod on and that will release a pleasant smell when your dog runs roughshod over them. Think mint or thyme. Your local garden center can suggest others.

-- To pick up a cat, place one hand behind the front legs and one beneath the hindquarters and lift gently. Mother cats may carry kittens by the scruff of the neck, but humans who do that run the risk of injuring the cat. -- 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.

It’s easier than ever to take pets with you on vacation. Here’s how to find the best places to go

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

We sat at a shaded table, my husband with a flight of reds, me with a glass of sparkling rose. Harper napped on the grass beside us. Our view encompassed the on-site vineyards of Topa Mountain Winery and the Topatopa Mountains in the distance. A soft breeze blew. Bliss.

We were enjoying our first visit to rustic Ojai, California, long on my bucket list not only for its beautiful natural setting, but also for its dog-friendly attitude. With rare exceptions, the town’s shops, galleries, restaurants, wineries, hotels, hiking trails and parks cater to visitors with four-footed friends.

At 14.5 years old, Harper isn’t up for much hiking anymore, but she enjoyed strolling around town -- sometimes on foot, sometimes riding regally in her stroller -- and entering whatever shop caught her fancy, which was most of them. At her age, after all, she knows that shop owners dole out treats much more liberally than the people she lives with.

It’s nearly summer, and for many of us, thoughts are turning to vacation days. Whether your plans include a road trip to national parks, a beach or mountain stay, or a city visit, it’s easier than ever to find pet-friendly options so Rover can come over, too. Here are some tips on how to find a vacation rental or hotel that welcomes pets, as well as some suggestions for vacation spots around the country.

The websites BringFido.com, GoPetFriendly.com and PetsWelcome.com remain excellent sources for finding hotels, restaurants and other places where dogs are just as important guests as people. And Airbnb, Vrbo, Expedia, Tripadvisor, Travelocity and even cities themselves offer listings in all price ranges to entice people traveling with pets.

Saugatuck, Michigan, is one such city (saugatuck.com/plan/getaway-ideas/pet-friendly). Billing itself as the Art Coast for its attraction to artists and writers since the early 20th century, it’s also known for Lake Michigan beaches; biking, hiking and running trails; dune rides; boat rentals; and wineries and breweries -- all of which have dog-friendly options. Michigan resident Leslie Bishop says Saugatuck is a great dog-friendly town with lots to do. “We stayed in a B&B that allowed dogs. It was a great little vacation.”

A quick Google search turns up Vrbo’s top 50 dog-friendly rentals in Provincetown, Massachusetts, a popular New England summer getaway on Cape Cod. Even off-season, it’s a lovely place for dogs and people to kick back. Adam Conn took his Bernese mountain dog Pomegranate there, and she enjoyed long walks on the beach, sniffing the seaweed and getting admired by the locals.

When they lived in Washington, D.C., Susan and Ken Rosenau enjoyed vacationing with their dogs Logan and Bacon at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, staying at the dog-welcoming Canalside Inn. On the other coast, Arizona resident Maryna Ozuna loves to get away with her German shepherds and shiba inus to San Diego, where they stay at the Ocean Villa Inn.

“It’s right on Dog Beach in Ocean Beach,” she says, describing it as “a funky ‘50s motel with immediate access to Dog Beach and miles of the San Diego River. There are great restaurants within walking distance, and the dogs can swim and swim and swim.”

Ojai is old-fashioned -- in a good way -- and doesn’t permit chain hotels or short-term rentals. Most of its hotels and motels are dog-friendly, but prices were high just before the holiday weekend, so we stayed at a Marriott in Ventura, about 20 minutes down the road, where staff cooed over Harper.

As always, Google is your friend. Search dog-friendly or pet-friendly hotels (or restaurants or parks), plus the name of the place you want to visit. Check the reviews on several sites to make sure it’s suited to you and your pet, and check the hotel’s website to confirm that it is still dog-friendly and that you can afford any pet fees that may be charged on top of the room rate.

Have a great summer!

Q&A

Pros and cons

of cats, kittens

Q: Should I get a cat or a kitten?

A: That’s a great question to ask during Adopt-a-Cat Month (American Humane) and Adopt-a-Shelter Cat Month (ASPCA).

Adult cats are often overlooked at the shelter, especially during “kitten season,” which is now. Kittens have “cute” and “fun” and “fuzzy” going for them, but we’d like to share some reasons to consider a cat.

With an adult cat, you know exactly what you’re getting: size, activity level, sociability and health. In a loving environment, they’ll bond just as tightly with you as a kitten will.

Adult cats know the drill. They have litter box habits down, they may be trained to use a scratching post, and they’re not as wild and crazy as kittens, being less likely to tear through the house and knock things over.

Some adult cats may come from a background that makes them suited to your household. They may have come from a family with kids or dogs, for instance. If possible, ask the shelter what information was provided by the original owners.

Kittens have a ton of energy. That makes them entertaining, but it also makes them something of a trial to live with until they become mature and mellow. They need extra time and extra training, and you’ll need extra patience to make it through their antics (Exhibit A: the roll of toilet paper that my recent foster kittens unwound during the night).

To get to know an adult cat at the shelter, ask if there’s a visiting room where you can spend some time together. After a few minutes, a calm, confident, outgoing cat should respond readily to your attention, becoming relaxed and welcoming petting.

Kittens are adorable, but we see lots of sweet, pretty and well-mannered adult cats at shelters. You just can’t go wrong with one of them. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Rabies campaign

success reported

-- A seven-year vaccination campaign in the Indian state of Goa resulted in 95,000 dogs being inoculated against rabies, according to a study published in Nature Communications. Goa is on track to eliminate the disease, thanks to a coordinated approach by Mission Rabies, the government of Goa, the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Dogs Trust Worldwide, Roslin Institute and other partners. The effort involved the use of smartphones to capture data on stray dogs, enabling pop-up clinics in areas where they were most needed, which in turn helped prevent the spread of rabies to humans from dog bites. The One Health approach -- taking into account human, animal and environmental health -- consisted of three core activities: dog vaccination, rabies education and intensified human and animal rabies surveillance. Goa was declared a rabies-controlled state last year, the first in India, following three years without any human deaths from the fatal virus.

-- Although birds may become infected with human influenza-type viruses, those bugs rarely make a bird ill. Human colds and flus come and go, so it’s easy to imagine people thinking what looks the same in people and bird is, in fact, the same illness, but it’s usually not. If your bird is sick with what appears to be cold- or flulike symptoms, chances are high that something else is going on, and you need to call your veterinarian.

-- Dogs have explored with humans from time immemorial, including to Antarctica. Admiral Richard Byrd was accompanied by more than sled dogs. Byrd’s dog Igloo, a smooth fox terrier, went along as well. He was equipped with fur-lined boots and a camel hair coat to help him stay warm. And like any self-respecting terrier, he reveled in setting off the sled dogs with his presence. On his gravestone are the words, “He was more than a friend.” -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts. Veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker is founder of the Fear Free organization, co-founder of VetScoop.com and author of many best-selling pet care books. Kim Campbell Thornton is an award-winning journalist and author who has been writing about animals since 1985. Mikkel Becker is a behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/Kim.CampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.

Fostering can be a great way to get a kitten fix and save lives without committing to lifetime care and costs

By Kim Campbell Thornton

Andrews McMeel Syndication

We had houseguests last week!

To prepare, I carefully put away anything breakable, covered the sofa with a heavy area rug and made sure the guest bathroom was well-stocked. Then I went to pick them up from their current Airbnb.

You may have thought the Three Little Kittens were strictly a nursery rhyme, but my husband and I had their real-life counterparts in our home for nearly a week. Now that we are, sadly, down to one senior dog and are home for a while after our travels in February and March, we decided the time was finally right to do something I’d been interested in for several years: foster kittens.

Many shelters and rescue groups have made amazing strides in placing a majority of the animals that come through their doors, including seniors and special-needs pets. But kittens remain among the most vulnerable shelter animals. Everyone loves them and they are dangerously cute, but during kitten season -- which can be nearly year-round in warm-weather spots such as California and Florida -- it’s easy for shelters to become overwhelmed by the number of kittens brought in. Foster homes are an essential support system for keeping them alive, healthy and socialized until they can be spayed or neutered and placed in homes.

“Kittens, especially neonates who aren’t able to eat on their own, are most at risk of being euthanized,” says Nancy Peterson, a longtime fosterer and board member of National Kitten Coalition, which provides lifesaving resources for young cats (kittencoalition.org). “An animal shelter, no matter how wonderful, isn’t a safe place for kittens because their immune systems aren’t fully developed. It’s also difficult for staff and volunteers -- busy caring for other homeless, neglected, abused or sick animals -- to fulfill the socialization needs of kittens.

“I love providing a temporary home for kittens who are too young, sick or unsocialized to be adopted,” Peterson said. “Fostering kittens doesn’t take a lot of space; if kittens are weaned, it doesn’t take a lot of time, either. However, I enjoy spending lots of time with my fosters and always have many visitors who want to meet the kittens.”

The organization we fostered for -- Saving Pets One at a Time, or SPOT -- provided everything we needed to get started with our three weaned kittens: food, litter, a litter box, a small cat tree, toys -- the works! Everything fit in our guest bathroom, which, along with the hall, served as kitten quarters. We blocked off the living room with a pet gate and kept the doors closed to the bedrooms -- at least at first. It was the perfect amount of space for kitten antics without giving them free run of the house, which might have provided opportunities for getting into trouble.

The kittens quickly learned to scramble over the pet gate and, when we let them in the TV room, launch themselves onto the sofa. Thanks to the heavy rug, we didn’t have to worry that they’d damage the upholstery with their sharp little claws.

Naturally, we wanted to introduce our guests to our fun neighbors, so one night we had a kittens, wine and pizza party. (The kittens were underage, so no wine or pizza for them!) It was a great opportunity for them to meet some new people and practice their already stellar social skills.

Quicker than we expected, we were notified that a mom and her two kids would be coming by to choose two of our three kittens. They drove off with Fayetteville and Hinton (all the kittens were named for towns in West Virginia). The remaining boy, Seebert, spent one lonely night missing his pals ... then went home the next day with a mother and son. Total time with us: five days.

We’ve already been asked if we’ll take another litter, and the answer is yes.

I hope they give us good Yelp reviews.

Q&A

Lots of ways

to exercise dogs

Q: What kind of exercise do dogs need?

A: While many dogs these days are companions who live in our homes with us, they are still wired to be hunters and scavengers, and their bodies are made to move. You can see it in their everyday actions: the way their eyes focus on a scampering squirrel; the way their ears perk up at the sound of a treat bag opening; their instant chase response to a thrown tennis ball.

That instinct to move, sniff and seek can be met by many different types of exercise, depending on the breed. Greyhounds, pointers, Dalmatians and Jack Russell terriers like to run; retrievers live to play fetch; Australian shepherds, Siberian huskies, Weimaraners and Rhodesian ridgebacks make great hiking buddies; Portuguese water dogs, Irish water spaniels, Boykin spaniels and standard poodles love to swim; flat-faced dogs enjoy walks.

And it’s good for them! Exercise, movement and play help dogs stay healthy and happy, shed pounds, fulfill their instincts and burn off excess energy that, left unsated, can lead to behavior problems. No matter how cushy their spot on the sofa, dogs need activity.

You can give it to them in lots of ways. The best exercise for any dog is something that engages both brain and body. That can be playing fetch, going hiking or running, taking up kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding, or competing in one of the many dog sports. These sports test canine skills in sniffing, agility, jumping into water (dock diving), tricks, herding, freestyle (dancing with your dog), and other options for teamwork and fun.

You can dedicate your life to training and competing with your dog, or you can stay with something simple such as walking or hiking. So grab a leash and go play with your dog! -- Dr. Marty Becker

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

THE BUZZ

Monkeypox and pets:

What to know

-- Monkeypox. Was that on your bingo card for 2022? It wasn’t on ours. The disease has been in the news a lot recently, and you may be wondering if your pets are at risk. According to Worms and Germs blogger Scott Weese, DVM, of Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph in Canada, typical domestic pets don’t appear to be susceptible to the disease. One exotic pet known to be susceptible is the African hedgehog. Other animals that may potentially be susceptible are rabbits and possibly ferrets. It’s unknown whether humans can infect animals. The virus is transmitted by droplets and direct contact, but it’s not highly transmissible. As with any infectious disease, if you have or think you might have monkeypox, reduce direct contact with pets by keeping your distance, wearing a mask and not letting them sleep in the bedroom. “The risks are low for most pet species, but since we don’t know too much, it’s best to take some precautions,” Dr. Weese writes in his blog. Read more here: wormsandgermsblog.com/2022/05/articles/animals/dogs/human-human-monkeypox-and-risks-to-domestic-animals.

-- What do you call a group of parrots? A pandemonium, of course! They are sometimes also referred to as a company of parrots.

-- Animals are recognized for many different reasons in June. American Humane and the ASPCA promote cat adoptions this month, while the Petco Foundation sponsors the National Foster a Pet Month. It’s also National Pet Preparedness Month -- a reminder to prepare for hurricanes and other natural disasters -- and National Microchip Month. June 20 to 24 is Take Your Pet to Work Week. And don’t forget World Pet Memorial Day, June 14; Veterinary Appreciation Day, June 18; National Pets in Film Day, June 19; National Dachshund Day, June 21 (the longest day of the year); and Cat World Domination Day, June 24. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts. Veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker is founder of the Fear Free organization, co-founder of VetScoop.com and author of many best-selling pet care books. Kim Campbell Thornton is an award-winning journalist and author who has been writing about animals since 1985. Mikkel Becker is a behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/Kim.CampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.