Wool sucking

Wool sucking is a compulsive, misdirected form of nursing behavior. But will it harm your cat?

In nature, the drive to nurse must be strong or a smaller kitten might give up in the often uneven struggle for mom's milk. Kittens nurse fairly actively for the first seven weeks of their lives, with mom rebuffing them at the latter end of the period in order to "teach" them to fend for themselves. Comfort nursing, running to mom for a couple of quick sucks (even when the milk bar is dry), is normal kitten behavior, even up to 6 months of age. As the kitten grows older and shifts its preference to solid food, the drive to nurse fades, or at least transmutes. But what if this natural progression is interrupted by abrupt early weaning while a kitten's nursing drive is still powerful and still in gear? 

The answer is that the kitten displaces its nursing onto non-nutritional, maternal look-alike substrates, or more specifically, "feel alikes." They may begin sucking on themselves, their littermates, or certain wooly materials, especially wool itself (also acrylic...they're not proud). Human infants show similar behavior when they suck their thumbs or a pacifier. A kitten without mom's nipple to nurse on is like a human baby without mom, or a bottle, or a pacifier. 

At an early stage of wool sucking, kittens are not necessarily in serious trouble – but things may progress. The younger a kitten is when weaned, the stronger the drive to nurse will be, and the more persistent non-nutritional sucking may become. Also, some kittens seem to have a stronger drive to nurse than others and are more likely to "wool suck" following abrupt weaning – even at a relatively "normal" age. In extreme cases (where strong drives are involved), you may be sent scuttling to the vet's office for advice regarding the strange and worrisome behavior - and not without due cause.

As with most other phenomena in behavioral medicine, wool sucking will either fade in time as the kitten gets other interests or it will remain. Even for those kittens whose wool sucking has apparently faded into oblivion, a vague recollection of this past behavior will persist throughout life. In moments of stress or conflict in later life, the behavior may resurface as a comfort behavior and, in some cases, may assume compulsive proportions. In other cats, wool sucking doesn't resurface either because serious conflict does not arise. Occasional wool sucking may persist throughout the lives of some mildly affected cats. 

If your cat exhibits wool sucking, it may not be a problem – as long as the behavior remains at the "wool sucking only" stage of development. But think what happens to the nursing drive during the course of normal development – it transmutes to the eating of solid food. Your "wool sucker" may, gradually or rather suddenly, progress to ingesting the non-nutritional materials. You may start to find big holes in your sweaters or blankets and your cat's preference may broaden to include certain other materials, like shoelaces, running/exercising gear, and plastic (often in the form of shower curtains). Living with a wool sucker of this degree is like living with a 10-pound moth. And keep in mind that because the material is actually eaten, this type of wool sucking represents a potentially serious problem for your cat. S/he may suffer intestinal obstruction from the ingested material and surgery and/or death may be the end result. 

What Can You Do About Wool sucking? 

If wool sucking is mild and does not involve ingestion of inedible material, it may not require treatment. However, once a cat begins to ingest the foreign material, it may be in danger and you will need to consult your veterinarian. He or she may wish to run medical tests to rule out other contributing problems. 

Treatment typically involves the following measures:

Removal of sources of stress Eliminate any possible stressors in your cat's life that may promote wool sucking behavior. Typical stressors include: in-fighting between resident cats, unwelcome visitors to your yard, and separation anxiety. 

Divert the wool-eating attempts Offer other things for your cat to chew on, such as a sock with a ball in it or a cat toy. You might also provide a constant supply of high fiber cat food so that your cat has a choice - wool or real food. Your cat may just might make the healthy choice. 

Drug Therapy Your veterinarian may prescribe medication. Believe it or not, human anti-obsessional drugs, like clomipramine (Clomicalm®), fluoxetine (Prozac®), paroxetine (Paxil®) and sertraline (Zoloft®) are all effective. However, these drugs may take four to six weeks to start working. The peak effects may not be seen for up to three to four months. Specific anti-anxiety medications are also sometimes employed when anti-depressants do not work. The anxiolytic drug buspirone (BuSpar®) is sometimes effective.

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Why Does My Cat Paw at The Door?

Why does your cat paw at the door? Because it works. You immediately know she wants to go out, so you open the door. This action rewards your cat's efforts. Or, if she keeps at it enough, she may manage to open the door on her own - again, a reward.

The door-pawing cat is sometimes used in psychology classes to illustrate the reinforcing power of continuous versus intermittent reinforcement of a behavior. A cat that paws at a door and is rewarded every time by having the door opened is on a "continuous schedule" of positive reinforcement. But, if the owner suddenly stops responding to the cat's pawing the door, the cat will soon discontinue the behavior. 

The formula is:

Used to work + Doesn't work anymore = Quit. 

However, if a door-pawing cat is rewarded for the behavior intermittently and randomly (sometimes you open the door, sometimes you don't), she will not give up so easily because she always thinks that the reward might be forthcoming the very next time. 

The formula becomes:

Sometimes works + Isn't working now = Better keep at it for a while longer. 

This is the power of intermittent reinforcement, which, incidentally, is the driving force behind gamblers' optimism that next time will be the time to win the jackpot. Of course, even a cat that was intermittently rewarded will eventually quit if there is no reward after numerous attempts. 

Some cats learn to open doors on their own, perhaps inspired by frustration at a barrier that separates them from something they want. One of my cats, Monkey, who lives and dies for food, spent months watching me open the ground level door of the food cabinet at meal times. Then, one memorable day, she started taking matters into her own paws, scratching at the handle-side of the door, seemingly copying my behavior or intuitively pawing at the door in hopes that it would open.

No doubt she was not immediately successful, except in the sense that the spring-loaded door may have opened a little wider during some of her vain attempts. Eventually, her efforts were rewarded when the door flew completely open, giving her access to a veritable cornucopia of cat food. I was forced to move the food to another cabinet if I was to avoid her gorging herself daily.

Soon she shifted her attention to the door of the new storage cupboard - not that this new obsession stopped her from continuously opening the door to the original cabinet just in case there was food inside. I observed her strategy and her perseverance on some occasions. She would paw at the door; it would open a smidgen and then snap back. She would then pull the door open a little further and, once again, it would snap back. This procedure was repeated a dozen times or more but then the door opened past a critical point and remained open. Talk about intermittent reinforcement. 

I've had to move the food supply to the bottom half of a double oven that has a heavy metal spring-loaded door. Monkey can't get this door open because it is physically impossible for her to do this, but she has learned that small pieces of kibble that occasionally get caught in the hinge can be released by pawing - so now you can guess what she spends her time doing after feeding time. When incredibly hungry, she returns to cabinet one and then cabinet two and opens the doors just in case she's in luck.

My other cat Cinder has different priorities but also learns what works fairly quickly. Her favorite pastime is a brief, chaperoned walk outside to "smell the roses," chew on some grass, and roll in the dirt. The door between her and utopia is a fly-screened kitchen slider that she has watched me open on numerous occasions. Whether through observational learning, frustration, or trial and error, she eventually learned to open the slider by pawing it. The freedom she obtained in this way was, for her, the most potent reward of all.

I was shocked when I discovered that the door had "opened itself" and both cats were outside grazing on my lawn. My solution was to put a catch on the door and hope that Cinder's attempts to paw and claw the door open would be short-lived once she discovered the futility of her actions. No such luck. Cinder tried to open the door many times before eventually giving up. 

More recently, Monkey has taken to jumping on my chest at 4 a.m. meowing in my face for food (I'm the morning feeder). In an attempt to resolve this dilemma, I did what I would advise any client to do and arose only to shut the bedroom door behind her as she flew downstairs for an early breakfast. Monkey then took to pawing the now shut bedroom door, praying for it to open.

I knew how important it was not to respond to the scratching if I was to avoid intermittent reinforcement. I was beginning to appreciate a reduction in the duration and intensity of Monkey's door scratching until one morning when my wife woke up and heard the pawing sound. I could not restrain her as she leapt out of bed and let Monkey in. Monkey, of course, proceeded to jump on my chest and demand food, reveling in the eventual success of her door-pawing behavior. 

It's all very well to know how to resolve a problem but you have to be determined and you really have to hold the line. Also, as I have discovered, you have to persuade other family members to follow your lead. My latest ploy to curtail Monkey's morning routine is to relinquish the morning feeding to a later riser, my wife. 

Conclusion

If you find your cat's pawing at a door an amusing and entertaining trick, by all means respond to it. However, if opening the door leads to mischief, you must stop doing it as soon as you appreciate the problem and not weaken in your resolve. The powerful pull of intermittent reinforcement is so strong that if you occasionally give in to door pawing you could live to regret it for the rest of your life!

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Thunderstorm Phobia in Cats

Few species – including humans – are happy to endure the sounds of a rip-roaring thunderstorm, complete with darkening skies, lightning and crashing thunder. Some become extremely fearful to the point that they exhibit full-blown phobia.

Some dogs and cattle, as well as some humans, are affected by this phobia. Other creatures, like cats, are probably far from comfortable but most don't seem to become overtly storm phobic – although there are some notable exceptions.

Before considering the specifics of thunderstorm phobia in cats, it is worth emphasizing that fear is a normal response to a fear-inducing situation or circumstance. Phobias are extreme, irrational fears in which the fearful response has been magnified to the point of dysfunction. It is reasonable, and biologically sensible, to be a little uneasy during a lightning storm - to avoid open spaces and seek cover. But when an animal gets completely distraught at the first roll of thunder and perhaps harms itself in frenzied attempts to avoid the perceived mortal threat, then we are talking about phobia. Cattle that become spooked and stampede off a cliff, and dogs that hurl themselves out of third story windows, illustrate this point.

So where do cats fit into this paradigm and why? Many cats, quite sensibly, tend to become nervous during storms and remove themselves from the fray by hiding under beds or in cupboards. This self-preservation response qualifies as fear. Unlike dogs, however, cats tend not to advance to the phobic stage, perhaps because their strategy of avoidance works. They hide; the storm passes; they emerge unscathed.

Dogs often start out sensibly, too. Dogs that eventually become phobic often show fear in the first year or two of life but, at this stage, the fear is only mild to moderate. They may pace anxiously and seek their owner's company - for protection. But then they may have a sudden augmentation of their fear of storms a few years later - for no apparent reason. I hypothesize that this augmentation may occur because injury is added to the insult of the storm, specifically, that they may be subjected to a particularly loud clap of thunder or receive a painful static shock during a severe electric storm. The aversive event confirms and magnifies dogs' suspicions of the danger implicit in storms. 

Large, thick-coated dogs are most commonly affected by severe thunderstorm phobia lending some credence to the static electricity theory. By comparison, cats and small, thin-coated dogs are somewhat immune. Cats usually prefer to hide rather than pace and explore escape routes, so exposure to potential danger is minimized. Some dogs learn to stay in a safe place during storms – though often not until the phobia is well entrenched.

Full-blown thunderstorm phobia is uncommon in cats but it does sometimes occur under certain unusual circumstances. One cat became storm phobic because she received an electric jolt from a nearby telephone jack (the result of a secondary lightning strike) while on a countertop. During future storms, the cat hunkered down, hair coat raised, tail all bushy, and hissed and spit. This would not be a good time to pick the cat up to comfort it for fear of redirected aggression.

Signs of Thunderstorm Fear/Phobia in Cats

Usually mild - large pupils, hiding, anti-social. 

Rarely severe - feline affective defense response. Large pupils, hair coat raised, tail bushy, body hunkered down and tense, hissing and spitting. 

Treatment

Probably the best treatment is avoidance. If the cat can be brought to an area of the house, like a finished basement, that is relatively sound and light proof, the problem can be averted or at least attenuated. 

Counterconditioning. Encouraging the cat to do something pleasurable and distracting during the storm so that it associates storms with fun times instead of fearfulness. Using food to train the cat to respond to some voice cues (Come here! Sit! Jump up!) is best, but stress may make food unappetizing to your cat. In an attempt to avoid such inappetance, it can be arranged that the cat is hungry prior to the storm arriving (the weather channel is helpful here) and, in addition, only delicious, practically irresistible food treats should be used as bait. 

Desensitization. This is a tedious (and not particularly successful) technique of treatment in which the cat is exposed to progressively increasing volumes of high quality pre-recorded storm sounds. It is usually combined with counterconditioning. 

Anxiety-reducing pharmacological treatment. Drugs that have been used to assuage fears in cats include: Clomicalm® (clomipramine), Prozac® (fluoxetine), Buspar® (buspirone), and Inderal® (propranolol). An over-the-counter hormone treatment, melatonin, has also been used with some success to treat phobias in dogs. As usual, consult your local veterinarian before employing any of these treatments.

Conclusion

Though many cats are fearful during storms, thunderstorm phobia in cats is rare. A computer search of the scientific literature produced no results when the key words thunderstorm phobia, noise phobia, and cats were cross-referenced. So, while it is unlikely that you will find your cat pacing and howling during a storm, you may well notice that it just isn't around. If you search for your cat you may find it under your bed, perhaps anxiously grooming. Does this mean it's frightened? Absolutely! But is this phobia? Not really. Although you can just leave scaredy cats alone, it is more humane to condition them out of their fear through the use of delicious food treats. The way to a cat's heart is through its stomach - and that maxim applies just as well when its knees are knocking as it does at other times.

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Separation Anxiety in Cats

Separation anxiety can affect cats. Massive publicity about a new pharmacological medication treatment for separation anxiety in dogs (Clomicalm, Novartis Animal Health) has clued most pet owners in to the existence and nature of separation anxiety in that species. In addition, many parents have heard of separation anxiety that affects some sensitive children going to school for the first time. But what most people don't know is that separation anxiety can affect cats, too.

Cats with separation anxiety don't howl and bay like dogs and they don't chew on doors and windowsills in frantic attempts to escape. Their misery is far less obvious and it sometimes takes a sleuth of an owner to appreciate what is going on. Separation anxiety in any species implies a lack of confidence and an over-dependence on others. It is likely that genetic factors play a role in increasing susceptibility to separation anxiety though environmental factors are ultimately responsible for its expression. Genetic factors include emotional sensitivity and a predisposition toward anxiety. Certain oriental breeds, such as Siamese and Burmese, may be more prone to develop separation anxiety than cats with more robust temperaments, like Maine coons.

Environmental factors often involve improper bonding experiences when cats are young. Orphaned kittens, early-weaned kittens, and pet store bought kittens are probably at the greatest risk of developing this stressful condition. Combine the sensitive personality with inappropriate early lifetime experiences and you have a recipe for disaster of this kind.

Signs of feline separation anxiety

Over-attachment to the owner, following that person from room to room around the house. 

Distress as the owner prepares to depart (so-called pre-departure anxiety). This can take many forms but some of the more common presentations are meowing, sulking, apparent depression, slinking away, and hiding. 

Vocalization (crying, moaning, meowing) right after the owner has left (you might need to set a tape recorder to check this sign). 

Anorexia – the affected cat is often too anxious to eat when left alone.

Inappropriate elimination – often in the form of urine marking, though fecal marking may also sometimes occur. Deposits of urine or feces are often near to the door from which the owner has departed or are on that person's clothing, bed sheets, or other personal effects.

Vomiting - only in the owner's absence. 

Excessive self-grooming. This starts as a displacement behavior but can progress to compulsive self-grooming, if unchecked. In the latter scenario, excessive self-grooming no longer occurs only when the owner is away but will also be expressed during the owner's presence.

Destructive behavior – rare, but some cats may claw and scratch door edges presumably in an attempt to escape from their solitary confinement. 

Exuberant greeting behavior – as if greeting a long lost friend that they did not expect to see ever again.

Treatment

Behavioral: Though in dogs it is possible to train independence (train them to "stand on their own four feet"), this is much more tricky in cats. Some aspects of the canine program might be helpful (see Canine Separation Anxiety), however, such as encouraging the cat to sleep in a cat bed in an area where she will be left confined during the owner's daytime absences. Enriching the cat's "home alone" environment may also help. This can be achieved by means of: 

Climbing frames positioned to give the cat a good view of the outside world.

Strategically positioned windowpane bird feeders ("Cat TV").

An assortment of mobile toys perhaps enhanced with catnip or hunting lures. 

Putting the day's ration of kibble in a buster cube put down by the owner on leaving. Although cats with separation anxiety tend not to eat when left alone, hunger is a great sauce when other opportunities to eat are curtailed. The food puzzle should be available only when the owner is away and should be picked up the moment they return. Some caveats apply if cats refuse to eat for more than a day or so. Consult your local vet if this turns out to be the case and try to work out some kind of compromise.

Leaving on the radio. The "white noise" effect of the radio drowns out the otherwise perturbing sound of silence. 

Medical: If behavior modification by independence training and environmental enrichment do not work it may be necessary to resort to anti-anxiety medication for the cat for a while. Medications that might help include:

Clomicalm (clomipramine)– although only licensed for use in dogs, it can be used in cats "extra label" under proper veterinary guidance and may be helpful in feline separation anxiety. 

Prozac (fluoxetine) – a human medication. Similar extra label precautions apply. 

Buspar (buspirone) – a human anxiety-reducing drug that may well help some cats with separation anxiety (again use is extra label).

Conclusion

Although owners of dogs with separation anxiety are often concerned about the havoc wrecked on their homes in their absence or constant barking, cat owners do not have such issues to concern them. Cats are usually not as destructive as dogs in the way they express separation anxiety, and the problem may sometimes be overlooked; however, the emotional aspects of separation anxiety still exist. Severely affected cats find themselves in an insufferable predicament when their owner leaves and may experience almost uncontainable anxiety. While cats occasionally express their suffering overtly in ways that their owner finds unacceptable, for example, by urine marking or hair-pulling ["psychogenic alopecia"], less obvious forms of the condition should be recognized and treated for humanitarian reasons. Ask not what your cat is doing to your home, only what you can do to improve its existence.

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Dominance Aggression in Dogs

Many kindly owners, in their effort to show their dogs love and affection, run into problems with some more dominant individuals. If the owners fail to display leadership, "spoil" their pets, and indulge them by allowing them to have their own way much of the time, some dogs will start trying to call the shots. What's viewed as kindness by owners seems to be viewed as submissive behavior by some dogs, elevating their rank with respect to the owner.

Dogs were domesticated from wolves and as such are social animals that have retained many aspects of wolves" hierarchical ("pack") mentality. Dogs have no sense of equality and strive for a social structure with a leader at the top of the hierarchy and subordinates of various ranks stratified below the leader. 

The status of individuals within the pack is established and maintained by submissive and dominant signals. In the absence of a direct challenge, control of the most valuable resources can be maintained by communicative signals, without the necessity for overt aggression. The problem arises when a dog that views himself as dominant perceives that he is losing control of a resource or is being challenged by a subordinate. For example, dogs that have established a degree of dominance over their owners may respond aggressively if the owner tries to interact with them while they are resting or in possession of a valued resource, such as a favorite toy or delicious food. 

Restraint, handling over the top of the head or body, and prolonged eye contact can also elicit threats. Dominant dogs may attempt to control their owner's behavior by demanding attention and then rebuffing the owner when they've had enough. Such dogs may use body blocks to control the owner's movements. They resist discipline and rarely emit submissive signals, such as averting eye contact, lowering the body, and rolling over (unless they have been trained to enjoy a belly rub). 

Dominant behavior is often directed toward family members or familiar people within the dog's social group. Dominant dogs challenges other "pack" members that they regard as being of a similar or lower social status.

Finally, although the drive for dominance probably has an inherited component, learning is an important factor in terms of how the dog responds. It is important to recognize that dominance is an interaction between individuals. Once owners understand this concept, the necessity of establishing themselves as the benevolent leaders of the dog's social group will make more sense.

Diagnosis 

Dominance aggression is characterized by threats directed toward the owner when the dog feels challenged or threatened by the owner's actions.

A complete physical examination is recommended to rule out any underlying medical condition that may be contributing to your dog's aggressive behavior. If your dog receives a clean bill of health, a behavior specialist can evaluate your dog and provide an appropriate treatment plan as well as safety recommendations. 

Therapy 

1. It is important to avoid any further confrontations with your dog that he might win. This can be accomplished by identifying all situations in which your dog is likely to challenge you and avoiding all interactions and situations in which aggressive behavior may be evoked. 

2. Obedience-train your dog to enhance your control and help you develop appropriate leadership skills. The most important commands your dog should be taught include, SIT, DOWN, STAY, and COME. Train your dog to obey a command before he receives any resource from you, including food, attention, toys, petting, and access to the outdoors. Teaching your dog that "Nothing in Life is Free," that all gifts great and small must be earned by means of offering an appropriate response to a single-word command, promotes a relationship based on understanding and trust.

In order to accomplish this feat, you must remove all your dog's valued assets so your dog cannot gain access to them on his own. Highly prized possessions often include delicious food treats, special toys, and comfortable furniture. One of the most valuable and difficult resources for owners to control is the attention they give to their dog. Keep in mind that social interaction is a very potent reward to your dog, so it is particularly important that you ignore any desire for affection from your dog. All attention must be earned by having your dog follow a command issued by you, responding in a deferent and respectful manner. 

Do not discipline your dog with harsh training techniques. Physically correcting your dog inevitably will promote an escalation of aggression, resulting in further deterioration of your relationship with your dog. If your dog is misbehaving, distract him with an obedience command and reward him for a compliant response.

Reward your dog for obedient and subordinate behaviors. It is helpful to focus on teaching your dog what he should not do. Rather you should show your leadership by teaching and rewarding appropriate behavior, and ignoring him, if possible, when he misbehaves.

Home Care and Prevention

You should provide your dog appropriate daily aerobic exercise (off lead, running), a non-performance diet, and regular daily obedience training sessions. Training your dog to wear a head halter will increase your level of authority and thus control.

Because dominant dogs have the potential to inflict serious injury, it is important to not expose any family members to the risk of danger. The person for whom the dog has the most respect should initiate the obedience training and the "Nothing in Life is Free" program. Once your dog understands the new rules, each member of the family should follow the protocol so that your dog understands that his rank is below that of all family members.

Although some improvement may be noticed in the first week, it can take up to 8 weeks to establish a new social hierarchy within your home. Once your dog understands and accepts the new social structure, you may be able to relax the rules to some extent. However, you must always be on the lookout for any recurring dominance-type moves by your dog and be prepared to reinstate the training program in its entirety. It may be necessary to maintain some aspects of the dominance program indefinitely.

Prevention of owner-directed aggression is better than cure. Adopting a dog whose temperament is appropriate for your personality is of the utmost importance in this respect. Some dogs (both individuals and particular breeds) may be genetically predisposed to developing a dominant temperament so it is important that you research the breed as well as breed line before selecting a canine companion. Following adoption, you must establish your role as "benevolent leader" early on in your relationship with your new puppy. Obedience training and proper early socialization will help promote your pet's confidence and respect.

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Inter-Dog Fear Aggression

Some dogs are aggressive toward other dogs through fear or anxiety. For these dogs, a good offense is the best defense. In the wild, this behavior is adaptive and protects the dog from harm; however, fear can also be maladaptive when the response is out of proportion to any real threat. Fears can reach such proportions that they impair a dog's ability to function acceptably in society. 

Typically, dogs that are fear-aggressive toward other dogs have been improperly socialized as pups. Fear aggressive dogs may be genetically predisposed to respond in this manner, but nurture seems to be intimately involved in the creation of such individuals. The majority of fear aggressive dogs have a checkered history of insufficient or inappropriate early socialization experiences. 

Dogs that are fearful but not aggressive are the shrinking violets of the canine world and will either hide, squat and urinate, rollover or attempt to appease the infiltrator. In order for fear to be manifested as aggression, a component of dominance is necessary. Dogs with a low level of dominance and a high level of fear are the classical fear-biters. Dogs with a high level of dominance and a high level of fear are some of the most dangerous dogs around. They attack first and ask questions later. Fear aggression expressed toward other dogs is usually directed towards certain types of dog (e.g. large dogs, same sex dogs, or overly energetic dogs) or it may be to all other dogs. 

Important Facts

It is directed toward whole groups of unfamiliar dogs (owners often know which dogs are a problem).

Location does not matter. Fear aggressive dogs will challenge whether on their own turf or not.

Restraint, such that the dog cannot escape (leash, chain), often escalates the aggression.

How to Recognize a Fear Aggressive Dog

The postural signs of a fear aggressive dog are usually ambivalent. The dog may simultaneously growl and wag his tail. Growling, snarling, snapping and biting that occur when another dog comes too close are all signs of fear aggression. These behaviors are also displayed in other types of aggression but not in such a dense constellation. The intent is not to subtly communicate to establish relations, but rather to drive away the intruder.

Fear aggression develops gradually with the dog initially growling or barking at unfamiliar dogs. It develops along with dominance to fully-fledged expression at social maturity (18 months to 2 years). Fear aggressive dogs usually remain aroused for some time after an altercation.

Treatment

There are several measures that can be taken to rehabilitate these dogs but none of them or even all of them in concert will fully correct the problem. Measures that can be taken include the following:

Medical Rule-outs. Test the dog for medical conditions that might be contributing to increased anxiety, especially hypothyroidism.

Exercise. Ensure that the dog receives regular daily exercise (20 - 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily is minimum).

Diet. Feed the dog a healthy non-performance ration.

Obedience Training. Engage the dog in regular daily obedience training sessions to sharpen the dog's response to one-word voice commands and increase owner leadership. One to two 5-minute sessions per day are usually sufficient.

Head Halter. Employ a head halter to exert the optimal control of the dog in fear inducing situations. If applied properly, the head halter will cause the dog to defer to the owner's authority so that he can be introduced to other dogs under pleasant circumstances and be rewarded for remaining calm.

Basket Muzzle. All dogs whose aggression has escalated to include biting should be trained to wear a basket style muzzle. A basket muzzle allows a dog to pant, drink, and accept small treats, but will prevent him from biting. Once trained to the muzzle, the fearful dog can be required to wear one in any particularly threatening situations.

Avoid Confrontations. Except during training sessions, avoid exposing the dog to fear inducing situations. Identify which dogs and situations trigger a fear aggressive response from the dog and avoid these situations/other dogs.

Counter-conditioning. Counterconditioning interrupts unwanted behavior by training the dog to respond to a command or activity that is incompatible with continuing performance of the fearful behavior. This technique is most effective when owners can identify and predict the situations that trigger the dog's fear response.
       
If the dog can be distracted by food rewards or games, this is often sufficient. For dogs that do not readily respond to food or play, it is helpful to train the dog to relax on command by responding to verbal and visual cues from the owner. Under non-stressful conditions, owners should teach the dog to sit and watch them in order to receive praise or a food treat. First, say "watch me" and move a finger toward your face. If the dog responds by paying attention in a relaxed and focused manner, reward him or her with a small food treat or praise lavishly. Perform this relaxation exercise daily for 5 days.

Each day increase the amount of time that the dog must pay attention in a relaxed pose before he receives a reward. By the end of the fifth day, the dog should be able to remain focused for 25-30 seconds no matter what the distraction. At this stage, when owners sense that their dog is about to engage in the unwanted behavior, they can use this counter-conditioning technique to interrupt the behavior before it is initiated. It is important to practice this exercise on a periodic basis to ensure its effectiveness when it is needed.

Systematic Desensitization. The key is to avoid suddenly exposing the fear aggressive dog to the full intensity of the object of his fear (the other dog) by managing exposure. At no point in the program should the subject dog become fearful or aggressive during the retraining process. If this occurs, training has proceeded too quickly and the owner will need to return to an earlier stage.

A dog that shows fear aggression toward other dogs might be brought to a park and kept 50 feet away from the entrance of the park where he can observe other dogs coming and going. Remember to reward the dog for remaining calm. Once he is confident at this distance, the distance should be progressively decreased over the ensuing weeks until the dog can be right next to other dogs that were previously the focus of his fear.

If the owner has access to an assistant, a controlled desensitization program can be designed. Start training using dogs that the fearful dog is least likely to be aggressive towards and train in a location where the dog is most comfortable. All exercises should be performed with the dog on a leash, preferably with a head halter and muzzle, if necessary, for control and safety.

Both dogs should be under the full control of their respective owners. Determine the fearful dog's reactive distance and start training at a distance where the fearful dog will not overreact. Teach the dog to follow a "watch me" command when the other dog is outside the "reactive zone." Gradually, over minutes or days, have the dog approach more closely while the fearful dog remains in a relaxed posture without incident. Depending on their temperaments, the two dogs should be more or less allowed/encouraged to accept/tolerate each other's presence. Never force the issue.

Be sure to reward the dogs for non-reactive behavior. The ultimate goal is for the fearful dog to see another dog and immediately relax and look for a treat from the owner. Ideally the dog should be focusing on the owner all the time and be happy and wagging his tail. 

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Guide to Behavior Problems in Cats

Even though they have a reputation for being independent and self-sufficient, some cats develop behavior problems or bad habits that demand attention. Before finding a new home for your cat, or banishing it to the perilous outdoors, consider learning what is causing the problem, how to deal with the behavior, and how to re-train your pet. With proper know-how, your cat can once again be a loving and enjoyable member of the family.

Inappropriate elimination. Inappropriate elimination is not one condition but rather a cluster of conditions: some medical, some physiological (pertaining to normal biological functions), some to do with elimination preferences, and others related to anxiety and stress. Some cats just stop using the litter box. Others use the litter box for elimination purposes but also mark their territory with urine or feces. 

Feline aggression. Aggression is a natural behavior for the cat and was a survival-necessary behavior for the cats' wild ancestors. Although cats have long been thought of as solitary creatures, it has recently been recognized that they can live in true societies and that some may develop as leaders or "alpha" cats. Cats of this persuasion will use affective offensive aggression to procure privileges for themselves. 

Aggression directed at other cats. Cats show several different types of aggression toward other cats including status-related (dominance) aggression, fear aggression, territorial aggression, and redirected aggression. 

Play aggression. Kittens are adorable, but when they are around four months of age, a shady side of their personality often emerges – a side that involves aggression. In an instant, a kitten can turn aggressive, inflicting painful scratches and bites on its owner. Play aggression is a normal feature of development. In time, it diminishes and eventually disappears but sometimes owners need it to stop or be redirected NOW.

Predatory aggression. Predation is the way in which cats in nature obtain their food. It is debatable whether this behavior classifies as aggression in the true sense of the word but, because it involves the destruction of a third party, it is usually classified along with other types of aggression. Typically, cats hide behind walls, stalking and pouncing on approaching feet and ankles, inflicting scratches and minor bite wounds. Mature cats will capture and kill small rodents and birds.

Medical problems. There are a variety of medical causes of aggression in cats. These include hyperthyroidism, ischemic encephalopathy, brain tumor, head trauma, and thiamine deficiency. 

Feline fear. As unpleasant as fear may be to experience, it keeps us and our animals safe by encouraging caution and by preparing us for fight or flight when danger threatens. Problems arise, however, if fears become so excessive and irrational that they disrupt normal functioning. 

Separation anxiety. Separation anxiety in any species implies a lack of confidence and an over-dependence on others. Cats with separation anxiety don't howl and bay like dogs and they don't chew on doors and windowsills in frantic attempts to escape. Their misery is far less obvious and it sometimes takes a sleuth of an owner to appreciate what is going on. Housesoiling occurring only in the owner's absence is a good clue.

Thunderstorm phobia. Few species – including humans – are happy with the sounds of a rip-roaring thunderstorm, complete with darkened skies, lightning, and crashing thunder. But some animals become extremely fearful to the point where they show a full-blown phobia. Cats are probably far from comfortable in storms but most don't become phobic – although there are a few notable exceptions.

Compulsive behaviors. Compulsive behavior initially may be performed as a displacement behavior. For example, when a cat is torn between responding with aggression or running away, he may displace into a seemingly unrelated behavior, such as grooming, as a way to reduce emotional tension. The most common compulsive behaviors exhibited by cats include wool sucking or fabric eating, over-grooming/hair-barbering/hair-pulling behavior, and feline hyperesthesia.

Feeding compulsion. Many cats suffer from eating compulsions. Like people, cats may use their compulsive disorders as an outlet when natural behaviors are inhibited by poor management practices and/or a restrictive environment. Genetic factors may also be involved.

Hoarding behavior. In the domestic situation, depositing dead prey animals on the front doorstep is probably one of the most well known forms of feline gathering behavior. Collecting and hoarding of shiny objects, including jewelry and small metal objects, may also occur; the items are not just retrieved; they are stashed and hoarded.

Hyperesthesia. Cats affected by this syndrome show the most bizarre character changes, sometimes appearing to hallucinate, act manically, schizophrenic, or even "possessed." This behavior occurs in bouts.

Psychogenic alopecia. The result of compulsive hair pulling is alopecia (baldness) that can be so mild as to be barely discernable or so severe as to completely denude the skin. The areas most commonly involved are the abdomen and the inside of the limbs.

Furniture scratching. Cats love to scratch. Unfortunately, the things they love to scratch are often the legs of your antique table, your upholstered sofa, or your expensive stereo speakers. And no amount of reprimanding or pulling out your hair in frustration will make them stop. But there are ways of redirecting this species-typical behavior of cats.

Jumping on counters. There are two main reasons why cats find countertops so appealing: 1. Because cats naturally prefer a three-dimensional environment 2. Because they occasionally find food morsels while patrolling the surfaces. You can either work hard at retraining your cat(s) or teach yourself not to worry so much about your cat's counter-surfing. 

Once you understand what is underlies your cat's behavior and realize what is needed to correct the problem, you are well on your way to keeping your family intact.

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The Alpha Cat Syndrome

Cats are supposed to be warm and friendly creatures, seeking owner approval, petting and cuddles and purring their way through peaceful evenings at home. But not all cats are this amiable or this compliant. Some have an agenda of their own and seemingly refuse to take no for an answer. 

These are "alpha cats." They are natural leaders; they refuse to be led and attempt to take charge of practically every situation. These cats like their food when they want it and the way that they like it ... or else. They may only let you touch them for short periods of time and then again, only on their terms. They rebel when admonished and demand attention, access, and assets - when the mood so takes them. You don't own an alpha cat – he owns you, or at least, he thinks he does. 

When alphas don't get their own way, they bully and pressure you into immediate action. They may bite your nose or toes to get you out of bed in the morning. They may shriek their demands for food until you are forced to give in. They may growl if approached while eating and some are protective of their toys and naptime. And watch out if you try to pick up your alpha cat or pet him when he's not in the mood. He may bite or claw his negative message to you in no uncertain terms. 

Perhaps the most classical component of the alpha cat syndrome is petting-induced aggression. Alphas will jump up on your lap and allow themselves to be petted – but only for a short while. And when they've had enough, they narrow their eyes, glance sideways at the petting hand, and their tail begins to switch from side to side. This is the writing on the wall that heralds an imminent meltdown: Suddenly he'll swat, bite, and maybe roll onto his side so he can attack you with all five sharp points simultaneously.

What to do? In essence, they must be shown who calls the shots, who is really charge, and who is the supplier of all good things. Then and only then will their bossiness be honed into acceptance and respect. The name of the behavior modification program is "Nothing in Life is Free." It is a non-confrontational "tough love" leadership program in which the cat is required to earn all valued assets from the owner. A prerequisite is a modicum of training so that the cat can be called upon to carry out some task before being issued certain resources.

Nothing in Life is Free

Avoid all confrontations. Make a list of situations and things you do that cause your cat to become aggressive and conscientiously avoid these situations. If your cat bites you to make you get out of bed, shut him out of the bedroom at night. You may need to have earplugs handy to mute the noise of caterwauling or door scratching at first but the cat's insistent phase should pass within a few days. If your cat bites you when he is on your lap and you are petting him, do not allow him onto your lap for a while until he has learned some manners. Also, learn to read the warning signs and ration your petting.

Training. Despite popular opinion, it is quite possible to train a cat to respond on cue. The best way to accomplish this is with click and treat training. The whole process is explained in detail elsewhere on this website. Clicker training basically involves three steps. 

Step One Teaching the cat that the click of a plastic "frog" or clicker heralds the arrival of delicious food treat. 

Step Two The cat learns that he can make the clicker click by performing certain actions. 

Step Three The cat is rewarded with a click and a food treat only if he performs an action after being cued. 

Take the action of sitting, for example. First click and treat the cat for nothing. This is called "charging" the clicker. Next click and reward sitting when it occurs naturally. Once the cat has grasped the concept and starts approaching you and sitting for a click (and thus a treat), escalate to the third step of the process, adding a conditional stimulus, in this case the word SIT. Using this technique I trained my cat to sit on cue in three days and she has never forgotten it. Try to teach your cat one new "command" per month. If this course is followed, in time you will find that pretty much all behavior problems, including biting, simply melt away.

No free lunch. Feed your cat twice daily so that you control when he gets fed. At mealtime a cat should be hungry. Have him SIT before you click and put down the food bowl. The meal becomes the reward. No SIT = no food that mealtime. If the cat knows how to SIT on cue this request is perfectly fair. If he ends up missing a meal or two this will sharpen his appetite and thus the likelihood that he will respond as directed the next time. You will have made the meal conditional upon the cat showing you respect and good manners. Think of it as requiring the cat to say "please."

Working for petting. Petting should be rationed to keep your cat hungry for your attention. Petting and attention are supplied only when the cat does something to deserve them, like responding to a voice cue or hand signal. This is particularly advisable if petting-induced aggression is a feature of your cat's aggressive repertoire. Even if your cat has performed well enough to deserve petting, be cognizant of a deteriorating situation. Furtive sideways glances and a twitching tail mean that it is time to quit. To avoid this situation, keep petting sessions short and never try to pet your way out of an aggressive moment.

Put your cat's toys away and supply them only when he has done something to deserve them. Allow the cat free access to the toy until he loses interest and then pick it up and replace it in the toy chest (or drawer).

Ration games. As useful as games are to help your cat blow off steam, they are also fun and as such should only be engaged in only when your cat earns the right.

Never respond to attention seeking (demanding) behavior. Act dumb. Walk away. Disappear. Deliver what the cat wants later, on your terms, and only in response to the successful accomplishment of an assigned task like sitting, coming when called, or waiting patiently.

Fire engine service. If your cat starts trying to bite you or acts aggressively in any way, remove yourself from his presence for a few hours (turn, walk away, and leave the cat alone) or herd the cat into another room for time out. If withdrawal of your company is the result of your cat's shenanigans, as opposed to you turning into a big squeaky toy, he should soon get the picture that you mean business and will not allow yourself to be victimized. Cats learn. You should, too.

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Non - Recognition Aggression in Cats

One of the most bizarre types of feline aggression occurs between cats when one cat is brought back from the veterinarian's office following some medical or surgical procedure. For some reason, the cat that remained at home may not to recognize his former buddy and may attack savagely. It can only be assumed that this is a case of mistaken identity and that the signals the returning cat put forth are somehow perceived as hostile or threatening. 

Who's Doing What to Whom?

The characters of the two cats are normally: 

Attacker – a dominant, willful, hyperactive, somewhat anti-social, unstable personality

Attacked cat – shy/fearful, introverted, anti-social, non-aggressive

The Cause of Sudden Change of Attitudes

One theory is that the cat returning from the vet's office smells different. Perhaps some chemicals employed by the veterinarian remind the incumbent of unpleasant experiences and set him on edge. For example, the residual odor of alcohol or disinfectants may rekindle memories of being forcibly restrained for injections. Another possibility is that a scaredy cat may have discharged her acrid smelling anal sacs at the vet's office. The secretions emitted are thought to contain an alarm pheromone, signaling danger.

Perhaps the behavior of the returning cat is different so as to confuse and alarm an overly sensitive yet controlling incumbent. People fear things that are strange or different so this theory is not difficult to swallow. If the returning cat looks different because he has been bathed, or because of stains on his coat, or if he stumbles out of the carrier like "Lurch" of the Adam's Family, the resident cat may panic and attack in self defense.

The Clinical Picture

The mode that the attacker cat adopts is sometimes that of feline affective defense behavior. 

Features are:

Piloerection – big bushy coat, tail hairs raised to produce a big puffy-looking tail

Pupils dilated – the iris of the eyes dilates fully so that the pupils become large black pools

Claws are unsheathed and ready for batting

Mouth opened threateningly

Hissing, spitting, growling

Ears pressed flat back against the head

The attacked cat may flee if he can, or may hunker down and try to make himself invisible. 

Attacks may be savage and fur will often fly. Persons attempting to intervene may find themselves the subjects of the incumbent's aggression. Cats that are this wild will often redirect their aggression onto the nearest person or object.

What to Do

The first thing to do is to separate the two cats while simultaneously making sure that you do not become the target of the cat's aggression. Ideally the aggressor should be encouraged or herded into a separate room – such as a bathroom – giving him time, plenty of time, to settle down. Typically, a cat so enraged will take several hours to settle down. Even leaving the cat incarcerated overnight, with sufficient provisions and a litter tray, may not be overkill. The reintroduction of the two should only be attempted when the aggressor has completely settled down and is back to his old self. Even so, it should be accomplished tentatively and with escape routes planned. Reintroducing the two cats across a screen or via an inch crack in a door is a good plan so that the cats' attitude toward each other can be assessed before a full frontal introduction.

The Outlook

The chances that the cats' relationship or at least tolerance of each other can be reinstated are good, but future meltdowns are likely once this sensitivity has been recognized. In other words, history is likely to repeat itself if steps are not taken to prevent recurrence. Useful measures to take are as follows:

Make sure that a cat returning from the veterinarian's office is fully recovered from sedation or anesthesia before he is reintroduced to his colleague.

Insist on gentle handling of your cat at the veterinarian's office to minimize the risk of anal gland discharge.

Bathe the returning cat to remove veterinary-type odors before returning him to the household.

Keep cats separate for awhile after one returns from the vet's office until they re-familiarize with each other's sounds and odors.

Conclusion

It is almost impossible to prevent non-recognition aggression entirely. Whatever steps and measures you take there is always a chance that the behavior will be repeated. This is not to say that the measures to reduce the incidence are not worthwhile, just that there are no guarantees. The fundamental problem seems to involve the nature of the aggressor.

Content Provided By

This article was excerpted from the CD entitled "Behavior Problems in Cats - Etiology, Diagnostics and Treatments" by Dr. Nicholas Dodman, Professor of Clinical Sciences at Tufts University, School of Veterinary Medicine, © 1998, Trustees of Tufts College. To buy a full copy of the CD, contact 

www.tufts.edu/vet/mediaservices .

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