My Pet World: When licking becomes an obsessive behavior for dogs
If he continues to lick obsessively, talk to your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist about introducing anti-anxiety medication until he breaks the habit. I also recommend having his mouth checked for gum disease since he is losing teeth. If his gums hurt, he may be licking the floor to make them feel better.
Dear Cathy,
I read your recent column on how to get cats to stop clawing the couch and wanted to share my solution. As a woman in her 70's, I have had two cats in my home at all times for decades. I am very much against declawing cats. To me, it's amputation. It's illegal in some countries; I wish it were illegal here.
My advice on how to prevent cats from damaging a couch is to buy microfiber couches. I have had four microfiber couches over the years, and they are impervious to my cat's claws. It must not be a satisfying texture for them to scratch because they seldom, if ever, try to use it. As a bonus, spots are removed easily with a wet cloth. -- Colette Agazzi, Palos Heights, IL
Dear Colette,
Thanks for your letter. I wondered what might be an option for those who of us who don't want to buy new furniture and found microfiber couch slipcovers available online. These slipcovers might be a permanent solution or a temporary training tool.
Provide a scratching post, so your cat always has something he can scratch.
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(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)
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