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My Pet World: Dogs have natural prey drive and shouldn't be punished for it

By Cathy M. Rosenthal, Tribune Content Agency on

You call yourself an animal advocate. Cats are animals.

--Deborah, Allentown, Pennsylvania

You're right. I apologize for not addressing cats in the fireworks column. The letters I receive about fireworks are always about noise-phobic dogs because they are so visibly shaken by the holiday. Dogs may pant, pace or even destroy the home, so dog parents are much more desperate for solutions.

Cats are not so obvious about their stress. If they are upset by the fireworks, they may hide in a closet or under the bed. Because cats normally gravitate to these spaces, cat parents may not realize their felines are stressed.

The best way to determine a cat's stress level is to check to ensure your cat has eaten that day and is engaging with you as usual. If not, cat parents can soothe their noise-phobic felines by plugging in some feline pheromones in the home, using a few drops of rescue remedy in their water, playing soft music or using a white noise machine to muffle the sounds and confining them to a room where they can hide from the noise.

 

Thanks for your letter.

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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.)


(c) 2019 DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

 

 

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