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My Pet World: When introductions between cats aren’t going well

Cathy M. Rosenthal, Tribune Content Agency on

Finally, buy a feline pheromone collar for each of them to wear and consider putting pheromone plug-ins around the house. These synthetic pheromones mimic a mother cat’s scent, which can calm stressed felines and improve their relationship.

Hopefully, these things will help them get along better going forward. It does, often, take a few months for new roommates to get along.

Dear Cathy,

I have an 8-year-old female yellow Labrador retriever who is a great dog. Lately though, walking her has become more of a prowl for food. She pulls hard to get to food on the street or to where there is a scent of food. Sometimes, I have to really yank her hard to get her away from something not good for her. I also worry I'm hurting her when doing so. Any advice on how to get her to stop pulling? – Barbara, Oceanside, New York

Dear Barbara,

 

Invest in a Gentle Leader or Haltie head collar to immediately stop the pulling. Then, work on training her to heel. It’s easy. Say her name, followed by the word “heel.” Tap your thigh and step off so she follows you. Use a reward word like “bingo” when she does, always followed by a treat. If she pulls even a little, reverse directions and repeat the process. The goal is to get her to always pay attention to you and where you are going.

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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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