Ask The Cat Lady!

Sally Bahner is a member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and has a private feline consulting practice. She is the "Dear Sally" on Tracie Hotchner’s Cat Chat Radio (www.catchatradio.com), found on Sirius, the Martha Stewart Living channel. She is a longtime editor and writer on everything feline.

Q: Dear Sally,
I play with my cat before bedtime, give him a good meal late, and he has another cat to play with, but he still wakes me up every single night. How do I break him of the habit? If I shut him out of the bedroom, he claws on the wood paneling. Should I put him in a bathroom over night?
Eleanor
A: Dear Eleanor,
How long have you been playing with and feeding the cat before bedtime? It may take a while to break the habit. What do you do when the cat bothers you during the night? Anything you do to acknowledge the cat's presence will reinforce the behavior. You can try to play possum – and make sure breakables and stuff on your dresser are put away so the cat doesn't knock them off to get your attention.
Put a cat tree in front of the window so he can look out at nighttime happenings – make sure that it's comfy so he can fall asleep.
Just before bedtime fill some treat balls and scatter them around the house for him to find. If all else fails, do put him in the bathroom with a litter box and comfy bed. However, he may make a racket there. Sort of like the crying baby thing.
If the cat is young he should grow out of it with consistency on your part.
Sally
 

Reptile Man!

Ron Wulff, the Reptile Man, has worked for one of the big retail pet stores for 6 years as a reptile and aquatic specialist. He rescues reptiles and runs www.nopaws.com, dedicating his time to educate people on exotic pets. Direct your exotic pet questions to Reptile Man.

Q: Dear Reptile Man,
We have a 3 foot ball python and this morning I noticed something was hanging out of his anus. It looks like it is guts.  I tried to call a few vets and none of them are open. Can you help us?  
Greg and Jane  
A: Dear Greg and Jane,
Ok, There are two things that could be hanging out that end of the snake and neither one SHOULD be. It could be that a bit of his intestines came out when it pooped, or one of his hemipenes (snakes have two sex organs) came out and got stuck.  Either way, you will need a vet to put it back in.  Kensington Bird and Animal Hospital has a few vets experienced with reptiles.  Your job is to keep the tissue clean until you can get it to them. Soak or rinse away any dirt or substrate stuck to it as best as you can.  Snakes don't seem to recognize pain and will hardly pay attention.  After it is clean, place it in a small container with no substrate or plain paper towels at most.  You can place the smaller container right in the snakes cage so it will be warm.  Then you already have him packed for the trip to the vet. Good luck.
Ron
(This question came on a Sunday a few months ago and the animal has long since recovered.)
 

The Bunny Expert!

Susan adopted her first house rabbit 5 years ago and soon after got highly involved in rabbit rescue. She has volunteered at a local rabbit rescue group and a local animal shelter working with rabbits. She has since co-founded 3 Bunnies Rabbit Rescue Inc. Susan can surely answer all of your rabbit questions!

Q: Dear Bunny Expert,                    
I am thinking about adopting a large house rabbit. What kind of housing should I buy for him?                                                                                                         
Kathy      
A: Dear Kathy,
Let me first say it is great you are considering saving a life by adopting. Many bunny rescues can help answer your questions. There is also great info on the web. There are different options. I will just mention a few of my favorites. It also depends on what you have for space in your home and if you have children or other pets. Large dog crates work great for housing. They are easy to clean and offer plenty of room for a bunny who can learn to walk in and out of the door on their own. X-pens, which are better known as doggie playpens, have 8 sides of sturdy wire and are great. They come in different heights. Higher ones are better for bunnies that might be able to jump over them or climb up them. These are great to stand alone and use instead of a dog crate, or great for blocking off a room. Sometimes I clip them to a crate to create more space. Then if you have the space, some people bunnyproof a bedroom or area in their house to dedicate completely to the bunny. This way they can have plenty or room to run around. If you don't have space for a bunny room, using a dog crate or x-pen works well. Then bunnyproof areas in your home where bunny can come out for supervised exercise time.  
Susan Curtiss, www.3bunnies.org 

Ask the Lazi Birds!

Steve and Diane Lazicki have been rescuing and working with birds for over 8 years, as well as raising them as pets since childhood. They live with over 150 birds in their "bird house," so they have a wealth of bird expertise. Direct your bird related questions to the Lazi Birds.

Q: Dear Lazi Birds,
I have asked a lot of people about wing clipping. I want to know if it is good or bad. I get a lot of answers which are simply good or bad but never seem to get 'reasons' why. Is it all just a matter of opinion, or are there reasons?? Please help, I'm new to owning birds.
Lori
A: Dear Lori,
Well, here we go.... So many people become offended if they don't agree with someone's reasoning. I too would not make a decision based on just a good/bad pole. Birds were not created in cages, thus 'free flight'. We have elected to bring them into our homes and make them family members. Along with that decision comes the responsibility to keep them safe!
We have had SO MANY birds turned into our rescue that were found either in trees, on someone's lawn or actually landed on a shoulder. We tend not to realize how far a bird can fly. So that's an obvious reason not to clip.
What about the dangers in a house? Folks say "my bird is never outside". My first thought is "poor bird".. In any event, birds cannot see the glass in a window. They CAN see a tree outside and try to fly to it, or a mirror, thinking it's another room!!! Too many babies die of broken necks. I was in the vet’s office one day when a person ran in with her bird that had landed in a pot of boiling water in the kitchen while she was cooking.
There are SO MANY dangers in a house that birds are not exposed to in the wild. I guess by now you have figured out that we at Lazicki's Bird House & Rescue, advocate 'clipping'... We have only been able to find the owners of a couple of the birds turned into us. Even though a lot of them were able to tell us their names and were banded. We post on the lost bird board in CT, RI, MA, NY and NJ...
And so, clipping is a decision you have to make for yourself. Again, birds were not created in a house or cage. Every bird that comes through our door is clipped soon after arriving. It's one of the ways that we keep them safe.
Diane, Lazicki's Bird House & Rescue, Inc.

Equine Expert!

Mary Jo Zanolli is an instructor at Connecticut Equestrian Center in Coventry. She has over 12 years experience teaching beginner and intermediate riders, and over 20 years experience riding horses. Send all of your horse related questions to Mary Jo!

Q: Dear Mary Jo,
I just got my first horse. I am wondering how often I should have the blacksmith trim his hooves. Also, I need help deciding if I should have shoes put on my horse’s feet?
Josh
A: Dear Josh,
Congratulations on getting your first horse! Typically horses have their hooves trimmed every 6-8 weeks. Horse’s hooves can be compared to human fingernails, and the rate of speed that the hoof grows varies. The weather and how often the horse is exercised (and what type of ground the horse is being ridden on) can also play a factor. Waiting too long between trims can affect the horses gait, so it is a good idea to make sure to schedule regular trims with your blacksmith.
Regarding shoes, the need (or lack of need) for shoes completely depends on the horse’s own hooves, the amount and type of riding the horse is used for, and the riding surface.  Your blacksmith can help you decide what is appropriate for your horse.
Mary Jo