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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 have a question about cat nutrition. My (almost) 2-year-old cat Juno steals kalamata olives. Not only does he steal them, he will scream and beg for them if he sees me eating them or smells them in the room. He'll gnaw on my fingers if he knows I've held one. This is a normally very composed furry gentleman. Once Juno secures an olive he literally goes wild - he shakes with excitement and devours the olive in an ecstatic frenzy. I've never witnessed such behavior. Days after consuming an olive and with a wistful look on his face, Juno will even lick the floor where it once was.
Is my kitty missing an essential nutrient in his diet? Juno receives three of the smaller-sized cans of Wellness brand wet food or portions of their larger canned Core wet food per day, supplemented with a tiny bit of Wellness dry food overnight (less than a quarter cup - and even this will take him a month to finish because he prefers wet). He has a Drinkwell brand fountain, which is always on and clean, as well as fresh tap water placed in a still dish daily. We keep a steady crop of cat grass available, and he gets Wellness brand jerky treats about once a month, for fun. Should I give him olives, or refrain? What could be driving this obsession of his?
Susan
A: Dear Susan,
I did a google search and the reaction is not unusual – sort of like catnip – here's a somewhat scientific explanation that I found:
"Both green olives (Olea europaea) and Pimentos (Capsicum annuum) contain isoprenoids that are structurally similar to the methylcyclopentane monoterpene nepetalactone, which is responsible for binding to receptors in your cat's vomeronasal organ and consequently the mind-altering effect your cat experiences.
"These compounds are not unusual, although the configuration varies widely between plant species.
"These compounds resemble pheromones, and as such some of them function as a natural mock-pheromone pest repellents for the plant, which is likely how such high levels of these constituents within a plants' essential oils evolved.
"The vomeronasal organ is what your cat (and most other animals with the exception of humans, although there is a small indented area and partial nerve channel where it would be, left over from our evolution) uses to sense pheromones, and is where the nepetalactone in catnip stimulates pheromone receptors resulting in space-kitty.
"Summary - it is likely that either the green olives or pimentos have a chemical in their essential oil that is similar enough to the active chemical in catnip to have a similar effect on the same receptors in the part of kitty's nose that are responsible for catnip getting her high."
There appears to be no toxicity (someone mentioned diarrhea, but I would go easy simply for the addiction factor. Use pitted olives, of course. It doesn’t sound as if anything is lacking in Juno’s diet though I always suggest serving a variety of foods to prevent boredom.
Just out of curiosity, I bought some green olives and black olives to test on my own cats. Alas, they all gave me that "Where’s the meat?" look.
Like catnip some cats may react and others may not. Juno definitely enjoys his olives!
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 Ron,
My husband bought our son a green anole lizard for a pet. It moves fast, so my son doesn't handle it at all. The only time we handle it is when we catch it to clean the cage. I am afraid it is going to bite me. My husband said they don't even have teeth. He said if I can prove they do, that he will clean the cage. Can you help me?
Jill
A: Dear Jill,
First let me thank Jill for an easy to answer question. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words and the lizards teeth can clearly be seen in this one. Although they are too small to break the skin on most adults, if they got a hold of a small enough finger they might draw blood. It is just as easy to capture the lizard in a small cup for cage cleaning.
While some questions can be answered in words or photos, there might be some situations where it would be much easier to solve an animal problem in person. With that thought in mind I will be at the Newington Petco every Saturday from 9am to 12pm to answer reptile questions, offer suggestions on products and evaluate your animal’s condition. However, questions are still welcome here.
Ron
Ask the Vet!
Lauren Mascola is the veterinarian at Petcare Veterinary Services in West Hartford. She studied at UConn for undergraduate and Tufts for Veterinary Medicine. She has over 10 years experience and 2 dogs and 3 cats of her own. She is excited to answer your questions!
Q: Dear Dr. Mascola,
My 14 year old dog has been getting "lost" lately. He will pace around and end up in a corner and seem stuck there until I help him. Is this just due to his age or can there be something else wrong?
Thanks, Kathryn
A: Dear Kathryn,
Thanks for the question. I would recommend having your dog seen at the veterinarian to make sure there is nothing physically wrong. If they cannot find anything wrong, this behavior may be due to age and can be seen as a component of Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (Doggie Alzheimer's).
Besides pacing and getting "lost", you might also see inappropriate bathroom habits, barking or other vocalization for no reason or a change in appetite or sleep patterns. Some dogs may also stop seeking human companionship or greeting their owner when they get home.
There is a drug labeled specifically for CDS, and I will usually recommend a trial on it for patients where I suspect the disease. It works temporarily in some cases but may not have any affect in others.
Good Luck,
Dr. Mascola
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