My theory: Dogs that are a few months old on their first 4th do better with BANGS!

With the Fourth of July approaching, it’s time once again for a few reminders, most of which we all already know, but, as they say, better safe than sorry.

First off, make sure your dog is wearing identification tags — even if you’re both planning a quiet evening at home.

Even animals not inclined to roam may uncharacteristically do so amid the bangs and booms. Animal shelters across the country are accustomed to receiving a surge of “Independence Day” dogs — so make sure yours is carrying the information needed to get him or her back to you.

Do not leave your pet in the car — on the 4th or any other summer day. Even partially opened windows don’t always provide sufficient air, and a dog can become sick or even die within minutes.

Some additional Fourth of July tips from the American Kennel Club:

1. It is safer to keep your pets at home and inside during Forth of July celebrations instead of bringing him to your neighbor’s party, fireworks demonstrations.

2. Keep your dog inside, rather than in your yard. He will be a lot happier indoors, and not tempted to leap over a fence to find you.

3. Dogs can be startled by the loud noise of fireworks. Once the festivities begin, keep your pet in a safe room where he can feel comfortable. If he is crate trained put him in his crate covered with a blanket to make him feel secure.

4. Block outside sights and sounds by lowering the blinds and turning on the television or playing music.

5. If your pet seems overly anxious, spend some time with your pet, speaking soothingly to help them to relax.

6. Avoid scraps from the grill. While tempting to our pets, any sudden change to your pets’ diet can cause stomach upset. In addition, some certain foods like onions, avocado, grapes and raisins can be toxic.

7. Human products can be dangerous to animals. Avoid spraying your pet with insect repellent and only use special sunscreen that is intended for animal use.

8. Keep your pets away from matches and lighter fluid. They can be extremely irritating to the stomach, lungs and central nervous system, if ingested.

Buy here or order from your local library..

The Art Of Raising A Puppy

How To Be Your Dogs Best Friend - The Monks Of New Skete

that is the question

Know the difference… Regurgitation is a favorite pass time for my cats.

Cats can have “non-specific vomiting and/or vomiting and diarrhea… Know you pet..

good article below:

Vomiting is a very common problem in dogs and cats. There are many causes of vomiting. Primary or gastric causes of vomiting are those that are due to diseases of the stomach and upper intestinal tract. Secondary or non-gastric causes of vomiting are caused by diseases of other organs that cause an accumulation  of  toxic substances in the blood. These toxic substances stimulate the vomiting center in the brain causing the animal to vomit.

A problem that can be confused with vomiting is regurgitation. Vomiting is the ejection of contents of the stomach and upper intestine; regurgitation is the ejection of contents of the esophagus. The esophagus is a narrow, muscular tube that food passes through on its way to the stomach. In health, food moves quickly through the esophagus to the stomach. If the muscle of the esophagus loses tone, the esophagus dilates, a condition called megaesophagus. A dilated esophagus does not effectively move food to the stomach and the animal will regurgitate food usually shortly after eating. The food may also be inhaled into the airways causing pneumonia and cough.

When you present your pet to the veterinarian because he or she is vomiting, the veterinarian will ask questions in attempt to differentiate between vomiting and regurgitation and to try to determine if your pet is vomiting due to gastric or non gastric disease. Vomiting is an active process. The pet is apprehensive and heaves and retches to vomit. If food is present in vomit, it is partially digested and a yellow fluid, bile may be present. Regurgitation is fairly passive. The animal  lowers its head and food is expelled without effort.  The food brought up by regurgitation is usually undigested, may have a tubular shape, and is often covered with a slimy mucus. The pet will often try to eat the regurgitated material. You may bring a fresh sample of “vomit” for the veterinarian  to examine. The pH of vomit containing food is acid, the pH of regurgitated materials is higher. Your ability to answer questions about your pet’s activity, habits and environment will help the veterinarian decide which causes of vomiting are most likely in your pet. A history of any drugs your pet is receiving is important. Over-the-counter pain medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen can cause severe stomach ulcers in dogs depending upon the dose and duration of treatment.  The veterinarian may ask you to describe the appearance of the vomit, as well as describe how your pet looks when it vomits and the relation ship of vomiting to eating. If the vomit contains blood it may be fresh, red blood or look like coffee grounds if the blood is digested. Blood is most often seen with stomach ulcers, stomach cancer or uremia (a collection of signs including vomiting seen in pets with kidney failure). Stomach ulcers can be caused by drugs or the presence of a mast cell cancer in the skin. Mast cell cancers release histamine that leads to stomach ulcers. Regurgitation often, but not always, happens right after eating and the pet will try to eat the regurgitated food.  Vomiting occurs a variable time after eating or may occur in a pet who is off food. Animals with a twisted stomach, gastric dilation-torsion, may make frequent attempts to vomit without producing anything. Pets with a hacking cough may retch and sometime vomit at the end of an episode of forceful coughing.  An accurate description in this case would lead to an investigation of the causes of coughing, rather than vomiting.

If your pet vomits just occasionally and has a specific series of actions associated with vomiting, you may consider video taping an episode of vomiting to help describe the episodes to the veterinarian.

The physical examination of the vomiting pet can also provide information to narrow the list of possible causes.  The presence of fever, abdominal pain, jaundice, anemia or abnormal masses in the abdomen will help the veterinarian make a more specific diagnosis. The mouth should be carefully examined as some foreign objects such as string can wind around the base of the tongue with the rest of the object extending into the stomach or small intestine. A nodule may be palpated in the neck of cats with hyperthyroidism.

The list of non-gastric causes of vomiting is long.

Pancreatitis in the dog causes vomiting that is sudden in onset and often severe. The dog may have a painful belly. Pets with pancreatitis often have a  history of eating garbage or fatty table scraps. Tumors of the pancreas can cause similar signs to pancreatitis. Pancreatitis occurs in the cat but the signs are subtle and non specific and often don’t  include vomiting

Kidney failure is a common cause of vomiting in dogs and cats. The kidneys can be acutely (suddenly) damaged by poisons such as antifreeze or by severe dehydration.   Waste products that the kidneys normally get rid of, rise to high levels in just a few days. The kidneys can also gradually lose their ability to remove waste products from the body as the pet ages. Early signs of kidney failure include drinking and urinating large amounts called polyuria and polydipsia or PU-PD. PU-PD may be present for months to years before the kidney failure is severe enough to lead to waste product accumulation and vomiting. Vomiting in chronic kidney failure may began as occasional episodes and progress to severe, frequent vomiting. The pet with chronic kidney failure will often lose body condition and may have pale gums due to anemia.

Non-spayed, middle aged female pets can develop a uterine infection called pyometra. Pyometra occurs within 2 months after a heat cycle and often results in discharge of pus from the vagina. The pet may frequently lick the vagina so discharge may not be seen. Dogs develop pyometra more often than cats. Other signs may include PU-PD and depression.

Liver failure causes vomiting as well as other signs depending on the type of liver disease. Other signs of liver disease may include seizures, jaundice (a yellow discoloration of the areas of skin not covered by fur), PU-PD and fluid accumulation in the belly or legs. Bladder obstruction or rupture will cause a sudden onset of vomiting. The urethra that leads from the bladder to the outside can get plugged by stones or tumors. The animal  will strain and pass just a free drops of urine or none at all. They will also have a painful belly. Bladder obstruction if not corrected, is fatal in just a few days. The bladder can be ruptured by blunt trauma such as being hit by a car or kicked.

A form of diabetes called ketoacidosis will cause vomiting along with depression and PU-PD.

Addison’s disease is a deficiency of hormones from the adrenal gland and causes vomiting, diarrhea and weakness. Addison’s disease occurs most commonly in young to middle aged dogs, most of which are female. Addison’s is rare in the cat.  The signs of Addison’s disease may be intermittent or may be very severe and constant.

Diseases of the inner ear can cause vomiting accompanied by incoordination, circling and tilting of the head to the side. Motion during car rides stimulates the inner ear and can cause vomiting.

A sudden onset of vomiting in young, poorly vaccinated pets may be caused by infectious agents including canine distemper, canine parvovirus and feline panleukopenia virus.

There are many toxins including lead, insecticides, antifreeze and other chemicals that can cause vomiting.

Cats with elevated thyroid function, hyperthyroidism, may vomit in addition to other signs including, increased appetite, weight loss, hyperactivity and a poorly kept coat. Heartworm disease in cats may cause vomiting in addition to coughing, respiratory distress, weight loss and depression.

Primary causes of vomiting include acute gastritis often due to eating garbage or other types of dietary indiscretions; the ingestion of large amounts of hair during grooming; ulcers of the stomach; stomach or upper intestinal cancer; parasites; food allergies; the presence of a foreign body stuck in the stomach or upper intestine; twisting and dilation of the stomach; and intussusception which is a telescoping of one part of the intestine into another piece of intestine.

The stomach is usually empty 6 to 8 hours after eating. Vomiting of  food when the stomach should be empty suggests an obstruction of the stomach or abnormal motion of the stomach muscles that normally grind food and push the ground food out of the stomach.

Tests to differentiate primary causes of vomiting include x-rays or ultrasound of the abdomen and endoscopy. Endoscopy is the technique of passing a flexible scope into the stomach and upper intestine to examine the inside of these structures. It may be possible to remove a foreign body with endoscopy and small biopsies of the lining of the stomach and intestine can be taken for microscopic evaluation. Endoscopy requires general anesthesia.

If the pet vomits sporadically, the results of all tests may be normal. Many healthy dogs and cats vomit occasionally without identifying a cause. Sometimes the cause of vomiting is as simple as the pet eating too fast.  The treatment for vomiting depends upon the cause. Nonspecific treatment for vomiting includes fasting, and fluids to correct or prevent dehydration.  In episodes of sudden onset of vomiting,  food is withheld for 24 - 48 hours and water for 24 hours. Water should never be withheld from an animal with known or suspected kidney disease without replacing fluids intravenously or subcutaneously (under the skin). If vomiting stops, small amounts of a bland low-fat food are fed 3 to 6 times daily for a few days, with a gradual increase in the amount fed and a gradual transition to the pet’s normal diet. Water is also reintroduced in small amounts on the second day. You may start with  ice cubes and then gradually increase the amount of water over the day if vomiting does not reoccur.

If the pet is bright and alert and has had no previous health problems, episodes of acute vomiting  may be managed at home, although veterinary consultation prior to home treatment is advised.  Consultation with a veterinarian in your region may reveal a recent outbreak of an infectious disease causing vomiting or identify  a cluster of recent poisonings. With this type of knowledge you will want to have your pet evaluated rather than waiting a few days. Dogs and cats who vomit for longer than a few days or are depressed or dehydrated should be presented for veterinary evaluation.

A Micro chip is a must, but will not stop a car or scan itself.

Solutions?  Don’t take the collar off during the bath or don’t wait til the dog dries off.  Hire a gardener who is a “DOG PERSON”…

Or, Teach your pets NOT to leave the yard. Set  boundaries.

Yes you can…

Here is a good HOW TO that I found on the web.. start now..

Book idea

Raising kittens

BOOK on Amazon or Public Library

2 weeks old kittens

Warmth first:
Kittens depend on their mother to keep them warm because they can’t maintain their own body temperature.
Chilling is the greatest single threat to a neonatal kitten’s survival. If the kitten is cold to the touch hypothermia has already set in. This means your kitten’s body temperature is dangerously low and her condition is critical!

Use your body first. Your own body provides the best immediate insulation. (Do not put kittens that display defensive behavior next to your skin- have a layer of clothes between you and the kitten).

Massage in the warmth. Gently massage the kitten’s body to stimulate circulation.

Wrap a towel around a hot water bottle or bottles of warm water- place it close to the kitten.

Never feed a chilled kitten any type of milk replacement formula or anything else. This can prove fatal! To stabilize a kitten as you warm him, try rubbing .01 cc (a thin layer on your finger tip) of light corn syrup, or a solution of equal parts sugar and water on his gums.

Place the kitten/kittens in a quiet place in a clean draft free area – the area should be large enough for the kittens to move around freely.

It is best to use a heating pad made for specially for pets, but if you must use a regular heating pad, set it on the lowest temperature, be sure to cover the heating pad well with a towel making sure the kitten cannot crawl under it and come into direct contact with the pad. The kittens must be able to move away from the heat, so be sure it covers only part of their bed. Check the kittens frequently.

During the first week of life the kitten area should be kept at 86 – 90 degrees and lowered five degrees a week until 75 degrees is reached. Use a thermometer to check the temperature of heating pad.

Keep it clean:

You’ll want to keep the kitten’s environment as clean as possible. Unweaned kittens can generate amazing messes in a short time by relieving themselves in their bed. Do not use strong disinfectants or detergents. Wash with 1 part bleach to 32 part water. Be sure to keep the kittens area dry.

Dehydration:
Kittens can easily become dehydrated due to lack of mother’s milk, hypothermia, or prolonged vomiting or diarrhea. To detect whether a kitten is dehydrated gently pick up a fold of skin along the kitten’s back (the scruff). The skin should quickly pop back into place. If the skin stays put dehydration has occurred.
A dehydrated kitten requires quick help. An electrolyte solution made for human babies and sold at most grocery stores is a good first line of defense for mildly dehydrated kittens. You can give your kitten 1cc of the electrolyte solution (slightly warmed and tested on your wrist) 3 times a day to help maintain electrolyte balance.
Severe dehydration is a veterinary emergency. Signs include sunken eyes, lack of skin elasticity determined by the skin fold test described above, dry mouth, exhaustion or lethargy.

Record:
Chart the kitten’s initial weight, taking notes on kitten’s general appearance, and accurately recording the feeding schedule with the time and amount of formula given.
To safely weigh kittens at home use a kitchen baking scale that contains a large capacity bowl.

Average weight for kittens:

Age (days)________Weight
1 2 ½ to 4 ¾ oz
5 3 to 7 oz
10 4 ½ to 9 ¾ oz
15 6 to 11 ¾ oz
20 7 ½ to 14 ½ oz
25 8 to 16 ¾ oz
Reprinted courtesy of Alley Cat Allies

The most important thing to note is that each kitten is gaining some amount of weight every single day.

Stages of Growth:
First week- kittens are virtually helpless at birth. Tiny and wet, they generally weigh in between 3-4 oz and are less then 6 inches long. Their eyes are closed and ears folded over. They are deaf and blind at birth. During the first week their sense of smell, hearing and taste begin to take shape. They can’t urinate or defecate on their own.
At this time they spend 90% of their time sleeping and the other 10% nursing. They can call out in distress and purr.

Second week- The kitten’s eyes begin to open (they are blue) and focus a bit. The ears also begin to open and stand up. They begin to crawl and snuggle in their nest. They are unable to retract their tiny claws, but knead enthusiastically.

Third week- Their eyesight improves. Those important first steps take place in the form of wobbly movements. They begin to cut baby teeth. True eye color appears. They begin to notice the world around them – full of sights, sounds and siblings.

Fourth week- by now they’re busy exploring their environment, playing with litter mates (if they don’t have litter mates, you need to be their litter mate and play with them a lot!) be careful not to teach them to play roughly with your hands- it’s cute at this age, but will not be so cute when they are adults biting your hand. They learn how to dig; they roll over and get back up. They begin lapping and go to the bathroom without help. Litter box training begins.

Fifth week- vigorous kitten play, including hiding, stalking, and pouncing. Baby teeth are in. Individual personalities emerge. The process of learning to nibble solid food continues.

Sixth week- their balance has improved. They learn to negotiate their territory, trotting and running in a smoother fashion. They’re more playful and begin to use their nails to climb (your legs) and they thrive on physical and mental stimulation.

Boy or Girl:
To determine the sex of you kitten, gently lift their tails and take a peek. Keep English punctuation in mind. The anus, testes and penis will resemble an exclamation point on males. Females will exhibit an anus and vulva that looks remarkably like a colon.

Feed Me:
Cow’s milk should never be given to kittens. It’s a poor substitute for a mother cat’s milk. The lactose level is too high and the fat and protein level are too low for kittens.
Even worse it causes diarrhea which can quickly dehydrate kittens.

Always use premixed formulas made specifically for kittens.

General feeding:
Kittens age Average Amount of Number of
(Weeks) weight formula per day feedings daily

1 4 oz 32 cc 6

2 7 oz 56 cc 4

3 10 oz 80 cc 3

4 13 oz 104 cc 3

5 1lb 128 cc 3

This is the average, but this is only a guideline and you will need to monitor your kitten to be sure it is gaining weight. It is important to not over feed or under feed your kitten.
Over feeding can cause diarrhea. One way to tell if you are overfeeding is the kittens will have appearance of grayish stool. On the other hand, a kitten that is not fed enough will cry continuously and appear restless, then listless. Under feeding will result in the kitten becoming dehydrated and chilled. Keep in mind a kitten’s milk intake is limited to her small stomach. The stomach should feel full but not swollen after she is fed.

A kitten requires about 8 cc’s of formula per ounce of body weight a day, divided among feedings. Follow the general feeding guide, but realize that each kitten is an individual and feeding is not an exact science. Healthy kittens let you know when they want to be fed and will often let you know they are full by releasing the nipple. If your kitten wake up and cries, she is probably hungry.

Bottle Feeding:
Kittens that are strong enough to suck vigorously on your finger should be bottle fed. Be sure to make the hole in the nipple big enough that kitten milk can go through, but not so large it runs out too quickly risking aspiration (milk in kitten’s lungs)

Be sure to sterilize all utensils before each feeding and warmth the formula to no more than 100 degrees F – test the formula on your wrist, it should feel warm not hot. Make sure the formula has no hot spots if you use the microwave.
To bottle feed kittens visualize the kitten’s natural position if she were nursing from her mom. Place the kitten stomach down on a towel it can cling to at roughly a 45 degree angle. Squeeze a drop of milk on the tip of the nipple, gently open her mouth and slip the nipple between her jaws. The angle helps prevent air from entering the stomach.
Never hold the kitten in the air or on her back while feeding. Never force feed your kitten or squeeze the bottle. Let the kitten suck on her own and sit back and relax. You and your kitten will catch on quickly! When you kitten is full, her tummy will be slightly rounded and bubbles will form around her moth. Just like young human babies, kittens must be burped after each feeding. Hold your kitten upright on against your shoulder. Pat and rub her gently on her back.

If your kitten appears to choke during a feeding or you notice formula coming out of his nose, don’t panic. The kitten may have aspirated some formula into his lungs. Immediately and gently hold the kitten upside down until the choking or coughing subsides. Tip: Make sure the hole in the nipple is not too large.

Stimulation means elimination
kittens younger then 3 weeks of age cannot eliminate on their own, they need your help. A mother cat normally licks the kitten’s genital and anal areas to stimulate them to urinate and defecate. You can do this after feeding and burping your kitten, take a cotton ball and moisten with warm water and gently rub over stomach and bottom. This action mimics the mom’s licking and will stimulate the kitten to relieve themselves. You will need to do this after every meal.

Wash after every meal
Tiny kittens are irresistibly cute, but they are also very messy. Like the mother cat you will want to clean them up after meals or after they eliminate. Don’t immerse a kitten in water this can cause respiratory problems. Instead, wash her with a warm, damp washcloth using short, gentle strokes; this mimics the moms licking her baby clean. Get them as dry as possible and then leave them in a warm, draft-free area until you are sure they are completely dry. Never allow your kitten to become chilled.

Weaning your kitten
the first thing to learn about weaning is that kittens do not always stick to the schedule we plan for them. Weaning has a lot more to do with the kitten’s readiness to be weaned than our desire to hurry the process along.

When your kitten reaches 4 weeks (occasionally earlier) start putting the formula in a shallow bowl or pan. Neatness doesn’t count, so be prepared for some wildly messy moments as your preschoolers learn to eat from a pan and not in it. At this time also, start leaving out fresh water in shallow dishes. From this point on fresh water should be available at all times.

Continue to keep your kittens as clean and dry as possible. Like a mother cat you will teach your kitten to clean their fur and groom themselves. The old adage about cleanliness being nest to godliness will prevent a host of skin problems.

Begin to add solid foods gradually. Use a high quality canned food designed specifically for kittens. Smear some on their lips or touch a finger to the mixture and put it in the kitten’s mouth. This is also when to leave dry kitten food out in a bowl. Be patient with the dry food; remember it takes time for the young kittens to become strong enough to chew dry kitten food. Weaning should not be finished until the kitten is 6 weeks or older.

Litter box time
At approximately 4 weeks your kitten is ready for litter box training. Her first litter box should allow for easy access- a small litter box or pie tin with a shallow layer of litter works well. Place the kitten in the litter and scratch the paws in it. This should be enough, but if necessary you should put a bit of their own stool in the box so they know what to do. They usually figure this out quickly. Use only clay litter or another non-clumping alternative (like Yesterdays News made from recycled paper) for safety sake. If they ingest it, they could end up with an obstruction. If it sticks to their nose it could impede their ability to breath.

Socializing
The kittens need to be handled a lot in order to be easy to handle adults. It is crucial they be given lots of attention, play time, cuddling. This is also a good time to get them used to having their nails trimmed. Place them on their back holding them like a baby. The more they are handled as kittens the more accepting of this they will be as adults. It is also important for them to be around noises, such as t. v., radio, people talking and so on.

(thank you Casa de los Gatos)

Read this before you need it!

HOW TO GIVE YOU DOG CPR

Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation, or CPR, as it is called, is a version of artificial respiration that includes assisting the HEART to BEAT. The purpose of CPR is to keep oxygen moving to the lungs and blood circulating throughout the body. The directions contained here APPLY TO DOGS. While these instructions may be good in an emergency, it is wise to check with your VET to establish the procedure that is best for your DOG.

If your DOG is NOT breathing use a finger to clear any mucus or other objects from the mouth. TILT the head back to straighten the airway passage.

Hold the mouth shut with one hand, and place your mouth over the DOG’S nose and mouth making sure the seal is tight.

Blow into the nose while watching to see if the chest expands.

If the chest DOES NOT EXPAND start over again by clearing the mouth. If the chest DOES EXPAND release your DOG’S mouth so it can exhale.

Repeat the breathing procedure once every five (5) seconds until your DOG is breathing normally, or until your Vet or other Emergency technician is available to begin treatment.

PUT your DOG on its right side. PUT the heel of your hand on the ribcage just behind the elbow. PUT your other hand on top of the first hand.

Firmly press on the ribcage in quick, smooth movements. Depending on the size of your DOG press down 3-4 inches using both hands. The compression should last no longer than 1/2 second. The smaller the DOG the fewer inches of compression and less force are needed. At all times try not to damage the ribcage.

Repeat this procedure a total of 10 times.

Then, if your DOG is not breathing, perform CPR as described above.

Alternate between the chest compressions (10 in a row), and one breath into the DOG’S nose.

You will thank me for this one… This will only take a couple of weeks but do reinforce often.

Keep a dog whistle next to the dog (or cat) food and treats and use it EVEY TIME you feed.. Blow the whistle and use the “come” command with praise EVERY TIME… Start using the whistle for training when you call your dog.. NEVER PUNISH when a dog obeys the “COME” command..

You will be very pleased when you soon find that your dog comes to your verbal command even if you do not use the whistle… Your dog will have learned the vocal command .. If you have a dog that is not food motivated.. good luck! Many sled type long-haired dogs are not food motivated…

Silent Dog Whistles about $10-12..
Invented by Acme in 1935, the Silent Whistle is the perfect choice people who live in an urban environment, where noise is a factor. Most dogs hear quite clearly frequencies that the human ear cannot. Both models are adjustable within the frequency range of 5400 Hz. to 12,800 Hz. So they can be tuned to your dog’s specific hearing level. Whether your dog is working close to you or at a distance this model is the perfect choice

MORE detailed instruction…

COMING WHEN CALLED You must have the ability to recall your dog, no matter what the situation or other temptations. The best way to achieve this is by ensuring that returning to you is a rewarding and highly pleasurable experience available to them. To do this it is essential that you never punish your dog for returning to you regardless of what they were doing before (or how angry it made you!).

Recalling a young puppy is often quite easy as they often lack the confidence to wander far away. It is important to take advantage of this period in building the recall command and associating it with very positive experiences. To get your dog’s attention and make it return to you, be prepared to step out of your comfort zone in terms of your own behavior. Use high pitched voices, clap your hands, jump up and down. Make yourself seem as interesting as possible to your dog. If you are really desperate, use a treat or run in the opposite direction to your dog. Their natural chase instinct nearly always gets their attention and brings them running. When they get to you, heap on the praise, hug them, play a short game or a tummy rub. Anything that makes them think returning to you is just the real business.

Start to introduce the whistle when recalling. To start with, you could just whistle yourself unaided and gradually move onto the dog whistle as your distances increase. Assuming your dog is able to sit on command, practice walking away from them a short distance, then using the pip-pip to recall. Sometimes return to your dog instead of doing the recall. This will stop your dog anticipating the command or always assume a sit/stay is followed by a recall.

If at any time your dog seems confused, keep calm and don’t start shouting (this will only make things worse). Go back to commands that your dog has mastered and start to build up slowly again. Training is always two steps forwards and one back.

How To Toilet Train your Cat - paperback book -purchase here or check your public library

This is a re-publish from Karawynn Long’s site..

In Loving Memory of Misha: April 1989–March 2005

There have been more books and articles about toilet-training your cat than you’d think. In the summer of 1989, when Misha was a small kitten with big ears and enough meow for five cats, I searched out and read a half-dozen of them. And then tried it myself, and discovered there were a couple of things they all failed to mention …

Some of the advice in those books turned out to be impractical. Some of it was unnecessary. Some of it was quite sensible and worked like a charm. A lot of what works and what doesn’t work depends on the individual cat — on her personality and smarts. Here’s what worked for me and Misha.

The central idea is that the transition from litter box to toilet be accomplished in a series of stages. You make a small change and then give your cat time to adjust before you make another small change. If at any time Felix gives the whole thing up and pees on the rug instead, you’re pushing him too far too fast; back up a stage or two and try again, more slowly.

In the following instructions, I’ve used the word “rest” to mean: do nothing for a period of between a day and a week, depending on how flappable your cat is. (Misha caught on fast and was completely trained in under two weeks, far in advance of what the books led me to expect.)

Ready? First start by training yourself …

The very most important thing to remember is: Lid Up, Seat Down. Post a note on the back of the door or the lid of the toilet if you think you (or your housemates or guests) might forget. (Nowadays, if I have a guest who leaves the lid down, Misha will usually come and ask me to fix it, but you can’t expect every cat to go to this much trouble. Besides, he’s been using the toilet for more than six years now; when the whole idea was new to him he’d just as soon pee in the bathtub instead.) And if you are accustomed to closing the bathroom door when it’s empty, you’ll have to break that habit too.

Begin by moving the cat’s current litter box from wherever it is to one side of the toilet. Make sure he knows where it is and uses it. Rest. Next put something — a stack of newspapers, a phone book, a cardboard box — under the litter box to raise it, say, about an inch. (Magazines are too slick; you don’t want the litter box sliding around and making Felix feel insecure. Tape the litter box down if you need to.) Rest. Get another box or phone book and raise it a little higher. Rest. Continue this process until the bottom of the litter box is level with the top of the toilet seat. (For Misha I raised it about two inches per day.)

At the beginning of this process, your cat could just step into the box; later he began jumping up into it, until at some point he probably started jumping up onto the toilet seat first and stepping into the box from there. You’ve been diligently keeping the lid up and the seat down, of course, so by now your cat is thoroughly familiar with tromping around on the open toilet.

Lift the seat on your toilet and measure the inside diameter of the top of the bowl at its widest point. Venture forth and buy a metal mixing bowl of that diameter. Do not (I discovered this the hard way) substitute a plastic bowl. A plastic bowl will not support the cat’s weight and will bend, dropping into the toilet bowl and spilling litter everywhere, not to mention startling hell out of the cat.

Now you move the litter box over so that it’s sitting directly over the toilet seat. (If your cat has shown reluctance over previous changes, you might want to split this into two stages, moving it halfway onto the seat and then fully over.) Take away the stack of phone books or whatever. Rest.

Here’s the cool part. Take away the litter box entirely. (Ta da!) Nestle the metal mixing bowl inside the toilet bowl and lower the seat. Fill the bowl with about two inches of litter (all of this is much easier if you have the tiny granules of litter that can be scooped out and flushed).

Naturally, any humans using the toilet at this point will want to remove the metal bowl prior to their own use and replace it afterward. The next week or two the whole process is likely to be something of an annoyance; if you begin to think it’s not worth it, just remember that you will never have to clean a litter box again.

Misha’s first attempt without the box. He scored two out of a possible four.

Watch your cat using the bathroom in the metal bowl. Count the number of feet he gets up on the toilet seat (as opposed to down in the bowl of litter). The higher the number, the luckier you are and the easier your job is going to be …

…because next you have to teach him proper squatting posture. Catch him beginning to use the toilet as much of the time as possible and show him where his feet are supposed to go. Just lift them right out of the bowl and place them on the seat (front legs in the middle, hind legs on the outside). If he starts out with three or, heaven forbid, all four feet in the bowl, just get the front two feet out first. Praise him all over the place every time he completes the activity in this position.

(Misha is very doglike in that he craves approval and praise. If your cat is indifferent to this sort of thing, you can also reward him with small food treats and wean him from them later when the toilet behavior has ’set.’ Just keep the treats as small and infrequent as possible — half a Pounce or similar treat per occasion should be plenty.)

When he is regularly using the toilet with his front feet out (and some cats naturally start from this position), begin lifting a hind foot out and placing it on the seat outside the front paws. Felix will probably find this awkward at first and try to replace the foot in the litter. Be persistent. Move that foot four times in a row if you have to, until it stays there. Praise and/or treat.

Misha demonstrates proper squatting posture. Note the look of firm concentration.

Repeat with the other hind foot, until your cat learns to balance in that squat. (There will actually be two different squats, a low one for urine elimination and a high one for bowel movements.) Once he’s getting all four feet regularly on the seat, it’s all downhill from here.

Which is fortunate, because the last bit is also the most unpleasant. I suggest that you postpone this stage until you have at least a weekend, and preferably several days, when you (or another responsible party) will be at home most of the time. I skipped through this part in about two days; I only hope that your cat allows you to move along that fast.

Begin reducing the litter in the bowl. Go as fast as he’ll feel comfortable with, because as the litter decreases, the odor increases. You’ll want to be home at this point so that you can praise him and dump out the contents of the bowl immediately after he’s finished, to minimize both the smell and the possibility that your cat, in a confused attempt to minimize the smell on his own, tries to cover it up with litter that no longer exists and ends up tracking unpleasantness into the rest of the house.

By the time you’re down to a token teaspoonful of litter in the bottom of the bowl, your next-door neighbors will probably be aware of the precise instant your cat has used the toilet. This is as bad as it gets. The next time you rinse out the metal bowl, put a little bit of water in the bottom. Increase the water level each time, just as you decreased the litter level. Remember — if at any point Felix looks nervous enough about the change to give the whole thing up and take his business to the corner behind the door, back up a step or two and try the thing again more slowly.

Once the water in the mixing bowl is a couple of inches deep and your cat is comfortable with the whole thing, you get to perform the last bit of magic. Take the mixing bowl away, leaving the bare toilet. (Lid Up, Seat Down.)

Voila! Your cat is now toilet-trained.

Got questions? Visit the How to Toilet Train Your Cat FAQ page for more information.

In Loving Memory of Misha: April 1989–March 2005

Karawynn Long is a writer and designer who lives in Seattle with her partner, a pup, and the memory of an extraordinary cat. You can see what she’s been up to lately on her journal blog.

She would be thrilled if you would hire her for your next design project.

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