Pet Behavioral Issues FAQ

Every animal requires proper care and respect, and committed pet lovers should be aware of the issues related to their specific animal. Here's a list of Frequently Asked Questions regarding Pet Behavioral Issues.

1. We have 3 outdoor cats and 1 indoor cat, who are afraid of the dog. How can I help my cats to accept the dog? ANSWER
2. We have a kitten who is not quite four months old. We have had her and her two sisters for three months. She uses the litter box, but also continues to urinate in different places around the house as well. Why am I having such a difficult time with this one? What am I doing wrong? ANSWER

3. I have a 6 yr old Maltese that likes to urinate on the bottom of the couch. I can't seem to get the smell out so he doesn't go in the same spot again. Any suggestions? He is neutered and is house trained. ANSWER
4. Our neutered cat continues to spray the rug in our living room. This habit began after we put in a new lawn and garden border in our front yard. Max is almost 3-1/2 yrs old, uses a litter box. We have tried everything from having 2 litter boxes available for his use to putting him in a small area and nothing seems to work. ANSWER

5. I have an eight year old Springer Spaniel. He was diagnosed with Epilepsy last school year. Even though he is on the highest dose of Phenobarbital he can have, he still has seizures. When he has one, he usually loses control of his bladder. ANSWER

6. Lil Bits is a 3yr.old Toy. Lil Bits has a big temper and shows aggression to my other 3 poodles over toys. When he is sleepy and you tried to move him, he will snap, growl and actually bite my husband.  I have scolded Lil Bits when he does this. What do I need to do to show him that his behavior is not tolerated? ANSWER

7. I have a Rat Terrier that is 8 months old. She is very smart and entertaining, but she has a problem that I'm not to keen about.   Anytime she gets excited and she pees all over the carpet or floor and across the room as she's running. This is very aggravating and I don't know how to keep her from doing this. Any advice would be appreciated. ANSWER

8. We have an American Eskimo dog. The problem is he is spraying 'marking' his territory on my couch, bed, indoor plants and stereo. I ended up throwing out a chair that he used to mark because I couldn't get the smell out. ANSWER

9. Is there an answer to a male cat peeing in the house? I have tried moving the litter box, keeping it clean and smelling fresh. He is on 10 mg of Amitriptyline. He is 3 years old and we have had him about 1 1/2 years. He had this problem since birth. ANSWER

10. I have a Beagle who chews and tries to eat anything that is loose. She has even swallowed small rocks that had to be surgically removed. She has to be guarded when outside to keep from chewing sticks, grass, rocks and other debris. I would really really appreciate an idea or two about solving this problem. ANSWER

11. I have a wonderful 6 year old cat who has the habit of throwing-up about 2 times a week.  I'm considering getting new carpet, but I'm reluctant because I'm afraid the throw-up will ruin and stain it.   Any suggestions? ANSWER

12. I have 4 animals: 2 dogs; one Toy Poodle w/Shih Tzu, and a full Shih Tzu, and 2 Cats, Himalayans. The hair around the house is terrible, and I have tried a lot of things to get it out of carpet and chairs and everything!!!! Do you have any idea of what I should do? ANSWER

13. I have problems (understatement) cutting my little Doxie's nails.   He fights me and I really don't wish to put either of us through that.  Do you have an easy solution, other than letting his vet cut them? ANSWER

14. We have a German Shepherd mix dog that is around 2 1/2 years old and loves to dig. We even brought home another dog being told that he was just bored he needed one. What else can we do? ANSWER

15. My dog either has a severe allergy or a common cold. Whatever the case, her nose is severely runny. It tends to somewhat close up her nostrils at night time. When she wakes up, she shakes her head and her nose remedies fly all over. I am having a difficult time getting it off the rugs. Can you please help!! ANSWER
16. My dog is a little over 3 years old. When I got home yesterday, I noticed a cut across the bottom of her main pad of her right front paw. Although I didn't see it bleeding, I can tell on my carpet it did. There is not a lot of blood loss and it has since stopped. It's not very deep, but today she's limping on it more and it really seems to be bothering her.  Can you suggest any type of dressing for it that she will not be able to take off easily and would make walking easier. ANSWER
    
    
    
    
17. Our 15 year old Siamese cat uses her litter pans MOST of the time,  However, sometimes she decides to use the TV room carpet for BM's and or to urinate. We clean the litter pans ( she has two of them in the laundry room) by removing the clumped litter 3 to 4 times daily.  The soiled areas are wiped with 70% alcohol as needed.   She exhibits no signs of health problems. She's loving and playful and enjoys companionship.  In April 2002, she used the same area when she had a bladder problem.  She was medicated and put on Purina Special Care UT formula. ANSWER

Answers:

1. We have 3 outdoor cats and 1 indoor cat, who are afraid of the dog. How can I help my cats to accept the dog?

   Cats almost always accept dogs, to some degree or another. This is the key phrase. Most cats do not learn how to play with dogs or even care to interact on the dog's level. However, almost all cats learn to tolerate the family dog and may even interact/play on their own level.  During the first week or so I would make sure your new dog is under control in the house when the cats are around. Dragging a long leash sometimes works so your can make a quick grab. Make sure your cats have a safe spot such as a room that the dog is not allowed into.  Also make sure your cats have safe and easy access to food and litter box so life is not stressful. As far as the barking goes, I would put your dog in a sit- stay command and make sure he has a choke collar and leash . Have another person carry the most brave cat into the room.  If he begins barking, do a sharp correction on the choke collar and say no.  Continue correcting until he is quiet and then the lesson is over and the person carries the cat from the room.  Do this lesson several times daily until the dog learns to be quiet when seeing the cat.  Then, try it with the cat walking.  Expect excitement from the dog and try to be patient and continue corrections.  In time, your dog should learn that cats are not all that much fun.

2. We have a kitten who is not quite four months old. We have had her and her two sisters for three months. She uses the litter box, but also continues to urinate in different places around the house as well. Why am I having such a difficult time with this one? What am I doing wrong?

   Sounds like your kitten may have a urinary infection. This can cause some stools or urine to be outside the box. Take her to your veterinarian to get this checked out. Another thing to watch for is to make sure there is one litter box per cat in your household and keep those boxed scooped every night and dumped and cleaned weekly. This will help with those cats that are picky. However this is unlikely to be the only problem with your kitten, so get that checked with your vet ASAP.

3. I have a 6 yr old Maltese that likes to urinate on the bottom of the couch. I can't seem to get the smell out so he doesn't go in the same spot again. Any suggestions? He is neutered and is house trained.

   Some neutered male dogs will mark territory even in the house. I suspect this is what he is doing. However, I would take him to your vet to have him checked out first as this may be a physical problem. I would use an odor neutralizing agent on the couch and I would block that area so he cannot mark. Then, I would look for reasons why he needs to mark his territory.  For example, is there a person that he doesn't like or feels threatened by that sits on this couch sometimes, is there a male dog outside (or inside the house) that is bothering him, is this a long standing habit that from when he was not neutered that has not been broken. Once you have found the reason, you are much closer to solving the problem.

4. Our neutered cat continues to spray the rug in our living room. This habit began after we put in a new lawn and garden border in our front yard. Max is almost 3-1/2 yrs old, uses a litter box. We have tried everything from having 2 litter boxes available for his use to putting him in a small area and nothing seems to work.

   I am not sure if these areas are truly spray ( vertical areas) or urination (horizontal areas). In either case I would make sure Max has had a thorough physical exam and urinalysis at your veterinarian. Many inappropriate urine problems ( esp those on horizontal surfaces) are physical problems and these are MUCH easier to solve than behavioral. If this has been done and all is normal physically, you need to start working on finding the cause of the behavioral problem and rectifying. First off, litter box care is important - all cat households should have 1-2 litter boxes per cat, preferably in 2 separate locations (separate floors if house has more than one floor) located away from the cats food. Litter boxes should have unscented scoopable litter and should be scooped once daily and dumped and cleaned with soap and water once weekly. Sometimes having one covered box and one extra large box is helpful. Then I would take note of when and where accidents are happening. Are there cats outside that may be causing stress? There is a product called feliway which seems to help calm these cats. Ask you veterinarian about this. Does your cat want to go outside at night and is therefore urinating near the door when unable to? Can he go outside on harness and leash to urinate when it is too dangerous to be out alone? These are the types of questions I would investigate if I were you. Also you may want to ask you vet about behavior modification medication such as Elavil.

5. I have an eight year old Springer Spaniel. He was diagnosed with Epilepsy last school year. Even though he is on the highest dose of Phenobarbital he can have, he still has seizures. When he has one, he usually loses control of his bladder.

   You may want to ask your veterinarian about potassium bromide which can be given together with Phenobarbital which seems to help control seizures better without the higher doses of Phenobarbital. As far as the stains go - if you have tried the spot lifter and the Bissell machine without success, you may want to try hydrogen peroxide or oxyclean. Make sure you check your carpet for color fastness first in a hidden area. We use both these products at my clinic with success for blood and urine. ( also I am housetraining a puppy now at my home and am using so much oxyclean on my carpets that maybe I should buy stock!

6. Lil Bits is a 3yr. old Toy. Lil Bits has a big temper and shows aggression to my other 3 poodles over toys. When he is sleepy and you tried to move him, he will snap, growl and actually bite my hubby. I have scolded Lil Bits when he does this. What do I need to do to show him that his behavior is unacceptable?

   I'm not sure exactly why this is occurring without all the circumstances but it sounds like territorial or dominant behavior. This is a common behavior when multiple dogs live together. Essentially one of them needs to be the top of the pack or the pack leader. It sounds like Lil Bit thinks he is it and all of you including the humans are below him. It is acceptable behavior in a dog pack for the leader to bite or growl at members below him aren't doing what he told them to. You need to regain control as the leader of the pack or risk being bitten whenever Lil bit wants. I would use the working for a living program as the safest way to work out of this program without getting bitten. Basically the idea is that you need to reinforce to your dog daily that you are in control of all his needs - going outside, food and attention. Start out by feeding him in meals and make him do something for you prior to the meal, such as sit. It he doesn't sit immediately when you tell him too, but his food up high where he can see it but can't get it and try again in 5 minutes. Pretty quick he will understand that you are in charge of his food. Do the same with letting him outside (make him sit first) and don't allow him to nudge you or jump in your lap without your invitation. Continue to give him attention but only on your initiative. There are many good books on dog training and behavior that may help you also. Also if he hasn't been neutered, do it as soon as possible as that will help tremendously.

7. I have a Rat Terrier that is 8 months old. She is very smart and entertaining but she has a problem that I'm not to keen about.   Anytime she gets excited, she pees all over the carpet or floor and across the room as she's running. This is very aggravating and I don't know how to keep her from doing this.   Any advice would be appreciated.

   This is called excitement or submissive urination. It is common in rat terriers and several other breeds. Most dogs grow out of this. The important thing to do to prevent this is to not greet her with excessive excitement or a high pitched tone. It also seems to help to pick them up before they can urinate when taking her outside in the am. Asks your guests also to ignore her until she is calm and them be very calm with petting her. Hopefully she will outgrow this!

8. We have an American Eskimo dog. The problem is he is spraying 'marking' his territory on my couch, bed, indoor plants and stereo. I ended up throwing out a chair that he used to mark because I couldn't get the smell out.

   That does sound like marking his territory. This is a normal male dog behavior. If he is not neutered do it ASAP and this behavior may stop. If he is already neutered and your female is not spayed this could be the problem. Spaying your female will help. Having said all that, some neutered males will mark territory inside this house even if there is no female. This is a very difficult behavior to solve. I would make sure all marked areas are very clean and odor neutralizing solution applied deep to fabric. If you cannot clean it, consider throwing it away. Then, eliminate his access to these rooms where the behavior is a problem. If he is in the room, he should be on leash and watched closely. You might think about whether he has territorial issues in these areas, such as other dogs or cats coming on his territory that would make him want to mark. The sooner you get this behavior under control, the less likely it is that it will become a habit.

9. Is there an answer to a male cat peeing in the house? I have tried moving the litter box, keeping it clean and smelling fresh. He is on 10 mg of Amitriptyline. He is 3 years old and we have had him about 1 1/2 years. He had this problem since birth.

   Usually, there is an answer to this problem. First, I will assume he has been neutered. ( if not, there is your solution). Have you had the urine checked for infection? Have you tried Feliway - a kitty pheromone that helps reduce stress? Do you have 2 litter boxes per cat in your household? Do you scoop these daily and dump weekly? Have you tried different types of litter and boxes - scented vs unscented, scoopable vs nonscoopable, covered boxes, large boxes? If you have not had a full behavior workup with a veterinarian that is a behaviorist, I would recommend that.

10. I have a Beagle who chews and tries to eat anything that is loose. She has even swallowed small rocks that had to be surgically removed. She has to be guarded when outside to keep from chewing sticks, grass, rocks and other debris. I would really really appreciate an idea or two about solving this problem.

    I do see dogs from time to time that have a strong chewing or mouthing instincts or seem to be obsessions. I would make sure she has plenty of safe things to chew that she can not chew into bits or that are made of food that are ok to chew to bits. When she is outside, try trading her for things that are safe to chew. Some dogs are even happy carrying around a stick. I would also make sure she gets large amounts of exhausting exercise - more than just a walk. Chasing a stick until she has to lie down and rest or running are two that seem to work well. "A tired dog is a good dog" we always say.

11. I have a wonderful 6 year old cat who has the habit of throwing-up about 2 times a week.  I'm considering getting new carpet, but I'm reluctant because I'm afraid the throw-up will ruin and stain it. Any suggestions?

    This sounds like it may be a hair ball. If your cat is throwing up undigested food quickly after eating, this is one of the primary signs of a hair ball. Often there is no hair in the vomit. This occurs because when your cat eats a meal, the food pushes the hair in front of the opening of the intestine and the food has no place to go so it is vomited. I would try giving her hair ball medication such as Laxatone, about 3 strips the length of your finger once daily for 3 days. If this helps, you could give it once weekly. If she if vomiting liquid material, I would take her to your vet because this is probably a different health problem.

12. I have 4 animals: 2 dogs; one Toy Poodle w/Shih Tzu, and a full Shih Tzu, and 2 cats, Himalayens. The hair around the house is terrible, and I have tried a lot of things to get it out of carpet and chairs and everything!!!! Do you have any idea of what I should do?

    Some of the best things I know to do for shedding are time consuming. Brush, Brush, Brush is probably the most useful. Bathing also helps as long as you are using a high quality soap free pet shampoo. Many people solve their long haired cat problems by cutting their hair short. Most groomers are able to do lion cuts where hair is left long in a ruff around their neck and on the tail. This pretty much eliminates shedding for about 3 months.

13. I have problems (understatement) cutting my little Doxie's nails.  He fights me and I really don't wish to put either of us through that.  Do you have an easy solution, other than letting his vet cut them?

    Doxies are notoriously hard to cut nails. I'm not sure if they just don't like it or if it actually hurts sometimes because their legs are so short and we extend them to trim the nails or if we quick them more often because they have black nails.  What I have found that helps is to not handle their feet at all. If they will be still, while they are placing weight on the foot you are trimming, slide the nail trimmer over the tip of the nail and cut. This requires patience, but does work in pets that hate having their nails trimmed. Also, practicing handling the foot when you are going to trim nails also helps. Walking on hard surfaces daily such as concrete helps keep nails short also. Having said all that, most doxies that come here have veterinarians or groomers trim their nails because owners don't end up being able to do it.

14. We have a German Shepherd mix dog that is around 2 1/2 years old and loves to dig. We even brought home another dog being told that he was just bored he needed one. What else can we do?

    This is a tough problem. If your dog is spending a lot of time outside without contact with the family (more than 2-3 hrs a day), this is probably a boredom and lack of attention factor. I would make sure he has plenty of contact time inside the house. Dogs are pack animals and you all are his pack. They often turn to destructive behaviors if cut off from contact with their pack. If he is not outside much, this is probably more instinctual digging which dogs do when they smell wildlife or need to make a hole to lie in. You may need to fence off this area for a period of time to get him out of this habit.

15. My dog either has a severe allergy or a common cold.   Whatever the case, her nose is severely runny.   It tends to somewhat close up her nostrils at night time. When she wakes up, she shakes her head and her nose remedies fly all over. I am having a difficult time getting it off the rugs. Can you please help!!

    It sounds like your dog may have an upper respiratory infection or a sinus infection. I would take him to your Veterinarian ASAP.

16. My dog is a little over 3 years old. When I got home yesterday, I noticed a cut across the bottom of her main pad of her right front paw. Although I didn't see it bleeding, I can tell on my carpet it did. There is not a lot of blood loss and it has since stopped. It's not very deep, but today she's limping on it more and it really seems to be bothering her. Can you suggest any type of dressing for it that she will not be able to take off easily and would make walking easier.

    Pads do bleed quite a bit even if the cut is not deep. You could try a Neosporin type ointment that you buy over the counter and bandaging with conform type bandage material. Be very careful that you do not get this too tight and I would change it daily. Some times an athletic sock will help on top of the bandage will prevent a pet from pulling it off. If she continues to limp after 24 hrs or so I would take her to see your veterinarian as sometimes there can be foreign material in cuts on the feet.

17. Our 15 year old Siamese cat uses her litter pans MOST of the time, however sometimes she decides to use the TV room carpet for BM's and or to urinate. We clean the litter pans ( she has two of them in the laundry room) by removing the clumped litter 3 to 4 times daily. The soiled areas are wiped with 70% alcohol as needed. She exhibits no signs of health problems. She's loving and playful and enjoys companionship. In April 2002, she used the same area when she had a bladder problem. She was medicated and put on Purina Special Care UT formula.

    This may be a recurrence of a bladder infection in your kitty and I would have this checked out first. However, it could be age related also. She may have some arthritis that gives her problems some days and prevents her from getting in the box easily. I would try cutting down one of the sides of her box to see if that would help. Also cleaning the carpet is a good idea. If you haven't tried one of the BISSELL pet solutions, it would be a good idea. If this has not worked, try KOE which works well when soaked down to the pad. Of course try it on a inconspicuous area first. Your veterinarian will know where to get it. The full name is Kennel Odor Eliminator.