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Being imaginative creatures, cats love to play with a variety of string-like objects. Shoelaces, sewing thread, ribbon, yarn and dental floss are most popular, but cats also find great pleasure in playing with curtain pulls, fishing line, rubber bands, and all forms of string. Unfortunately, cats are prone to swallowing these homemade toys and are faced with the potentially fatal consequence of what is medically termed a "linear foreign body".

Unless the object balls up, the digestive tract has a hard time moving along string-like object through its system, especially if one end is wrapped around the base of the tongue. The stretched out linear object causes the intestine to bunch up in a wavy accordion shape while it attempts to move the object out of the cat. However, the end of the "string" makes this impossible because it is anchored by the tongue or is moving more slowly.

As the intestine continues to pull on one end of the string, the string becomes tense, like the rope in a tug-of-war. This increasing tension causes the string to 'saw' through the intestines with fatal complications if not surgically removed in a timely fashion. Obviously, the earlier the surgery, the better the outcome.

Signs of a 'linear foreign body' can include gagging, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, lethargy, a painful abdomen, and perhaps a fever. You might even see a string-like object protruding from your cat's rectum or mouth. Call your veterinarian immediately. Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to pull the object out. You will only be jeopardizing your cat's health.

Despite the dangers posed by string and string-like objects, this is a fairly rare problem. Most cats can live long and healthy lives playing with these types of things, since most pass without hanging up and damaging the intestines. However, the best prevention is to eliminate as many linear objects as possible from your cat's environment, especially loose objects that aren't attached to anything. Why take the risk?

Maintaining Digestive System Health

Maintaining a healthy digestive system is very important to your cat's overall health. Here are some easy things you can do to keep the digestive system as healthy as possible:

• Keep your cat free from intestinal parasites such as worms. Have your veterinarian perform routine fecal examinations.
• Feed a high quality, highly digestible diet.
• If hair balls are a persistent problem, feed a hairball-control formula diet.
• If giving snacks or treats, make sure they are not more than 5 percent of the total diet.
• Avoid feeding fatty snacks that can upset the digestive system.
• Don't tempt your cat by placing 'goodies' (especially chocolate) in easily accessible areas of the house during the holidays.
• Keep your cat's environment free of 'string-like' objects.
• If you suspect your cat may have a linear foreign body, do not delay in seeking veterinary care.

Preventive training means trying to prevent your dog from exhibiting inappropriate behavior by keeping an eye on him when he is with you, or by keeping him in his crate (or a puppy/dog-proofed area) when you cannot look after him.

The methodology behind this type of training is simple. If your dog does not get an opportunity to exhibit an unwanted behavior, you do not have to modify his behavior or use negative training methods. Preventive training requires more participation from the owner as far as constant supervision and consistency, but in the long run it is far less stressful on both owner and dog. This training method has two advantages: 1) it sets you up immediately as the pack leader and 2) it expedites the bonding between you and your new friend.

If you bring your new puppy home and just turn him loose in your house, in a matter of maybe five minutes, he will have carried off as much as he could stuff in his little mouth, and chewed up what he could not.

On the other hand, if you choose to train in a preventive manner, you would only allow your puppy or dog in the room you are in and you would have a supply of proper chew toys ready for him when the need arises. If you catch him chewing on something he should not have, such as your pillow, you would distract him by saying "NO" in a very firm tone of voice and then offer him a proper chew toy along with praise. This way, he associates the praise with the appropriate chew toy. Remember, dogs/puppies understand about three tones of voice along with body language and eye contact. Here are examples:

• High-pitched, excitable tones are effective for motivating your dog/puppy (for coming to you when he is called or for heeling properly). This tone reminds him of his litter mates (this is why children have a difficult time winning the respect of a dog/puppy, since they sound like equals).
• Matter-of-fact tones are excellent for giving commands to your dog/puppy (the same tone as a bark-calm, direct, no urgency).
• Lowered tones which would simulate a growl from mom (which means whatever it is you are doing, stop it now). Remember, yelling or striking your dog/puppy will only confuse him and cause him to mistrust and fear you.

Dogs/puppies do not understand being hit or grabbed. They only learn they cannot trust you or to fear you. They understand direct eye contact, tones in your voice or your body language, so use these to your advantage.

Direct eye contact can mean you are looking lovingly at your dog and he may exchange your glance. Or when giving a dog a good long stare in the eyes after he has just jumped on you and you have told him "OFF"—the stare means "I mean business."

What about body language? Do you have a puppy who cowers when you approach him, maybe even squats and urinates just a little? You do not hit him, so why does he do this? The way you move toward a dog can be a threat in itself. Are you a lot bigger than the dog? Do you move quickly? Do you bend towards him? Why not try to encourage the dog to come to you? Squat down on his level so you are not so threatening; use a piece of his dog food or a favorite toy to convince him to come closer. Pet him when he gets very near you (do not reach out), and make sure you praise him for showing courage.

All too often people console their dog/puppy when he shows signs of being frightened. This is a normal human reaction. However, to a dog/or puppy, this only confirms his fear. For example, your child drops a metal lid from a cooking pan onto the hard surface of the kitchen floor. Before you can blink an eye, your dog/puppy has thrown himself under the nearest piece of furniture shaking uncontrollably. Instead of pulling him out and consoling him (which would be the same as saying to your dog/puppy "It's okay to be afraid"), try enticing him out with a treat, laugh, and be positive. Your dog/puppy may pick up on your mood. Show him he has nothing to fear.

Owners who want to better understand their canine companions must recognize that dogs see the world from a different visual perspective. The differences begin with the structure of the eye. We have a good idea what dogs see because we know the make-up of the retina of a dog’s eye.

The retina is the light sensitive portion of the eye. This structure is located in the back of the inside of the eyeball. The retina contains two types of light sensitive cells: rods and cones. Cones provide color perception and detailed sight, while rods detect motion and vision in dim light. Dogs have rod-dominated retinas that allow them to see well in the dark. Along with superior night vision, dogs have better motion visibility than humans have. However, because their retinas’ contain only about one-tenth the concentration of cones that humans have, dogs do not see colors as humans do.

Dogs see like a color-blind human. Many people think that a person who is red/green color blind cannot see any color, but there are variations of color blindness. Most people have vision that is trichromatic (three-color variations). People who are red/green color blind are dichromatic (two color variations). Dogs’ retinas can distinguish two colors. These colors are blue-violet and yellow. Dogs can also differentiate between shades of gray. Dogs are unable to recognize green, yellow, orange, and red.

Colors That Humans See

Colors That Dogs See

Dogs use other cues such as smell, texture, brightness, and position rather than relying solely on color. Seeing-eye dogs, for example, may not distinguish between a green or red stoplight; they look at the brightness and position of the light. This, along with the flow and noise of traffic, tell the dog that it is the right time to cross the street.

How a dog’s eyes are set determines the field of view as well as depth perception. Prey species tend to have eyes located on the sides of their head. This gives the animals an increased field of view and allows them to see approaching predators. Predator species, like humans and dogs, have eyes set close together. Human eyes are set straight forward while dog eyes, depending on the breed, are usually set at a 20 degree angle. This angle increases the field of view and therefore increases the peripheral vision of the dog.

Increased peripheral vision compromises the amount of binocular vision. Binocular vision occurs where the field of view of each eye overlaps. Binocular vision is necessary for depth perception. The wider-set eyes of dogs have less overlap and less binocular vision, thus, less depth perception). Dogs’ depth perception is best when they look straight ahead. This is not an ideal situation, as their nose often interferes. Predators need binocular vision as a survival tool. Binocular vision aids in jumping, leaping, catching, and many other activities fundamental to predators.

In addition to having less binocular vision than humans have, dogs also have less visual acuity. Humans with perfect eyesight are said to have 20/20 vision. This means that we can distinguish letters or objects at a distance of 20 feet. Dogs typically have 20/75 vision. What this means is that they must be 20 feet from an object to see it as well as a human standing 75 feet away. Certain breeds have better visual acuity. Labradors, commonly used as seeing-eye dogs, are bred for better eyesight and may have vision that is closer to 20/20.

If you’re silently standing across the field from your dog, don’t expect him or her to recognize you. He’ll recognize you when you do some sort of motion particular to yourself. He may also recognize your presence by his outstanding sense of smell and/or hearing. Because of the large number of rods in the retina, dogs see moving objects much better than they see stationary objects. Motion sensitivity has been noted as the critical aspect of canine vision. Much of dog behavior deals with posture and appropriateness. Small changes in your body posture mean a lot to your dog. Dog owners need to modify training based on this fact. If you want your dog to perform an action based on a silent cue, we suggest using a wide sweeping hand and arm motion in order to cue your dog.

When dogs go blind, owners often wonder if the dogs’ quality of life has diminished to the point where they are no longer happy. Humans deal well with being blind, and humans are much more dependent on their eyes than are dogs. Blind dogs lead happy lives as long as they are comfortable. The owner may need to make some adjustments in the pet’s environment. Some of these adjustments include fencing the yard, taking leashed walks, and not leaving unusual objects in the dog’s normal pathways. Obviously, most blind dogs cannot navigate stairs very well. When blind dogs are in their normal environment, most people don’t know they are blind.

Of course, the best way to handle emergency situations is to avoid them by keeping your pet safe and healthy. However, in spite of your best efforts, accidents can happen. Here are some tips to consider before you need to use them.

Always keep within reach the phone numbers for your veterinarian, emergency clinic, poison control center, etc.

Keep a copy of your pet's health records where you can easily find them.

You may also want to invest in a book that covers first aid procedures. Ask your veterinarian for recommendations. For example, the ASPCA's Complete Dog Care Manual and Complete Cat Care Manual have excellent information on first aid principles, as well as what to do in case of traffic injury. The book also contains useful information on how to perform artificial respiration and what steps to follow in case of poisoning, burns, insect bites, etc.

Keep an emergency kit on hand with such items as:

Bandages
Adhesive tape
Cotton
Antiseptic cream
Sterile dressings
Gauze
Thermometer
Tweezers
Scissors
Blanket

Have a pet carrier so you can safely transport your pet to an emergency clinic or veterinary hospital.

Remember, an injured or ill pet may not act like its normal, sweet-tempered self. Handle the pet with care so you don't get bitten or scratched and need emergency treatment yourself!

One of the reasons why dogs make such good pets is the remarkable way in which they can communicate with humans. Pet dogs see us as an extension of their own canine family and are very quick to interpret our own mood and intentions. An understanding of how dogs communicate with other dogs helps the observant owner to correctly decipher the message their pet is trying to convey.

Dogs communicate with other dogs through a series of signals that include a variety of facial expressions, body postures, noises and scents. Your dog uses his mouth, eyes, ears and tail to express his emotions. By reading the combination of body signals, you should be able to work out who is top dog in any confrontation or situation.

A dog who is feeling confident or aggressive may try to convey the impression of being a larger more powerful animal. He stands tall with ears and tail erect, thrusts his chest forward and may raise the hairs around his neck and along his back (his hackles). He may also wave his tail slowly and growl.

A submissive dog, on the other hand, will try to appear small and puppy-like. Adult dogs will chastise puppies, but they do not attack them. A submissive dog approaches a more dominant dog from the side, crouching low with the tail held low and wagging enthusiastically. The submissive dog may also try to lick the hands and face of the dominant dog (or person) and if this is not sufficiently appeasing, he might roll on to his back. While on his back, he may pass a small amount of urine.

The dog's tail is often a barometer for emotions. Most people recognize the loose, free tail wagging that is indicative of friendliness. Exaggerated tail wagging is often seen in subordinate dogs. A tail waved slowly and stiffly, in line with the back, expresses anger. When the tail is clamped low over the dog's hindquarters, it is a sign that the dog is afraid. Anxious or nervous dogs' tails are often stiff and drooping.

Some dog breeds have a distinctive way of carrying their tails. The Whippet and the Italian Greyhound naturally carry their tail in the clamped down position In general; however, a tail that is held more than 45 degrees to the spine expresses interest and alertness.

The facial expression of your dog tells you a lot about his mood. He can look anxious, excited, frightened, playful or any one of a vast repertoire of emotions.

Your dog's ears are erect when he is alert or listening intently. When the ears are held back or flattened onto the head, this could signify pleasure, submission or fear. To read his mood correctly, you need to watch for other body signals as well.

The eyes may be narrowed or half-closed when your dog is showing pleasure or submission, but are wide open when aggressive. In the wild, the pack leader can maintain control simply by staring at a subordinate animal. The two animals continue to stare at each other until one challenges the other or until one lowers his head and turns away. If the staring continues after the submissive dog has looked away, he may feel confused and bite out of fear. If eye contact is not broken, the dominant dog will reinforce his threat by snarling, growling or even attacking. You should not try to out-stare your dog if he has aggressive or nervous tendencies as this could provoke an attack. Nevertheless, regular, gentle eye contact with your dog is necessary as it reinforces the relationship.

Submissive dogs as well as certain dog breeds (Labradors), may appear to be 'smiling' and show their teeth in a lop-sided grin of friendliness. In the snarl of aggression; however, both lips are drawn right back to expose most of the teeth and it is often accompanied by a growl.

A dog will indicate his desire to play by raising a front paw or by performing the play bow. This gesture is often accompanied by barking in order to attract attention. Other gestures for play include offering a favorite toy or object, or bounding up to another dog in order to initiate a chase.

1. What is the scientific word for a cat's whiskers?

A. Jactitatae
B. Oscillatae
C. Vibrissae
D. Quaverae

2. How many total whiskers does the average cat have coming from the 'whisker pad' (the puffy area between the top corners of your cat's mouth and the outer edges of his nose)?

A. 20
B. 24
C. 12
D. 16

3. How many times thicker than ordinary cat hairs are cat whiskers?

A. 2-3 times
B. 1-2 times
C. 3-4 times
D. 4-5 times

4. Whiskers are rooted very deep in the cat's face, in an area rich in nerves and blood vessels. Compared to cat hairs, how many times deeper in a cat's tissue are whiskers set?

A. 3 times
B. 4 times
C. 2 times
D. 5 times

5.Cat whiskers can give an indication of your cat's mood. When the whiskers are relaxed or pushed forward, which of the following is NOT how your cat feels?

A. happy
B. defensive
C. curious
D. content

6. It is okay to trim or cut your cat's whiskers.

A. True
B. False

7. Whiskers help the cat feel his way around. This is because whiskers are so sensitive that they can detect the slightest change in ...?

A. Air currents
B. Air speed
C. Air temperature
D. Air humidity

8.When can whiskers be a 'bother' to a cat?

A. When he is playing with string
B. When he sleeps on his side
C. When he tries to eat out of a bowl
D. When he is hunting

9.Cat whiskers fall out and are replaced.

A. True
B. False