*Updated for AUGUST, 2007* 

Submit a PET PHOTO         CLASSIFIED ADS           CALENDAR of EVENTS

 

Cat in a Box: Vacationing with your

Pets in Tow  by Beverly Forehand

far left: Captain O.C. Tober riding on the Blue Angel on Spofford Lake in NH. photo by Marilyn George of Brattleboro, Vermont. left: Mooshie doesn’t mind climbing into a box... as long as it’s her idea! photo by Beverly Forehand of Nashville, TN.

There’s a certain lure to vacationing with your pets.  I admit it.  There’s no worry about who’s feeding Fluffy or whether or not she’s shredding the curtains while you’re exploring the wilds or surfing in some sunny spot.  And who hasn’t heard of Norton, Peter Gethers’ footloose feline who traveled the world, Churchill’s fearless parrot, or a slew of other moggies and doggies that faced peril and high adventure without the twitch of a tail.  Even my neighbor’s overfed tabby Ryder became a literal Cat Abroad and now strolls the rues of Paris with as much moxie as he did my backyard. 

Taking a cat, or, in my case, cats, with me on a short trip should have presented no problems.  After all, all the cats, with the exception of the Kitten, have traveled before.  True, mainly their trips have been to the vet or to my parents’ house for an extended stay.  But, as a kitten, Lo routinely made interstate voyages tucked happily in his carrier.  His initial yowls of displeasure dissipated after the first half-hour or so, giving way to resignation and finally to catnip mouse chewing.  But my decision to take my four feisty divas with me to the cabin for our summer getaway didn’t take into account cat/dog dynamics, the cruelty of Tig, or the pure and unbridled enthusiasm of one small white kitten.

The trip began well.  All four cats were tucked in the respective carriers and strapped into the car.  Unfortunately, I had chosen poor cat-placement, as Tig could see the offensive Kitten and began hissing, which, of course, set off a chain of hisses, growls, and other assorted and unpleasant noises.  After stopping at a rest stop and redistributing the cats so that Tig could only see luggage and the Kitten could see every other cat while none of them could exactly see her, we set off again. 

Then the gnawing began.  Tig had decided that the front of her cat carrier was good to chew.  From the sounds emanating from the back seat, the carrier was very good to chew indeed.  As the horrifying cat-noises increased, Francie, my sister’s skittish Lasu-Apsu (who had been seat-belted into the back seat near my niece, Sarah’s child seat), began making tiny, frightened dog noises.  I didn’t blame her.  At eight pounds, Tig outweighs her by four and one-half pounds of furious feline and the noises Tig was making did not sound happy.  Sarah took this moment to inform me and her mother that “kitty wants out.”  This was true, but since the same could be said for everyone else in the car, I could hardly sympathize.

Tig’s attempts at freedom, Francie’s sad whimpers, and Sarah’s fidgeting soon set off a chain-reaction of drooling (on Mooshie’s part,) blanket-chewing (on Nonny’s part,) and general flailing by the Kitten.  Soon the back seat was awash in twitching cats, dogs, and children.  Cats, by their very nature, do not enjoy being in boxes.  Although car-to-girl ratio is about the same as cat-to-carrier, cats generally dislike being in carriers much more than people mind being in cars.  Although some cats will resign themselves to being boxed or crated for short periods of time, some have a more vindictive nature. 

Tig’s general opinion, in all matters, is that if Tig is not happy, no one will be happy.  If Tig is frightened or angry, she attacks the other cats.  Boxed and unable to torment her furry fellows, Tig uses The Stare.  Tig is a champion starer and can gaze unblinking and cobra-like for hours.  Trapped in the car and unable to chew her way to freedom, Tig turned her baleful gaze on Francie.  Then the howling began.

The howling of a small dog is like nothing else except the teakettle screams of a six-year old, which we were shortly treated to when Francie continued yipping, barking, and howling.  Stopping and walking Francie (and Sarah) calmed them for a bit.  But once we were back in the car, Tig added a low hateful growling to her repertoire.  This sent poor Francie into further doggie hysterics and Sarah into complaints of the itchiness, stickiness, and lack of ice cream in the car.  Eventually, ice cream was obtained (and spilled.) 

After two hours (that seemed like about a thousand years,) we reached the cabin.  It was dusty, musty, and filled with small skittering noises—all of which pleased the cats to no end, if not me and my sister.  Tig was overjoyed to find a mouse hole near the fireplace.  I don’t know if she ever found a mouse.  Since real mice don’t come with feathers and bells attached, I’m not sure she’d recognize one if she did see one.  There also some mysterious flying thing that fluttered from rafter to rafter and was the endless fascination of Francie and the whiskered crew.  Ichi, the kitten, attempted to climb up twice for a better look.  But, alas, her climbing skills don’t match her ability to shred paper.  Eventually, all the cats, Sarah, and Francie ended up sitting on the bed staring up into the quasi-darkness.  “Is it a bat?” Sarah asked the cats.  The cats did not respond—but secretly, they were hoping for a flying mouse.  I, however, had the broom close by just in case.

Lady always loved the woods.  For her, nothing was better than a good hike, possibly accompanied by bird chasing.  But the cats I have discovered are at heart homebodies.  After the first few hours of exploring and generally getting their noses coated in a year’s worth of cobwebs and dust, they plopped down on the their respective beds and moved only when something small and furry made its appearance in the night. 

There would then be a mad race around the four rooms of the cabin, a bit of mewing, some hissing and fighting, and finally the return to assorted cushions, beds, and rugs.  These are not cats that crave adventure.  Unlike Norton, who traveled by car, train, and camel, they would just as soon stay home. 

Some cats love adventure, I’m told.  My Grandfather had a cat that went fishing with him and perched happily on the side of his boat watching passing fish.  I’ve seen cats in stylish cat carriers, lying happily and observing their surroundings like veterans.  My cats are not cut from this same cloth.  Some drool, others wail, and Tig stares.  Although Feliway® (a product that replicates pacifying cat pheremones) helps the drooling and the wailing, I’ve found nothing to stop the menacing staring or the chewing of carrier walls.  However, your cat (or dog) may be the adventurous type.  Though they say that curiosity killed the cat, traveling can be relatively painless for your furry sidekick.

Before we set out, I made sure to gather all my veterinary records in one stout folder, along with the name of a recommended vet in our vacation area.  Your vet can probably recommend a vet (or a veterinary association) near your summer destination.  The AVMA also has suggestions on travelling with your pets that you might want to check out.  If you plan to stay in a hotel along the way, there are many that are pet-friendly.  If you google “Pet Travel” or “Traveling with your Pet” you’ll find lots of suggestions on where to stay (and even where to eat) with your canine or feline pal while you are on the road.  Lots of state parks have dog-friendly trails for hiking and many parks have dog-areas, as well as welcoming dogs in hiking and sporting areas. 

If you plan to travel often, you might want to also look at an electronic ID chip for your pet.  Many vets do offer this service and if you travel internationally, many countries now require it for animal visitors.  And, there are always the basics, make sure you and your pet stay cool.  Use sunscreen on your dog if he is spending much time outside and especially around the water.  There are now a few doggie sunscreens available.  I haven’t found one for cats yet—but my cats prefer an air-conditioned perch to a day at the beach anytime.  Provide your pets with plenty of water during your trip—they tend to drink more if stressed by travel.  Make sure you bring lots of staples from home—bedding, toys, food dishes, etc.  There’s nothing like a little taste of home when you’re a cat (or dog) on the go!

Not all pets are cut out for travel.  Lady loved it.  Ichi the kitten is a glutton for new places and sounds.  My other cats tolerate it (Nonny and Mooshie) or use it as an excuse to destroy things and torment small dogs (Tig.)  You know your pet best.  If he’s a daring dog or a cat on the go, then fire up the car and get ready for an adventure.  If not, then a good pet-sitter is your best friend.  Whatever you decide, I hope you and your pets have fun this summer!

Beverly Forehand is a contributing writer from Nashville, TN.  She can be reached at Bevforehand@earthlink.net.

Unmounted Steps Toward Becoming a Better Rider

by Sarah Wynne Jackson

Joey and Eileen Stirling share a special bonding moment. submitted by Eileen Stirling of South Berwick, Maine.

Whether we ride our horses Western or English, compete in pleasure classes or jumping, or just trail ride, we’re always looking for ways to make ourselves better riders. Maybe you get out of breath long before your horse has broken a sweat, or your instructor is trying to teach you something and you don’t really get it. Maybe you just want a fuller understanding of why you’re doing what you’re doing on your horse. There are many ways to expand our knowledge, strengthen our riding position, and improve our effectiveness as riders without mounting up.

One way to improve your riding is to see how others make a good ride happen. Talk to any instructor who has been around awhile and they’ll tell you how much you can learn by watching. At shows, look for the best riders to enter the ring, and observe carefully for the details that set them apart from the rest. At the barn, watch your trainer or a high level rider work a horse. Some things to pay attention to include consistency, balance, and rhythm in the rider and the horse. Watch the rider’s eyes to see what he’s thinking. Look for subtleties, the things that aren’t immediately obvious.

Auditing is another great way to expand your knowledge of riding. You can audit at clinics and at other riders’ lessons (with permission from the instructor and the student). If your opportunities for auditing clinics is limited by your budget, go to the shows that are a higher level than you ride. Sit by the warm-up areas and watch and listen to well-known trainers and their students. See what the trainers are saying that you can relate to yourself.

Reading is another lost practice among riders. Learn about your sport through knowing its history, the people who made it great, and how they did things. Reading books and watching educational videos can also fill in the gaps and give you a more complete understanding of what your riding instructor is teaching you. That background information will allow you to apply knowledge and understanding to what they’re physically doing on the horse. Learning the foundational principles of riding and the reasons behind them, developing your understanding of equine anatomy and movement, and even finding out how horses learn makes us better riders.

We can also learn from ourselves. Many people like to gain a new perspective on their riding by watching videos of their own rides. This can have an immediate impact if you look at it right after you ride, so it’s fresh in your memory. As you watch, check your position and form. How do they compare to top competitors you’ve seen ride? Do you appear centered and balanced?

A video can also help you get a more complete picture of your effectiveness as a rider. You know that when you half-halted three strides before the red jump, your horse didn’t respond quite as you would have liked. The camera reveals that your upper body was too far forward, unbalancing your horse and encouraging him to go faster instead of slow down.   

A video of your own ride can be a very good learning tool, but you don’t see everything. Because of this, it’s important to think through each element of the ride. When you spot yourself making a mistake, think back to how it felt and what you did just before, during, and after the error was made. Did you attempt to correct it? Were you successful? How would you ride it differently next time? 

Much of our time in the saddle is spent developing our horses’ athleticism and fitness. Our horses are certainly athletes, but are we? Even though riding well requires strength, stamina, and mobility, it can be difficult to develop these qualities in the saddle. As we become more balanced and skilled, we use less energy to ride and other activities are necessary to stay fit.

Many people neglect the fitness aspect of riding, even though it enhances both our enjoyment of riding and our safety. Some lower level riders don’t realize that most top competitors are as fit as their horses, whether they are reining, doing dressage or jumping, or competitive trail.

Aerobic exercise trains your body to use oxygen more efficiently, strengthens muscles, and builds endurance. Running, power walking, and kickboxing are all excellent ways to exercise aerobically.

Weight training and muscle toning compliment aerobic exercise by strengthening muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and by increasing flexibility and range of motion. Strong muscles and tendons protect more vulnerable structures, such as joints, so that injury in a fall is less likely and recovery time is shorter. Focus on your trunk, shoulders, back, and inner legs. 

Stretching is the key to maintaining flexibility. It lengthens muscles and tendons, allowing a greater range of motion without injury. Stretching also increases circulation and reduces muscle tension. Stretch only after you’ve warmed up your muscles with aerobic activity.

As with any exercise, use common sense. Always build duration and difficulty gradually to prevent soreness and injury, and alternate days to let muscle groups recover and repair. To gain the full benefit of your efforts, exercise must be regular and ongoing, not sporadic. Check with your doctor before adding any exercises to your routine. 

Because good riding is so dependent on posture, balance, and body control, the now popular body awareness techniques can further improve your riding. Pilates© is different from traditional exercise because it won’t make you sweat or make your muscles burn. The exercises are slow and controlled, with an emphasis on precision, coordination, and breathing. They focus on strengthening the postural muscles in the trunk, often called “core muscles.” These are the same muscles a horse uses when he is on the bit, comes into balance in response to a half-halt, or shortens his stride.

Another key component of Pilates© is a neutral spine, in which the back is not arched and not slumped, but in a naturally balanced position. Riders with a neutral spine and strong core muscles are better able to stay with the horse without jarring his back if he takes a bad step or spooks. They can use their arms, legs, and seat to give aids without compensating with another part of the body, which can send conflicting signals to the horse.

Alexander Technique© is not so much a set of exercises as it is a way of moving. Most of us carry our heads back and down on our necks, compressing the entire spine and causing tension throughout the body. Allowing the head to move forward and up into its correct anatomical position lengthens and widens the neck and back, promoting ease of movement and the release of tension. When the relationship between the head and neck is correct, the rest of the body will come into a natural balance. 

Through the restoration of natural balance, we discover a neutral position in which we do not interfere with the horse’s balance. Because of increased self-awareness, involuntary movements are minimized. Aids can be applied with less effort and are more succinct and easily understood by the horse.

There are also countless other ways to improve our effectiveness in the saddle, from visualization and positive thinking to journaling and sports psychology. Find out what methods are available and use those you find beneficial.

Sarah Wynne Jackson is the Equine Editor for All Creature’s Exchange. Send your comments, questions or editorial contributions to her at horsesbehorses@hotmail.com.

 

Rural Vetrinary Services Get Grant

The Doris Day Animal Foundation, which provided the first-ever grant to The Humane Society of the United States’ Rural Area Veterinary Services (RAVS) in 1995, is providing a grant of $50,000 this summer to provide veterinary care in areas of extreme poverty where veterinary care is difficult to obtain. The grant will fund the “Doris Day Veterinary Chair” and provide for an added veterinary team to cover more areas of the country, including reservations in Nevada and Washington and clinics in Mississippi.
Led by Dr. Eric Davis, a Northern California board-certified Specialist in both Large Animal Internal Medicine and Equine Surgery and veterinarian, RAVS continues to grow and address veterinary concerns from Appalachia to Micronesia, and often includes medical stays at Indian reservations across the United States. The grant from the non-profit Doris Day Animal Foundation will enable RAVS to add another veterinarian and vehicle to visit more rural regions this summer.
“RAVS is best defined as a mobile veterinary teaching hospital,” explains Dr. Davis. “It works to permanently improve animal welfare through comprehensive veterinary care for all animals and service learning for veterinary students.” RAVS must be invited into every community it serves, and works only in areas where geographic isolation and poverty makes other veterinary care unavailable. RAVS also responds to disasters, including the tsunami and Hurricane Katrina.
“Last year, RAVS provided some $1.1 million in free veterinary services to animals in need,” Dr. Davis adds.
Every RAVS clinic includes:
- Comprehensive veterinary care for each animal seen – including diagnosis and treatment of problems ranging from heartworm and mange to emergency surgery; Surgical training and instruction for approximately 35 veterinary students;
- One-on-one humane education for every pet owner – focused on the individual needs of their animal;
- Support for local animal protection efforts through training and consultation.
Dr. Leo Egar will be retained thanks to the Doris Day Veterinary Chair. Plans are for Dr. Egar to lead RAVS clinics on Native American reservations and in the state of Mississippi. Dr. Egar also will respond in times of disasters and other emergencies such as a case in Tennessee last October where The HSUS rescued 300 Chihuahuas, Westies and Dachshunds from a puppy mill breeder. These animals were living in wire cages, closed in with their own filth and completely neglected. Dr. Egar spent several days in Tennessee examining, treating and operating on the dogs so they could be adopted by responsible homes. Legal action is pending against the breeder.
“RAVS provides much-needed services to the people and animals most in need,” says Doris Day, founder and president of the Doris Day Animal Foundation. “The need is real. At each RAVS clinic, people are lined up outside the door at 6 a.m., hoping to have their animal treated. We are honored to continue to work with RAVS and help them provide additional free veterinary care, provide pet guardians with one-on-one instruction in responsible pet care, and permanently improve animal welfare in these communities,” Day says.
“Doris Day and her non-profit foundation have been great supporters of our work over the years, and we are pleased to honor her with this Doris Day Veterinary Chair,” says Dr. Davis. “We are very grateful for the help she and her organization are providing. We will serve the people most in need and enhance their lives and those of their animals.” Dr. Davis is currently on one of his many field expeditions working with animals in Zuni, New Mexico and Ute Mountain reservation in Colorado, followed by Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota.
As a direct-care program of The Humane Society of the United States, the RAVS program’s had more than 900 volunteers last year who provided veterinary care for animals in over 50 communities where no other animal services exist, including communities on Native American reservations throughout the United States, in rural Appalachian counties, in remote villages in Guatemala, and within island nations in the Caribbean and Pacific. Each year RAVS provides over $1 million in free veterinary services to over 10,000 animals, all at no cost to the clients or communities served.
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs such as RAVS. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty, and on the web at www.humanesociety.org .
Provided by The Humane Society of the United States, www.hsus.org.