It amazes me that the cats like to sit in the middle of all the dog toys, and then, one of them goes into the toy basket and finds a tiny catnip toy all the way on the bottom of the basket and brings it out to play with. How does Nine do that?
Did you know that cats might have better smell ability than dogs? There are 3 different scent receptor proteins in mammal noses. One of them is called V1R. This is believed to control a mammal’s ability to separate one scent from another. Dogs have 9 variants of V1R protein. Humans have 2. Cats have 30. These shows that scent probably plays a much more important role in a cat’s everyday life than we realize.
Clearly, the way to get a cat to do something you want would be by enticing them with highly scented food, like tuna. The trouble with cats is unlike dogs, they don’t give a darn about pleasing you, so training them, regardless of this revelation that they can smell really well, may be hard to leverage. Can you see Search & Rescue using Scent Cats instead of Dogs? I think it is a great idea.
We went back to visit the nice lady Veterinary specialist and she said that I am doing a lot better. She says that I have Inflammatory Bowel Disease* (IBD) of the upper and lower GI tract and Pancreatitis. Mom has been giving me B12 shots once a week for the last 6 weeks (I am not very happy about that) but they are now going to start to be once a month. They are decreasing my prednisone little by little, though I am going to be taking this for a long time. At my checkup appointment, I hid under the chair that Mom was sitting in so that the Dr would not see me (if I can’t see them, they can’t see me – right?).
Going to the Vet makes me scared and excited. I don’t like it very much. Thankfully, if I keep improving, I won’t have to go to often.
This prednisone stuff makes me super hungry. Mom finds me begging and scavenging for food, which I never did before. That was always Sofie and Charles’ deal. I have put back on some weight, which doesn’t bother me, but Mom is afraid the Dr is going to yell. And, I drink water all the time. All 3 dogs bowls and Charles’ little bowl are empty constantly. Mom is feeding me this expensive Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein (wet and dry), which the Dr says is the best for me, with an occasional hypoallergic dog treat. So far, it seems to be working.
I guess that is all for now. I am happy to be feeling better. Thank you all for the healing energy.
– Louise
*Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a condition that results when cells involved in inflammation and immune response infiltrate the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This makes the wall of the GI tract thick and interferes with the bowels ability to move and absorb food. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association defines IBD as an inflammatory infiltration for which no specific cause can be found. This means they try to stop the inflammation and relieve the problem without ever really knowing why it happens. Approximately 50-70% of affected dogs have good long-term outcomes from initial treatment. IBD is not curable and flare-ups can happen throughout the dog’s life. (This is just for your information. I am not a vet or any kind of doctor. I am just a DogMom.)
The cats like to lay on the big dog pillows. Usually, the dogs will let them stay there. I have even seen the dogs lie on the floor so that the cats can have the pillows. Is this some unspoken DogDaz Zoo language? They always work it out and that is what’s important.
Ever since Louise got sick in the fall she has become a bed hog. When you find yourself sleeping horizontally across the pillows because you can’t stretch your legs out because the dog has taken up most of the bed, you know that your dog is a BED HOG. I am going to start a movement called TAKE BACK THE BED! I am not sure I will win though.
The best seat in our house, if you are a cat, is the herb window in the kitchen. You are up in the trees so you get to watch the birds and the squirrels, as well as activity on the street. But do they really see all this stuff?
Cats see about 5X less accurately than humans, so what does Noel really see outside? That means that Noel’s ability to see things in the distance is much shorter than we humans. In exchange, she gets night vision superpowers. Cats see 1/6th of the light that we do.
“The back of a cat’s eye is lined with a reflective layer which helps bounce the incoming light back to photosensitive cells, stimulating them more than once. Thus they get more from the same amount of light. Unfortunately, this overstimulation also blurs the image: think of it as printing a page on the same piece of paper over and over again.” (How far can your cat see?)
This gives them greater night vision to hunt, but poor distance and day vision. Don’t worry though, Noel knows where I am at all times, but maybe that is because I smell like food.
We have had a good animal year at DogDaz Zoo. Though Louise had some surgery in the summer and then got sick in November, she is on the mend. When I look back at 12 months of running and jumping and whining and catfights, I realize how blessed we are. 1 second a day gives you a great review of the DogDaz year through cats and dogs and birds and rabbits and the occasional skink. Did you know that there are over 6 minutes of seconds in a year? If that blows your mind, just skip below and watch December. Turn up the sound and dance along.
Thank you all for being part of the Zoo and watching our antics. Here is 2018 in review.
The first Sunday of 2019. All is quiet at the Zoo. Sofie is watching the world go by. The weather has been weirdly mild for January. But wait, this is the mid-Atlantic, so tomorrow it may be freezing and snow. Sofie has taken to sitting on the bench lately. Maybe it is a good vantage point to catch squirrels? Maybe it allows her to see over the fence down the street? I never see Louise up there and I am not sure Charles even knows the bench exists (Bark Out Loud). Funny how different dogs prefer different places around the yard and the house. Over the years, this spot seems to be a Sofie favorite. Solemn contemplation for the coming year? I am just happy she is quiet for a moment. Have a wonderful first Black & White Sunday of the year!
Noel, the Christmas cat, is deep into the presents under the tree.
Nine is debating whether to attack her or get one of the stockings.
Petmas, or Catmas, or Dogmas, whatever you want to call it, the animals at DogDaz Zoo are covered when Santapaws comes down the chimney. Mom hangs the pet stockings over the stairwell and out of paws way so that they do not get eaten or destroyed.
Mini Cooper wants to ride the Polar Express or knock it over, I am not sure which.
DogDaz Zoo 