Pet Talk #3

Have you found your new pet?

When you bring your adopted pet home, it's important to establish a routine as quickly as possible. Just as with our children, our pets need to know what is expected of them and what their boundaries are. Puppy can't tell time, and although Kitty can, she'll never let you know - they will quickly realize that once we get home at night there is a routine, just as there is each morning. Our job is to teach our pets what is expected of them during these times.

One thing new pet parents forget is to include is play time. Puppy and kitty love to follow us from room to room, or help us rake leaves; but beyond that, we need to schedule focused play time that includes activities that engage their natural instincts.

It goes without saying that retreivers want to play fetch, but what if your dog doesn't like to fetch? A dear friend of mine has a retreiver that doesn't like to fetch. When you throw the toy or stick, she looks at you, looks at the stick, then back at you as if to say, "If you wanted it, you shouldn't have thrown it away."

Some dogs like to search and rescue, so hide and seek is the game for them. You start by teaching the puppy a name for all of his toys.  Then for play time, hide the toys throughout the house and challenge him to find them.

However there is one game I don't recommend - tug of war, where you take one end of a rope or toy, puppy gets a hold of the other and tries to take it away from you. I'm afraid this game teaches a puppy to tug when perhaps it shouldn't and could cause an accident or problem.  Talk to your friends and see what games they play with their puppies.

Cats are a bit simpler. My youngest cat, Suki, loves to play fetch - though I warn you, cat fetch and dog fetch are a bit different. Suki finds her toy,  but it must take a detour before returning. Sometimes it's a dunk in the bathtub,  and other times it's a victory lap around the house before she sits it next to me for the next round.

The best play time toy for cats are the wand toys - you just need to determine if your cat prefers to catch birds in flight or a mouse skittering across the floor.

Also, make sure your pet has their own toy box. Fill puppy's with chews, squeakers, and balls. For kitty, fill hers with feathers, balls, sparkly things, and catnip scented toys. Not all cats respond to catnip, but if your kitty does - you are in for hours of fun watching Kitty get silly. I keep organic catnip around, and when I come across a sock that has been abandoned by its mate, I fill the toe with catnip and tie it off for an instant favorite toy we call silly sock. As a matter of fact, when I meet a new friend or neighbor that has a cat, I take a silly sock to Kitty for our first introduction. Trust me, I make a friend for life!

Now, the difficult part of this equation is the amount of time. I can't just say "play for 10 minutes." It really depends on the pet and how physical their chosen game is. They will usually let you know when they are done by flopping in the middle of the floor or wandering off. Just make sure they burn off some energy and engage their natural instincts.

When our pets mature and "settle" down some, we tend to let play time slide - but it's more important later in life to keep them engaged. Just as with our children, a bored pet will engage in mischief. You can keep your pet happy and well adjusted just by playing a game each day. Too bad it isn't that simple with people! My idol, cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy (Animal Planet's "My Cat From Hell") works with troubled cats, and in 90 % of the cases, he finds the kitties in question have no play time at all (and far too often, no toys).

Jackson's recommendation is "play, food, bed." Of course, adapt puppy's schedule to "play, food, potty, bed." This also helps with puppies that are still experiencing separation anxiety, they will be worn out and ready for bed and sleep better after a rousing game with new friends.

Adopting a new pet is not always easy but it is something that will repay us over the years with lots of love, happiness and warmth. A new pet also teaches our children to be more nurturing and responsible.

Next week we'll tackle the problem of housebreaking. If you have any questions or for additional information, please check out my blog www.softyspeaks.blogspot.com.