Angora bunny: newest therapy animal in training!

by Dr. Shannon Dominguez, DCH
FriendlyTails® - Animals Helping People Heal
"Improving quality of life with friendly tails." © ___________________________________________

Meet Grushenka, my 6 week old ermine eyed Angora. Isn't she just the cutest?! I think baby Angora bunnies are my new sweet spot when it comes to the animal world. I have just fallen head over heels smitten with this ball of fluff and my latest addition to the therapy animal team. (By the way, an ermine eye is a bluish-gray eye, whereas standard show angoras are either blue-eyed or pink-eyed).

Grushenka is not a rescue, which is generally my priority when adopting a new animal for the pet therapy program. Before the animal activists get a kink in their tails, Grushenka is the result of an accidental breeding and the pet guardian of those bunnies donated her to my program knowing that I have my therapy animals spayed/neutered and microchipped and she will have a future touching the lives of patients needing comfort.


Grushenka's training begins with a 30 day quarantine in our home away from the other pet therapy animals at the Center. While she appears to be very healthy and happy, it is always best to separate a new animal from the rest for 30 days to ensure no unseen pathogens (should they arise) be transmitted to the group of working animals. During this time in my home quarantine, Grushenka receives her first steps of socialization in a new environment that includes dogs and cats. She lives in a kennel inside the house, becomes litter box trained, and is turned out for exercise on the living room floor. These steps allows her to become familiar with other animals under a watchful eye (me) while providing reassurance that she is safe at all times.


When you're just 6 weeks old, the world is a pretty big place; especially when our two dogs (Bella, a Cavalier King Charles mix, and, Mana, a Smooth Coat Border Collie/Heeler) tower over her in a space of curiosity and protectiveness of this precious little one. The cats, truthfully, could care less about this new addition to the family. They watch her with an almost indignant attitude that no matter how cute, how fuzzy, furry or fluffy, the bunny is insignificant in their world. Yet, when the cats think I'm not looking, they'll walk over to the bunny and give her a sniff before walking away.

As Grushenka lives in our home, she will be accustomed to the phone ringing, the smell of food being prepared and cooking, sounds of television, the dogs playing, cats roaming, my parrot screaming (something we've never become accustomed to), finches singing, the noise of the vacuum, doors and drawers opening and closing, toilet flushing, water running, and lots of voices from people and handling from myself, husband and friends who drop by to visit. This socialization is preparation for her work, as similar sounds present themselves in the clinical environment when the time comes to visit patients and residents.

Thus begins her training into the world of touching lives and helping people heal. Judging by the reviews of friends so far, she will be bringing a lot of joy, smiles and comfort to many!

Flowers Essenses Helping Animals Heal

by Dr. Shannon Dominguez, DCH
FriendlyTails® - Animals Helping People Heal
"Improving quality of life with friendly tails." ©
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Flower essences helping animals to heal? Why not!

Flower essences are liquid patterned infused solutions (dilute extracts of various types of flowers and/or plants) that have homeopathic qualities that balance physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and universal levels of animals. Originally developed for people, the benefits were found to help animals too. These essences are not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis and treatment. However, they are safe to use alone where circumstances allow, or in conjunction with other forms of treatment.

When there is disease, stress, and/or disharmony within an animal, the flower essences incorporates a system of healing. Flower essence remedies include, but not limited to, correcting and balancing the following:

* unruliness, excessive noisiness, aggression, destructiveness
* mental or physical suffering
* fear, anxiety, apprehension, nervousness
* intolerance
* lack of confidence
* compulsiveness
* toxicity, uncleanliness
* resistance
* stress
* loneliness, despondency, hopelessness, gloom
* adjustment to new environments, circumstances
* shyness
* mental & physical exhaustion
* sulking

While I have named only a handful of symptoms, there are 38 flower remedies developed by Edward Bach (1886-1936), and further essences or combinations of remedies have since been developed. All are based with regard to the plant's specific imprint. This imprint corresponds to the symptom and responds in balancing and repairing it. The term "imprint" was originally explained by Leonardi as follows:

"It's commonly understood that everything in the universe has a vibration to it. What makes something red is its vibration. Scientifically, you'd say red is its vibration. Flowers have a certain frequency, too. If you process a flower into an essence and you take it into your body, it starts to vibrate at that frequency. It starts to create a synchronization of other cells and tissues in your body, causing them to vibrate at that level." (cited Morrison 1995, p85; quoted in Graham & Vlamis 2002, p13)

Do I use flower essences on my animals? The answer is, "Yes." I always have a bottle of Rescue Remedy on hand to calm a stressed animal (in some cases a few stressed out people). My personal library has the reference book, "Bach Flower Remedies for Animals" by Helen Graham and Gregory Vlamis. These two resources have proved valuable and effective in my experience. It can be used with any animal or bird, including dogs, cats, bunnies, guinea pigs, horses, goats, chickens, finches, parrots, injured wild birds and animals.

NEWS BY TOPIC / ANIMAL

by Dr. Shannon Dominguez, DCH
FriendlyTails® - Animals Helping People Heal
"Improving quality of life with friendly tails."©

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On the side bar of the right side of this blog, you will notice a "NEWS - BY TOPIC / ANIMAL" category. This is a very cool news feature that searches world news on the internet and selects the published stories on any of the animals or topics listed in the category of subjects.

If you want to read recent articles on horses or pet therapy, just click the link "horses" or "pet therapy" and the articles will list. Feel free to offer suggestions of other topics or animals you would like to see on this list and please return for new updates.

Wishing everyone a pawsitively wonderful day!

Top 10 Animal Dads via Animal Planet

Happy Father's Day out there to all you fuzzy, feathered, furry, scaley, slimey, above ground, underground, and underwater fatherly creatures... *oh, and to humankind as well.*

Ever wonder what animals on the planet made for the animal version of the top 10 ten list of Dads? Do you suppose that the Jackal or a Seahorse made the list? Find out!!! Animal Planet has done their research... the results are in!

http://animal.discovery.com/tv/a-list/creature-countdowns/dads/dads.html

Vetting animals at 1:44a

by Dr. Shannon Dominguez, DCH
FriendlyTails® - Animals Helping People Heal
"Improving quality of life with friendly tails."©
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I thought about blogging at 1:44a when I couldn't sleep (it's 6:15a now), but instead I decided to check-in on the little animals that I'm giving extra TLC to for health improvement.

My living room has the lovely addition of 2 kennels. In one, Zorra bunny, my little black Holland lop, whose health only seemed to improve after I brought home her guinea pig cage mate, Apple. She's been on a 10 day course of antibiotics without him by her side. I thought she would improve if she were reunited with him. Briefly, it worked. :/

In the other kennel, another Holland Lop bunny named David Bowie (yep this bunny is a rock star and has the eyeliner and groupies to prove it!). How my husband puts up with all the "Shannimals" that come home, never ceases to amaze me, but his heart is as vast and magnificent as our oceans when it comes to the love of animals, despite his suggestions of "shouldn't they be outside in the hutches."

Sure I have hospital hutches in the yard, but I'm better able to monitor their progress if they're in the house. And this turns out to be quite valuable as at 1:44a, perhaps I woke due to a sixth sense nudge as normally I sleep peacefully throughout the night. I noticed that the lettuce, carrots and food put inside Zorra's kennel went untouched. Favorite treats not eaten? Something is wrong. Zorra is exhibiting signs of lethargy and disinterest meaning I must take her back to the vet. Bunny's mask symptoms very well. Apple, looked a little bristly which is out of character for this short-haired guinea pig.

After a closer look at Apple, his eyes looked dull when they should be sparkly. I ran my hands down his body and he seemed slimmer, which surprised me. He seemed to be doing well since I brought him home to be with Zorra. It was a happy reunion between them. Even so, it's not like a guinea pig to avoid a favorite treat.

Guinea pigs have, metaphorically speaking, a bottomless stomach! It's actually amazing how much they can eat. In a one hour pet therapy visit, one guinea pig can eat over 6 romaine lettuce leaves at a single setting. Since these went untouched, I thought I'd take a peek into his mouth, and there it was... the culprit.... long teeth. The length of his teeth have just grown to where the front top and bottom incisors touch perfectly. Imagine yourself trying to eat if your top and bottom front teeth edges aligned perfectly... it leaves a big space preventing your back teeth from touching and chewing anything is out of the question.

While I provide all the therapy bunnies and guinea pigs with water, pellets, toys, hay, and wood to chew... this is the first experience I have had where teeth have overgrown. The toys and wood are there to help them wear the teeth down and provide an activity to prevent boredom. Guinea pigs' teeth grow throughout their lifetime, just like horses. Since his are long enough to prevent him from chewing, I'm going to take the leap that they are too long to drink as well (hence his bristled coat... a sign of not only feeling poorly, but perhaps dehydration as well).

I grabbed the little piggy and brought him into the bathroom where I gave him (5) 1cc syringes of water, apple juice to boost his system and dose him with Vitamin C in case he is deficient, and some Oxbow Critical Care food supplement which provides protein, vitamins and minerals for herbivores (veggie eaters).

Next, Zorra, who's just huddled quietly inside the kennel. She's stopped eating again after seemingly recovering. Darn! This made my stomach sink. I took her out and gave her some Critical Care by syringe as it's important to keep a bunnies digestive system moving. Afterward, I checked on David Bowie.

He looked bright and alert, and begged to get out of the kennel by pawing at the door. I opened up the door and let him out to stretch his legs. He hopped up to me for some petting, did a brodie around the living room, then I looked at the clock and decided at 2:45a that I should get back to sleep. I tucked him away for the remainder of my zzzzz's.

This morning Apple will see the vet for his teeth, Zorra has an appointment as well, David stays home for another 9 days to finish his antibiotics and be closely monitored.

Meanwhile, the other therapy animals, myself and volunteers await a day of working with clients at an Alzheimer day-care center downtown. I just know the whole time I will be preoccupied wondering how Apple and Zorra are as they will dropped off at the vets office for care.

I love these little furry souls, their lives touch people in miraculous ways. In the future I'll blog more about that. It seems since I have started this blog, I'm mostly discussing animal care. I guess that's because it preoccupies my time at present. It's rare that my furry ones get sick, but like people... it happens from time to time. More later...

Rabbit soaked with urine... what does this mean?

by Dr. Shannon Dominguez, DCH
FriendlyTails® - Animals Helping People Heal
"Improving quality of life with friendly tails."©
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Finding a bunny with a backside or underside soaked in urine is cause for concern and can leave the pet parent confused as to why this is happening. Bunnies are generally very clean animals, but when their fur is soaked in urine it's called "Urine Scald. "

We recently found one of our therapy bunnies with this very problem, 2 months after he was treated for nystagmis (dizziness). To my knowledge, the nystagmis and the urine scald have no correlation.

A rabbit wetting itself means something is wrong with the rabbit's health and if you leave the bunny soaked in urine it results in a very painful skin rash (similar to diaper rash).

Step 1: Call the Vet and make an appointment
If it is obvious that there is blood in the urine and on the bunny, tell the vet it's an emergency and your animal must receive veterinary care ASAP. Otherwise, you can wait until the vet's first available appointment.

So you've called the vet and made an appointment, what next?

Step 2: Wash your rabbit's bottom in an Oatmeal & Aloe Vera shampoo made for dogs, cats, puppies, or kittens. Avoid any shampoo with flea medications, as it can be toxic. You must get the urine off. The water should be lukewarm in temperature and after you apply the shampoo to the affected area, allow it to sit 5 minutes. Oatmeal with Aloe Vera shampoo is very soothing to the skin. But it's important to note, that the aloe in the shampoo is at very low concentrations. If you think you're going to run out to your yard and pick Aloe Vera to rub onto the bunny's skin or add to the shampoo, STOP! Straight aloe vera applied to a rabbit is toxic if they lick it off. In light of this, too much of a good thing (Aloe) is a bad thing indeed.

Washing a bunny's bottom is a challenge; unless they are used to having baths, they're not going to want to have anything to do with it (and will put a lot of effort to get away from the water). Be patient with your bunny and gentle throughout the process of giving it a bath. Remember that they can be quite fragile and scare easily, so don't rush the process. Remaining calm, talking in a quiet tone (your very young children will refer to it as your "inside" voice) helps them to remain calm. After 5 minutes has passed, rinse off all the shampoo. Then towel dry the wet area as best as you can.

Step 3: Blow dry!
What? Did she just say blow dry? YES! Turn your hairdryer on to the lowest setting and begin drying your bunny's fur. Constantly test the temperature with the back of your hand, and if the skin on the back of your hand gets too hot, it's WAY TOO HOT for your bunny. In which case, distance the blow dryer from its' backside. Getting a bunny dry this way takes time, so make time in your schedule to dry it properly. Don't count on your bunny to do the work for you, thinking it will groom itself dry. It won't. If the bunny's bottom is wet, it wasn't able to clean it in the first place.

***It is so important for the backside to be dry and not leave it damp. The dampness creates the skin rash, and in severe cases, a skin rash on your bunny leaves it prone to infection causing the skin to literally fall off. Imagine how painful that would be. When I blow dry my bunny, I gently brush the fur (with a plastic bristle brush... do not use a metal brush). This seems to calm the bunny and make it an enjoyable event.

Step 4: Once your bunny's bottom is dry, apply a diaper rash cream equivalent to Desitin to any area where the skin is reddened. This is a zinc oxide cream and will help soothe the skin rash.

Step 5: REPEAT the bath every time that the bunny's underside or backside is wet with urine (NO EXCEPTION). If you don't keep it up, flies may be attracted to your rabbit and the result is "fly strike." Fly Strike is when flies lay eggs that hatch into maggots. The maggots could find their way into the rabbit which can result in death.

CAUSES OF URINE SCALD
Your vet will make a better determination of the cause of this problem, which include, but are not limited to:

URINARY TRACT INFECTION
Bacteria in the bladder or kidneys can create the infection. A urinalysis is needed to detect the existence of white blood cells.

Treatment: The vet will prescribe an antibiotic and possibly a pain medication.

(In my rabbit's situation, he had a UTI).

BLADDER SLUDGE
Rabbits excrete excess calcium and oxalate salts through the urinary tract. Normal urine will have a residue that appears "chalky." If the calcium and oxalate salts build up, it becomes too excessive for the urinary tract and can result in a thick, curry-colored sludge that sometimes has a consistency similar to toothpaste. Sludge buildup can be very painful and can cause urine leakage and incontinence.

Treatment includes: subcutaneous fluids to flush the bladder and/or a small dose of Valium (diazepam) to relax the bladder's sphincter.

BACK INJURY
An injury to your rabbit's back can result in nerve damage, even paralysis. Sometimes there's no obvious sign of a trauma and the injury could be due to aging, disc degeneration, or other skeletal problems. X-rays will provide a diagnosis.

Treatment: daily baths, anti-inflammatory, pain medication (Medicam)

KIDNEY STONE / BLOCKAGE
When calcium and oxalate salts create a mass, this is known as a stone and creates the blockage within the kidney or bladder. X-rays are needed to determine if this is the cause.

Treatment: surgery

ARTHRITIS
Arthritis of the spine or pelvis prevents a rabbit to posture correctly for urination. As a result, the rabbit's urine soaks into the fur creating Urine Scald. Arthritis is also diagnosed through X-rays.

Treatment: a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Banamine (flunixin meglumine) or Rimadyl (carprofen).

INCONTINENCE
Hormonal imbalances can cause incontinence and your vet will need to take blood work to determine if this is the cause.

Treatment: DES, a synthetic hormone

OBESITY
Is your rabbit obese (grossly overweight)? It might be so fat that it doesn't have the energy to posture correctly to urinate.

Treatment: daily baths, diet - feed 1/8 cup pellets per 5 lbs daily and all the timothy or orchard hay they want. Avoid treats such as bananas, apples, bread, cheerios, strawberries, grapes... instead, provide lettuce (romaine, green or red), parsley, basil or cilantro. Substitute sweets for greens.

Rabbits gone wild!

Wabbits! I think I might like to go to this campus... my kind of atmosphere. After viewing the video, click the link below it to read the full story.

Science Dot Earth: Rabbits Gone Wild on Canadian Campus
By By Andrew C. Revkin
Published: June 8, 2009
A population explosion among rabbits on a Canadian campus.



http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/rabbits-gone-wild-on-canadian-campus/

Differences between Assistance Dogs and Therapy Dogs

Bella & Mana, Certified Therapy Dogs

by Dr. Shannon Dominguez, DCH
FriendlyTails® - Therapy Animals Helping People Heal
"Improving quality of life with friendly tails." ©

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Great article on the differences between assistance dogs and therapy dogs. In my work, I have two Certified Therapy Dogs. They are specially trained for providing specialized comfort in the clinical environment while promoting the human-animal bond and the healing benefits that occur from it.

This article is from PuppyInTraining.com. Check it out!

http://puppyintraining.com/assistance-dogs-vs-therapy-dogs-whats-the-difference/

Retractable leash warning for pets and their owners

by Dr. Shannon Dominguez, DCH
FriendlyTails® - Therapy Animals Helping People Heal
"Improving quality of life with friendly tails." ©

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Consumer Reports (http://www.consumerreports.org/) came out with a warning today about retractable leash warnings for consumers and their pets.While retractable leashes are a favorite among many dog owners, my personal choice for my therapy dogs is using a standard 6ft long leash. If you use a retractable leash or are thinking about getting one, do your homework first. Many of the manufacturers print warning labels on their leashes or post the warnings on their website. As a good consumer, you should be informed of potential problems before you buy.

Here's the Consumer Report's Article on their blog:

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2009/03/retractable-leashes-pose-problems-for-people-and-their-pets.html?EXTKEY=I5B0A18

Snowman the cat says, "Be careful about using a retractable leash... hey look at me, I can yodle."

Parrot saves life of toddler

by Dr. Shannon Dominguez, DCH
FriendlyTails® - Therapy Animals Helping People Heal
"Improving quality of life with friendly tails." ©
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A parrot saved the life of a choking toddler by calling out "Mama, Baby!" Over and over getting the attention of the babysitter.Remarkable! The parrot, Willie, was honored for his heroic efforts.

Check out the story here:

http://cbs4denver.com/local/Willie.parrot.red.2.964298.html

Good job Willie! We're impressed.

Historical Bunny Rabbit Facts

by Dr. Shannon Dominguez, DCH
FriendlyTails® - Therapy Animals Helping People Heal
"Improving quality of life with friendly tails." ©
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Did you know?.........

• The earliest known fossils of rabbits were found in Mongolia and China and date back 65 million years.
  


• Oldest known fossils of rabbits in North America date back 37 million years ago.
  


• The first known record of humankind's relationship with rabbits appear in Spanish cave paintings dating around the Stone Age. They appeared along with other animals on the wall of the caves during the Pleistocene period.
  


• The rabbit migrated to southwestern Eurpose to escape the cold of the Ice Age.
  


• Decendants of Ice Age rabbits were domesticated near the Mediterraneon region of Europe and Africa, somewhere around 600 B.C. (where humans used them for fur and meat).
  


• Phoenicians began trading the rabbits with other cultures and this is how they eventually spread to America, New Zealand and Australia.
  Rabbits became pets beginning in the 1700s.
  


• In the 1800s breed development began.
  


• Regulations for breeding and showing rabbits began in the mid 1930s in Great Britian.
  
  Siino, Betsy S., ed. The Essential Rabbit. New York: Howell Book House, Wiley Inc., NY.
  
  A biologist proposes reintroducing the long-vanished white-tailed jack rabbit to Yellowstone National Park. (Credit: Joel Berger, WCS)
  
  Picture Courtesy of Dot Earth NewYork Times Blog
  DOT EARTH - NY TIMES - NATURE BLOG

Trimming Your Rabbit's Nails Safely

by Dr. Shannon Dominguez, DCH
FriendlyTails® - Therapy Animals Helping People Heal
"Improving quality of life with friendly tails."©
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Trimming Your Rabbit's Nails Safely

(I'm trying to improve my video skills, I think I'm going to have to ask someone to videotape me, because juggling the bunny, clippers and holding the camera... I created my own circus. Luckily, the only thing I didn't drop was the bunny!)

HAY - The basis of a Bunny's Diet (Guinea Pig too!)

by Dr. Shannon Dominguez, DCH
FriendlyTails® - Therapy Animals Helping People Heal
"Improving quality of life with friendly tails."©
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Hay there! (bad pun... I know). This is a repost from a bulletin from the House Rabbit Society. All of you bunny and guinea pig owners (or potential rabbit and guinea pig owners), if you're not giving hay daily to your animals, you put their digestive health at risk. We want your pets to live long, loving, wonderfully happy and healthy lives and adding hay to their diets is important. Here's why:

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: House Rabbit Society
Date: May 29, 2007 9:48 AM

Hay is the basis of a good bunny diet. While many pellets boast their fortified rich diet, it does not replace the importance of hay in your bunnys diet.
Feeding your bunny good quality hay will provide your bunny with the essential fiber, roughage, and nutrients which reduces the danger of hairballs and other blockages.

Types of Hays and Grasses

Bunnies love fresh hay! Be sure to provide an ample supply they can nibble whenever they like. Hay fiber is the best defense against intestinal blockages. Plan ahead. Don't let your hay supply run out before purchasing more.

Timothy hay

Timothy is probably the second most popular hay with bunnies and their caretakers. It looks like a dried blade of grass, fairly wide and its color is a soft green to grey/brown green. Timothy hay also has "solid cattails" which distinguishes it from Orchard grass which has "broken cattails." Much of the Timothy is imported from Northern counties; it is not as widely available as Alfalfa, but is an excellent hay for bunnies. It contains a good level of calcium and calories. Typically included in all HRS boxed hay.

Oat hay

Large hollow cylindrical stalks and flat blades that are golden yellow to light green with oats on the end. The coloration and the presence of oats distinguishes this hay from others. Oat hay can vary widely in appearance and oat count, depending on the harvest season. New harvests are generally oat laden, whereas later harvest such as Dec-Feb can be very light, with minimal oats. Many people confuse Oat hay with Straw. The similarity is in the coloration. Straw is not a food source, but is typically used for bedding, mostly in the horse and farming communities. Oat hay is an excellent source of fiber. Bunnies tend to enjoy mostly the oats, but will sporadically munch on the hay stalks.

If bun's diet is high in oat hay, the pellets she produces will be larger, lighter in color, and will look like sawdust if crushed. Many bunnies would benefit from eating more oat hay, an excellent preventative for GI Stasis. HRS boxed hay may contain oat hay or other fiber rich types to provide variety.

Bermuda grass

Yes, it's that stuff you've been trying to get out of your flower bed since the beginning of time. Bermuda is a thin blade to flexible stalk, light green to gray/green in color. It is another of the higher fiber. Bermuda is less well known and not as easy to come by. Many bunnies prefer Bermuda and it is a good all around food source with a moderate amount of calories. Bermuda is typically fine enough that it doesn't get spread all over the cage which often happens with Oat hay. Typically no flowers or cattails are seen on Bermuda grass.

Orchard grass

Another less known feed, orchard grass, is very similar in appearance to Timothy but the "cattails" have small segments missing from them every 1/32 of an inch. Also the cattails tend to be pale brown, whereas Timothy cattails are green to light yellow.

Where do you get all this great Hay!

Well, you can get it at feed stores, but if you don't live near feeds stores you can get it from this reputable hay company OXBOW HAY COMPANY
Be aware that not all pet stores carry this brand. You can order it online or if you live near Richmond California you can come and purchase it at our Store.

All the information you are reading can be found at HOUSE RABBIT SOCIETY/">

Cat Behavior - Everything you want to know about your cat!

by Dr. Shannon Dominguez, DCH
FriendlyTails® - Therapy Animals Helping People Heal
"Improving quality of life with friendly tails." ©

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Have you ever asked yourself, "Why in the @$&* is my cat doing that!!!???"

Check out this Cool Cat site. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/9352/behavior.html It has one of the most complete listings of why your cat does anything (behaving badly (peeing on the bed, ripping up your couch), normal cat behavior, puzzling behavior, suspicious cat behavior, such as, plotting against the dogs, plotting against you, sneak attacks (kidding, sorta).