Sometimes I wonder if Mia knows that she is being filmed.

At the end, yes, I am patting her firmly, but the bengals love to be rough housed with. Her purring lately has gotten very exuberant, you should be able to hear it there in the final bit.

(direct link to video)

Usually twice a day I set up some sort of obstacle course and a rotation of favorite toys. It really helps to give the active cats something new to do and keep them from finding their own trouble. It takes 30 seconds to set up and 30 seconds to put away once everyone heads off for naps.

Rotating the toys, the room, and the set up helps keep it interesting. You can use pillows, carpet pieces/samples, tunnels, scratch pads, boxes, etc. Designate a basket or drawer for the toys so it is easy to put them away each day, and when a toy becomes boring hide it away for a couple weeks.

Couple inexpensive easy to tuck away items we use are a crinkle tunnel (we got ours from Walmart I believe for under $10 USD) and these type of pop up tents (not a sponsored link)

Anyone with an active cat or bengal knows that a bored kitty = trouble.

Mia, like most kittens, has her moments. Picking on the other cats, climbing up off limit shelves to knock items off, getting behind furniture to get into drawers or mess with cords, counter surfing, etc.

Usually if I pay attention I can head off this behavior early with some interactive play time or getting out a favorite toy. The key is to catch it BEFORE it escalates so I am not rewarding negative behavior. Most cats give cues. Asia used to sit and stare me down. Bayou will start wandering and meowing. Mia gives pretty obvious signs as well.

There are a lot of cats like bengals who end up in rescues or shelters due to picking on other cats, destroying the house (including some potty issues), too rough or attacking people, and meowing at night. A good majority of these cats are just flat out bored and frustrated. Yes, some felines are truly cat aggressive or have potty problems for other reasons, but a truly tired cat mentally and physically is less likely to find alternative ways to release energy.

Here is an obviously bored Mia. I got up and played with her after I turned off the camera. Usually I do something to wear her out like wand toy up and down the stairs, fetch, hide and chase, or bouncing ping pong balls.

(direct link to video)

If you notice your cat getting into trouble, watch for cues to see if you can head it off before it happens next time

Using an old treat box, I added a ping pong ball for Mia and it worked out perfect. I had to cut an extra hole or two near the corners, but she has been playing with this all weekend.

(direct link to video)

Yesterday I posted that I was babysitting my Mother’s sick pitbull, Bandit, for the day. In the comments it was mentioned that Bandit did not look like any of the horror stories that go around with pits (and he is not). I started to respond in the comments, but it turned into a book, so I thought I would post that response here…..

Bandit is a pretty good pitbull. He doesn’t have any dog aggression issues. The vets never had to muzzle him for any procedures. He used to be a bit skittish around kids until he was exposed often and got used to them. He doesn’t have any issues that I haven’t seen in any other dog breed.

I am on the fence with the whole pit bull debate. While I do believe the majority of the pit bull problem is poor socialization and the fact that most problem dogs are raised in REALLY bad environments….that is not the full story. Just like all the dog breeds, certain traits were bred into them, and to deny that pit bulls have some aggressive and stubborn instincts is irresponsible. Bandit is an example of a pit with very low level of aggression instincts, and even though my family spent little time socializing and training him, he was just fine. BUT, there are other pits that in the same situation would not thrive. Love and a comfortable sofa does not override all instincts unfortunately.

This is something that ALL dog breeds exhibit……like say one family gets a beagle and has no issues, while another gets one and raises them the same way and that beagle wants to dash out the door, dig out, jump fences, and run for miles non stop. This is a breed instinct, to run and hunt, and it is stronger in some beagles then others.

The only way to solve this type of issue is selective breeding, which brings us to the heart of the problem; how do you shape the breeding of dogs universally? Are some dog breeds not suited for companion animals? Can you shape a breed to become a better companion animal? Breeding thus far has focused on looks first and foremost, with personality and health improvement being usually only the focus of a select few. Or how about all the breedings where there was no focus at all, either by accident or just because someone thought their dog should have a litter of puppies. How do we shift that focus around or solve this issue?

I will also say this, I don’t think I have ever walked into a home or a vet office room with a pit that was openly aggressive. Conversely, I have walked into countless situations where a small dog was seriously aggressive. Chihuahuas, lhasas, shihtzus, and cocker spaniels were always the problem breeds when I worked at vet hospitals. For every one rottie, pit, or chow we had to muzzle for a procedure, there was probably 25 small dogs that needed a muzzle. How is that acceptable just because the animal is 5 or 15lbs? I also personally know a child that was killed by a shepherd mix picked up from a pound and living with the family for 6 months.

We cannot ban all breeds that have killed or seriously injured someone, this would be a losing battle.

Banning pits will not solve a MUCH bigger problem. I agree it needs to be addressed in some manner, as the size and strength of a pit makes them very dangerous IF they are aggressive. I think universally banning them is a dramatic band-aid only used to appease public outcry, not solve the problem. I think some seriously aggressive spay/neuter programs combined with some sort of breeder certification and tracking would probably go further to helping the situation, for ALL breeds.

I would love to turn all dogs into this,
or this.

The question is….what is the best way to do this??

UPDATE:
So I find it odd that I wrote this article this morning, and clicking on the local news this evening there are TWO articles about dog attacks. Weird how those things happen….
Pitbull shot after attacking a dog
Boy attacked by German Shepherd

Quick and easy way to challenge a bored feline.

Take a small box (this one was for a pill bottle), insert a straw through the side (chopstick or popsicle stick would work too), and place a favorite toy or food item in the back of the box. You can place the item in the front of the box to get interest started initially and then later move it behind the straw.

For a greater challenge add additional straws, or place on a hard surface like tile so the box moves around easier.

For Mia in this video, I used a paper ball and a small rattle mouse toy she really likes.

(direct link to video)

Back in the summer I decided we really needed an outdoor pen for the felines that fit my narrow porch. I wanted something tall, durable and as large as possible, yet portable (since HOA rules do not allow anything to remain on the porch).

Examples of pre-made portable enclosures (these are not affiliate links):
Kritter Kondo
Feline Funhouse
ABO Happy Habitat
Kittywalk
Pet Travel Play Yard

I shopped around for awhile but either they were out of my price range or just did not fit the space well. Plus with 4 cats who all want out at the same time, I really needed something roomy. So I put on my creative hat and came up with a homemade solution.

I played with several ideas, making one out of PVC pipe, wood panels, etc. The most cost effective and easily stored solution ended up being an exercise pen topped off with a netting material.

The pen itself is 36″ tall, and has 8 – 24″ wide panels. The shape I use on the porch provides a total of 12 square feet, or 36 cubic feet of total room.

(I have not trimmed the netting yet, was thinking about re-positioning it a bit)

I ended up shopping around ebay for my supplies, although if I had been patient I am sure I could have found a used pen on Craigslist to suit my needs. Total cost for this project ended up being about $55 for the netting, string, and exercise pen.

The netting has 1 inch holes (that stretch to about 2 inches) and was labeled as sporting/backstop netting (although not sure if that is accurate). If I had to do over, I might go with something smaller since little kitty arms can fit through these holes…although I have had no problems thus far. I think it is a toss up, smaller netting for nails to catch, or larger netting where arms can go through. Either way, supervision is warranted.

I chose an exercise pen where the top and the bottom of the door panel was static so that I could attach the netting with no gaps. Here is an example of what I looked for in door openings.

I wrapped the edge of the netting around the top of the pen and threaded a nylon string through it to hold it in place. This was a bit time consuming, but was the most economical method I could find and left no gaps a feline could escape through.

One major note if you build something like this is understanding that when you fold the pen back up, some of the panels need to stretch wide, which means you need to leave a lot of play in the netting. I had to move the netting around a couple of times in order to find the right amount of extra play so it would close up, but not so much that it drooped down into the cage. I also bought extra netting in case I wanted to line the bottom as well. So far that has not been necessary but if I wanted to use this pen on an uneven surface like grass I will need to do that.

In case it is useful, these were the ebay suppliers I used. Prices vary though, so you might have to shop around to get the deal I did.
Ebay Netting
Ebay Pet Supplier

Oh look, Itty is demonstrating why I only use this pen with supervision.

(‘itty’ and ‘lil’ bit’ being Asia’s most used nicknames…..itty bitty she remains at half the size of Bayou)

Thank you Asia for the assistance.

Hopefully that gives you some ideas if you are looking for a similar solution. The hubby was happy with the results since it takes up very little room and I can hang it on pegs in the garage when not in use. Next task will be to build a raised seating/lounge area for the pen that also folds up and stores away

(please build and use at your own risk, some cats are more escape artists then others so supervision and care should be used when utilizing something like this)

Have you seen the prices of good cat posts? Seriously, I cannot believe how much a quality post runs anymore. I understand why if you price out the components and labor, but I have trouble spending that on human furniture.

End result, we have been making our own cat posts for about 5 years. It is actually not that difficult if you have the right tools, and the cost can be almost nothing if you are resourceful. There are tips at the end of this post to make your own.

We have made simple posts to protect furniture….

(video of it in action)

……or as a pathway up to a walking ledge.

We have also made a couple larger structures, this one still resides in our bedroom.

By far the most simple projects have had the most return on time invested. The post up the side of the entertainment center has seriously been a lifesaver and took maybe 90 minutes to build and install.

The great part about making your own cat trees, you can design it to fit into your house and your cats needs far better then anything on the shelf.

Take cat scratching posts for example. My crew has plenty of vertical surfaces to scratch, but by far their favorite is horizontal.

Think tree branch rather then tree trunk. While the couple cat trees we have get abused regularly, the stairs and the carpet on the floor is still susceptible to attack in certain areas.

This is a SUPER easy horizontal post I put together in probably an hour that has worked out perfect.

I ended up making a second one to put near the top of the stairs. A little catnip, and they go bonkers over it. I also always give my cats LOTS of attention when they are scratching their posts. I get them fired up, give them lots of loving, and generally make it a point to give them attention as soon as I catch them scratching a post. This is the best way to get them to repeat THAT behavior and not the ones you don’t want.

Asia and Bayou like to use the cat scratchers as ‘home base’ when we play with wand toys. This is another way to reward using the posts.

(direct link to video)

Basic instructions for horizontal cat post:

Materials:
-Untreated 2X4 wood, cut into approx two 24 inch and two 9 inch pieces (adjust for your needs)
-Carpet, about 3 feet by 3 feet in size
-8 two inch wood screws
-Staple gun, staples, and box cutter for carpet installation

Assembly:
-Attach the two 24 inch long 2×4 pieces together using 4 wood screws to make a solid post
-Cut a piece of carpet large enough to wrap around the post and cover both ends. I recommend rolling carpet around the post to get an accurate measurement, cut a couple inches extra, you can always trim later.
-Start in the center of one side of the post and staple the carpet from top to bottom lengthwise
-Roll the carpet around the post TIGHTLY, putting in staples as you go to hold it firmly in place. It is good to have a second set of hands to help hold it tight.
-When you get all the way around, staple it in place again lengthwise, you can overlap or you can staple at the edge of the carpet you started with and cut off the excess. I find with a hand stapler you are less able to overlap the carpet.
-Cut, trim, and attach the carpet to the ends of the post. This part is tricky, it is better to roll the carpet over the edge, staple, and trim then it is to staple and trim the carpet right at the corners. Think wrapping a present, you want to round the carpet over the edges.
-Now carpet the two smaller pieces of wood in a similar fashion.
-Using two wood screws on each, attach the carpeted feet to the carpeted post (put the seam edge down on all pieces), about 1-2 inches from the ends of the post.

Ta da, you have a very simple horizontal cat post, great to prevent stair and floor destruction!

Tips for making your own posts and trees:
-Hunt up carpet remnants from flooring stores. A lot of times they sell them at super low cost or even for free. I get a lot of my carpet for free from a friend in the flooring industry. Advertise on freecycle, or watch craigslist for installers selling small cuts.
-I get most of my wood for free from a friend in construction. He pulls out wood pieces (untreated) from the trash bins. Most trees require nothing more then 1-2 foot pieces of 2X4 and maybe some small pieces of plywood (3/4 inch preferred). I might buy 2×4′s on occasion, but those are not pricey.
-For small projects like a scratching post, a hand stapler will work okay. For larger projects I HIGHLY recommend a compressor and staple gun. You can get a compact compressor and several accessories for under $200 sometimes, and we use our compressor all the time for home projects (or you can rent one). If you can get your carpet and wood for free, buying a compressor is still less expensive then a quality cat tree!
-If you install new carpet in your house, consider ordering extra to make matching cat posts. 5-7 yards would be needed to make a medium to large cat tree as a point of reference. Also ask the installers to give you all the decent scraps.
-Start with a small project first, like a scratching post, so you can learn the best way to trim and install the carpet.

If there are a few people seriously interested, let me know and I will do a picture or video tutorial on how to design and carpet your own posts. Post a comment to let me know.

Asia and Bayou getting their morning dose of exercise.

(direct link to video)

We usually do some activity like this at least once a day, if not more…..prevents ‘trouble’. Plus, Asia sort of insists that we have play time, bringing me an assortment of toys until we do something. Bet you could never have imagined that.

Here was the wand of choice today. They actually did not care for this when I bought it before…..as you can see, things changed.

Asia is helping me out, showing how she could be a ‘wand model’ if anyone is hiring. Any takers?

I thought it would be fun to share something we use actually quite often.

Specifically, we like ‘treat boxes’ to help simulate some of the activities outdoor cats would do in the hunt for food. They are great for burning active kitties energy, OR, great for getting a slightly more portly kitty moving a bit for food.

Here is a video of the Meadow Crew in action.

Direct link to video

As a note, some items work better for different cats. For example, Asia likes to tear egg cartons into little bits making it sorta pointless.

For treats, I use cooked chicken bits cut into teeny pieces and dried out for an hour or two in an oven (set on lowest temp with door open). We have used bonita flakes (too messy), and dehydrated chicken liver as well. You can use any treat that works best for your cat. You can even try gradually going from treats to their dry food. Be sure to reduce feeding calories at mealtimes to balance out the extra calories from the treat box.

Couple of tips when making these types of toys:
-Use a sharp knife, and ALWAYS cut away from human body parts (pretty please).
-For cats new to these toys, create plenty of large holes to reward often. You can always make another container or tape up holes later on.
-Use super yummy treats and a hungry cat in the beginning, placing treats right at the openings to show them what’s in store. Later you can phase in smaller treats or even dry food.
-For best motivation, put container away in between rewards and alternate types of containers to keep the cat motivated.
-For overweight cats you can even feed entire meals from a container to promote activity and spread out mealtime.
-For non food motivated felines, you could use a ball or toy in the box instead. Ping pong balls are great for this, make the holes big enough for paws but not large enough to let the ball out.

Please supervise all pets during the use of homemade toys, and use caution when cutting into containers.

If you want something a bit less homemade, here are some other ideas.

Treat type dispensers:

Toys that fill the need to search and find:

So the other day I was browsing videos, and stumbled on this video. (here is a link to the youtube version, I could not embed that one)

Link:

After seeing this video, I noticed quite a few others.

I did not know dogs enjoyed tramps so much.

But it got me thinking, what is their motivation here? Now the boxer in the above video can be seen a couple times just bouncing while looking at the owner, obviously enjoying the jumps JUST for jumps. But most of the time he is barking and chasing at the trampoline itself. I cannot tell if he is chasing say his shadow on the tramp, or maybe its the ‘feel’ of the tramp beneath his feet that makes him go after it.

Here are a couple other dogs….
Another boxer
A boston terrier
A bull terrier

Obviously their motivation looks to be initially chasing ‘something’….either shadow, feel, or whatever. But what cracks me up is how all of them seem to LIKE jumping high. Like the boston terrier uses the tramp to get extra height and THEN pounces down on whatever the ‘prey’ is. He is definitely enjoying not just the chase but the jumping.

I am one who thinks you have to be a bit careful with some ‘games’. Like some dogs go from chasing laser pointers to obsessing over every flash of light they see in an unhealthy manner. Unfortunately some pets either through personality or through improper use of the ‘game’ end up with an anxiety based behavior that is no longer much fun. I tend to avoid videos where people take that anxious behavior and turn it into amusement for others.

But this trampoline thing is one I am on the fence with. Some of the videos I watched there was definitely more a sense of anxiety involved, but for the most part, the dogs really looked to be relaxed and enjoying the ‘game’ of it all (stopping when tired, getting off the tramp on their own, etc). I am thinking this is more a curious fun game for most dogs involved. Hrmmm.

Any thoughts?