Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
You know ... I don't know that much about it. But it's a great topic
for the next books. (Which we're already starting on.)
  

    
Oh, say more about the next books, then!
  

    
We've definitely signed on for "Why Do Horses Sleep Standing Up?"
which will be out in the fall. 

We're planning one more cat and one more dog book in the series. And
then, we have about four other projects that are too iffy to discuss. 

The great thing is that I've found my dream co-author: He's smart, fun
to work with and really knows his stuff. Plus, he can promote books
like nobody's business. This is good, because I don't like that part of
it. I prefer to stay home and hang with the critters. 
  

    
I really liked the "Never Mind Doctor's Orders" story in which your
co-author goes on TV, tells everyone they should never let their dogs
lick them on mouth, goes home, and gets a big hello from his dogs
including enthusiastic tongue kissing---"emotion got in the way of
logic"!
  

    
So why DO dogs drink out of the toilet?
  

    
I can't believe we took this long to get to that question!
  

    
So sorry it took me till now to get to this great discussion -- I have
the "cat" book though I consider myself to be equally enamored of both
species. It was a great read, a lot of fun, and I was pleased that I
wasn't too ignorant about a lot of the questions in the book.

I did want to say, though, that when you discussed teeth-brushing, you
asked, "Have you ever seen a cat that just loved that minty flavor?"
Actually, I did have an insane cat named Frida who would waitwaitwait
for me to put peppermint conditioner on my head, and then basically
transform herself into an obese hairy helmet. She was: obsessed.
Whether this means I could have brushed her teeth with Aim, I don't
know, but she did love that minty smell, and my other cats couldn't
have cared less. 

Anyway, I have a question I thought you might have experience with: my
sister's cat Homer has a weird form of OCD that causes him to lick
himself obsessively. His tummy is one big bald spot. Her vet has put
him on kitty antidepressants, but he still does this. He started when
they moved from NYC to SF. He is not in distress otherwise -- he is, in
fact, a big galoot who seems pretty pleased with himself most of the
time. And he's not hurting himself -- nothing is oozing or raw. What is
this disorder, and are there any other avenues she should be
exploring?

Also, when I meet dogs, I always blow gently (REALLY gently) into
their faces so they can smell my breath; they seem to really like this.
That is, they sniff my breath like they're getting some information
about me. Are they? 
  

    
First things first: The toilet. 

Animals instinctive avoid standing water, preferring running creeks to
brackish ponds. Bowls of water sit around, and even if changes
regularly, made be refilled rather than cleaned and refilled. Plus, the
plastic or metal may impart a slight taste. 

And then, there's the toilet. The water is frequently changed, the
surface area is bigger, allowing for more evaporation so the water is
cooler, and the fixture itself probably doesn't impart much taste and
also keeps the water cooler. It's a home-based spring, in the dog's
opinion, and oh-so convenient. 

Of course, dogs don't really think about the bacteria, cleaning
chemicals and the aesthetic preferences of human housemates. So
...keeping the lid closed will keep the dog out. 
  

    
We've been getting lots of "yeah, buts" -- "you say cats don't do/like
X, yeah but MY cat ..." 

Thing is, of course, that animals are individuals, as we are. I hate
mayonnaise. Really, really loathe it. In fact, it makes me queasy to
think about it. In the general population, I am surely in the minority.


Some cats like mint. Some dogs like dandelion greens (my old retriever
girl does). But overall, these carnivores prefer meat. 

As for the OCD, the next step would be a referral to a veterinary
behaviorist, such as at the Veterinay Medical Teaching Hospital at UCD.
But if he's not hurting himself and he's happy, I'd generally advise
living with the bald spot. If he's an indoor cat, more exercise
(interative play, such as with a laser pointer or kitty fisher) might
help. (Most dogs and cats, like most humans, don't get near enough
exercise.) 

And yes, the dogs are digging the identifying information on your
breath. But PLEASE STOP blowing into dog's faces, however gently.
You're going to run into a dog who really, really doesn't like it,
considers it an insult to his dominance, and that dog will nail you. 
  

    
Believe it or not, my cat used to drink out of the toilet in my old
apartment. I wish I had a picture of her, perched precariously on the seat,
one front paw bracing herself against the edge of the bowl. She never fell
in, somehow.
  

    
i have heard the explanation about animals prefering fresher
water before --- and this makes sense. what has been puzzling
me the last nine months (i have been a close cat-observer
for 35+ yrs) is an indertent experiment of my own creation:
i accidentally left my 2 1/2 gallon watering can this
past winter in such a place near my front porch that
it filled up with rain runoff from my roof. ALL the neighborhood
cats -love- drinking from this: yogi, keiko, bonnie, peaches,
max, pink, bizsnatch... which i find odd --- because
water that's been sitting around in a watering can is
NOT fresh. i am sure some of it has to do with position:
they get to stand on my deck and stick their heads
into the watering can...anyway, the watering can
has become my own private nabe treetops for cats, enough
so that when the dry season came, i would refill
the can once/week just so the cats could enjoy the
water so dispensed this way.

it is odd, though...these cat are NOT ferals
and have water of their own at home with
their kindly owners...
  

    
okay! okay! 
  

    
'okay! okay!' = ?
  

    
(I am going to guess her reponse is to an earlier disagreement with
something she said... looking back now...  another typical braided
conversation...  I'm guessing:

from inkwell.vue.284.57

> Also, when I meet dogs, I always blow gently (REALLY gently) into
> their faces so they can smell my breath; they seem to really like this.
> That is, they sniff my breath like they're getting some information
> about me. Are they? 

From inkwell.vue.284.58: 

> And yes, the dogs are digging the identifying information on your
> breath. But PLEASE STOP blowing into dog's faces, however gently.
> You're going to run into a dog who really, really doesn't like it,
> considers it an insult to his dominance, and that dog will nail you. 

From inkwell.vue.284.62: 
>
> okay! okay! 
  

    
thanx, gail! i get easily confused...
  

    
I'm enjoying learning all sorts of new things about animals.  As a cat
person  I will have to check out the book on cats.  I'm happy to say that I
didn't do too bad on the cat test.  Out of the fifteen questions I missed
five.  The questions I missed were eye color at birth, which has the most
acute hearing (dog, cat, human), years in a cat's life equal to humans,
speed of a cat, and number of pet cats in US and Canada.
  

    
My cats are forever educating me on their preference on where they
want their water and food dishes.  It's interesting to watch the
choices - presently the water dish in the bedroom wins out over the one
in the kitchen.
  

    
Why do some dogs eat shit?
  

    

(because dogs drool and cats rule?????)



Gina, I have friends who insist that their dog or cat feels embarrassed when
caught making a mistake or looking "foolish."

One part of me thinks that's just not possible, that a sense of
embarrassment is too complex for your average house pet. But sometimes I see
something in my own cats' behavior that looks like embarrassment.

I know you can't say for sure, but do you suspect they're capable of that
emotional state?
  

    
One of my ridgebacks ran away from the ones that purchased him.  After
they got home five hours later they called us and told us what
happened.  We took the rest of our pack and went to the location where
he ran away after about two hours he ran passed us then came to us.  I
supposed he was checking.  Ever since he never passes a puddle without
drinking.

We think he was heading home until he heard us then backtracked.  I
canceled the check and we kept him.
  

    
Dogs are scavengers and feces contain nutritional elements.
Coprophagia is actually much more common than people realize. Cat feces
are especially attractive because cats excrete protein.

Do you want to know more, or is that enough? 
  

    
I doubt they do embarassment as we understand it. I think they are
reacting in some way to something not being right as past experiences
have shown them it should be. And we READ that as being how we'd react
emotionally.
  

    
and as for the cats loving drnking from the watering can,'
this is different from the well-known 'my cat
is always telling me where it wants its food/water'
that -all- the cats in the nabe LOVE the water
in the watering can --- is unique, in my experience...
  

    
Maybe it's mineral water, with a little needed iron or zinc or copper from
the can.
  

    
cats on mineral water! hadnt thot about that...like
a salt lick for deer!