Give your cat a breath of fresh air, safely

May 8, 2008

'Outside cats" are a politically incorrect breed these days. A myriad of concerns - from communicable diseases such as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus to the possibility of being hit by a car - prompt responsible cat owners to keep their kitties in the house.

Recent columns

• Prep your puppy for the outside world

  May 1, 2008

  Consider these two puppy owners.

• Pit Bull Predicament Conference at Suffolk Community

  April 24, 2008

  Talk is cheap. But at least it's a start.

• ANIMAL HOUSE: Finding the ideal dog groomer

  April 17, 2008

  Is there life after "Queer Eye"? For Jai Rodriquez, there is.

• ANIMAL HOUSE: When is the best time to neuter? It depends

  April 10, 2008

  File under "awkward moment."

• Few animal stories fit between adoration, contempt

  April 3, 2008

  My inbox is stuffed with animal-related news stories from around the world, urgent "permission to cross-post granted" diatribes, action alerts about legislation from Los Angeles to Laos.

• How noise and music affects dogs and cats

  March 27, 2008

  As that often-misquoted line goes, music is supposed to soothe savage beasts - heck, even mildly irked ones.

• Animal shelters faulted for pet overpopulation

  March 20, 2008

  It's the breeders' fault for churning out too many puppies.

• Cat advocates launch vet care awareness campaign

  March 13, 2008

  Year of the Cat? Says who?

• Call of the mild: These 'wolves' are friendly

  March 6, 2008

  Blame the Victorians.

• ANIMAL HOUSE: Creature feature Activist making bid to end dog auctions

  February 28, 2008

  Seven miniature schnauzers, 30 Pomeranians, 41 Yorkshire terriers, three Japanese Chin, 10 mixed breeds and one solitary Silky terrier.

• Uno the Beagle had what it takes at Westminster

  February 21, 2008

  Like Eve, I am always sad to leave the Garden.

• For safety's sake, train your dogs and your kids

  February 20, 2008

  As difficult as it is to read about what happened to 8-year-old Danielle Bernstein - a bite by a Lab mix named Scooter in 2003 left her needing 40 stitches in her face - the story is instructive for those of us who are both parents and dog lovers.

• For safety's sake, train your dogs and your kids

  February 20, 2008

  As difficult as it is to read about what happened to 8-year-old Danielle Bernstein -- a bite by a Lab mix named Scooter in 2003 left her needing 40 stitches in her face -- the story is instructive for those of us who are both parents and dog lovers.

• Cat lovers aim to legalize part-wild felines

  February 14, 2008

  Meet Mazi the Savannah and Nix the Bengal. They - and many of their kind - are illegal in New York. At least for now.

• Make efforts to be a better pet caretaker in 2008

  December 27, 2007

  Dogs, cats and all the feathered and furred don't know from New Year's resolutions: For them, every day is an opportunity to experience the world to the fullest.

• Attacks are not the bulldog norm

  May 22, 2006

  When I first heard about last month's mauling of 4-year-old Matthew Henriques of East Meadow - who received 250 stitches to his face, torso and legs after he encountered two roaming Rottweilers and an English bulldog - I had two gut reactions.

• Duo on scent of a no-show dog

  March 16, 2006

  They are the Thelma and Louise of the Vivi vigil. And they're not giving up any time soon.

• Are Pets at Risk to West Nile? Owners Take Precautions

  May 27, 2003

  Memorial Day weekend means summer, which means warm weather, which means mosquitoes. And that - for the worriers among us - means renewed concerns about the West Nile virus.

• A Tough Tortoise to Live With

  March 4, 2003

  'An elephant in a shell."

• Noisy Lovebird Seeks Attention

  January 28, 2003

  Q. My sister has a 6-year-old male lovebird who is peppy and very bright. I have come to live with her and the bird remembers me because I taught him how to talk and gave him a lot of my attention in the past. From the moment he hears me in the morning, he screams constantly. If I don't go let him out or give him the attention he craves, he will scream and flap his wings every six seconds for hours! It has left us with migraines.

• Reacting to an Allergic Reaction

  January 21, 2003

  Q. Our future son-in-law is highly allergic to cats and has asthma. He's tried lots of things, to no avail, and has decided that the best thing is just to avoid cats and houses where they live. Unfortunately, ours is one of them.

• Facing Up to a Pug's Personality

  January 14, 2003

  Q. We have a 3-year-old Pug named Latke, because our son thinks her face looks like a potato pancake.

• What Shots Does a Cat Need?

  January 7, 2003

  In previous columns, I've talked about concerns about overvaccination, especially for dogs.

• Turning a Cat Into a Companion

  November 5, 2002

  Cats are complicated creatures, with an innate independence that makes connecting to the humans in their lives very much a matter of choice.

• Sorting Natural Diet Options

  October 29, 2002

  I've finally found the missing link.

• The Other Tick-Borne Ailments

  October 22, 2002

  In these parts, there's one tick-borne disease that most dog owners have on their radar screen.

• Pet Care Is a Two-Way Street

  September 17, 2002

  We could all use a Chet.

• In the Company of Friends

  August 27, 2002

  'There's the cat lady."

• FIV Vaccine Isn't a Sure Shot

  August 20, 2002

  In recent weeks, vets and cat owners alike have been abuzz over the newest vaccine to hit the market: Fel-O-Vax FIV, the first-ever vaccine for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, or FIV.

• Worth Their Weight in Gold

  July 16, 2002

  In 1997, Deb Rogstad pulled over at a rest stop in Missouri with Quaid, her 3-year-old collie. The two were returning home to Denton, Texas, completing what would turn out to be a 2,000-mile trip to Indiana and back.

• A Seal of Approval for Fish?

  July 2, 2002

  You'll never UPS a blue tang to Joseph Caparatta.

• Training My Favorite Martian

  June 11, 2002

  My dog is possessed by aliens.

• Not Much Fire in These Dragons

  May 28, 2002

  Move over, Iggy.

• Animal Lovers vs. Landlords

  April 30, 2002

  SOME TRADITIONALLY incompatible pairings - such as oil and vinegar, or cats and dogs - can actually integrate quite nicely, whether you're talking about a vinaigrette or a household.

• Punish Deed, Not the Breed

  April 16, 2002

  THE "KILLER DOG" headlines have faded. But their impact ripples.

• Pet Care After You're Gone

  April 2, 2002

  A PIANO LANDS on you tomorrow. Who will take care of your cat?

• It's an Itty Bitty Kitty

  March 5, 2002

  ABOUT EIGHT years ago, Beth Fillman rescued Zoey, a funny-looking cat with legs so short and stumpy that the vet, predicting she would be crippled, recommended euthanasia.

• Making a Big Adjustment

  February 26, 2002

  START TALKING about chiropractic and animals, and you soon stumble on a knot of controversy as stubborn as any backache.

• Local Rabbits' New Risk

  January 29, 2002

  THE WORLD is a scary place, filled with plenty of things to worry about.

• The Power of a Pet

  January 16, 2002

  THEY WERE among the four-footed heroes of Sept. 11, but they were worlds away from the sooty search-and- rescue dogs that climbed the downtown wreckage, nosing pile after smoldering pile for someone, anyone.

• New Spin on Forecasting

  January 15, 2002

  A SELF-PROCLAIMED "weather nut," Gary Stone of Centerport is obsessed with The Next Big Storm.

• One Couple's Reptile Rapture

  December 11, 2001

  LOVE ME, love my turtles.

• Engendering Responsibility

  December 4, 2001

  IN MOST CASES, the question isn't if a companion animal should be spayed or neutered. It's a matter of when.

• Thinking Out of the Box

  November 27, 2001

  CATS TAKE TO litter boxes like ducks to water.

• Giving Your Pet Some Class

  November 13, 2001

  MY FRIEND LIZ was describing the obedience class she had joined with her new puppy - and the moment she knew she had signed on for trouble.

• A Healer of a Special Flock

  November 6, 2001

  YOU WOULDN'T THINK a flirt named CieCie would be living in a convent full of retired Dominican nuns, but then again, stranger things have happened.

• Of Copy Cats and Ditto Dogs

  October 16, 2001

  IF IMITATION is the sincerest form of flattery, then some of veterinarian A.J. Kallet's clients want to pay their companions the ultimate compliment.

• Louise to the Rescue

  October 2, 2001

  THE SAD stories seem endless, just like the mountains of rubble strewn over what was, little less than a month ago, the World Trade Center.

• Outfoxed by a Special Love

  August 28, 2001

  MOST NIGHTS, you'll find Meg and Bruce Seifert of Huntington Station in a local park walking Kody.

• Cost of Animal Care

  August 7, 2001

  AS STORIES GO, it was a heartstring tugger.

• Little Dog Lost? Not Always

  July 24, 2001

  THE BACKYARD GATE is ajar, Fluffy is nowhere to be found, and all of a sudden you feel like a Scud missile is doing the macarena in your stomach.

• Relief in Times of Disaster

  July 10, 2001

  YOU'VE SEEN THE pictures umpteen times - flood survivors, clutching kittens to their sodden chests; earthquake victims, picking over the plywood pieces that were once a home, their forlorn dog trailing behind them.

• 'Pet' Peeve Worth Pondering

  June 5, 2001

  LOOK AT THE "P" word at the very top of this page.

• Having a Run of Good Luck

  May 8, 2001

  WHAT'S NOT TO love about dog parks?

• Lending Rabbit Owners an Ear

  March 27, 2001

  MARY ANN MAIER looks down at the issue of Victoria magazine spread open on her kitchen counter.

• Looking for the Best Defense

  February 27, 2001

  YOU PROBABLY TAKE a shower every day, whether you need it or not, and change the oil on your car every 3,000 miles, just as the owner's manual recommends. And in all likelihood you vaccinate your dog and cat every year, as soon as that little postcard from the vet arrives in the mailbox.

• Go for Massage, Hands Down

  January 30, 2001

  YOU SCRATCH my back, and I'll scratch yours.

• The Unexpected Face of Grief

  November 7, 2000

  BLITZ WAS acting weird.

• Where Guppies Are Yuppies

  October 3, 2000

  MOVE OVER, little ceramic castle: The neighborhood's gentrifying.

• Housebreaking: Get a Leg Up

  September 19, 2000

  WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE between housebreaking and housewrecking?

• From the Tunnel of Love?

  September 12, 2000

  TO RANCHERS IN TEXAS and other parts of the cattle-obsessed West, they are pesky varmints who can overrun an expanse of land faster than any suburban developer.

• Natural Born Winners

  September 5, 2000

  WHILE THERE'S nothing wrong with being a couch potato-no matter what your species-most dogs benefit from flexing their muscles, both physically and mentally.

• The Best Policy? Comparison

  August 22, 2000

  JASMINE recently underwent a hysterectomy, and she's currently battling congestive heart failure.

• A Specter That Stalks Dogs

  August 15, 2000

  WE SMELL a rat-or maybe a squirrel, or a red fox, or a raccoon.

• Collaring Key Training Tools

  August 8, 2000

  DOG TRAINING can be a pain in the neck.

• A Pet of a Different Color

  August 1, 2000

  MOVE OVER, goldfish.

• Heavenly Companionship

  July 18, 2000

  EUGENE O'NEILL'S "Last Will and Testament of an Extremely Distinguished Dog" is making the rounds of pet lovers' e-mails again.

• Flowers Soothe Savage Beasts

  June 27, 2000

  ASPEN IS for calmness, impatiens is for cooperation. Clematis is for focus, mimulus for courage.

• A Dog's Crate Expectations

  June 6, 2000

  WHEN I GOT my first dog, my idea of setting boundaries was to barricade her in the kitchen. I figured the chewed cabinets and clawed baseboards were simply the price I had to pay.

• It's Rah-Rah-Rah for Raw

  May 30, 2000

  'TALKING ABOUT dog food these days is like talking about politics and religion," wrote Jen, a friend and dog breeder, in a recent e- mail to me. "I try to stay clear."

• Want a Ferret? Go for It

  May 23, 2000

  LOVE HURTS. Especially if you're a ferret.

• They're Spotted on the Street

  May 16, 2000

  TAKE A WALK on the wild side-and if you're a cat lover, you just might come home with a Bengal.

• Making It the Perfect Match

  May 9, 2000

  READ A BOOK about purebred dogs, and you'll come across this sentence: "Buy from a reputable breeder."

• A Deadlier Breed of Business

  May 2, 2000

  HOW MUCH is that doggy in the window?

• Now, Just Point and Click

  April 24, 2000

  THIS SUMMER, Andrea Arden is going to chicken camp.