Music Therapy for Animals

Part of my morning routine includes turning on the radio for my cats.  They really like to listen to NPR when I am out of the apartment. More on that later.

My Bachelors and Masters degrees are actually in Music Performance, so these stories are a great mix of two of my great loves, animals and music. I know how music heals the soul, and it does so with animals too.

A lot of the articles I've read about 'Music Therapy for Animals' drone on and on about the science and psychology behind music therapy. I don't really care that much about that. Does it work or not?

The proof is in the pudding. I want to share my personal experiences and success stories with you:

Success Story 1: Stewie the Hamster

About 11 years ago, I got Stewie the Hamster. When I went into Petco that day I no intention of leaving with a furry friend, but the clerk told me he'd been there for a long time.  He was gorgeous and crazy cute, but the devil in hamster form...he had never been socialized and was a biter. No parent or hamster-loving kid was going to take him like that, but I was confident I was the one to turn him around, so of course he came home with me.

I can't find any old photos of Stewie but he looked like this little guy.  He was crazy cute, but so mean!

He bit me really good a couple of times while I was trying different things to socialize him.  Hamster bites are like two razors coming into your skin. After a couple of days of trying to handle him, I was frustrated but still wasn't going to give up. Everything I was reading just said to just get your hamster used to being handled, but he'd bite every time!  I finally came to the conclusion that handling him repeatedly just wasn't going to work, not right away anyway.

So one day I had the idea to turn on the radio before I left for work. A light rock station with some chatter mixed in, on low volume. 

I came home 9 hours later and instead of him buried in the corner like he usually was, he was standing toward the front of his cage looking at me.   I carefully put my hand in and he let me pat his head with my finger - no blood involved! I didn't want to push it so I just opened the cage enough to see if he wanted to crawl into his exercise ball and he did (without my hands). He always loved the ball, but not hands.

The next day I did the same thing again and he was even better! I could actually hold him, incident free! I couldn't believe the complete 180 he made in his personality. I told everyone about my miraculous hamster experience, I couldn't believe it!

From that day until the minute he died, Stewie was the most cuddly and loving hamster I've ever had. He loved to be held, was gentle, adored his ball, and always wanted to be out with me exploring. He never bit anyone ever again and was very happy.  He was a wonderful little buddy.

Success Story 2: Maya the Cat

Maya is not my cat, but my parents'. Our family cat of 15 years had died the year before, and my parents' house was feeling very barren without any furry family members. So when a friend's barn cat had kittens, and once they were fully weaned I sprung at the opportunity.  Maya was the only one who didn't immediately run away, so she came home with me. She was a very sweet cat, beautiful dilute calico, who for a few years was the only cat in the house.

We didn't know much about cat behavior at the time, and Maya seemed normal and content, so when a second (and shortly thereafter, a third) cat came to be a part of the household, we didn't understand why Maya became a recluse to the basement. The new cats were a few years younger than her, and we quickly learned that they would sometimes bully her with their rough play, so she'd retreat to her safe hiding places in the basement. 

Maya prefers string and mousies to roughhousing.

She gradually reverted into a very insecure cat. Each time I'd visit instead of being head butted with purrs, she would hide, and if I tried to pet her she might even hiss and spit at me. It was sad, and my parents didn't know what to do.

So, remembering my success with Stewie a few years earlier, I suggested the music therapy.  We set up a radio in the middle of the basement and put on the classical music station.

Maya's transformation wasn't as immediate or as revolutionary as Stewie's was, but it absolutely did help. She started spending a lot more time upstairs. She stood her ground more against the other two cats. They don't fight, she's just made it clear she wasn't going to run away from them. She stopped acting like the victim, stopped acting like "prey" (as Jackson Galaxy puts it) and they stopped treating her that way!  She was getting her self-esteem back.

Evidence of her progress!
Here is Maya (right) begrudgingly sharing a chair with one of the ruffians, Rocco (left).
I love her expression here, it's like "Ugh...it's you."

Now she purrs more and hides less. She is still passive to the other two ruffians (as I call them), but those two largely leave her alone now and just tumble around with each other. She wants nothing to do with that play-wrestling, and much prefers chasing a catnip mousie down the hall.

She still has the radio playing classical music 24/7 downstairs. There are quiet places she can get away from it if she so chooses, but the places she likes to sit to look out the window or watch everyone else is within earshot of the music.

Success Story 3: Oliver the Cat

Now back to my choice of NPR for my three cats.  My two females, Pretzel and Meatball, absolutely love strangers and welcome visitors with head butts and cuddles (whether the visitors want them or not!). 

Oliver on the other hand, would always hide for as long as he could. If he did get the gumption to come out from under the bed, he'd plaster himself to my side, every muscle as tense as can be. He would never hiss or anything, but I didn't like seeing him so insecure in his own home. 

He's generally a relaxed and happy cat, but not when he hears strange voices in the apartment. Plus he's all black so I think he knows he's invisible under the bed!

Sweet boy loves the piggies. And boxes.

So I'm sure you can guess what I did...a couple of months ago I set up a radio in the kitchen (the middle of the apartment) and chose NPR for the nice variety of low voices calmly prattling the news mixed with all types of music. Voices seem to be his sensitivity, so I wanted to make sure he heard strange people talking on a regular basis.

The proof is in the pudding: a couple of weeks ago, after we've been doing the NPR experiment for a little while my dad came to visit for the weekend. Oliver did not hide...not for even a minute!  He trotted right out, jumped up on the couch next to him and waited for pets, just like he does with me when I come home. 

I was so proud of him and happy that the music / radio therapy had worked yet again! He was completely relaxed and content hanging out with us. He'd never done that before with visitors.

The next weekend my mom visited, and he did the same thing. He even gave her head-butts, purrs, and licks. No hiding.  I think his days of being insecure and skittish around strangers might be over for good!

We're going to continue the NPR therapy in our apartment forever, as I don't want any relapse. It works, and we're sticking to it.

As you can see, this has really worked wonderfully for me and my pets.  If any of my stories sound like something you are struggling with for any of your pets or animals in your life, I suggest trying radio / music therapy!**

**Disclaimer: I am not a vet, I only speak from my personal experiences with my healthy animals. There can be a lot of reasons why an animal might behave strangely, and only a vet can tell you if there are any physical reasons for why your pet might be acting in a certain way.

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Read More about Music Therapy for Animals:

Music Therapy Helps Soothe Humans and Animals Alike

Harpist Soothes Cats at a Troubled Minnesota Shelter

Music Therapy for Cats

Music Therapy for Dogs

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Even cows love music!

Fashion Friday : Frozen (Cute Kitten Version)

It's Friday, WOOO. This post is not quite as fashion-forward as the last "Fashion Friday", but it's a lot more TGIF! (Thank God It's Frozen).

See what I did there...yep.

Dressing up your pets doesn't get much cuter than putting kittens in costumes with a little girl narrating and singing.  This pretty much combines two of my favorite things, Disney and KITTENS!!





And, because it's Friday and I can't get enough of kittens wearing homemade Disney costumes, here's Toy Story.





Have you ever made homemade costumes for your pets?   Tell us about it in the comments!

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Bottle-Feeding & Care of Orphaned Kittens: Part 2 - Feeding & Weaning

Last night I attended a class by the Mayor's Alliance for NYC Animals called Bottle-Feeding & Care of Orphaned Kittens. It was hosted at the ASPCA's lovely midtown offices. I learned so much in those 2 hours, this will require a couple posts to cover the topics. Click here to read my previous post on Kitten Supplies.  

This topic: Feeding and Weaning!

The first step after finding a young kitten is to determine its age.  Kittens develop at their own speed based on environmental and genetic factors. These photos and descriptions should help you determine how old your kitten is:

First Week

When kittens are born they are blind and deaf. They cannot urinate or defecate on their own (until 4 weeks). The umbilical cord may still be attached (up to 4 days).  A one week old a kitten's eyes are still closed, ears are folded over. It cannot walk. It sleeps 90% of the time, nurses 10% of the time.

Feeding 1-2 Weeks:

• 1 part KMR Formula + 2 parts Pedialyte (or water).
• If kitten gets diarrhea increase the Pedialyte. If diarrhea persists more than 2 days, contact the vet!
• Kittens can be fed every 4 hrs but schedules vary. Keep them on a steady schedule.
• Burp and stimulate after every feeding. Sometimes they'll eat more after that.
• Always test warmed formula on your wrist before feeding!

Second Week

Kittens gradually become more aware of their surroundings and interact with each other. Their eyes will open around 10 days. By the end of the second week their sense of smell is developing, they will hiss at unfamiliar scents, and interact with each other. Their ears will uncurl during this time, and they will begin to crawl and knead.

Feeding 2-3 Weeks:

• 1 part KMR + 1 part Pedialyte (or water)
• Same as above but kittens may go longer between feedings.
• Note: Kittens will be much more active at this stage and climb out of everything. Their claws cannot retract.  Make sure your box has a cover, or better yet use a carrier.

Third Week

By now you can clearly determine if kittens are boys or girls. The teeth start coming in, and their walking becomes more confident.  They are just beginning to play and develop fine motor skills, and their eyesight improves.  By the end of the third week formula can be supplemented with solid food.

All kittens have blue eyes for at least the first few weeks.

Feeding 3-4 Weeks:

• Time to start weaning and litter training!
• Continue bottle feeding, but supplement with baby food - chicken or turkey baby food mixed with formula can be spoon fed to kittens 2 or 3 times a day. Baby spoons are great for this.
• Place kitten in litter after each feeding and move their paws to demonstrate digging. Soon they will use the box on their own.
• Kitten's stool will start to get more solid after a few days of baby food. Continue to stimulate if kitten does not use the litter.
• Tip: Once a kitten starts chewing a bottle rather than suckling, it's time to give up the bottle.

Fourth and Fifth Weeks

By now most kittens will eat and use the litter on their own, although you should still place them in the litter box after each feeding. They will play with their littermates, explore, learn to dig, and can roll over and get back up.

Feeding 4-5 Weeks:

• Some kittens may still want the bottle, but most will be eating and using the litter on their own.
• This is a good time to start regular pate cat/kitten food.
• If you have more than one kitten a Frisbee is great for feeding since it is low, easy for them to access, won't spill, and keeps most of the food off the floor. They will crawl through it though!

Important Tips

• NEVER feed a kitten that is too cold. Temperature should be 98-101 degrees. Warm a cold kitten immediately using a heating pad wrapped in a blanket, or wrap and hold against your chest.
• Never feed a kitten cow's milk.
• Never feed a kitten on its back, like you would a human baby. Kitten should be upright or on its stomach and leaning forward. 
• If you pull the bottle away a tiny bit, this may encourage suckling.
• Resist the urge to overfeed at one sitting to avoid diarrhea.
• Any lack of eagerness to suckle and failure to gain weight require IMMEDIATE veterinary attention!
• Track your kitten's weight: a 4 week old kitten should weigh around 1 pound. A 12 week kitten should weigh around 3 pounds.

In the NYC area and want to attend the next Bottle Feeding workshop? 

Click here to sign up! (next one is on 10/7/14): http://bit.ly/BFK1410

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Sergeant Frank Praytor looks after a 2 week old kitten (named "Miss Hap") during the height of the Korean War in 1952.

Controversy of Captivity : Behavior Problems

When we think of animals in captivity the first thought is usually animals in zoos. However, there are many more types of abusive captivity out there in which animals are currently living:  puppy mills, aquariums, marine mammal parks, pet stores, factory farming, gestation crates, circuses, and the list goes on.

Animals that live in human care are in captivity.  Dogs were domesticated as early as 15,000 BC, but throughout history not only pets and livestock were kept in human care, but also wild animals in menageries and zoos.

The menagerie at Versailles, constructed by Louis XIV in the 1660's.

Most modern zoos make great efforts to create a habitat as close to the animals' natural environment as possible. However due to the nature of traveling circuses, factory farming, and puppy mills, animals in those situations are trapped in tiny enclosures and abusive environments. Those enterprises use animals for profit, so to maximize profit, they minimize expenses (at the animal's suffering).

Occasionally these captive animals, particularly those non-domestic wild animals, develop repetitive and purposeless behaviors called stereotypical behaviors or zoochosis. These behaviors include pacing, self-mutilation, over-grooming, swaying, head bobbing, and bar biting, to name a few.

If you have been to a zoo, pet store, or circus, then I guarantee some of these will look familiar to you:

Pacing

This is very common, I'd be very surprised if you haven't seen this before.  This usually causes well worn paths in the ground, and is often seen with big cats and wolves in captivity.

There can be a few reasons why an animal might pace, some theories include pre-feeding anticipation, checking on or marking territory, or an old habit ingrained from a previous small zoo enclosure.  However, as in the example in the video below, the enclosures are very small, with no behavioral enrichment opportunities (more on behavioral enrichment further down):

Bar biting

Includes licking, biting, chewing the walls or bars. Often seen in giraffes and primates.

Swaying, Rocking, Head Bobbing

Standing in one place and repetitively swaying back and forth. Seen in many different animals, particularly bears and elephants.





See more Stereotypical Behavior patterns here.

How to combat stereotypical behavior? Behavioral Enrichment!

So, now that we know what to look for, what is the best treatment?  The answer is Behavioral Enrichment.  I give the Sea Lion narration for feedings and enrichment sessions at the Central Park Zoo, and the way we explain Behavioral Enrichment is as follows:

"If you've ever played fetch with a dog or given a cat a scratching post, that is all behavioral enrichment. It encourages animals to do behaviors that are good for both their physical and mental well-being. Behavioral enrichment gives animals at the zoo something active to do and something intellectual to focus on."

Excellent buffalo enrichment for the lions at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
The buffalo was built so keepers can attach meat, rawhide, and play sounds from it, to further enhance the lions' enrichment experience.

Adorable example of behavioral enrichment for a captive juvenile Giant Panda. SO CUTE.

Puzzle feeders, such as the one these Polar Bear brothers are enjoying, are very popular enrichment items.

Most enrichment stimuli can be divided into six groups: Sensory stimulation, feeding, manipulation (by the animal, ie toys), environmental (habitat enhancement), social (interacting with other animals), training, and puzzles.  Enclosures in modern zoos work very hard to facilitate all means of environmental and behavioral enrichment.

Behavioral enrichment in pets

This practice of stimulating animals to prevent boredom and behavioral issues goes well beyond animals in zoos.

An example of enrichment toys for a captive macaw.

As I've learned from Jackson Galaxy on My Cat From Hell, and Cesar Millan on The Dog Whisperer, a host of behavior problems in pets can be resolved through play, exercise, and "Catification" (Jackson Galaxy's term for creating feline-friendly environments in your home to accommodate a cat's natural instincts).  In other words, enrichment.




In this video Cesar talks about how to select the right rescue dog for you, and demonstrates his best dog-walking tips and tricks:



Abusive captive environments lacking enrichment and appropriate husbandry can have long-reaching effects for its former captives, even once they are freed from their prisons.  For example, dogs or animals that originate from puppy mills or pet store breeding-mills have many more behavioral problems than those that come from breeders.

Just another reason to "ADOPT DON'T SHOP"!


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Teach Me Tuesday: "Sit" (for Cats)

Yes, it's possible to teach your cat to "sit" on command.  I've done it with two out of three of mine. Meatball is simply not food-oriented enough and so stubborn, even when I know she's hungry. She's a few years older than the other two, and simply refuses to do anything she doesn't want to do. Or do anything you want her to do. You know how it is.

Meatball will not sit on command but will sit in any box, anytime, anywhere.
To Infinity and Beyond!!

I'm not a professional cat trainer. Few of us are, we take our "wins" when and where we can get them when it come to cats!

But anyway. Yes, I taught them to "sit".  It works best when they're hungry already.  I started teaching Oliver when he was a baby kitten. Then Pretzel learned when she was about 1 year old, from watching him, since he was so good at it already.  She's a smart schmoozer and knows how to get what she wants!

I use Greenies, since my cats really like them and they're healthy treats. They REALLY love cheese. NY Extra Sharp Cheddar to be exact. Meatball even sat for me once last night for a small bit of cheese!

I found a few and helpful fun videos online that we used, but everyone's cats will be different:





The only thing for us is, to get them to sit more than once requires me sort of scooting around the floor. We do "sit", they get a treat, and then I scoot a few feet away and he gets up and follows. I tap the floor with the treat, hold it up above his head a little and say "sit". He sits, give him the treat, and I scoot so he stands up again.

That's what we do. I don't know how else to get him to stand up in between treats without picking them up. If you have any ideas, let me know in the comments.

We haven't learned "Stay" and "Come".  I have tried to teach Oliver to high five, but instead he grabs my hand with both paws and licks it. Oh well :)

My pretty boy Oliver. He also likes boxes.

ASPCA tips for teaching cat to sit

WikiHow Teach Cat to Sit

Catster Teach Cat to Sit in 4 Steps

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Star Power Saturday : Ricky Gervais, Animal Lover and Activist

Star Power Saturdays will feature a different celebrity who speaks out for animals and/or has rescued their pets instead of shopping (#adoptdontshop).

This first celeb I chose to feature is one of my favorites: Ricky Gervais.

It was also his birthday this past Wednesday (June 25)! HAPPY (belated) BIRTHDAY RICKY!  Thank you for all you do for animals.

An outspoken activist, animal lover, atheist, comedian, and actor, Ricky has used his star power to spread the word on social media (follow him on Facebook or Twitter) and any way he can, about animal rights and plights of animals of all types around the world.

He also posts a lot of fun videos and photos of his Siamese cat, Ollie.

Ricky and Ollie take a selfie for Twitter.

In addition to being a loving pet owner, he is an active supporter of Cruelty Free International, opposing animal testing for cosmetics.

Maddie's Pet Adoption Days

I live in NYC and recently there was a massive pet adoption event called Maddie's Pet Adoption Days, and Ricky was in the city that weekend.  So I dropped him a note on Facebook to let him know about it, particularly the massive outdoor event held in Union Square.

I didn't get any response (I certainly did not expect one), but shortly thereafter these photos started appearing all over Facebook!

Uncanny resemblance.

I love that he went over just to cuddle some homeless furbabies.  Good guy!

Derek

One more thing I'd like to feature about Ricky is his show "Derek".  If you haven't seen it, I highly suggest checking it out on Netflix. He has called it a 'cry-medy', a comedy that sometimes makes you tear up (in a good way). Not many shows have as much heart as this, it's really special.

"Derek" is set at a retirement home, and the main character, Derek (Gervais), is an animal lover. Here's a clip from Season 2.

These are just a few examples of Ricky's love for animals.  Check here for more posts featuring a different animal-loving celeb, every Saturday.

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Fashion Friday : Pet Fashion Show

I live in NYC, Manhattan Upper East Side no less, so I see a lot of dogs wearing clothing and accessories of all types, including booties, raincoats, sweaters, sunglasses, barrettes...the list goes on. Some of it is form-meets-function, like the vests that double as harnesses, booties to protect paws from hot pavement, and sweaters or raincoats for extreme weather, but a lot of it is strictly for fun.

But fun for the dogs? I don't know.  I guess these Manhattan dogs are used to it, because I never see one walking like this down the sidewalk:



I however, have 3 cats. They do not take kindly when I try to accessorize their naturally fabulous state.

Pirate Meatball lasted for approximately 2.5 seconds before she decided she no longer wanted
to participate in such ridiculous Halloween shenanigans. She is a good sport.

NYC goes so far with their pet-fashion obsession that there is even a yearly Pet Fashion Show! I don't see many (any) cats in there...gee I wonder why!

The New York Post reported on the 2013 Pet Fashion Show. Hard-hitting news. Check it out.



So, what do you think about playing dress up with our pets?  Leave your thoughts in the comment section!

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Calling all Photographers! Shelter pets need your help

One of the most important things you can do to help your local shelter and rescue animals is to photograph them.  Yes, shelters absolutely need volunteers that are willing to clean cages, walk dogs, socialize cats, and so much more, but if you have an eye for photography and can work your way around a camera, then your skills are in HIGH demand across the country!

Check out these Before And After photos to see what a difference a good photo can make:

You can't even really see him in the top photo! 

Great example of the difference appropriate lighting and a better angle can do!

Such a sad intake photo, the one on the bottom shows what a charmer this dog is!

See what I mean?! Powerful stuff. It really is the difference between life and death, particularly at high-intake kill shelters.

You don't even have to be a professional to help homeless pets.  Here are some shots my boyfriend and I took of 2 kittens (Bobby and Joey) that we were fostering last year with NYC animal rescue Zani's Furry Friends.  They were adopted together shortly after we published the photos! 

You can see they're not fancy like the ones above, but they're still 1,000% more flattering than their intake photos from the NYC ACC.  I don't have those photos to show you unfortunately, sorry (but they were not good).

Joey lounging on a suitcase. I love his "come hither" eyes in this one.

Bobby at a Zani's Furry Friends adoption event at Petco.
"I'm so cute and such a good boy! Adopt me please!"

Joey hanging out at a Petco adoption event.
Joey and Bobby were adopted together at one of these events!

We took photos of all the cats at the adoption event that day, and they came out beautifully. Again, we are not professional photographers, but do have a nice camera and a pretty good eye.  Zani's was so appreciative, our photos were featured in their newsletter and really helped their cats get noticed.

All this reward for just a couple of hours of work.  We did it, so could you!!

Here's an idea: See if there's an adoption event in your area, show up with your camera, chat with a volunteer about your plan to help, and start shooting! Get an email address for the rescue or shelter, and email them your photos.  I promise you that good photos will NOT go to waste.

Good photos that capture the gleam in the animal's eye and love in their heart are gold for these animals and their rescuers, and can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Petfinder, or the rescue's own site to help them find homes.


Tips, Tricks, and Related Links:

How to Take Great Photos of Shelter Pets Step-by-Step

The Power of a Good Photo for Shelter Dogs

This Photographer Is Giving Her All To Save Shelter Dogs

PAWSITIVE SHELTER PHOTOGRAPHY -- Saving Good Pets Through Better Photography

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Teach Me Tuesday: Drinking from a Water Bottle

I am working to introduce my own 3 cats to kennels and water bottles, to prepare them for a long flight next month. We are moving to Singapore!! I will definitely share everything I've learned about the whole process in the very near future (preparations, paperwork, shippers, quarantine, kennels, best airlines, etc).

But anyway, back to the topic at hand. Teaching cats to drink from a water bottle. None of them ever had seen one before much less drank from one, so it was interesting. 

I found this video online, was very helpful:





I dip the end of the bottle in wet food and they lick it off.  Best to do it when they're already hungry.  Fancy Feast gravy lovers really works for us, since that's their special treat food, and it has a lot of liquid gravy in there. I found if I tried it with wet food they didn't really love, they decided after just a couple licks that it just wasn't the effort, and it lost their interest.

Now that their kennels are all assembled I feed them all meals there. I put the bowls all the way in the back for now, so they get used to crawling all the way in. After a couple weeks I'll start feeding them in the door hanging bowls, and after that I'll try closing the door for feeding time. Slow and steady wins the race, especially when teaching cats.

Here's a photo of dinnertime last night, with my 3 cats:

Oliver, Meatball, and Pretzel getting dinner in the kennels.

That's all for now! More coming soon. Let me know if you have any questions!

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