pet connection

Yes, we know. Cats are mysterious and inscrutable and ours is not to reason why, ours is to simply pet, feed, and provide a warm lap for cuddling on cold nights.

But despite these clear requirements of the feline species, some humans want more. They want to not just have a cat, but to understand the cat.

In “The Ultimate Cat Lover,” Gina and Dr. Becker have collected a collection of expert advice from some pretty impressive folks, plus a series of heartwarming stories about our feline family members. Check out this week’s pet connection for a sneak preview, including these tips:

Litter-box avoidance: Cats don’t urinate outside the litter box to spite their owners. Some cats who don’t go to the bathroom where we’d like them to have a medical or metabolic problem. Others are terrified of bully cats. And some don’t like to do their business in a box that smells like a standing-line-only carnival porta-potty on a hot summer day. Many homes have too few litter boxes, located in the wrong places, or filled with litter that cats don’t really like. — Dr. Gary Landsberg, veterinarian and behaviorist, noted speaker and instructor on pet behavior issues

Keeping indoor cats busy: Today’s cats are born retired — they’ve gone from mouser to moocher. Bored cats may develop medical problems and may suffer both physically and emotionally from the stress of living entirely in a man-made world. The key to stress reduction is to identify activities that make us feel better and then to do them. The easiest way to learn what an individual cat prefers (whether with treats, toys or litter box type, filler or location) is to offer alternatives and watch what she chooses. — Dr. Tony Buffington, professor of veterinary clinical sciences at The Ohio State University Veterinary Hospital, which runs the Indoor Cat Initiative

“The Ultimate Cat Lover” and “The Ultimate Dog Lover” (each $15 from HCI) are the sixth and seventh books co-authored by the Pet Connection writing team of Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori. Their eighth, “The Ultimate Horse Lover,” will be out next month. The “Ultimate” books are the first in a new series from HCI, publisher of the best-selling “Chicken Soup” series, and combine original stories from top writers, must-know information from experts in every specialty and lush, full-color photography.

Also in Pet Connection this week:

A reader asks if it’s acceptable to send a sympathy card to a friend who has lost a pet. Not only is it acceptable, Gina says, there are sympathy cards for pet losses as well as memorial giving programs at animal-related charities. Besides, how can a kind, thoughtful gesture ever be “unacceptable”?

What disease can be passed from pets to people? Can a 111-year-old reptile be a dad? A new drug for heart disease in dogs, and what state has the fewest veterinarians? Plus, tips for handling parrots, why people keep pet fish, and how to keep your dog from running out an open door, from Susan and Dr. Rolan Tripp:

Dogs can learn to respect barriers, even if they are invisible. Teach your dog to stop before going out your front door by always insisting your dog wait for your cue such as “outside” or “OK” before stepping through.

Use repetition and small steps to teach this concept. Begin with one person indoors holding your dog’s leash as you walk out the door, and tell your pet to wait.

As your dog learns to wait, raise the bar: Run out the door, or ask a neighbor to come to the door. In other words, help your dog to learn to wait regardless of the situation. No training is 100 percent, but you can put the brakes on door-dashing with consistency and practice.

It’s all at Universal Press Syndicate’s Pet Connection!