Ask Ashley: Great Plains SPCA

I have two dogs that we got when they were young. One is a girl and one is a boy. The boy has been getting snappy with the girl. I’d prefer to keep them both, but I’m at the point where I’ve thought about rehoming him because it is pretty stressful. Do you have any advice to help this situation? – Ava G

I recommend taking him to training classes and working with a certified dog trainer to help. Training dogs separately gives them a break from each other while also giving individualized attention, which can help significantly. If you train the dogs together, they will sometimes feed off one another and become reactive or excitable easily. Training them one-on-one is much easier. Without knowing more about their relationship, it sounds like they may just need some breaks from one another, and he may need some more one-on-one attention and training. This is normal for a lot of animals. – Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

A stray teenage cat appeared on our four-acre ranch about a week ago. We have been feeding it and it will come out to eat but otherwise is very timid and shy. It will only let us get within about ten feet and mostly stays under a wheelbarrow. We want to socialize and adopt it, but first make sure it is healthy and will make a good addition to our family. We have a friendly, sweet barn cat who ignores the cat. I am thinking of live trapping it and taking it to the vet. Do you agree with this plan? – Diane

If the cat is letting you come within 10 feet without running away and it’s only been a week, there is a good chance of building trust with the cat with more time. It usually takes 30-90 days to build trust, depending on how fearful the cat is. I recommend trapping the cat and having it spayed/neutered and vaccinated. Then work on building trust. You can find lots of trust-building exercises online that should help you build a bond quicker. Good luck. – Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

My pets are Great Plains SPCA adoptees. One is a male part Maine coon just over a year old, who is not interested in scratching posts, ramps, towers, or the corrugated trays--basically, anything manufactured for cats. He does love to pull himself along the underside of furniture, the edges of stairs, is quite fond of my upholstered living room chairs and mildly interested in the area rugs. I’ve tried training him with treats, cat nip, praise, and scolding—all unsuccessful. I’ve covered the chair to make access a challenge—also not successful. I need help with a solution. Recommendations? - Judy

There are different types of sprays and drops you can use on cat scratcher items to lure your cat to scratch in appropriate places. You can find these online and in pet stores. I also recommend routinely trimming your cat’s nails, if you are not doing that already. Also, Soft Paws, small nail caps that you glue on their nails, are a safe option. They must be replaced when their nails grow out. My daughter has a lot of fun putting different color nail caps on our kitty. There are also some deterrent sprays to use on the items he’s not supposed to scratch. Hope you find this helpful. – Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

Email askashley@greatplainsspca.org for a chance to have your pet question answered here in KC Parent magazine.

Great Plains SPCA is an independent 501(c)(3) no-kill shelter serving approximately 6,000 animals annually in the Johnson County community. As Kansas City’s premium family shelter, we continue to support the seven municipalities with which we are contracted including Overland Park, Leawood, Lenexa, Shawnee, Lake Quivira, Johnson County Parks and Recreation, and unincorporated Johnson County.

Great Plains SPCA

5424 Antioch Drive Merriam, KS 66202

(913) 831-7722(SPCA)

https://www.greatplainsspca.org