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Ask Ashley: Great Plains SPCA
In November, we rescued Zelda, our golden retriever/husky mix. She’s roughly two years old. Zelda’s biggest issue is harassing our nine- and ten-year-old cats in an attempt to play. She is never aggressive, but this consistent behavior overwhelms the cats. We have tried redirecting Zelda, giving the cats more “safe” spaces, putting up a gate, etc. but nothing seems to hinder her persistent desire to play with them. The cats will hiss and swat at her, but she only takes this as another “fun” cue that they want to play. Any advice? – Joy
You are doing a good job by working on redirection and giving your cats plenty of safe places and breaks from Zelda. I recommend working on recall training and getting a high response for the commands “sit” and “lay down” so that you can use them when she’s being overly playful with the cats. Having a strong recall will help in these instances so she will come back to you when she’s being inappropriate with the cats. You can also teach Zelda “stay” and have her stay and watch the cats without interacting. With consistency and time, it will get better if done appropriately. ‘ Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA
How can you tell if your dog has Alzheimer’s? My dog is getting older and seems to be displaying some odd behaviors and not remembering where she is or how she got there. She will also stand and stare at the wall for a long time. It’s a little weird. ‘ Max
Yes, dogs can get dementia. It’s called Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS), and it is not curable. However, the symptoms can be treated. If you think your dog may have “doggy dementia,” I recommend visiting your veterinarian to learn more since it affects memory, learning, and comprehension. Some symptoms of CDS are anxiety, failing to remember routines, slowness in learning new things, staring blankly at walls or nothing, lethargy, lack of self-grooming, not responding when called, and aimless wandering. Early detection can help with symptom treatment so please get your pet checked out by your veterinarian soon. ‘ Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA
I found a stray cat about six months ago and she is a little thin in my opinion. I noticed she seems more petite than other cats in my neighborhood. I leave food out for her and give her treats frequently. She eats less than the recommended amount of food suggested on the bag, but she doesn’t seem to be going hungry or anything. She seems quite content and happy. Please help this first-time cat owner. ‘ Evelyn
Like humans, some cats are naturally thin and may not want to eat as much as others. If she is content and able to eat whenever she wants, I would not be too concerned. However, if you feel she is underweight or you can easily see her ribs, I recommend visiting a veterinarian so they can check her body index score and treat her if necessary. They can prescribe food that can help cats get to a healthy weight if needed. ‘ Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA
Featured Pet ‘ Destiny
Hi, I’m Destiny, and I’m a friendly and social young lady who likes attention and affection. One of my very best attributes is my skill at walking on leash. When we walk, if you stop, I stop. I’m a very good girl. I am also smart and talented. I know “come”, “sit”, and “down”. I love to play with toys, and the plush ones are my favorites — I like to shake them all about. When I play, I can get enthusiastic, so I’m learning how to play and then calm down if I’m overexcited. Hey, everybody has something to work on, right? I had a meet-and-greet just the other day, and while I was nervous, I showed everyone how much I love laps and just how very sweet I am!
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.
5424 Antioch Drive Merriam, KS 66202
(913) 831-7722(SPCA)
Parade of Hearts Contest Winners
Thanks to everyone who submitted photos to the Parade of Hearts photo contest!
Stay tuned for more great contests all summer long!
You can see these photos in print in our June 2024 issue, available FREE on a newsstand near you!
5 Things We Love Right Now
Olivia Bock has updated this article on 5/30/25 to confirm product availability and ensure the continued quality of the featured items.
COR Surf Bag
Need to keep stuff dry near the water-I mean completely dry? Have I found the bag for you! When I’m at the pool, I can easily keep things dry by keeping them away from the water. When I am playing on watercraft at the lake, though, I’ve sometimes needed to have things with me but struggled to keep them truly dry-until now. You, too, may need this COR surf bag in your life! Or try another one of their neat products. CORSurf.com
Smart Dreams Pajamas
Turn bedtime into a fun and educational experience. What a fabulous idea to combine whimsy and comfort and apply to fundamental learning concepts. Each pair of pajamas arrives with coordinating flash cards and lets you give bedtime an upgrade by slipping in some learning and development reinforcement. Hand-me-down quality means multiple kids can love and learn from them. HaveSmartDreams.com
Kiddietotes Scooter Luggage
Luggage plus scooter equals a kid’s travel dream! This is a brilliant concept and so winsome when you’re headed for adventure and asking kiddos to navigate their own luggage. What is not to love about being responsible for your own things and independently scootering along? This luggage on wheels is sturdy, adorable, fun and easy to maneuver. Adventure awaits! KiddieTotes.com
First-Aid Kit
Is there ever a season you don’t need to have a first-aid kit nearby? Especially in summer, with knees and elbows always exposed, our family goes through bandages like water. Keep Going has kits of better quality than anything you’ll find in a store. They have everything you need to be prepared and feature some of the most beguiling patterns ever put on a first-aid kit! Keep having fun-prepared! KeepGoingFirstAid.com
Heirloom Video Book
I love this concept! It’s a customizable video-playing book. What a special way to separate out the videos we capture. Share your special moments and memories with people you love-and truly connect. We captured videos of our family reading board books to my sister’s firstborn, who lives in Seattle, so he can experience my kids’ and my reading to him. The ideas are unlimited! SendHeirloom.com
DIY Kinetic Sand
Do your kids love to play with kinetic sand, but you don’t love the price tag? Then this is the perfect project for you to make with your crew! This is definitely an outside craft! We started outside but moved inside because of the wind only to end up back outside!
Supplies:
- 1 c. play sand (check Amazon or the dollar store)
- 1/2 T. cornstarch
- 1 t. dish soap
- 1 c. water
- Large bowl or container
- Smaller bowl or container
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Two or more forks
- Old towels
- Optional: cookie cutters, cups/small buckets, shovels or additional toys for playing in the sand! My kids enjoyed playing with plastic reusable forks, spoons and knives.
Directions for every 1 cup of sand:
- Add 1 c. of sand to bowl.
- Add 1/2 T. cornstarch to the same bowl.
- Mix the sand and cornstarch with the fork. Set aside.
- In the smaller bowl, mix 1 t. dish soap with 1 c. water until the mixture has become bubbly.
- Very slowly add the water/soap mixture into the sand/cornstarch mixture, mixing as you add. Our sand came wet, so we only used about half of the water/soap mixture.
- Keep mixing and adding in water/soap until you have reached your desired consistency! If your sand is finer or coarser, you may need more or less water. If your sand becomes too wet, add in additional cornstarch.
Pro Tip:
We chose to make 5 pounds of kinetic sand! The larger batch gave my children more sand to play with and made it easier for them to share as they played! We also saw a 25-pound bag of play sand for only a few dollars more and will probably get that the next time! If using 5 pounds of sand, multiply the above numbers by 5.
Janelle Cumro-Sultzer lives in Manhattan, Kansas, with her husband, three children (1, 3 and 5) and two senior dogs. Janelle is mainly a stay-at-home mom in addition to being a mediator at a local counseling center. Janelle loves to focus on learning through play and getting messy with crafts.