Oh, Behave! Arden Moore Advises About Dogs and Cats in the City - by Arden Moore - Summer 2007 - Out of the Cage!, the E-Newsletter of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals

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Oh, Behave! Arden Moore Advises About Dogs and Cats in the City

With good training and preparation, you and your dog can both enjoy an incident-free meal at an outdoor restaurant.

by Arden Moore

Table for Two, Please

Q: When the weather is nice, a lot of cafes in my city have outdoor seating, and they allow dogs if they are on leashes and behave nicely. My dog, Madison, listens to me, but I often observe rude behavior by other dogs who are out of control. What can I do to avoid people whose dogs shouldn't be allowed in public?

A: You have unleashed a topic that brings out the barker in me. Outdoor eateries offer dogs the chance to show off good manners and to hang out with you, instead of being stuck at home. Unfortunately, the percentage of eateries that permit dogs is shrinking because of the failure of dog owners to exercise some basic dining etiquette. Food managers don't want dogs who yap, wrestle or roam freely from table to table — it's bad for business.

In my hometown, there are three outdoor eateries that allow dogs at our beautiful harbor area. My dog, Chipper, is welcomed at all three places because she practically becomes invisible once we are shown to our table. She sits or lies down and remains quiet. No begging, no barking. Often, diners at nearby tables have no clue until we stand up to leave that a 60-pound dog was just a handshake away.

You can't control your environment entirely, but you can take steps to heighten the chance of enjoying a pleasant outing with Madison in tow. Here are some tips for a delightful dining experience:

•	Try to dine during off-peak times, such as mid-morning or late afternoon. Weekdays are usually quieter than weekends.
•	Pick a six-foot or four-foot leash that you can securely tether around one of your chair legs to keep your dog from roaming freely or disturbing other diners. If your dog is particularly active, accustom him to wearing a head halter in addition to being tethered in place.
•	Request a table in an out-of-the-way corner. Dogs like to have a view in front of them and a wall behind them to keep people from sneaking up on them.
•	Resist the temptation to have your dog meet and greet other dining dogs. Introductions should be saved for after mealtime and should take place in a spacious, public place. Politely let intrusive owners know of your wishes.
•	Always take your dog on a vigorous power walk or play a game of fetch before you head for the eatery. This allows her to have a bathroom break and work off some energy so she is ready to rest when you're ready to order. Don't test her patience by staying so long that she becomes restless.
•	Scope out the eatery before you step inside. Look for other dogs and see how they are behaving and how their owners are reacting to them. Steer clear if you see an owner desperately yanking on a leash or allowing his dog to bark at passersby or to bully another dog.
•	Politely request a water bowl for your dog (with ice, if she prefers it that way!).
•	Leave a generous tip — the waiter will remember and be more apt to accommodate you and your dog on your next visit.

Excerpt from The Dog Behavior Answer Book (Storey Books, 2006) with permission from author Arden Moore (www.ardenmoore.com)

Whether you should feed your cats freely or at scheduled mealtimes depends on their eating habits.

Food for Thought

Q: I'm about to adopt a pair of young cats from the local shelter. They are just a year or two old and are littermates. I don't want my cats to get fat from overeating. Should I just keep a big bowl of kibble available to them all the time or feed them twice a day?

A: Welcome to the Great Feline Food Debate. There are pros and cons to both free feeding and scheduling specific mealtimes. Many cats, whether they live as solo cats or part of a multi-cat household, seem to fare well with free feeding. They eat what they need and stop before becoming obese. Unlike dogs, who tend to bolt down whatever food is put in front of them, cats are more comfortable nibbling 10 to 20 times a day.

In your situation, I would first check with the animal shelter officials as to how these sibling felines were fed. Ask if they ate twice a day or had food available all day long, and inquire whether there were any incidents of one cat bullying or nudging the other from food bowls.

Keep tabs on your new cats' eating habits and weigh them regularly. If they seem to maintain their weight, then free feeding is a good option. Just be sure to clean the bowls regularly — daily if you feed canned food.

Some cats, however, view free feeding as a 24-hour all-you-can-eat buffet and stuff themselves with kibble until their bellies drag on the floor. They just can't say no to chow. Consider this startling fact: an extra three pounds on a nine-pound cat is the equivalent of adding a whopping 40 pounds to a 120-pound person. Added weight puts both cats and people at added health risk.

For cases in which one cat eats too much and one eats too little, scheduling specific mealtimes is recommended. This allows you to have better control over your cats' diets. To prevent the pudgy cat from gobbling up all the food, feed him in a separate room. Then, after a designated time, around 15 minutes or so, pick up the food bowls. Another option is to feed the slender cat an extra meal at night, while the plumper puss spends the night in a room of his own without any food.

Controlled feeding also works best when a medical problem arises, such as diabetes. Cats with this condition need to have their insulin and blood sugar levels monitored on a daily basis. Feeding small amounts a number of times each day can also help a cat who eats too much food at once and may throw up a short time later.

If you find yourself unable to be at home at specific mealtimes for your cats, consider buying a timed self-feeder. These gadgets dispense controlled portions of kibble at designated times. Putting a couple of golf balls in the food dish will also help to slow down a greedy gobbler, as will spreading out the kibble on a tray or shallow dish.

Excerpt from The Cat Behavior Answer Book (Storey Books, 2007) with permission from author Arden Moore (www.ardenmoore.com)

Pet expert Arden Moore travels coast-to-coast unleashing practical tips and advice for people on how to better understand their dogs and cats. She is the author of 17 pet books, editor of Catnip, managing editor of Fido Friendly and member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. Her books are available on Amazon.com and major bookstores. She shares her Oceanside, CA, home with four rescued pets — dogs Chipper and Cleo, and cats Callie and Murphy. Learn more by visiting her web site: www.ArdenMoore.com.

Note: Arden currently is working her way west on a national book tour that will end August 30 in La Jolla, CA. For details about the tour — "Arden Moore Unleashed for a Pet-Friendly America" — visit her web site at www.ardenmoore.com.