AMERICAN BRITTANY RESCUE NEWSLETTER - MARCH 2022 |
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GETTING ALONG... LIKE CATS AND DOGS? |
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Introducing a Cat to Your Brittany Home
You may have read the title and thought, “Are you crazy? A cat and a Brittany will never work!” But au contraire! With much consistency, patience, training, and understanding of your Brittany, it is often possible for your cat and dog to live in the same home happily and safely.
First, think about your dog. It’s no secret that most Brittanys have a high prey drive. Does your dog want to chase every squirrel, rabbit, small animal he or she sees? If so, work on the stay, leave it, down, and come commands. These commands must be solid before trying to bring a cat into your home-- especially if you plan to get a kitten. A Brittany could easily kill a kitten with one neck grab.
Once solid commands are in place, consult with your veterinarian and talk to people who have successfully integrated a cat into the family. Here are some tried and true suggestions for a successful introduction:
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When you first bring the cat home, designate a room just for the cat. Place her food, litter box, toys, etc. in this room and make it strictly off limits to the dog. Keep the door closed at all times and allow the cat to explore this room at will. Of course, your dog will be curious about who this new family member is. Allow the dog to sniff under the door, but do not allow the dog to bark, scratch, or whine at the door. Praise the dog for calmly sniffing and coming away from the door when called.
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Once your cat has had time to explore her room and feel comfortable in her new surroundings (typically one or two weeks), open the door and use a pet or baby gate as a barrier. This allows the dog and cat to see each other and approach the gate on their own time. Again, do not allow your dog to bark, whine, or charge the gate.
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Sit with your dog by the gate and offer treats when he is calm and quiet. Praise him and give him lots of pets as he makes use of his amazing nose to sniff this new creature through the gate.
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Now do the same with the cat on the other side of the gate. Offer her treats for calmly approaching the gate to investigate and smell the dog. Praise her and pet her.
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During these “gate introductions,” speak calmly and softly. Don’t yell at either animal if they do bark, hiss, or growl. If anyone is misbehaving, close the door and try again another time.
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Once your gate introductions are calm and quiet, try feeding both animals on their respective sides of the gate. Place their dishes next to the gate and allow them to approach and eat calmly. If growling or hissing ensues, move the food farther away from the gate and try again. If your dog has food aggression, skip this step of the introductions!
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Once both pets are eating calmly next to one another (with the gate in between), you can move to leash introductions. Put your dog in a down stay. With your dog on a leash, sit outside the cat room and have someone else remove the gate. Praise the dog and talk to him calmly as he holds his down stay and doesn’t get excited. Again, use treats, a clicker or whatever means you use in training to reinforce his good behavior.
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Allow the cat to leave the room when she is ready. If she doesn’t leave the room, try again another day. Continue this practice at the cat’s pace until she is comfortable coming out of the room and exploring the house while keeping the dog in a down stay on a leash by your side. Lots of praise and treats for both!
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Keep this up for as long as necessary. When the cat will walk around the dog and sniff the dog and the dog remains calm and quiet, you know you are ready to move to the next step. You can progress to going about your regular routine with the dog tethered to you on a leash, while allowing the cat to explore the house. Continue to praise positive behavior from both and offer treats for being polite and for seeking out positive interactions with one another.
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Never leave the cat and dog unsupervised unless you are 100% sure both will be safe. Be mindful that cats can jump a pet gate and get away from the dog this way, but also remember that Brittanys have a high prey drive and if they want the cat, they will jump the gate, too. Always provide your cat with a safe space where the dog cannot get to her, such as a tall cat tree or a room with a cat door the dog cannot fit through.
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Be patient and know that this process can take weeks or months depending on your cat and dog. Don’t force interactions and let them set the pace. Pay attention to their body language and start over if they show signs of fear or aggression.
This practice is by no means a guarantee the two will get along, but it is one way to ensure the best chance of them living together harmoniously. They may never be best buds (or then again, they may!), but the most we can hope for is that they will live together safely, and both be happy while sharing their home with another furry member.
Best of luck to you!
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THEY WEAR IT WELL!
A LAST GLIMPSE OF WINTER FASHION UNTIL NEXT YEAR...
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SHARE YOUR APRIL SHOWERS PHOTOS! |
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Running in the rain, splish-splashing in puddles, or getting into some muddy Brittany fun!
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HEALTH CORNER
PET POISON PREVENTION MONTH
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Pet poison hazards lurk nearly everywhere...
According to the ASPCA’s Pet Poison Help Center, the top 5 toxins categories and the percentage of calls in each category are:
- Over-the-counter meds: 19.6%
- Human prescriptions: 17.5%
- Veterinary products: 9.3%
Other common hazards include:
Household items (7.3%) Rodenticides (6.3%)
Insecticides (6.2%)
Plants (5.5%).
Know the dangers and assess your home:
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Check your home and yard for these plants that are toxic to pets. Common ones include lilies, tulips, daffodils, azaleas, begonias, iris, jade, rhododendron and peonies.... but the list is extensive.
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Most of us know we shouldn’t give our dogs chocolate, caffeine, onions, grapes or raisins. But did you know that macadamia nuts are also trouble? Familiarize yourself with foods that are poisonous to dogs, and post the list on your fridge.
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Be on the lookout for Xylitol, an often hidden ingredient that is a significant danger to your dog. Xylitol is used as a low-calorie sweetener - be on the lookout for it in gum, oral care products, and “sugar-free” foods. Click here for more information on products that contain Xylitol and the signs of Xylitol poisoning.
Add these to your phone, just in case:
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Luca (#10170) - NV - 9 y/o: There’s a lot of fun and love packed into my little 30 pound body! They call me Wiggle Butt because I swing my bootie side to side when I run to greet you. I would love to serenade you on our daily walks. Even better, let’s jog together! I love to play and jump and run! I am looking for a family who will give me lots of attention, and in return I will be the sweetest boy you’ve ever known.
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Dutch (male - right photo above) and Brownie (female - left photo above) have had a long and bumpy road in their short lives. Luckily they escaped the hoarding situation they were born into and hitched a ride to the Good Life. While they leaned on each other at first, they have now shown us that they aren’t as bonded as we thought and they will thrive in separate homes. These sweet pups will take some time to learn the ropes, but they will make wonderful additions to patient and loving families willing to show them the way. For more information, email their foster dad.
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Sweet, smart and happy! This energetic and fearless girl is always ready to play. She is friends with everyone she meets, human and canine. "Kenzie" is looking for a home with a 6' fence (yes, she can jump!) where she will get lots of exercise. Her tail will never stop wagging for you!
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Lady Lu (#10416) - MO - 12 y/o: A fenced yard will keep Lady Lu in, but her boundless love for life is undeterred. She will steal your heart with her can do spirit. Lady Lu is deaf and has some balance issues, but when life knocks her down, she bounces right up. Lady Lu is small at 30 pounds, but her heart and spirit are large. With her energy, you will never know she is an older lady!
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Are you looking to adopt a Brittany but don't see one available in your area? |
We welcome you to complete an adoption application to start the approval process, so you will be ready to adopt when the time comes!
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"I adopted two Britts. Both are seniors and so loving. My son also adopted three young Britts. What I liked was that we knew their backgrounds and health records, and we were interviewed to make sure we were fitted for each other. Best decision we ever made!!!"
- J.N.
“I rescued my beloved Zoey many years ago and fostered/volunteered with this rescue. Unbelievable group of caring volunteers with serious commitment to the breed and rescue.” - K.M.
WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Please drop us a line at
or
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Our spring bulb fundraiser is on! We are working with Three Rivers Wreath & Plant Company again to provide you with the opportunity to support ABR and make your garden beautiful. ABR receives 50% of all sales! This year the money raised during our Spring Bulb Sale will be directed into the "Grayson's Fund" which provides grants of up to $1,000.00 for orthopedic surgery for ABR adopted dogs.
The sale ends on April 25th. Last year, they ran short of some of the most popular items so don't wait!
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Thank you to everyone who donated through our Giving Grid for Birdie and her surprise puppies. With your generosity we far exceeded our $3000 goal and raised 4,030.00!
Birdie delivered 6 girls and 2 boys. That totals 9 hungry mouths to feed and lots of supplies. All are doing well, and we are so grateful for your help in giving them the care they need!
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Do you have “Foster Tails” to tell?
A foster moment you’ll never forget?
A challenge you overcame?
A funny or heartwarming story?
A tale of encouragement?
A foster who made a special impact?
Whether it's a few sentences, a whole story, or a photo that speaks for itself, we would love to share your anecdotes, thoughts, and experiences. Please connect with us at social.networks@americanbrittanyrescue.org.
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Keep up-to-date on dog food and treat recalls on DogFoodAdvisor.com. You can also sign up to have recall alerts delivered to your inbox! |
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ABOUT THE AMERICAN BRITTANY RESCUE
American Brittany Rescue, Inc. is an organization that was formed in 1991 as a cooperative effort of Brittany owners, breeders, trainers, and fanciers who ABR believes have a responsibility not only for their own dogs and the dogs they produce, but for the breed as a whole.
THE AMERICAN BRITTANY RESCUE MISSION
ABR's mission is to provide the leadership and expertise via a network of trained volunteers to take in stray, abandoned, surrendered and/or impounded purebred Brittanys, provide them with foster care, health and temperament screening, an opportunity for any necessary rehabilitation and to assure their health and placement into new homes. In order to fulfill this mission, ABR's volunteers remain flexible and adaptable to current and future business environments and they remain dedicated to the organization.
ABR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Terry Mixdorf, President
Terrie Johnson, Vice President
Joe Herslip, Secretary
Jeanette Seely, Interim Treasurer
Sandra Oelschlegel, Chair
Diana Doiron
Deb Grove
Nancy Hensley
Michelle Falkinburg
Bobbi Tolman
Melissa Tapply DiLello
AMERICAN BRITTANY RESCUE E-NEWSLETTER TEAM
Brittany Boler
Christine Brennan
Jeannine Connors
Judie Cutting
Kristin Davis
Autumn Fenton
Linda Joyce
Melissa Tapply DiLello
Debra White
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