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ANIMAL RADIO | February 5th 2005
Programming with a Purpose
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In this issue:
* 10 TIPS FOR TOILET TRAINING CATS
* FIND OUT WHY YOUR DOG DIGS
* CLONING YOUR PET - WHO'S DUPING WHO?

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ANIMAL RADIO PROGRAMMING - FEBRUARY 2005
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ANIMAL RADIO with Hal Abrams, Judy Francis, Rae Ann Kumelos, Jan Sluizer,
Darlene Arden and you!

This week:
ð ED ASNER - The well-known actor currently stars on CBSâs ãCenter of the
Universe.ä He shares his own stories about the human/animal bond many of us
share.
ð Filmmaker and Director of ãFree To A Good Home,ä JUDY CROZIER uncovers a
world where animals are thrown away just like trash, and her battle to
publicize this atrocity.
ð Win a portrait of your pet done by renown pop-artist RIVE NESTOR.
ð Maximize your petâs well-being and maintain your sanity during a move.
ð LAIKA ö The Russian space dog and her influence in the space race.
ð More Good Stuff for Great Pets - äPETOMETERä by Midnight Pass

Coming up:
ð M*A*S*H's Radar O'Reilly, GARY BURGHOFF joins Animal Radio next weekend,
ð "The Cat Who Went To Paris" author and Norton's guardian, PETER GETHERS
explains life-lessons learned by a cat.
ð Animal Planet's Emergency Vet, DR. KEVIN FITZGERALD makes a return
appearance on his favorite animal show.

Animal Radio takes your questions and comments live every Saturday
between 10-12 am PST. Call toll-free 1-866-405-8405 to participate in
America's most-listened to animal show.
________________________________________________

LISTEN TO ANIMAL RADIO:
A list of AM-FM RADIO STATIONS that air Animal Radio is at
http://AnimalRadio.com

You can also LISTEN ANYDAY, ANYTIME - ONLINE
Real Audio, Windows Media or MP3 - http://AnimalRadio.com

================================================
WHY DOESN'T MY CAT USE THE LITTER BOX?
================================================
ARLINGTON, Texas ö ãWhy doesnât my cat use the litter box?ä Itâs a common
question among cat lovers and finding the answer can be difficult on your
own. But noted veterinarian Dr. Rolan Tripp has some helpful tips for cat
owners fighting the problem commonly known as Feline Inappropriate
Elimination.

ð Have a veterinary exam. Feline Inappropriate Elimination (FIE) is a
symptom of an undiagnosed medical problem 30% of the time. If the exam and
lab work are negative, youâll rest easy knowing the problem isnât a result
of poor physical health. Then you can proceed with behavior modification.
Once all medical issues are ruled out, behavior medication is often needed
to compliment a retraining program.
ð Increase the cleanliness. Studies have shown that many problems can be
solved by simply increasing the frequency and thoroughness of cleaning the
litter box. Scoop the litter box at least twice daily to remove odors and
encourage its use. Or use a litter box that does the job for you, such as
the Petmate Purrformaú self-cleaning litter box. It uses multiple infrared
sensors to detect clumps, then automatically disposes them in an odor-proof
waste box for easy removal.
ð Remove the soiled-litter smell. Itâs a mistake to keep the soiled litter
in a bag near the litter box instead of taking it to an outside trash
container. Cats have an excellent sense of smell and a waste-filled
container can repel them. A new solution is the Petmate LitterLocker¨ which
ãlocksä odor away from cats and people. It can store up to two-weeks of
waste (for single-cat households), so you can empty it less often without
worrying about the odors escaping.
ð Increase the number of litter boxes. If battling FIE, you should have at
least one box per household cat plus one extra. After your cat has an
accident, clean it up with an enzymatic cleaner and put a litter box where
the accident happened. If the cat uses the new box, move it a few inches
each day until you reach the desired location.
ð Review box locations. Many people think, ãLetâs put all the cat things
together.ä So they put the litter box near the food and water for ãone-stopä
feline supply maintenance. This reasoning doesnât work because the
fastidious cat does not want to eliminate near where food and water are
available. Place litter boxes away from high-traffic locations and noisy
appliances. Another common mistake is putting the litter box out of the way
ö often so far away the cat simply finds a more convenient spot.
ð Increase the litter options. Since each cat has its own personality, you
canât predict what type of litter will attract a certain cat. Therefore test
several! Place multiple boxes near each other, fill each with different
litter and track which ones get used. Try clumping litters as well as
processed paper, wheat and corn-based.
ð Increase exercise. Exercise is a stress reliever, but most indoor cats
are ãcouch potatoes.ä Solve this problem by having several interactive toys
that require you to hold one end and participate in the play. These are the
best toys for exercising your cat and building the cat-human relationship.
The goal is to exercise your cat to open mouth panting at least once each
day.
ð Increase resources. Provide more play, attention, beds, and food and
water locations. If floor space is a problem, increase the number of cat
beds up off the floor, placing them as high as possible. Cats often relax
when they are in a high place. In lower areas, use multiple plastic portable
kennels with comfy pads inside and leave their doors open to provide an
ample supply of ãsafe, private resting areas.ä
ð No punishment, but lots of rewards. Cats respond poorly to physical
punishment, but favorably to verbal praise ö although their response is
often subtle. Verbally praise your cat every time it uses the litter box,
and every time it does anything right. Positive reinforcement is the
foundation of a special loving bond.

{Dr. Rolan Tripp, DVM, is an occasional guest on Animal Radio. He's a
veterinarian with a special interest in animal behavior. He's also the
founder of Animal Behavior Network (www.AnimalBehavior.net, 800-372-3706),
an affiliate professor of applied animal behavior at two veterinary schools,
an on-air personality and behavior consultant for DVMtv, and a consultant to
Petmate.}

================================================
WHY IS MY DOG DIG DIG DIGGING?
================================================
Has your dog made your yard look like the Grand Canyon by digging holes all
over it? And just why does he do this?

Unfortunately, dogs dig by instinct, a natural behavior they learned from
their ancestors, who would dig to create their own shelter. Now, they dig
for many reasons. Your dog could be digging to make a cool place to sleep
like his ancestors did, making a place to bury his things, or digging just
because he is bored. Chances are if your dog is left in the backyard all
day by himself, heâs just simply bored and is creating something to do.

The first thing you need to make sure is that your dog knows how to obey. He
should learn to sit, stay and come when called. When trying to teach him
something, donât yell the word ãnoä at your dog when you are upset with him,
and do not use the word ãnoä with his name following it. Donât yell at him
and say ãno Fido, bad boy, no digging Fido.ä Instead, tell him ã no
diggingä and leave it at that. If he stops digging after your command, make
sure to give him lots of praise and even treats.

You also want to make sure that he is not bored. Have him come in the house
on a regular basis to make him feel like a part of the family. If you keep
him outside in the yard by himself all of the time, he is probably starved
for attention. If he is an only dog, you might want to think about getting
him a companion.

And lastly, you can actually provide a place for him to dig, as dogs love to
have a job! Find a place in your yard where he can dig, or make a place and
fill it with sand and his favorite toys. A ãkiddyä pool also makes the
perfect ãdigging boxä for your dog. Let him watch you dig in it yourself,
and then tell your dog to do the same, by telling him ãgo digä. Again, give
him a lot of praise when he digs there on his own. If he still digs in
other places, fill the holes with his own feces and tell him ãno digging.ä

Okay, now you have the perfect place for your dog to dig, but it is full of
fleas. If so, there are many products on the market today that you can use
to treat this area so it will remain a great place for your dog to play.

================================================
IS ANIMAL CLONING ETHICAL?
================================================
With the arrival of Little Nicky, a kitten cloned to duplicate a Dallas
woman's deceased pet, animal cloning has moved from closed-door laboratories
to commercial application. The $50,000 feline was delivered by Genetic
Savings & Clone, the playfully named company catering to particularly
devoted pet owners.

While the intentions of the pet owners are understandable, the practice
itself is rife with hazard and requires a decisive response from
policy-makers. There are many practical problems with pet cloning, not the
least of which is that the genetic duplicate may turn out to act, and even
look, different from its forebear. Each creature -- shaped in part by life
experience -- is more than an embodiment of his or her DNA. A cloned animal
may look much the same and bring back happy memories for pet lovers, but the
creature they are looking at is not the same animal.

More to the point, with millions of healthy and adoptable cats and dogs
being killed each year for lack of suitable homes, it's a little frivolous
to be cloning departed pets. The challenge is not to find new, absurdly
expensive ways to create animals, but to curb the growth of pet populations
and to foster an ethic in society that prompts people to adopt and shelter
creatures in need of loving homes.

Pet cloning is simply not worth repeating. Behind this one little kitten are
far grander schemes to clone animals for use in agriculture and research.
Before such projects become the norm, we should pause and think carefully
about where it is leading -- for animals and for humanity.

It was big news some years ago when scientists in Scotland announced the
cloning of Dolly the sheep. This new technology marked a decisive moment
in our ability to manipulate the natural world to suit our designs. Dolly
has long since passed, afflicted by a lung disease that typically occurs in
much older sheep. Since her dramatic birth -- and her pitiful decline --
scientists have turned out clones for mice, rabbits, goats, pigs, cows and
now cats. Cloned horses and dogs, we are promised, are on the way. But
behind every heralded success are hundreds of monstrous failures.

As all of this has unfolded, policy-makers have stood idly by, failing to
place any restraints of law and ethics on corporations and scientists who
are tinkering here with the most fundamental elements of biology. We hear
indignation and expressions of well-founded concern about human cloning.
But we hear hardly a word of doubt or moral concern about the idea of animal
cloning, much less about the particular animals subjected to these
experiments. It won't be long before biotech companies in the hire of
agribusiness announce plans to sell commercial clones as food. Cloned ham,
steak, and even drumsticks may be served at retail operations in the future,
and there's no law to forbid the sale of meat or milk from clones produced
in a laboratory.

Like pet cloning, the cloning of farm animals is monumentally unnecessary.
Farmers are already producing so much meat that they must find export
markets to turn a profit. As for milk, it's cheaper than bottled water.
The dairy industry recently "culled" tens of thousands of healthy dairy cows
in order to depress production.

Small farmers, already put at a disadvantage by mounting debt and mechanized
competitors, will be further marginalized as cloning practices become
commonplace. More than ever, they'll be at the mercy of corporate factory
farms to purchase their supply of clones.

Consumers face threats of a different sort. Who knows if consuming meat
and milk from clones is safe? A recent Food and Drug Administration
symposium addressed this issue, but the confident declarations that the
animal products are safe didn't seem all that reassuring: Just one misstep
could be catastrophic. With mad cow, foot-and-mouth, avian flu and other
diseases now posing a greater threat in our globalized agricultural
markets, the production of genetically identical animals would pose serious
threats to food security. Genetic variation, already low from conventional
breeding, would also be almost eliminated by cloning.

As for the animals in our factory farms, cloning is the final assault on
their well-being and dignity. When the FDA held a public consultation on
animal cloning in November 2003, researchers reported a graphic list of
problems for clones and their surrogate mothers in cattle, pigs, sheep and
goats -- a string of developmental abnormalities and a host of deaths
before, during and after birth. The animals being cloned exhibit grievous
problems, such as cows with grossly enlarged udders, major leg problems and
other forms of lameness. And these are the very animals trumpeted as
success stories.

Of the largest group of clones yet -- produced by Cyagra, which clones
cattle -- few embryos survived to term, and of those that did, a third then
died by the age of 1 year. The FDA's report, "Animal Cloning: A Risk
Assessment" put a nice spin on this when it said that "the proportion of
live, normal births appears to be increasing." In other words, the
situation has improved from atrocious to very bad.

It is time for Congress and the FDA and other regulatory bodies to engage in
the animal-cloning debate. Many of the ethical concerns raised by human
cloning apply to this reckless disregard for the integrity of animal life.
Should such questions be left entirely to scientists and corporations, since
they have an intellectual and commercial stake in these projects? Our
government alone can stand up for the public interest in preventing this
cruelty.

Cloning is a startling procedure, to be sure, and many scientists would have
us view it as some inevitable stage in our technological development. But
humanity's progress is not always defined by scientific innovation alone.
Cloning -- both human and animal -- is one of those cases in which progress
is defined by the exercise of wisdom and of self-restraint.

{Written by Wayne Pacelle and reprinted from the San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.sfchron.com/. Your comments are encouraged via email:
yourvoice@animalradio.com}

*****************************************************
ANIMAL RADIO IS UNDERWRITTEN BY
*****************************************************
ð COMFORT ZONE WITH D.A.P. - Comfort Zone with D.A.P. (dog appeasing
pheromone) Clinical studies show a 95 percent success rate in reducing or
eliminating urine-marking. http://www.farnampet.com
and
ð BISSELL - Little Green(R) w/ Turbobrush - This small green wonder is a
powerhouse of cleaning technology. The TurboBrush(R) gets at deep down dirt
and debris, while the powerful spray and suction help to deep clean and dry
in one step. The long power cord and compact design make this versatile
enough to make cleaning hard-to-reach areas easy. Stores ready to use so
when accidents happen you are ready to go.
http://www.bissell.com/Products/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=Bissell&category%
5Fname=PortableDeepCleaner&product%5Fid=LITTLE+green+COMPACT+MULTIPURPOSE+CL
EANER
and
ð AMERICAN ANTI-VIViSECTION SOCIETY- Animal Radio Network is pleased to
announce our continued partnership with the American Anti-Vivisection
Society (AAVS). AAVS is recognized for itâs groundbreaking work advocating
for animals in laboratories and helping creatures live happier lives.
Animal Radio Network will be working closely with AAVS to put an end to the
cloning of companion animals. More information can be found at
http://www.NoPetCloning.org.

UNDERWRITING OPPORTUNITIES for 2005 Animal Radio programming are available.
Call 435.644.5992 for a media kit and additional information.

================================================
MARK YOUR CALENDAR - Los Angeles Area MEGAdoption June 25th
================================================
Animal Radio Network is in the early planning stages of it's 2005 Los
Angeles MEGAdoption. On June 25th, hundreds of animal lovers will converge
for the biggest adoption fair to date. Last year over 1800 attended and 400
animals found families. This year, we're planning to make adoption history.
Los Angeles based shelters or rescues wishing to participate may call Animal
Radio Network offices to reserve a booth. Sponsorship opportunities are also
still available. Mark your date books and keep your ears and eyes open for
more details soon. Animal Radio Network: 435.644.5992

================================================
ANIMAL RADIO NETWORK BOOK REVIEW
================================================
Animal Radio Network's FUNNIEST BOOK OF THE YEAR (so far):

Titile:ãWhat the Dogs Have Taught Me and Other Amazing Things Iâve Learnedä
Author: Merrill Markoe
Credits: Creator of David Letterman's "Stupid Pet Tricks" - Five-time Emmy
Award-wining writer, currently lives in Los Angeles, ãif you call that
living!ä

You've been waiting for the funniest book of the year, wait no more, itâs
already here! And donât worry, even if you donât own a dog, you will find
yourself laughing out loud as you read it from cover to cover in one
sitting, because itâs definitely one of those books you canât put down!
Itâs a must read by both men and women.

The book, which is dedicated to her dogs: ãStan, Bob, Bo, Tex, Winky, Dinky
and Puppy Boy, but most of all to Lewisä, covers everything from a
conversation with her dogs (yes, she talks to her dogs frequently),
showering with your dog (she gives several tips on how to do this, which I
will not divulge here ö you will just have to read it for yourself!) to a
world without men and an insiderâs guide to the American woman (now, I know
she has your attention!).

But thatâs not all, she also talks about ãEight Things to Do When You Are
Living Alone, Because Now There is No One to Stop Youä, and while I
personally donât live alone, I have to confess that I have done at least one
of these things!

Markoe has a somewhat "off-center" view about dogs, celebrities, bachelors
and other beasts. You'll identify with many of her takes on this bizarre
world in which we live. Just remember, when buying this book, make sure to
pick up extra copies. Because all of your friends will want to read it, and
you wonât want to give up your copy!

{Send books for reviews to Animal Radio Network, 233 East 330 North, Kanab,
Utah, 84741. See more reviews of great books at http://AnimalRadio.com)

================================================
PICADILLY, OUR HEALING KITTY NURSE
================================================
By Kathy

I adopted from a no-kill shelter, a cat whom we named Picadilly. About one
year after Picadilly was adopted, he helped me with our baby who, at
six-months old, began having seizures. Picadilly would lie by him until the
seizures stopped. Even with checkups and tests, our baby's seizures
continued to happen for nearly two years. He outgrew them without any
lasting health problems with Picadilly's gentle help.

We had another baby and around his first year, he started having night
tremors. Picadilly would go with our other cat and quietly, they would both
be like bookends to our baby until he'd come out of his night tremors and
nightmares. Sometimes the tremors would last a lot longer than just a few
minutes. We would know when our one-year-old son was completely awake,
because he'd start stroking Picadilly's fur.

Picadilly was our special family nurse. Our experiences with him won a
calendar contest that the shelter hosted a few years later. The calendar
includes Picadilly's picture.

Picadilly is a healthy seven-and-one-half-year-old cat with beautiful
markings. He was extra special to us because when he was found and brought
to the shelter, his tail had been broken in four spots with his tail ending
up being less than an inch in length. He also had a slight eye injury, from
which he fully recovered.

I now work at the same shelter where I adopted Picadilly. I care for all the
other angels in disguise.

Thank you for all you do to help to show others how angel animals can make a
difference for the better in people lives.

{Allen and Linda Anderson are founders authors of a series of books about
the benefits of the human/animal relationship. There latest book is ANGEL
CATS: Divine Messengers of Comfort. Visit their website at
www.angelanimals.net for details.}

================================================
FINAL THOUGHTS - DOG LETTERS TO GOD
================================================
Dear God: Why do humans smell the flowers, but seldom, if ever, smell one
another?

Dear God: When we get to heaven, can we sit on your couch? Or is it going to
be the same old story?

Dear God: Why are there cars named after the Jaguar, the Cougar, the
Mustang, the Colt, the Stingray, and the Rabbit, but not ONE named for a
dog? How often do you see a cougar riding around? We dogs love a nice
ride! Would it be so hard to rename the "Chrysler Eagle" the "Chrysler
Beagle"?

Dear God: If a dog barks his head off in the forest and no human hears him,
is he still a bad dog?

================================================
YOUR OPINION - WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY
================================================
We always welcome your response to articles in our newsletter or something
you've heard on Animal Radio. You may view other comments online at
http://AnimalRadio.com.

______________________________________________________
HOW COULD YOU?

Bob and Charlette wrote:
I remember hearing a story on Animal Radio that was a narration by an older
dog telling how he lived his life with and was best friends with a child.
His photo was it the young man's wallet and he was number one with the young
man. The story spanned the child's life until the young man got married.
He mentioned how the young couple found no time for him and that he became a
bother in their life. He was narrating this flash back of his life as he
was nearing death at the vet's office. It was heart wrenching but I would
like to give this story to people that as just thinking of getting a pet
without thinking of the future and wasting the life of an animal on a whim.

ARN responds:
The story you talk of is by the fabulous author Jim Willis. It's too long to
reprint here. We have taken the liberty of posting it. Follow this link and
bring your Kleenex. http://AnimalRadio.com/howcouldyou.html
______________________________________________________
CAT DANDER AND ALLERGIES

John Murrill wrote:
Hal and Judy.....my sister desperately wants to have a cat as a pet. She
lives alone and is lonely. The problem is she is allergic to some cats...and
not allergic to others. What I wanted to ask you is this....is there a
particular breed that is known for it's "allergy free" characteristics? I
have heard Raggdolls...is that true?

ARN responds:
John, Donât be fooled by the statement that certain cats breeds are allergy
free. This is not true. While shorter haired cats are less likely to
trigger allergy attacks, even hairless cats can cause an allergic reaction.

The reason being is that it is not the hair that produces these allergies,
it is their saliva which produces dander. So, even a hairless cat licks his
skin, the saliva is then deposited on his skin (or on his fur if he has
hair), dries and turns into dander, which is released into the air when the
cat scratches, moves around, is brushed or is touched by a human. As a
result, shorter haired cats clean themselves less than a long haired cat
does, which produces less dander.

Some allergy sufferers say that the Siamese or Burmese cats produces less
reactions to their allergies.

But by bathing a cat monthly in distilled water, you can help reduce the
allergies towards indoors cats. There are also shampoo products on the
market that claim they neutralize the allergy-provoking allergens found in
cats fur, dander and saliva. One such product is Mite-NIX Pet Shampoo
(http://www.amazing-solutions.com/mite-nix-pet.html), which offers a money
back guarantee. Good luck and I hope Iâve helped to answer your question.
______________________________________________________
NAMING YOUR PETS

Caroline Leavitt wrote:
Dear Animal Radio Hour, Love, love, your program, especially the book
reviews, and I have a story.
I found my tortoise dying in a pet store. No one there knew what kind of
tortoise she was or why she was so sick but we bought her and took her home.
We named her Minnie after my boyfriend's aunt and because of Minnie Mouse
and because if anything, this was one tortoise who at 8 inches was hardly
mini-sized. It was a name that somehow just fit. Minnie got better quickly
in a new environment and we let her walk around the house, eat hamburger
from our hand.
One day, I was feeding Minnie when I noticed something alarming. Something
glossy and black and fan shaped protruding from her shell. I screamed for my
boyfriend, sure something was seriously wrong, and we bent over the cage,
astonished. "It's her intestines," my boyfriend said. "It's a growth," I
thought. We called the vet, panicked and to my astonishment, he laughed.
"She's never been like this before!" I said angrily and the vet laughed
again.
"That's because she's not a she," he said. "That glossy thing you're seeing
--well, that's what makes your Minnie a he."
Okay, so we were relieved. But something funny happened. We changed the
pronouns easy enough. Where's the tortoise? He was swimming in his water
bowl. He was eating worms. But the name just stuck. And somehow he has the
dignity and good humor to still carry the name.
______________________________________________________

{Comments welcomed at: YourVoice@AnimalRadio.com}

================================================
HOW TO LISTEN TO ANIMAL RADIO
================================================
ANIMAL RADIO has two-million weekly listeners and is growing. Animal Radio
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ANIMAL RADIO not in your area? Call your local station and ask why.
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