3+ week, 17+ hour ago (406+ words) Dear Dr. John, My cat seems to freak out almost every time I leave the house. She is a little over two years old. Whenever I leave for a long day at work, she urinates or defecate ... My cat seems to freak out almost every time I leave the house. She is a little over two years old. Whenever I leave for a long day at work, she urinates or defecates in the house and tries to pull paper out of the garbage. She also has shredded the arms of my sofa. I have bought her all kinds of toys and try to keep her busy. Can cats have separation anxiety? What can I do to change her destructive behaviors? I have thought about getting another cat to keep her company but don't know if that will help or not....

4+ week, 3+ hour ago (431+ words) I have been seeing a gentleman for a few months, and we are challenged by our pets. I have been seeing a gentleman for a few months, and we are challenged by our pets. I have a neutered male cat. His dog is a neutered male that is some kind of Irish terrier breed. When we visit and stay at one another's homes, the animals are at odds. What can we do? At my condo my cat can easily hide from the dog, and he does. The dog is high energy and barks at my cat, and I'm not sure if he wants to attack the cat or is just barking. At his home, I keep the cat in one room, and we keep the door closed. What things can we do so the two animals can co-exist? B.W. There are…...

8+ hour, 31+ min ago (371+ words) She has given us the names of a few different breeds including Persian, Maine Coon, Ragdoll, Scottish Fold, and Himalayan. Which would be a good docile breed? With the holidays approaching we seek your advice. We are considering purchasing a kitten for our daughter. She has given us the names of a few different breeds including Persian, Maine Coon, Ragdoll, Scottish Fold, and Himalayan. Which would be a good docile breed? We have heard that some of these breeds have short faces and breathing problems and we wonder if this is something we should be concerned with. What complications or problems might we expect if we get a Persian cat because of this facial presentation? C.M. The condition of a shortened face and head is called brachycephaly and some of the breeds you mention are brachycephalic. People have bred cats, and…...

2+ week, 8+ hour ago (357+ words) My fianc" and I are getting married next July, and we have the usual assets, some retirement, some investments, a house, and a dog named Showgirl who we adopted together last year." Is there any way we can establish a custody schedule for Showgirl in the event we divorce? I heard that you can't make an agreement that determines custody before the wedding but I'm not sure that is true. A. Being a dog lover myself, I cringe a little at what I am about to say. As much as you love Showgirl " in the eyes of the law she is not a child but, rather, property. Whether or not you planned to get a prenuptial agreement to deal with your other assets, you absolutely should get a "pup-nup" before your wedding. Because Showgirl is a dog and not a child,…...