Fences aren’t always practical. Even if you have one, some dogs can jump them, and to cats, they’re just a flat, narrow tree to climb.Indoors, we may want to limit our pets from out-of-bounds areas. Counters, tables, couches, babies’ rooms, balconies, and poisonous plants may be restricted areas or objects. Training methods such as spraying water deter pets only while we’re there.

Fortunately, there are other types of pet containment systems. Confinement systems keep pets from leaving designated areas, while exclusionary systems keep pets from entering off-limits areas. These systems differ in the type of deterrent used (sonic deterrent, electric shock) and in their range of confinement or exclusion.

Confinement systems

1. Deluxe Dog Fence (a.k.a. “Invisible Fence”) / Outdoor Cat Containment System

For use with: Dogs and cats
Price: $118.99 and up for dogs; $249.99 for cats (currently on sale for $199.99)
Type: Electric shock
Manufacturer: PetSafe

Electric pet containment fences can work for small yards and for areas up to about 20 acres. To install the fences, electric cable is buried along the boundaries of the areas where you want to allow your pet. This cable can be around the perimeter of your property, and it can also go around areas that you want to keep pets out of, such as flower beds. Electric fences are invisible, and they’re cheaper than wood or metal fences. Pets can’t dig under them or jump over them.

This invisible fence works in conjunction with a receiver attached to a special collar that your pet wears. When the pet approaches the boundary wire, the receiver emits a warning signal. If the pet continues after receiving the warning signal, he receives a brief electric shock, causing him to retreat from the boundary. Plan to spend about 15 minutes a day working with your pet for one to two weeks until he understands how the fence works.

Pros:

• Electric fences are cheaper than regular fences.
• You can confine pets within odd shapes and large areas.
• You can restrict pets from certain areas within a larger area.
• Once pets have used the collar for a long time, they may stay within the boundaries even if the batteries aren’t working.

Cons:

• Burying the wire is labor-intensive.
• Extensive training is required to train the pet in the use of the fence and collar.
• New collar batteries are needed every six months.
• If the batteries die before they’re replaced, the fence is ineffective.
• Some dogs figure out that they can charge the fence and gain freedom for the price of a temporary shock. These dogs may be unwilling to cross the fence to return to your property later.

2. Instant Fence

For use with: Dogs that weigh over 20 pounds
Price: $279.99 (currently on sale for $239.99)
Type: Electric shock
Manufacturer: PetSafe

PetSafe Wireless Instant Fence confines your dog to within the radius you set — wherever you are. Instead of a “no-go” zone, the receiver on the dog’s collar creates a “stay” zone. The dog can move freely until he approaches the boundary of the signal area. A warning beep emits from the receiver on his collar, which becomes a light static energy pulse if the dog proceeds past the warning zone. This mild correction continues until the dog returns to the “stay” zone. You can set the dog’s boundary on the transmitter to be anywhere from 20 feet to 180 feet.

No wires are needed, just a standard 110-volt outlet to plug the transmitter into. The signal can transmit through walls or other objects. If you’re away from home, you can plug the transformer into a power converter attached to your motor vehicle lighter. With an additional receiver collar for each dog, the PetSafe Wireless Instant Fence can work with an unlimited number of dogs.

Pros:

• It can be installed in about an hour or two.
• No digging or wires are required.
• It can be used with an unlimited number of dogs at the same time.
• It’s portable.
• The correction continues if the dog crosses the boundary, making it very unlikely that the dog will escape.

Cons:

• Extensive training is required to train the pet in the use of the fence and collar.
• New collar batteries are needed every six months.
• If the batteries die before they’re replaced, the fence is ineffective.
• Because the receiver weighs about three ounces, it isn’t suitable for dogs under about 20 pounds.

Exclusionary systems

1. CatScram electronic cat repellent

For use with: Cats only
Price: $29.95
Type: Sonic deterrent
Manufacturer: Innovative Products

CatScram is an electronic motion detector. Your cat doesn’t need to wear a collar for CatScram to work. On a flat surface such as a floor, it guards a six-foot range; when elevated or tilted, it guards a 90-degree protected area with up to (possibly more than) a 15-foot range. Point it into the area where you don’t want your cat to go, and it emits a high-pitched squeal when it detects motion in that area. The sound is inaudible to humans and dogs, but it’s enough to make a cat scram — 24 hours a day.

Pros:

• It’s inaudible to humans.
• It’s wireless.
• Cats don’t need to wear a receiver for it to work.
• It can work with an unlimited number of cats.
• It can protect specific parts of a room as well as whole rooms.

Cons:

• It’s battery hungry; it uses a 9-volt battery or a 9-volt AC/DC adapter.
• Cats that are hard of hearing (white cats, some exotic breeds, Maine Coons, older cats) may not respond to this device.

2. Wireless Indoor Fence / Invisible Cat Fence

For use with: Dogs (Wireless Indoor Fence) and cats (Invisible Cat Fence)
Price: $119.99 and up for dogs (currently on sale for $99.99); $199.99 and up for cats (currently on sale for $169.99)
Type: Electric shock
Manufacturer: PetSafe

Place a transmitter near the area you want to protect, and equip your pet with a lightweight receiver attached to a collar. Your pet will learn to stay out of the off-limits areas. When your pet approaches the pet containment boundary, the receiver emits a warning signal. If the pet moves closer, the receiver will produce a brief electrical shock. Once pets learn how the fence works, they’ll move away from the fence as soon as they feel the receiver alert.

Pros:

• It’s wireless.
• It can be installed in minutes.
• It’s light enough for dogs that weigh five pounds or more, and for cats that weigh four pounds or more.

Cons:

• Because the radio signal passes through walls, it may affect undesired areas.
• The pet must wear a receiver on a collar at all times for it to be effective.
• New collar batteries are needed every six months.
• If the batteries die before they’re replaced, the fence is ineffective.

Your cat darts across the carpet like it’s a bed of hot coals. Your dog has become a 24/7 scratching machine. You find red, itchy bite marks on your body when you wake up.Fleas can attach themselves to animals outdoors, move indoors with you, jump from one pet to another, spring from carpets or upholstered furniture, or hatch from dormant larvae in your home. They can live year-round indoors, and outdoors as well in warmer climates.

Walk into a pet shop and you’ll find topical flea treatments ranging from flea spray to flea shampoos. They may work to rid your pet of fleas — but are they safe?

Look at the ingredients

The ingredients listed as “active” ingredients are typically insecticides. Some insecticides destroy flea eggs and kill larvae, others kill adult fleas or prevent them from reproducing, and some just stun fleas.

These insecticides are used in sprays or other bug treatments for humans as well. They may also be used in insecticides for agricultural use. They’ve been tested on lab animals and declared safe.

However, they may have been found toxic at certain levels, or for certain animals. Human livers and various animal livers differ quite a bit in what is toxic to them. In addition, the cumulative effects of these ingredients may not have been studied. A product that apparently causes no harm with one treatment may cause damage with repeated use. It may also be unsafe if used in combination with other insecticides.

Some common ingredients:

• Pyrethrins are derived from chrysanthemums, and are among the least toxic insecticides. However, inhaling them can cause respiratory problems, and skin contact can result in a rash or itching. While they’re considered safe (low in toxicity) for mammals and birds, they’re toxic to fish and bees. Typically used in flea shampoos and flea mousse, they don’t kill fleas, but paralyze their nervous systems, making it easier to comb them out of the pet’s coat.
• Permethrin, a synthetic pyrethrin, is more toxic than natural pyrethrins. It’s an endocrine disrupter, which means that it can contribute to thyroid and other endocrine disorders. It’s usually used in products for dogs only; cats are very sensitive to it. It’s toxic to wildlife.
• Piperonyl butoxide (PBO) is often used with pyrethrins to increase their effectiveness. It kills fleas and flea eggs. It’s also an endocrine disrupter. The pyrethrin/piperonyl butoxide combination is listed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) site as a cause of systemic illness for humans.
• Methoprene prevents insects from reaching the adult stage and reproducing. It’s slightly toxic when absorbed through the skin. Test animals fed high doses over a period of time developed tumors or died, but there were no observable effects at lower doses.

Read the product warnings

Don’t take the product internally. Wash your hands with hot water and soap after using the product. Avoid inhaling it. Keep it away from children. These are common product warnings, but your pets can’t take these precautions. They’ll breathe in the insecticide, they’ll lick it off themselves, and it’ll be absorbed through their skin.

Flea collars constantly emit pesticides around your pet’s head, and everyone who picks up or hugs your pet will also breathe them in. According to Consumer Reports (August 1991), flea collars aren’t even effective against fleas.

If you use insecticides, use only products specified for use with the types of pets in your home. Some pesticides may be considered safe for dogs but not for cats. If a product is unsafe for cats, a cat can have a reaction to it if it’s applied to a dog in the same household.

Consider non-insecticidal methods

Fleas are resilient. However, we can eradicate them without using insecticides.

Area treatment

• Steam-clean carpets to kill flea eggs and larvae.
• Vacuum carpets, rugs, crevices, upholstery, and drapes regularly. Change the vacuum cleaner bag and seal it in a plastic bag immediately after vacuuming.
• Wash pet bedding regularly in hot water and detergent.
• If your pet travels in your car, vacuum the car regularly.

Skin and coat care

• Bathe your pet with a pet shampoo containing natural ingredients, which may soothe irritated skin and help repel fleas. If nothing else, the bath will drown any fleas on the animal. (Warning: tea tree oil, a common ingredient in natural products, is toxic to some cats.)
• Comb your pet’s coat with a flea comb. Dip the comb in water after catching fleas so that the fleas drown.
• Feed your pet a high-quality, nutritious diet. Healthy pets are less likely to attract fleas.

Attack with a plan

Use a variety of methods. If you have more than one pet in your household, apply the methods to all your pets and the areas where they go. A combination of methods works best — but using more than one insecticide at a time isn’t recommended because of possible interactions between them.

Attack at the first sign of fleas, and you’ll have fewer of them to fight.

Some artists have taken to killing animals in the name of what they call art.In May of 2003, an art student at the Victorian College of the Arts in Australia killed a live chicken as part of a performance piece done in front of his class.

Other students in the class were not impressed, and complained about the student’s actions to the RSPCA. At the time, Sue Baker, head of the arts department, stated, “We’ve come down hard on this student and said, ‘You don’t do this for art, you do it for food, and it is offensive for anything to do with cruelty to animals to be portrayed as art.’”

Unfortunately, however, gallery owners do not seem to share that point of view.

One gallery owner in Sweden said recently that in spite of protests against the actions of an artist currently exhibiting at his gallery, who likes to kill animals and call it art, “She’s going to continue to make her art. Is it better to kill animals for makeup than for creating art? These people forget that art is food for the soul.”

The gallery owner claimed the artist’s work involving the killing of animals was “very important” and added, “I have tried to get her to try to work with larger animals, like dogs.”

The galleries that exhibit the work of animal-killing artists believe that the images created using the dead animals arouse thoughts and questions that the viewers might not otherwise have had, and, therefore, these works are art.

They attempt to justify the killing of animals strictly for art by saying that the pictures reflect the shallowness and double standards held by a society which objects to animals being killed to create pictures, but not to the killing of animals for food or clothing.

An artist who recently had an open exhibit featuring animals she had killed was reported to public prosecutors by the local veterinary association for failing to have a veterinarian present when the animals were killed.

A spokesman for the veterinary association said the artist violated laws regulating the use of animals for public viewing which require that when animals are killed for the purpose of public entertainment a veterinarian has to be present to ensure the animal does not suffer. According to some, shock artists of this sort are really just trying to attract attention and build their names, and like most children who seek attention, the more attention they receive the more likely they are to repeat the action which brought them the attention in the first place.

As one animal welfare advocate noted, if killing animals brings publicity to one artist, others might be tempted to try to garner publicity by doing the same.

Some artists who have used dead animals in their work claim that doing so shows that life and death are not opposed, but linked. Others have said that they do no more than what normally takes place in a slaughterhouse, using animals which would have ended up there anyway.

Still others have claimed they are guaranteed the freedom of artistic expression by law and that this supersedes any rights that the animals they kill may have.

Actress Brigitte Bardot, who has protested exhibits featuring the slaughter of animals, said, “I have never heard of a performance where people pay to rejoice in the suffering of animals.”

Animal advocates have been contacting the ministry of Sweden to voice their protests.

By Sherry Morse – © 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.

Cat Bag, a new commercial venture in Tokyo, Japan that charges people approximately $5 to play with cats, is proving to be very successful.”People may think cats are common because they used to be everywhere,” Makoto Suematsu, the proprietor, told an Asahi Newspaper reporter. “However, cats are not familiar animals anymore. There are many people who want to have a cat, but are not able to do so.”

“Some of the children tell me they had never touched a real cat before coming here,” said Midori Kakubo, a Cat Bag employee.

There are usually about 20 different cats with which to play on hand.

“Some repeat customers have their favorite cats and call us to get information about the rotation of the animals,” Kakubo stated.

There are places for the cats to go if they want to be left alone. In addition, they are given one day off per week.

A veterinarian checks all of the cats every day.

“I think it would be nice for people who have never had a pet to learn about the sweetness and preciousness of animals by visiting that type of place,” said Hiroko Shimizu, a veterinarian employed by an animal hospital located near Cat Bag. “They would come to understand the feelings of people who love animals.”