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Across the country, more towns, cities and even states are targeting pit bulls, Rottweilers and other dog breeds under increasingly restrictive "dangerous dog" laws. In Minnesota, state lawmakers are hearing a number of proposals that would ban certain breeds in the state, including one bill that would make it illegal for residents to own a Rottweiler, Pit Bull, Chow Chow, Akita or wolf hybrid. Meanwhile, members of the Forsyth County Commission in North Carolina are studying possible regulations for "aggressive" breeds such as German shepherds, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinchers and pit bulls. Similar legislation has been proposed at the state level in Tennessee and Mississippi, and at the local and county level in Oregon, Alabama, Arkansas and other states, according to the American Dog Owners Association.

Breed-specific legislation (also known as BSL) proposals are becoming a common presence in statehouses and city halls across America. Such legislation usually follows on the heels of a much publicized dog attack, and lawmakers claim that targeting specific dog-breeds will help remove dangerous animals from the community. But the effectiveness of BSL in curbing attacks by dangerous dogs is unclear, and the policies that determine what happens to pet owners who share their homes with a "dangerous" breed" vary in each community.

According to an article by Linda S. Weiss with the Animal Legal and Historical Center, BSL "is not an effective approach for regulating dogs' behavior in communities." Weiss goes on to write that bans on specific breeds are little more than comfort legislation and "do not act to effectively regulate the behavior of any breed or of dogs and their owners collectively." Additionally, breed-specific bans routinely face constitutional challenges, with decisions varying from state to state. A 1989 decision by the Kansas Supreme Court upheld a ordinance regulating ownership of pit bulls within a municipality, while a Massachusetts court in 1989 found that a law targeting pit bull ownership was unconstitutionally vague, according to Weiss.

What happens to happens to pet owners who care for pit bulls and other targeted breeds once legislation is passed also varies. Most breed-specific ordinances and legislation have some sort of grandfather clause, allowing owners to keep their dogs, but preventing the purchase or breeding of other dogs in the targeted breed. However, enforcing these laws is difficult, costly and time consuming: according to Weiss, a breed-specific ordinance in Cincinnati, Ohio was overturned after the city began enforcing the ordinance, which lead to "gridlock in the animal control and court systems."

Meanwhile, organizations like the American Kennel Club and the American Dog Owners Association are vocally opposed to BSL. According to the AKC's position paper on BSL, "We support laws that establish a fair process by which specific dogs are identified as ‘dangerous' based on stated, measurable actions—The American Kennel Club strongly opposes any legislation that determines a dog to be 'dangerous' based on specific breeds or phenotypic classes of dogs." The AKC and the ADOA also maintain "legislation watch" web sites, where dog owners can track pet-related legislation. Click here to view the ACK legislative alert page. Click here to view the ADOA legislative update page.

Conversely, many states are proposing legislation that would prohibit insurance companies from denying home owners insurance coverage or unfairly increasing rates based on the breeds of dogs living at the home. In New Jersey, state Assemblyman Niel Cohen is sponsoring legislation that would prohibit insurers from basing policy coverage and costs on the basis of the breed of dog kept on the property.

"In most cases involving a 'dangerous breed,' the owner is the one responsible for teaching the dog its aggressive or dangerous behavior," Cohen said in a statement regarding the legislation.

The term tortoiseshell cat refers to a coloration pattern caused by a specific genetic trait. It is not a specific breed of cat.

The coats of tortoiseshell cats are a mixture of colors. Tortoiseshell coats combine black, white, red or ginger, and occasionally silver or ginger tabby patterns. The size of the patches can vary from a fine speckled pattern to large areas of color. Cats with a basic white colour and red and black patches are known as tortoiseshell-and-white or more commonly, calico cats.

The tortoiseshell coloration is a sex-linked trait. Sex-linked genes are those carried on the mammalian X chromosome, but not the Y chromosome. In cats, the gene controlling the red color is carried on an X chromosome. The gene controlling black and other ‘non-red’ colors is also carried on an X chromosome. So, a tortoiseshell is formed when you combine two X chromosomes, one containing the red colors and the other containing the non-red colors.

Because two X chromosomes are necessary for this particular pattern of coloration, over 99 percent of tortoiseshell cats are females. In order for a male to be a tortoiseshell, he would need to have two X chromosomes. This condition is called Klinefelter’s syndrome, and these males are almost always sterile.

About two weeks before the puppies are due, a nesting box should be introduced to the expectant mother. The box should be made from a washable material and located in a warm and secluded area. The bottom of the box should be lined with an absorbent material that can be changed frequently. Newspapers, towels, or clean rags make excellent bed liners.

Late Stage of Pregnancy

The first stage of labor is marked by uterine contractions. The expectant mother appears restless and may pace about the house. She refuses to eat and sometimes vomits. The bitch may isolate herself and exhibit nesting behavior. (Hopefully, nesting will occur in the whelping box.) This behavior is normal and there is little that the owner can do. This stage generally lasts 8-24 hours.

The second stage of labor begins when the cervix is completely dilated. The delivery of the puppy occurs during this phase. Phase three of labor refers to the expulsion of the placenta and the afterbirth.

After several contractions, the first puppy is born. If the first puppy is not born within 45 minutes after the beginning of contractions, a veterinarian should be called. The time interval between successive puppies is extremely variable and can range anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. It is not unusual for a mother to rest between groups of puppies.

Generally when each puppy is born, it is enclosed in a membrane or sac. The mother usually licks the puppy’s face and rips open the sac. If this sac is not immediately broken by the mother, human intervention is required. The sac must be opened, and the puppy’s face must be rubbed. Rubbing the puppy’s face with a clean cloth is an excellent method to stimulate breathing.

A placentas is usually passed within 15 minutes after the birth of a puppy. Occasionally, two placentas may follow two puppies.

There are two normal positions for delivery. The puppies may come out "head first" or "rear first". A "head first" delivery is generally easier than a "rear first" delivery.

Human intervention is required when a puppy is lodged in the birth canal. When this occurs (and the mother is not able to expel the puppy herself), the mother must be restrained and gentle traction applied to the puppy. The puppy is grasped with a clean dry towel and pulled in a downward position, toward the mother’s feet. When a puppy is lodged in the birth canal for a considerable amount of time, it is usually born dead.

Following each birth, the remaining portion of the sac should be removed from the puppy’s face. Any mucus surrounding the nostrils should be cleared away. Puppies should be placed on a dry clean towel and rubbed. Vigorously rubbing of the puppy stimulates breathing. Using a fine-diameter thread, each umbilical cord should be tied about one inch from the puppy’s belly. The cord is cut on the far side of the knot, and the remaining stump (with the cord) is dipped into a white iodine or Betadine solution. If the puppies are similar looking, it is best to number each one with a permanent marker.

Recently Born Puppy

When the mother is relaxed and she settles down with her puppies, it is safe to assume that the birthing process is over. Within 12-18 hours after all puppies are delivered, the mother should be examined by a veterinarian.

Normal vaginal discharge is brown, green or red in color. A significant amount of discharge is present following birth. This discharge tapers off and gradually subsides in 4-8 weeks. If the discharge is abundant, foul-smelling, pussy, or extremely bloody, a veterinarian should be consulted.

The number of recognized show breeds that have defined, inherited characteristics has increased dramatically since the late 1950s as cats have become more popular home companions. The 30 to 40 distinctive breeds can be grouped into two general categories: the long-haired Persian and the domestic shorthair.

Almost everyone recognizes the words Siamese, Manx, and Persian as the names for certain breeds of cats. Until about a century ago, however, these terms had little meaning. Domestic cats bred freely as they spread through various parts of the world. As a result, cats of almost infinite varieties of sizes, shapes, and colors came into being. Some cat owners liked the qualities of certain strains and wanted to perpetuate them. They interbred the cats with the desired qualities, and, when these qualities continued to appear in generation after generation of cats (that is, when they bred true or pure), a new breed was established.

Cat breeders today follow essentially the same pattern. They consider a strain that breeds true for four generations a purebred, and proof of this true breeding is necessary before a new breed becomes accepted.

Differences in Body Type

Perhaps the most easily identifiable differences among the various breeds of domestic cats are in the length and color of the coat and in the variations of eye color. The majority of cats that are not purebred have short hair. Those with long hair have acquired it as the result of the crossbreeding of their ancestors with purebred long-haired cats. The body form of nonpurebreds varies from slender, rangy types with somewhat elongated heads to stocky, thickset animals with short heads that are somewhat like those of the Persian cats. These differences in body type are most pronounced among the various pure breeds, ranging from slender Siamese to stocky longhairs.

You can’t live properly with a dog unless it’s trained. It’s that simple, and it really doesn’t matter whether your canine is a four-pound Toy or a 104-pound Working breed. An untrained dog is an invitation to disaster. A dog that won’t come when you call is always in danger.

You can’t blame the dog either. If you don’t train your dog, you are at fault. No one else. In fact, if you’re not prepared to properly train your dog, you probably shouldn’t get one in the first place.

Now for the good news: dogs are easily trained. That’s probably the reason why dogs have long been America’s favorite pet. Despite the fact that they train relatively easily, however, you still have to do the job. One way to make training simple is to get a breed that readily adapts to your life-style and that corresponds to what you want in a canine companion. Serious breeders can help you with this. They should tell you about their breed’s inherent trainability--advice you should heed before making your final decision.

Rest assured that training does not strip a dog of natural instincts or "joie de vivre." After all, these are the things that attract people to dogs in the first place. We want you to celebrate the canine spirit, not abuse it.

What training does, however, is structure the dog’s responses, giving you a good companion. Training gives you an animal you can trust, rely on, even flaunt. In fact, it establishes a channel of communication between you and your dog that significantly enhances your mutual respect and friendship.

Every civilized dog should know at least five basic commands: heel, sit, down, stay and come. These commands form the core of the exercises required for a Companion Dog degree in an American Kennel Club Novice Obedience competition. Even if you don’t take your dog beyond these beginning lessons, they are absolutely essential in making every dog a true companion.

Incidentally, you train your dog to understand its name in much the same way you train it to do anything—by simple, repetitive action. As far as the name goes, make sure everyone in the household is using the same name. And, you can teach an older dog a new name, if you must.

There is almost nothing more comforting than when a cat jumps on our lap and begins to purr. Ever since the Egyptians started worshipping the cat, philosophers, scientists and cat lovers worldwide have wondered why cats purr. When we hear and feel this purring, we assume that everything is just fine with the cat. But why do cats purr? And what produces this sound?

Purring is a mystery. No one can definitively say which mechanism in a cat creates the purr. Some feline experts believe purring is due to a vibrations caused by blood passing through a large vein in the cat’s chest. Yet others who have studied purring think it’s due to the vibration of the vocal cords when the animal inhales and exhales.

It appears as though purring is not just limited to domestic cats. Some wild cats, such as pumas and mountain lions, are able to purr. In general, most large cats that cannot roar are able to purr. The calls of the leopard vary and include a series of harsh coughs, throaty growls, and deep, purring sounds.

It turns out that cats have special wiring traveling from the brain to the muscles in the vocal cords. Nerve signals that pass through this wiring system cause vibrations of the vocal cords. While the nerves cause the vocal cords to vibrate, the air forced through them by the diagraphm causes the musical hum. Since breathing has both inspiratory and expiratory phases, cats can purr continuously. The problem with this theory, however, is that cats continue to purr even when the nerves to the area of the vocal cords have been injured or damaged.

It is commonly believed that cats purr when content. However, cats also purr when they are severely injured, frightened or giving birth. According to some veterinarians, the original function of the purr was to enable a kitten to communicate with his mother that things are going well. A kitten is able to purr by the second day of life, and although he can’t meow and nurse at the same time, he can purr and nurse.

As the cat matures, the meaning of the purr changes. Some cats purr to indicate contentment or pleasure, but badly frightened cats and severely ill cats also purr. It is not uncommon for cats to purr when they are close to death. This final purring may indicate a state of anxiety or possibly euphoria. These states have also been elucidated in terminally ill people.

Since the purr has lasted through hundreds of generations of cats, there must be a survival mechanism behind its continued existence. Researchers believe that self-healing is the survival mechanism behind the purr. There is extensive documentation that suggests that low frequencies, at low intensity, are therapeutic. These frequencies can aid bone growth, fracture healing, pain relief, tendon and muscle strength and repair, joint mobility, the reduction of swelling, and the relief of dyspnea, or breathlessness.

Animal behaviorists believe that when cats purr under stressful circumstances, they are reassuring or comforting themselves, much as humans may sing to themselves or hum when they are nervous. Frightened cats may purr to communicate submissiveness or non-aggressive intentions. A feral cat may purr to signal that he is not planning to attack and other cats need not feel threatened. Older cats may purr when they play or approach other cats, signaling that they are friendly and want to come closer.

This is Part II in a series of articles on caring for rabbits. Look for additional featured articles in upcoming issues of our Newsletter.

Rabbits make intelligent, friendly and quiet house pets. The average life span for a bunny is 7 to 10 years, with records of up to 15 years of age being reported. The following information is designed to help you take the best care of your pet and enjoy a happy, healthy life with him or her.

Cage: Puppy crates with solid floors work great as cages for rabbits.

Litter Box: Rabbits can be litter box trained relatively easily. Initially, you need to keep your pet in a small area, either in a cage or a blocked off section of the room and place a litter box in the corner. Try to pick the corner your pet has already used. Make sure the sides of the box are low enough so your pet can get in and out easily. It is helpful to put some of the droppings in the box.

You can reward your pet with one of the treat foods listed previously whenever he or she has used the box successfully. Do not punish your pet while in the litter box. Do not worry if your pet sits for extended periods in the litter box. Sitting in the box can be allowed as long as he is not soiling himself.

Pelleted paper or other organic products make the best bedding. These products are nontoxic and digestible if eaten, easier to clean up than shavings or clay litter, control odor better and are compostable. Some examples are Cellu-Dri and Yesterday’s News (which are paper products), Mountain Cat Kitty Litter or Harvest Litter (pelleted wheat grass products), and Critter Litter (pelleted out hulls).

There are many more products on the market and we suggest consulting your pet store. Avoid cedar and pine shavings as bedding!

Temperature: Rabbits should be kept in the coolest and least humid area of the house. Studies have shown that bunnies kept in warm humid environments with poor air circulation have a dramatic increase in the incidence of respiratory disease over those animals kept in cool, dry environments with good air circulation.

Damp basements are one of the worst areas to keep your pet. If your rabbit must be kept in a basement, invest in a dehumidifier and a fan to keep out dampness and improve air circulation.

The optimum temperature range for a bunny is 60-70 degrees F. When the temperature gets into the mid 70s, one may see an increase in drooling and nasal discharge. If temperatures reach the upper 80s and beyond, and especially if the humidity is high, the potential for a fatal heat stroke is very real.

On very hot days, when air conditioning is not available, it is helpful to leave a plastic milk jug filled with frozen water in the cage to work as a portable "air conditioner."

Please keep fresh, cool water available, as this will also help to keep the body temperature down. If your pet should actually experience a heat stress reaction, try holding an ice cube on the ear or gently wetting your pet down with cool, but not cold, water. If the heat stroke is severe, veterinary attention will be necessary.

If your bunny is being kept outdoors in either warm or cold weather, make sure that part of the cage is sheltered from the wind and the sun. For the winter, it is advisable to use straw bedding in the sheltered area for insulation and make sure that the water bowl is changed daily, as your pet can dehydrate rapidly if the water is frozen for days.

Handling

There are a number of ways to pick up your pet depending on how calm he is and his size. The main thing to remember is to always support the hindquarters to prevent serious spinal injuries. Rabbits’ backbones are fragile and can easily snap when the hind legs are allowed to dangle and the animal then gives one strong kick. Unfortunately, these injuries are usually permanent and frequently result in the euthanasia of the pet, so the best policy is prevention. Never pick up a bunny by its sensitive ears; it’s very painful and totally unnecessary! It is better to grasp the loose skin over the shoulders and then place your other hand under the back legs to lift your bunny from the floor. Work near the floor when first learning to handle your pet so that if they jump out of your arms they don’t have far to go.

It may also be useful to put your bunny on its back when trying to trim nails and examine the underside of your pet. Most rabbits will learn to relax in this position and can withstand quite a bit of handling. Work on the floor and put the rabbit on its back with its head just over the edge of your knees so that it hangs down a little. Restrain the body firmly between your thighs. Talk softly and stroke its chest and abdomen gently. It may be necessary to have a second person hold one set of legs when first learning to trim nails in this position. However, many pets become so relaxed that one person can do all the grooming by themselves.

Young children should always be supervised when handling rabbits!