Hillbilly biscuit thief
Dear Patches,
My owners decided that it was time for a new puppy and brought home the most out-of-control dog they could find. I call him Tornado because he runs through the house as if the devil is behind him and leaves a trail of devastation. Nothing is safe where Tornado goes. Especially not my doggy biscuits. I’m used to taking my time when I eat my biscuits, and I don’t gulp them down. But now, if I don’t eat as quickly as bullets going through a machine gun, I don’t get to eat half my biscuits! I think Tornado’s broken, or maybe faulty. Can’t we get a refund, or a factory reset for him, or something… anything?
Annoyed Annie
Patches: Energetic puppies can be extremely annoying, especially when they haven’t received any training yet or are in the process of learning good behaviour. Instead of racing Tornado to finish all the biscuits, why don’t you teach him that he will be rewarded even more if he is patient? Ask your parents to help Tornado burn off some energy by running and playing outside before he comes back into the house. With positive reinforcement training, he will learn to calm down. Have faith – Tornado will grow up and will calm down as he gets older. Until then, you can also ask your parents to separate the two of you before they dish out the biscuits, so that you can eat in peace.
No bell prize
Dear Patches,
Every afternoon, I sit in a sunny spot on the windowsill and watch the world go by. As a cat, I can so relate to our neighbour’s cat, Tinkerbell. She is allowed to play outside in the garden, and she often comes over to greet me. But poor Tinkerbell. She tries so hard to stalk birds on the grass, but the bell on her collar gives her away every time. Whenever she moves, she sounds like one of those cows in the Swiss Alps with bells clanging away. Why does Tinkerbell wear a collar with a bell?
Fascinated Fred
Patches: Whether or not to put a collar on their cat is a personal choice for every cat owner. For some owners, a collar on a cat is a big no-no, while others even add a bell to the collar for the safety of the cat and the animals she’s trying to hunt. Hunting is a natural instinct for a cat, and she cannot ‘unlearn’ this behaviour. A bell on a cat’s collar will alert animals – like birds and rodents – that they are being hunted, and give them a chance to get away in time. The bell is also for the cat’s own safety, so that she doesn’t catch wild animals that could carry harmful parasites. Being an inside cat is obviously much safer, and that could be the reason why your owner doesn’t make you wear a collar with a bell.
