Carl Spitz and the Hollywood Dog Training School

By Langley Cornwell

The Hollywood Dog Training School, currently owned and operated by Richard Karl, was once a hotel and training ground for the Hollywood elite. The fancy four pawed “actors and actresses” were brought in to learn to hit their acting cues. The Hollywood superstars also brought their canines to set up house in their own little personal hotel of sorts. The rich and famous regularly lavished their canines with a visit to the hottest spot in the doggie world at that time. Carl Spitz, the owner and trainer at this Hollywood hotspot, knew how to make dogs feel like a million dollars.

Carl Spitz, Sr. was the original owner and brains behind the initial Hollywood Dog Training School. Originally from Germany, Spitz got his start working with dogs for movie roles. He learned about dog training from the man that many consider the greatest dog trainer of all time...Colonel Konrad Most. Clearly he learned his lessons well, because he went on to be among the greatest in his own right.

Most everyone knows the dog Toto from the movie The Wizard of Oz. Toto was actually Carl’s family dog and was trained under his watchful eye. Toto’s real name was Terry, and the dog became one of Spitz’s most famous clients. Starring alongside Judy Garland, that cute little canine actor was so much fun to watch. Although he was one of Spitz’s most popular clients, he was far from the only one.

Back when Spitz first started the school in 1927, the Hollywood elite would bring him their dogs to be pampered and trained. The accommodations were right out of a Hollywood fantasy, with extravagant playgrounds and beautiful views. The dogs would also have private baths and dryers, and custom menu items made by special cooks. How many dogs do you know that are bathed in porcelain bathtubs? Spitz made sure they had the best of everything for his visitors.

Top 5 Cat-Friendly Dogs

By Langley Cornwell

In the past, I’ve only shared my home with dogs – and those dogs had little to no interaction with cats. On those unfortunate occasions when they did interact with cats, it usually turned out poorly for me. It would invariably happen when I was walking both dogs at once and a cat would saunter across our path, glancing slyly at us with a gleam in its eye. My big dogs would take off on cue, lunging on the leashes like sled dogs, and it would take every ounce of my might not to do a face plant right on the pavement.

Experiences like these made me marvel at dogs that got along with cats. I thought that “those dogs” were rare and wondrous, that their humans must have worked long and hard to get them comfortable with “the opposite” species. At that time, in my mind dogs and cats were like day and night or black and white – they were opposites. Then I met my husband, a Real Man Who Loves Cats. When we decided it was time to add to our family, we went to the shelter and came back with a dog and a cat.

Our dog and cat have formed a tight interspecies bond; they are good friends. With appropriate socialization, most dogs and cats can live together harmoniously. Some breeds seem to be more accepting of feline friends than others, however. Here are five dog breeds that are recognized as being cat-friendly:

Golden and Labrador Retrievers

Big, happy and athletic, retrievers love everybody. Known for their devoted and obedient nature, retrievers are easy to socialize with other dogs and with cats. Many households that have retrievers also have cats, proving that size doesn’t matter.

Do New Cats Need To Be Litter Trained?

By Langley Cornwell

Whether you are introducing a new cat into a multiple cat household or you’re bringing your first kitty home from the shelter, you’ll have to help the new family member get acclimated to the litter box.

All change is stressful for cats, and going into a new home can be a nerve-racking experience. Some cats require a longer adjustment period than others, so it’s important to do what you can to help your feline friend feel safe and secure. Even if it seems like your cat is one of the fast learners, the key factor in helping him get used to his new home and his new litter box is to move slowly.  

Teaching a cat where to eliminate is much different than the rigors of house training a dog. With cats, instinct is on your side; cats naturally like to relieve themselves in the sand or dirt. Therefore, when you introduce your cat to a litter box, with a bit of encouragement he'll happily go there instead of making a grand mess in your house.

At the beginning, it’s a good idea to restrict your new cat to a single room— but only for a short time. The transition will be easier on him if you have plenty of food and water, a bed, some toys, a scratching post and a litter box in “his” new room. Put your cat’s food, water, bed and toys at one end of the room, and the litter box at the other end of the room. Since cats appreciate privacy, he will be more inclined to use the box since it’s in a low-traffic area and away from his eating and resting area.

Can you take your Dog on Public Transportation?

By Langley Cornwell

As the economy continues to evolve, there have been some notable changes to the transportation industry. More and more Americans are switching to smaller cars, and sales of hybrid automobiles are on a steep upward trend. Families that used to be two-car households are figuring out creative ways to drop down to one car and eliminate the inflated cost of gasoline, property taxes, maintenance, etc. for that second car.

As a response, public transportation is taking on a more important role in the new American lifestyle. We have a long way to go to catch up with many of the countries in the European Union, but I’ve seen giant strides even in the small southern town where I live now.

Fortunately, some trains, buses, trolleys and light rails now allow pets. Be aware, however, that there are still many restrictions for this method of transportation when your travel companion walks on four legs. At this time, people that plan to have their pet accompany them must avoid Amtrak and Greyhound; neither carrier allows animals on its trains and buses.

Other than avoiding Amtrak and Greyhound, there are no standard guidelines to follow when determining whether a certain train, trolley or light rail system will allow pets and, if they do, what their rules and regulations are. Before making your plans, check for updates and new information regarding which carrier in your area of travel allows pets and what restrictions apply.

If you’ve determined that pets are allowed to travel with you on public transportation, make sure you both adhere to good travel etiquette. Here are some tips:

Tips for Controlling Your Pet’s Shedding

By Langley Cornwell

There was a time, a long time ago, when I naïvely thought that pet shedding was seasonal. I used to think there was a magical time in the not-so-distant future when I wouldn’t have to dust, sweep or vacuum every day. I used to hope that a furtive glance at the corners of our home wouldn’t reveal dust bunnies big enough to scare the dogs.

I’ve come to accept that pet hair all over the house, our furniture and my clothing is a fact of life. As I commiserate with family and friends, it’s apparent that while some dog and cat breeds have longer hair or thicker coats or heavier undercoats, they all still shed. Sure, some shed more than others… but they all shed hair, and it’s a nuisance.

Since we can’t stop our pets from shedding, it’s good to learn ways to reduce loose dog and cat hair from swirling around our homes.          

Dogs and cats shed for the same reason that humans do: to get rid of damaged, old or excess hair. My fantasies of seasonal shedding were not totally pipe dreams; it’s true that animals grow a thicker coat in the winter months to help insulate them from the cold. Then when summertime comes, they shed the extra hair to stay cooler. But that’s not the whole story. Pets also shed damaged hair throughout their lifetime. And if your pet happens to have any type of skin conditions, allergies or irritations, they may shed excessively.

There are steps you can take to keep your cat or dog’s skin and hair healthy and reduce the quantity of excess pet hair in your home.

How to Bring Out the Best in Your Dog

By Langley Cornwell

What? Your dog is perfect? Well then, move along. There’s nothing for you to learn here. But if you’re like me, there are things we could do to make our dogs happier and our lives easier. It’s a simple concept, really. It all starts with determining what “type” of dog you have and then tailoring your activities to suit them.

Dogs generally fall into broad categories like couch potato, exercise nut, curious intellectual and loner. By accommodating their natural tendencies, you will bring out the best in your dog.

Couch Potato

Our newest dog is a complete couch potato; his idea of a good time is snuggling on the sofa all day. Because of this, I don’t expect him to be the outstanding athlete that our (loner) other dog is. Even so, we know it’s important to make sure he gets some sort of daily exercise and mental stimulation, but we don’t push him to run laps around the ball field. When we’re settled in for the evening, if we make sure there’s plenty of space on the couch for him to be near one of us, he’s happy. With regular, low stress walks and loads of personal interaction, we’re bringing out the best in this dog.

Loner

Our other dog definitely falls into the category of being a loner. When we’re all snuggled on the couch, she’s either at the far end, with plenty of personal space, or she’s on a bed in another room. She’s a happy dog and we interact with her a good bit, but when it’s quiet time, she wants to be left alone. According to Modern Dog Magazine, loner-type dogs do well with activities that reinforce a solid and dependable relationship with you.

Do Dogs Understand Human Speech?

By Langley Cornwell

Most dog people believe that their pets can understand them; some say their pets are in tune with their moods and emotions, and some even go so far as to say that their pets understand their actual words.

Nonetheless, scientists have yet to conclusively determine how much human speech dogs can truly understand. If you have a dog, you know they are able to link sounds with actions (let’s go for a walk, get in the car, lay down, shake, bow, etc.) but they struggle with concepts. For example, if you say, “Go get a toy” the dog will do just that. But if you have a ball and a rope side by side and you say, “Go get the rope” the dog may have a hard time determining which toy you are asking for.

There are exceptions to this. In fact, my friend’s yellow lab has 5 Frisbees, each a different color. If you tell her to get the pink one, she does. Likewise, if you ask her to bring you the red one, she does. Clearly, my friend’s dog displays a high level of cognition. And all of this is without any training!

Research confirms that dogs can functionally understand and use concepts like larger and different with a good bit of training with high value rewards like Canidae Pure Heaven treats, but my friend’s dog simply has this ability. Most dogs can label objects but have problems with differences like color or size (bring me the red Frisbee, bring me the big ball).

A well-known experiment conducted by German researchers confirmed that a Border Collie named Rico had a vocabulary of over 200 words. The researchers started by validating Rico’s vocabulary in a controlled setting. To do this, they collected 10 items Rico was familiar with. They had Rico’s owner issue a verbal command for the dog to fetch a specific item from another room. Rico performed this task perfectly. Next, the researchers wanted to take the experiment a step further so they placed another item –  one that was unfamiliar to Rico – among the familiar items. The owner requested the new item by name, even though Rico didn’t know the name of the item, and Rico brought the new item back to his owner.

How to Help Dogs with Compulsive Pica

By Langley Cornwell

We’ve all laughed over the old excuse “the dog ate my homework,” but even a phrase as innocent as that might not be funny to someone whose dog has compulsive pica.

Pica is characterized by a desire to consume substances that are non-nutritive, and it can affect not only dogs but also cats, as Julia covered in her article Does Your Cat Eat Strange Things? In fact, people can suffer from pica, too.

The first dog I had as an adult—a rescued black lab—had pica and I didn’t know it. When she was 10 years old she got very sick. My regular vet and an emergency vet had no idea what was wrong and, surprisingly, multiple x-rays revealed nothing. I lived in a college town with a well-respected veterinary school, so my vet took my dog to the school for examination. After more fluid-bags and pills than I could count, with my sweet baby barely hanging on, my vet said the only thing he could do was exploratory surgery.

I still credit that vet with saving Sadie’s life. Apparently she had an extreme case of pica. He had a quart-sized bag full of treasures that he found in my dog’s intestinal tract, including seashells, twist ties, rocks and the finger of a garden glove. He said her system had probably done a good job of passing these things in the past, but what got her in trouble this time was a pinecone with a piece of twine wrapped around it. The piece of twine was long and prohibited the pinecone from passing through.

Geocaching with Your Dog

By Langley Cornwell

When I was young, I used to love scavenger hunts. I think I was first introduced to hunts at Girl Scout Camp and from then on, I was hooked. I remember asking my parents to organize a scavenger hunt for my birthday party that year and the trend took off. Several of my friends followed suit, and we had loads of fun racing around gathering random things. Eventually we got too cool to run around the neighborhood gathering stuff, and the scavenger hunt craze fizzled out among my pals.

I had not given my scavenging days much thought until I ran across an article about Geocaching. According to The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Website, geocaching is a free real-world outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Players try to navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location. Players may then share their experiences with an online community of cachers. Currently, there are about 122,615 active caches in more than 210 countries.

Geocaching is a compound word including GEO for geography, and CACHING, which refers to the process of hiding a cache. This is not to be confused with cache in computer terms, which usually refers to information stored in memory to make it faster to retrieve. In this context, cache refers to a term that is also used in hiking/camping as a hiding place for concealing and preserving provisions. Geocaching containers are usually weather-resistant vessels holding a logbook along with an array of coins, plastic toys, key chains and other small items for trade.

Top 5 Magazines for Dog Lovers

By Langley Cornwell

There are many dog magazines available today, and the mix is interesting. Some are just traditional ink and paper publications with no online presence, some have traditional and online offerings and some are simply online magazines/blogs. So whichever way you like to receive your information, there’s a dog magazine for you.

In this lineup I’ve only included general dog magazines. If you’re looking for a breed-specific magazine, there are plenty to choose from. Here are five dog magazines that I think are worth reading.

Best Friends Magazine 

A publication from the respected Best Friend’s Animal Society —the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary— this general-interest animal magazine is as impressive as the organization itself. The bi-monthly publication is filled with important information, tips and advice, heartwarming stories and beautiful photographs. This is a subscription-based magazine that you’ll receive for making a nominal donation to Best Friends. What I love about this magazine and this organization is that all of the proceeds from the publication support the animals at the Sanctuary. Further, it helps Best Friends’ mission to reach a time when there are no more homeless pets. That’s a mission I can stand behind.

Modern Dog Magazine

With a strong online presence as well as a thriving traditional publication, Modern Dog magazine reaches the masses. They tout themselves as the best dog magazine ever and I know people who say the same thing. This truly is a lifestyle magazine with charming features, health and wellness articles and advice from veterinarians, dog trainers and behaviorists. There are DIY craft projects as well as reviews of the myriad dog-targeted products. They get a lot of celebrities and their dogs as cover models. The blog-style online magazine is a go-to for many animal lovers.    

Why Do Dogs Love Some Dogs and Hate Others?

By Langley Cornwell

Dogs are amazing creatures. The amount of information they can discern in a short amount of time is really something. I have a friend whose dog, Sally, is like a cartoon character; everything the dog does is exaggerated. Seriously, this dog should have her own reality show! She’s like the Joan Rivers of canines. She knows in an instant if she likes or dislikes another dog, and she lets you – and the other dog – know it.

To give you the entire picture, I’ll start with the dog. Sally is a seven year-old mixed breed from a shelter. My friend has had her since she was 10 months old. The dog lives in a single-dog household with two cats. She gets along wonderfully with the cats, but my friend has been reluctant to adopt another dog because she can never anticipate how Sally will react to other dogs.

When she’s out walking Sally and another dog approaches, Sally can immediately tell if she likes the other dog or not. My friend works hard on breathing calmly and not communicating anything from the other end of the leash. It doesn’t matter what my friend does, though. Sally will make a snap judgment. She’ll bow up with her hackles raised and begin to bark threateningly, or she’ll drag my friend over to the other dog with her head lowered and her tail wagging in a friendly manner.

Her decision is immediate and unwavering. What’s more, Sally can make her assessment from great distances and it seems to have nothing to do with how the other dog is responding to her. In fact, sometimes she’s sized up the other dog before the other dog even notices Sally and my friend approaching.

When I pitched this article idea, Diane at CANIDAE responded by saying that her dog, Breezie, also instantly decides if she likes or hates another dog, and Diane has no idea why. Other friends have shared similar experiences, so I was curious about what the experts would say.

Coolest (Craziest?) Cat-Themed Decorations

By Langley Cornwell

There’s a gal in our neighborhood who is a self-proclaimed crazy cat lady. Of course, so am I, and we have a good time comparing the many over-the-top things we do for our feline friends. There is one area where she beats me hands-down, however. It’s her house. She has the wildest cat-themed decorations I’ve ever seen. Some are very cool and some can only be described as pure crazy… in a good way.

She wears cat earrings and has a cat scarf. Her house is resplendent with cat artwork - mainly paintings and prints but she does have some cool photography. She also has interesting cat statues. Her office desk is cluttered (don’t tell her I said that) with cat-themed desk accessories. Her kitchen has a soap dispenser in the shape of a cat but one of my favorite things is the cat butt magnets on her refrigerator. In fact, there’s even a hairball magnet. If you ask me, that’s funny.

I asked some online friends if they had cat-themed decorations in their homes. I was surprised at some of their answers.

Lots of friends collect cat figurines. Wendy has cat collectibles as well as a cat door mat and a cat throw. She has a black cat good luck token that her landlady brought her from Ireland that sits above the door frame between the dining room and the kitchen. She also has a cat curtain in her front window (which she says is actually a valance). I’ve never seen feline window treatments so I’d say that qualifies as, well, crazy. Thanks for sharing, Wendy.

Almost everyone who responded to my query has cat-decorated drinking mugs. Cate collects figurines and has blankets with cats on them. Virginia no longer has cats, but she has cat ornaments for her Christmas tree that reminds her of them each year. Sweet.

Debbie has a “wrought iron cat that wiggles and wobbles.” I’d like to see that.

Should I Adopt Two Adult Cats at the Same Time?

By Langley Cornwell

My mother-in-law recently decided to add a heartbeat or two to her solitary life. We went to the animal shelter with her because she wanted our advice and moral support. I’m amazed that my husband and I didn’t come home with another four-legged family member, but that’s beside the point.

She set out to adopt an adult cat because she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to keep up with a kitten or adolescent cat’s high energy level. What’s more, we know that adult cats are harder to place and, as a rule, we try to help the animals like that.

When we entered the shelter, we told the staff what we were there for. They offered helpful advice on various adoptable cats that fit her criteria. After a brief conversation, we walked the aisles, surveying the available cats and watching my mother-in-law’s reactions. It was during this time that the shelter manager approached us and started in with her targeted and compassionate sales pitch. Mind you, this is the same shelter that has – thankfully - talked my husband and me into many pets that we didn’t intend to bring home. They’re good, very good!

We all know that adults and especially children gravitate towards the kittens and puppies in a shelter. Let’s face it, older animals just don’t radiate the same cuteness that the snuggly little kittens and puppies do, so adult animals often get ignored. Even so, there are real and measurable benefits to adding an adult pet (or two) to your family.

Photographing Dogs and Cats– Which is Easier?

By Langley Cornwell

As you might imagine, I am one of those people who takes crazy amounts of pictures of our dogs and our cat. Now that so many cell phones have decent cameras, it’s easy to capture those precious moments.

What got me thinking about this was an article I read in Catster. The writer volunteers as a photographer at her local animal shelter. In the article, she chronicles her change of mind – at first she preferred photographing dogs but eventually came to enjoy cat photography more. With dogs, she liked the camaraderie and thought her photos were better with natural lighting and nice outdoor backgrounds. When she ventured into the cat room to take pictures, there was too much commotion. She couldn’t get a cat to sit still long enough to snap a good shot. And, when she got lucky and captured one of the elusive creatures on camera, the backgrounds were cluttered with litter boxes, cages, supplies, and maybe a few bags of CANIDAE Life Stages cat food, all lit by severe fluorescent lighting.

Then one day the shelter manager hung up a donated blanket and two heat lamps in an effort to spiff up the cat photos. The photographer mentally rolled her eyes, thinking there was no way a cat would sit in front of that thing long enough to have her picture taken. She was wrong. In fact, she now believes that cats intuitively know what she is trying to do and pose for the camera.

Teaching Pet Safety Rules to Kids

By Langley Cornwell

The dogs we share our lives with now have never been around young children. The one time that my sister-in-law brought her grandchild to our home, our dogs cowered in the corner of our bedroom during their entire visit.

If we are out taking a walk with our dogs and a young child runs towards us, we step between the child and the dog and divert the kid’s attention. We’re just not sure what would happen. Since we aren’t around kids often, we have not properly socialized our dogs in that area, and I’m sure we’re not the only ones.

In order to avoid any potential issues, why not err on the side of caution? If you are a parent of young children, it’s important to teach them sound pet safety rules.

If your child is approached by a strange dog

In these circumstances, it’s important to teach your kid to:

• Stand tall and firm, like a tree.
• Keep her hands down at her sides.
• Stare straight ahead. Don’t look at the dog. If your child looks into the dog’s eyes, the dog may interpret that as an invitation to fight.
• Stay still, never try to run away. Dogs have a prey drive and love to chase moving objects, even children.
• Keep quiet. Calling for help or screaming out of fear may scare the dog.
• When the dog loses interest, back away slowly, one step at a time.

If your child follows these steps, most dogs will simply take a few curious sniffs and then turn away. Still, it’s important to let your child know what to do if she is ever attacked by a dog. If the unthinkable happens and a dog attacks, your child must curl up in a tight ball and cover her face with her hands.

How to Reduce Unnecessary Dog Barking

By Langley Cornwell

We just moved into a new home. As is always the case, the move was filled with highlights and lowlights; for us and for our pets. The dogs seem to have made the adjustment the quickest, with one exception: they bark a lot. I guess they are reacting to the smells and noises they are not accustomed to, but it is seriously driving me crazy. I can only imagine what our neighbors think of “the new kids on the block!”

Because I work from home, it’s fairly easy for me to get up and let them come inside so the neighbors (and I) can enjoy some peace and quiet. But one of the reasons we moved to this house in the first place was so the dogs could have a proper back yard to hang around in. I needed help, so I went on a quest to learn how to reduce my dogs’ unnecessary barking. The problem, however, is that there are so many different recommendations for how to handle this specific situation, and some of them sound downright inhumane.

It took me a good bit of research before I settled on a tactic. I think Modern Dog Magazine is a reputable source, so I’m trying the method recommended by guest contributor Stanley Coren, Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia and author of many books about dogs, including Pawprints of History and How to Speak Dog. Coren starts by telling you what not to do quell unnecessary dog barking (even though it is sometimes tempting). He says not to yell “stop barking” or “no” or anything similar when your dog tunes up. Apparently when you shout, your dog interprets your sharp voice as a bark, as if you are joining the canine chorus. The dog will assume you condone his actions and may even ramp up the volume.

Coren explains that wild canine adults do not bark much because silence is necessary when hunting; noises may alert potential prey to the pack’s whereabouts and scare the evening’s dinner away. Pups and adolescents in the wild have not yet learned the necessity of quiet hunting and may bark at inappropriate times. When adolescents accompany their elders on a hunt and sound off unnecessarily, a dominant wolf will place his mouth over the pup’s muzzle, firmly but without actually biting, and issue a soft growl that can only be heard nearby. The young canine understands this signal and gets quiet quickly.

Why Does My Cat Play Rough?

By Langley Cornwell

Our cat is a great hunter as well as an affectionate family man. As an avid animal lover, it’s hard to appreciate it when he proudly presents a wounded or dead “gift” to me and then waits expectantly for my approval. I do my best, and also make sure that he has a loud ringing bell on his collar – just to level the playing field.

Many times when we are lounging on the sofa and our sweet cat is resting on my lap, I’ll mindlessly start stroking between his ears. Sometimes he purrs so loudly and contently that I can’t hear the television. We are both enjoying relaxation time. Then, without warning he’ll suddenly swat at me or quickly twist and nip at my hand. I always know he doesn’t mean to hurt me but I’m still perplexed by his actions. I mean, if we are both completely kicked back, why would he want to change the mood so abruptly?

Apparently there is a direct correlation between high prey instincts and rough play. Cats that have a very high play-prey instinct can get excited quickly and will sometimes gently attack your hands, fingers, feet, legs, etc.

Kittens and adolescent cats often engage in energetic, rough play; feline play consists of mock aggression which helps young cats hone their physical coordination and their social skills. Cats have a good time stalking, chasing, scratching, pouncing and biting one another.

As I suspected, when cats with a high play-prey instinct get overexcited during petting time and start to nibble at your fingers and hands, the cat is not being aggressive. In fact, some people refer to these nibbles and nips as love bites.

The Highest Paid Animal Actors

Rin Tin Tin in the 1929 film Frozen River

By Langley Cornwell

Animals don't really care about money, but nevertheless, when it comes to animal actors, they do indeed get paid. Some animal actors receive a hefty fee for their performances, and that pay would make any human drool. Who are the highest paid animal actors? Check these out.

Rin Tin Tin the Dog 

This beloved pooch starred in 26 films for Warner Brothers and commanded a cool $6,000 each week. In today's money, that would equal $78,000 per week! With that income, he could feed himself and thousands of his friends a healthy diet of CANIDAE dog food. Rin Tin Tin earned Warner Brothers so much money, in fact, that he was responsible for bringing the studio back from the brink of bankruptcy in 1930. Rin Tin Tin was a German shepherd dog that was rescued from a battlefield during World War I by an American soldier named Lee Duncan. Duncan trained "Rinty," his pet name for his dog. Rin Tin Tin became a beloved movie icon and was rumored to have received the most votes for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1929, but the Academy would only give the award to a human. The original Rin Tin Tin died in 1932. (Read more about this famous animal actor in The True Story of Rin Tin Tin).

Keiko the Whale

This killer whale made a killing financially, thanks to his depiction of Willy in the Free Willy films. He earned a grand total of over $36 million for his role! Eventually, Keiko gained his own freedom in 2002, as he was returned to the open ocean. Sadly, Keiko died in 2003 in Norway from a bout with pneumonia, but his work lives on after his passing.

Frank Inn, Hollywood Animal Trainer Extraordinaire

By Langley Cornwell

This guy is such an inspiration to me! I’d love to have a chat with him, but since he died in 2002 at the age of 86, I’ll have to settle for reading and writing about him. To catch you up, here are a few facts about Frank Inn:

He was a pioneering animal trainer who turned shelter pets into movie stars.

The animals that Frank Inn trained won 40 PATSY Awards, which is the animal kingdom's equivalent of the Oscar. Three of the animals he trained won the award multiple times.

This legendary animal trainer was the first inductee into the International Association of Canine Professionals' Hall of Fame.

One of the most recognized 4-legged movie stars that Inn created was Higgins, of Petticoat Junction and Benji fame. Other animals he trained included:

• Francis the Talking Mule

• Orangey the Cat (Rhubarb in Rhubarb, and Cat in Breakfast at Tiffany's

• Bernadette the Dog (Cleopatra on Jackie Cooper's TV series The People's Choice

• Arnold Ziffel, the pig on Green Acres 

• All of Elly Mae Clampett's animals on The Beverly Hillbillies

• The chimpanzees that starred in the children's TV show Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp

Frank Inn was known to visit animal shelters and take home healthy pets to keep them from being euthanized. There was a time when Inn and his assistants had over 1,000 animals in their care. The feeding bills alone came to more than $400 per day.

Do You Live in a Cat-Friendly City?

By Langley Cornwell

I know, I know. Not many of us actually travel with our cats. Still, we read so much about dog-friendly cities, restaurants and parks, etc., that I thought it was time to study up on cat-friendly cities. And besides, I’m not really writing about cat-friendly cities to visit with your feline friend; I’m writing about cities that have a high-quality level of veterinary care and have strong local, cat-friendly laws and regulations.

Because as omnipresent as dogs may be, my cat never misses an opportunity to remind me that cats rule the world. If sheer numbers were the deciding factor, then my cat would be right: in America, cats outnumber dogs by over 10 million. That’s nearly 89 million cats sharing our homes and hearts in the United States.

The CATalyst Council is a newly-formed coalition that is singly focused on feline issues. In fact, their vision and mission, as stated on their website, is to ensure all cats are valued and cared for as pets. They go on to say: This will be accomplished by raising the level of care and welfare of cats, supported by the highest quality veterinary care, preventative medicine and cat specific products. That’s a noble and cat-approved undertaking.

This council is made up of academics, nonprofits, doctors from the veterinary community, and industry and animal welfare organizations. In an effort to shine a light on cat healthcare and establish a higher level of standardized feline care nationwide, the CATalyst Council assembled a list of cat-friendly cities.

Dan Kramer, senior marketing manager of industry relations for Pfizer Animal Health and chair of the CATalyst Council says “Cats really are America’s number one companion. Our goal is to recognize and celebrate why cats are such popular companions. We applaud the efforts of these major metropolitan areas for providing a wealth of resources for cats and their owners along with their earned accolade of being one of America’s Top Cat-Friendly Cities.”