Cats retain many behaviors of their wild ancestors. As predators, they have strength, agility, speed, and keen senses to catch prey effectively. Owners can help their feline friends express these natural skills during mealtimes. Food enrichment provides physical and behavioral well-being for the cat and enjoyment for the family.
Feed part of the daily meal or special treats when using the following tools. Many diets, including prescription, can be used for enrichment with either wet or dry foods.

• Put food on a paper plate and it slides around a smooth floor. The cat keeps moving to “catch” the food.
• Spread food onto a silicone potholder to provide nooks and crannies for extra licking. Place the potholder on the floor or hang it on a wall.
• Commercial feeders can be purchased online or at pet stores that enable canned food feeding. 

Dry food can be placed in puzzles since cats bat, push, and move about to get the food to fall out

• Fold toilet paper tubes stuffed with kibble for pushing, swatting, and chewing.
• Stand paper tubes upright and pack them tightly inside a box for paw scooping.
• Cut paw-sized holes and strips in the top of a shallow box or a clear container for batting and scooping.
• Many commercial puzzles available for small dogs work well for cats. Put lots of kibble in the puzzle to help novice cats be successful.

Hide and seek because cats use the sense of smell to find food

• Filled puzzle feeders can be hidden within a room or house to encourage the cat to find them.
• Use a wand cat toy to play, then direct the cat to the hidden food.
• Scatter kibble on cat trees, shelves, behind plants, and couches. Start with easy hides in a small room and increase the search difficulty as the cat improves.

Interactive games build a better bond

• Wand toys can be used to play and direct the cat during the hide and seek game.
• Clicker training is a great way to feed meals and teach healthcare behaviors.
• Let your cat watch you fill the puzzle and sit with them while they work.
• Quickly slide a piece of kibble across a smooth floor for running and pouncing fun.

Safety Tips
Supervise pet interactions when using these in a multi-pet household.
Observe your cat during food enrichment to be sure they don’t get stuck, injured, or become frustrated.
Small meals in feeders prevent gulping and may lessen vomiting.

Credit: VIN
Sherrie Yuschak, RVT, VTS (Behavior), KPA-CTP
Revised: May 24, 2024
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Feather destructive behavior (also called feather picking) happens when birds damage their feathers with their beak. This is not a disease by itself, but a symptom of an underlying problem. Feather picking can cause baldness, and in severe cases it can damage underlying tissues. It is widespread among captive parrots, especially grey parrots and cockatoos, but any pet bird can be affected.
Left unchecked, feather picking has serious consequences. Besides causing baldness or a lack of nice feathers, feather picking affects a bird’s ability to keep itself warm, can cause bleeding, infections, and permanent damage to the feather follicle, thus preventing normal regrowth. This can progress to an obsessive-compulsive disorder, making treatment much more difficult.      
Causes
Feather picking is a consequence of captivity. This behavior is much less common in wild birds. The conditions of captivity provide less stimulation than a bird has in the wild, where they spend their time avoiding predators, exploring their environment, socializing, etc. A bird may feather pick in response to decreased levels of mental and social stimulation. 
Causes are divided into medical and non-medical. Several can contribute to feather picking at the same time. While not listed below, any disease that causes pain, discomfort, irritation or itch can be a medical cause.
Non-medical causes

• Environmental
  •    nutritional deficiency
  •    airborne and/or topical toxins
  •    low humidity
  •    small cage or poor cage design
  •    overcrowding
  •    social isolation
  •    unable to perform natural behaviors
  •    hand-rearing and improper socialization
  •    unpredictable environment
    
    
• Behavioral
  •    individual personality
  •    boredom
  •    stress
  •    anxiety or phobia
  •    sleep deprivation
  •    attention-seeking behavior

 Medical Causes

• Primary feather and skin diseases
  •    viral diseases
  •    bacterial or fungal skin infections
  •    feather dysplasia (abnormal feather growth)
  •    allergies - although this is poorly understood

Recognizing Feather Picking in your Bird
Any feather your bird can reach is fair game, although the chest, undersurface of the wing and inner thigh are most commonly affected. Feathers on the head and neck are unaffected because their beak cannot reach these areas. To spot changes as soon as possible, be familiar with what your bird’s feathers and general appearance normally look like as well as what they should look like. Your bird’s feathers should be tidy and sleek. If you notice any broken feathers or bald spots, consult your veterinarian.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing the underlying cause(s) of feather picking can be a long process and requires excellent cooperation between you and your veterinarian. With non-medical causes so common, it is important to provide your veterinarian with a thorough history of your bird’s behavior and environment. This helps your veterinarian rule in or out possible causes. In addition, your veterinarian will perform a physical examination and an assessment of your bird.
Once your veterinarian has a good list of possible causes, they may decide further specific tests are needed. These can include bloodwork, x-rays, skin biopsies, and more. These tests are tailored to your individual bird.
Treatment
Realistically, eliminating feather picking in each bird is not possible. Feather picking is a complex problem with different contributing factors. A reduction in the amount of feather picking can be considered a success.
The basis for several treatment strategies is to provide your bird with healthy, more desirable alternatives to feather picking. Feather picking serves a purpose to your bird. It can help birds cope with boredom, stress, anxiety and other unpleasant feelings. Treatment plans are designed to address the underlying reason of why your bird is picking. How they do so should be tailored to your bird and your lifestyle. The most impressive treatment plans will fail if they cannot be carried out.     
Different Therapeutic Strategies

•  Medical treatment depends on the cause
•  Environmental enrichment
  • Foraging so the bird has to physically and mentally work to get food
  • Physical objects for play such as toys, swings, ladders, mirrors
  • Physical space to allow flying, running, swimming
  • Sensory enrichment to use bird’s sense of sight, hearing, smell and touch, such as having a “Room with a view,” background noises, videos, cage proximity to people
  • Social interaction with other birds and people, even indirectly by seeing and hearing others or directly with a cage mate
  • Encourage problem solving, learning, and controlling some feature in the bird's environment
  • Free flight in house

A lot of work and time go into creating a treatment plan and carrying it out. It is important to work closely with your veterinarian. Some strategies are slowly introduced to prevent over-stimulation, stress, and other risks. Depending on your bird’s response and what works best, your treatment plan will change as time goes on.
Temporary Fixes
Temporary measures that reduce feather picking include Elizabethan collars, neck braces, fabric jackets or vests, and applying foul-tasting substances to the areas being picked. These tactics are not solutions. Your bird is still upset, agitated, or sick and will feather pick if given the chance. 
Prognosis
Feather picking requires a fair amount of persistence and patience from both the owner and veterinarian. Despite an excellent treatment plan and teamwork, success may mean only a reduction of feather picking rather than eliminating it entirely. Catching it early improves the chance of success.   

Credit: VIN
​Stephanie Cruz-Rincon, Veterinary Student Class of 2023
Published July 21, 2020

Any insect or spider can cause problems if they bite or sting your pet. A bite or sting can cause swelling, redness, and itching. Some animals can have an allergic reaction to a sting or bite that may result in a range of symptoms: mild to severe hives, facial swelling, vomiting, difficulty breathing, or even collapse. Some spider bites can lead to extensive skin necrosis (skin death) which may need treatment or surgery. Contact a veterinarian right away if your pet is showing signs of an allergic reaction. Reactions can be severe and may require emergency treatment.

What to Do:
European honey bee courtesy of Natalie Rowe If the stinger can be found, scrape it out with a credit card or other stiff material. Alternatively, use tweezers by grasping the stinger, which is located below the venom sac. Studies have shown that speed is of the essence in removing the stinger. If the only way is to pinch it and remove it, then do so. You'll do more good than harm and you'll get the stinger out faster. Don't worry about squeezing more venom into the area - this has been disproven.      Apply cool compresses to the area 3-4 times daily for 3-4 days.   To help neutralize some of the acidic venom, apply a paste mixture of baking soda and water to the sting area. Prevent your pet from licking at the area by using an Elizabethan collar (cone) to prevent further trauma to the area. In short-faced/brachycephalic breeds like pugs, boxers, etc., facial swelling can lead to damage to the eyes. Have your veterinarian examine your pet and prevent rubbing on carpet, furniture, etc.
​ What NOT to Do:
Mosquito Do not administer any medications without first contacting your veterinarian or a veterinary emergency hospital. The veterinarian may need to examine your pet before recommending medications.

Credit: VIN
​​Roger Gfeller, DVM, DACVECC; Michael Thomas, DVM; Isaac Mayo; The VIN Emergency Medicine Consultants
Revised: August 01, 2023
Published: December 31, 1994
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