She thawed and saw a pussy cat. Now pet expert is taking your questions.
By Arden Moore
Once people find out what I do for a living, they unleash their questions. Why does my dog…? How can I get my cat to stop…? No place is off limits when it comes to fielding pet queries — weddings, supermarket lines and even public bathrooms.
A friend jokingly called me Dr. Doo — short for Doctor Doolittle — due to the number of times she has witnessed me walk through solutions with a confused cat owner or a frustrated dog owner.
Of course, I’m not a doctor. I don’t even play one on TV. But I am a pet expert who has worked with the very best in the fields of veterinary medicine and companion animal behavior. I’ve hosted dog parties on CNN, prepared marvelous mutt meatballs on Fox and offered insights into the three pet P’s: pee, poop and puke during two national book tours that included stops in West Palm Beach and Boynton Beach.
I first arrived in Palm Beach County in 1988 — this month — grateful to thaw from yet-another bitter Chicago winter. Brought my leash-walking cat Samantha and let a street cat named Little Guy talk me into adopting him off my porch in Lantana. For the next nine years, I carved out bylines as a reporter for the Sun-Sentinel in the Delray Beach office with a view of steady traffic on I-95. I covered space shuttles and Super Bowls, Palm Beach schools and far too many parades in my quest for bylines. Ended up swapping the small home in Lantana for a bigger one in Lake Worth before opting to relocate to San Diego and launch my career in pets.
Today, I happily share my Oceanside, Calif., home with a furry fab four of second-chance pets — and one overworked vacuum cleaner.
My dogs, Chipper (a golden retriever-husky mix) and Cleo (a miniature poodle-basset hound mix — confirmed by a DNA test) live by the motto “have leash, will travel.” My cat, Murphy, lives by the modified motto “have leash, will lead.” My other cat, Callie, is the one with Florida roots, having been plucked off Biscayne Boulevard in Miami 14 years ago.
My ties to South Florida remain strong. So when The Coastal Star editors talked me into penning this pet column, I responded like an obedient Lab and eagerly said yes. Each time I return, I feel back at home.
Now that I have shared who I am, I hope to hear from you and what frustrates and fascinates you about why your dogs and cats do what they do. Let me unleash practical tips and tactics to improve harmony in your pet household. The legendary Doctor Doolittle could talk to the animals. I’m here to deliver straight talk to you. Together, we can make Palm Beach County a place that is truly going to the dogs … and cats.
Animal behavior consultant Arden Moore hosts “Oh Behave!” on Pet Life Radio.com.
Contact her at arden@ardenmoore.com.
Comments
Grrrr-eat headline for my debut column. Or, should I say, purr-fect prose! Paws Up! Arden