The Truth About Cats and Dogs

* The vast majority of animal actors live in the (805) area code on ranches or compounds.

* Animals almost always have understudies and doubles, sometimes triples and quadruples. Cats are always cast in teams of two to six.

* Animals don’t get residuals.

* Cats have different eating styles. The ideal TV commercial cat eats with mouth wide open (versus many cats who eat by licking their food like an ice cream cone), with eyes wide open (versus many who savor the flavor with eyes closed) and from the middle of the bowl (versus delicately beginning at the perimeter and working their way in). There are (human) adults who actually sit around conference tables discussing this.

* About dog character: Nicole Rosenthal, the photographer who shot the dogs-in-sunglasses fashion spread in the May issue of Detour magazine agrees, “We were working with amateur dogs and it was definitely all about the owner. The more hyper the owner, the more hyper the dog. Mellow owner, mellow dog.”

* When working with the big cats, larger primates or wild animals, some trainers insist (while others dismiss it) that you should never wear perfume. Many fragrances contain animal oils with pheromones in them that can confuse and agitate the animal. You run the risk of being mauled or mounted.

* You should be careful not to wear loose-fitting clothing that the animal will want to grab and play with. Wool, leather and shearling clothing can also present a problem around predators.

* Day rates for animals do not include the trainer/wrangler (who work by the hour), transportation or prep time (which can take days or weeks depending). The production company pays for the insurance. Approximate daily rates (they vary from company, job and bid):

Star dog: $300

Dog double: $200

Cat team (2 to 6): $325 to $350

Trick horse: $350 (plus trainer)

Stunt horse: $350 (plus trainer)

Cast horse: $150 (plus wrangler)

Driving horses: $125 (plus wrangler)

Pigs: $250

Elephant: $1,500

* Brooke Shields is allergic to her canine co-star Wally who plays Judd Nelson’s shar pei, Moe, on “Suddenly Susan.” She likes the dog quite a bit, but she has to be wiped down thoroughly every time he licks her. Since his part and character require a happy licky dog, this is a problem. But, she’s recently started taking allergy medication to make it easier.

* The animal actor industry sees dark days ahead with the advent of computer-generated images. “It won’t hurt my business now because we’re established,” says Phil Smith of Phil’s Livestock, “but the young guys coming up are really going to feel it.”

* Trainers and wranglers are serviced through Teamsters Local 399.