Q: We have an unusual cat. Willie likes to get wet. He never
minds taking a bath, and he even runs into the sprinklers. Have you
ever heard of a cat that actually seems to enjoy getting wet?
Q:
We have an unusual cat. Willie likes to get wet. He never minds taking a bath, and he even runs into the sprinklers. Have you ever heard of a cat that actually seems to enjoy getting wet?
A:
Cats like Willie aren’t really rare, but they are very entertaining. A lot of clients have told me about their water-loving kitties. And I have to say some of their stories border on the unbelievable. One person told me that his cat actually could turn on the water in the bathroom sink when he wanted to get a drink. Trouble is, he told me, his smart kitty hadn’t learned the importance of water conservation. He always left the water running after he’d quench his thirst.
Q:
Please tell your readers about the hazards of dogs eating their owner’s prescription drugs. Our poodle Tina almost died after chewing on a bottle of my prescription medication and swallowing a few of the pills. It was a harrowing and expensive night at the emergency clinic.
A:
Most dogs are curious by nature. They’ll taste anything, and usually they’ll eat it. We’ve talked before about the seasonal dangers of garden poisons and fertilizers. But Tina’s near-death experience happens all too often. Dogs (and sometimes cats) like to eat whatever their human companion consumes. And that can include medications. So always keep your medication in a cabinet.
Here’s a funny story to go with this. I have a friend who reached for his Viagra pills in the dark of the evening. Trouble was, he had put his medications on the same shelf as his dog’s antibiotics, and mistakenly took one of his dog’s pills. Fortunately, the dog’s medication was harmless so all he did was worry for a few hours. But now, you can bet that his dog’s prescriptions are kept in a separate cabinet.
Q:
How many pets can a person keep on their property? Our neighbor feeds a lot of wild cats and some of them are really sick. There are about 20 of them most of the time and I’m worried that my cats will catch some disease if I let mine outside.
A:
Sounds as though your neighbor has a good heart, but doesn’t know that free-feeding feral cats can create big problems. And you have good reason to be concerned about some potential diseases these ferals could give to your kitties. Ask your neighbor to contact the local Animal Control office to get information on the feral cat sterilization program. And if your neighbor won’t do that, you should check to find out what can be legally done about this problem. In the meantime, you might want to keep your cats inside to avoid health problems.
Q:
Our neighbor has a trap set to catch wild cats which he takes to the vet for spay or neuter. Lately, he’s caught at least 2 raccoons, and he’s really disgusted. I told him that if he left food out all of the time, I knew he’d have problems. Did he learn? No, he still has the trap out there with food in it.
A:
Tell your friend that he needs to look into the rules about trapping wildlife. Trapping and relocating raccoons can be illegal.
Furthermore, he’s lucky that he hasn’t trapped other animals, even a skunk. They love to show up at homes where there’s a free meal. And you can bet that getting a skunk out of any trap is not easy.
Q:
I heard you talking on the radio about cows and said they are given a magnet. Is that true or did I hear something else? If so, whatever for?
A:
You heard right. Cows aren’t careful when they eat and they pick up almost anything on the ground. In pastures or in the hills, they can pick up pieces of metal, such as old nails or even broken bits of barbed wire. This metal moves around in the stomach, and may scratch and irritate the stomach wall as food is digested.
But once in a while a piece may poke through the stomach, then through the diaphragm and into the chest. Cows with this condition (“hardware disease”) become chronically ill. The worst case scenario occurs when the metal moves even further and perforates the pericardium, the sac that surrounds the heart. This condition can quickly become fatal.
But all of this is preventable. A magnet about the size of a man’s thumb can easily be given to a cow with an instrument called a speculum. Interestingly enough, the magnet never leaves the stomach. And once it’s in place, those pieces of metal stick to it and can’t penetrate the stomach wall. A magnet is a really simple and inexpensive way to prevent a possible catastrophe.
Now, here’s a quiz for you. Let’s say a farmer buys a cow. How can he or she determine if that cow already has a magnet in its stomach? Think about it and I’ll have the answer in our next column.
