Spring has sprung! The bulbs are pushing up through warmer dirt, my pomegranate tree is springing leaves and the snow is melting in the mountains. Spring brings us many joys but also brings some annoying and dangerous things for our animals. Being the vet that I am, I must warn you about them.
Say “No!” to lilies
Even the tiniest bit of lily can fry a cat’s kidneys. ALL LILIES are dangerous, not just Easter lilies, so just say NO and keep them out of your RV and house.
Nasty critters
With spring come bugs and with bugs come disease. Mosquitoes, ticks and fleas all carry parasites that can be transferred to your dog or cat. In turn, the tick your pup brings in the house and attaches to you can make you sick. Ticks not only carry Lyme disease, but now we are seeing a nasty blood parasite called babesia more frequently. The best way to protect your pet is to put him on a multi-parasite preventive such as Revolution or Advantage Multi. These products will kill fleas and ticks, prevent heartworm (spread by mosquitoes) and even deworm your pet. There are many products out there but I think that these multi-monthly preventives give you a great bang for your buck. Speak with your vet about available products and which will work best for your pet.
Cat cafes
The Japanese started it! Popular in Japan, cat cafes are opening up all over the country. They are places where you can enjoy a latte and muffin with kitties, most of whom are up for adoption. Most cafes work with local rescue organizations to fill their cafe with adorable, adoptable cats. In my neck of the woods, Palm Springs now has a cat cafe called Frisky Business. When I lived in North Carolina, I loved visiting Mac Tabby Cafe in Charlotte and Concord. Here is a directory of cafes from Hauspanther, a website dedicated to everything cat with style: Hauspanther Cat Cafe Directory. It is worth exploring all the wonderful products and “catification” ideas at Hauspanther too.
Bailey found her way “home”
The Animal Rescue League of El Paso, Texas, was delighted when a dog named Bailey was finally adopted into a good home. For various reasons, Bailey spent over a year at the shelter; she was an active pup, needed training, and was an escape artist. The League put her into doggie obedience training and her outlook improved when a man with experience with feral dogs adopted her.
Her new owner introduced her to his other dog and everything was going smoothly until Bailey slipped away from him and bolted. After a futile and frantic chase, Bailey disappeared into the streets of El Paso. The shelter and Bailey’s owner posted her on Facebook, searched the city and pleaded with citizens to keep an eye out for Bailey.
Then one night, three days after her escape, a shelter employee got an alert on her phone —someone was pushing the shelter’s Ring doorbell. The annoying alert announced, “Someone is at your door.” Checking the camera, up popped a dog’s face—it was Bailey! Bailey traveled over 10 miles and crossed a major interstate to return “home.”
Bailey’s owner will work more diligently with her in hopes that she will now find “home” with him. Dogs are amazing, aren’t they?
I will leave you with one of my favorite YouTube videos.
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I use a CPAP. Audrey, our cat, figured out that if she sat on top of the CPAP she could turn it off. I’d wake up gasping and there she would be, sitting on top of the machine looking pleased with herself. I’m still convinced that she was trying to kill me. I finally figured out how to “cat-proof” the CPAP and have since replaced it with a unit that she can’t turn off (yet!). Audrey is an elegant little tuxedo cat that would look great in a string of pearls (e.g. Audrey Hepburn). On the other hand, she reminds us of Audrey the man-eating plant in “Little Shop of Horrors” (FEED ME!).
Audrey knows a thing or two, eh?
Love it!
It can be tough to rehome a cat or dog. Stick with it- the results can be well worth it.
The people who work tirelessly to re-home pets are my heroes. They save so many lives.