It's Spooky Out There

 Lately, my trail camera footage has proved to be more intense than usual.

 

Sure, one spooky image is fun.

Two is a little bit disturbing.

Three?  Alarming.

Four?  Well, according to numerology, it's a no-nonsense number.  Hmm. How comforting.

We Still have Cats

 Some of you may recall reports on the feral cat population here at the Bad Dog Ranch.  

During winter I leave food out for them.  This cat (aka FFC) is the one I see most frequently partaking of the food.  He sometimes leaves his mark next to the food bowl.  In spite of that, now and then a different cat is spotted visiting the bowl.  

This may be him!  

The notion that inviting feral cats into the inner perimeter would result in fewer mice has not proven to be sound. 

What happened recently might be considered proof.  We got a new refrigerator!  We moved the old one into the garage.  (To store the cat food!)  Naturally, I did some reorganizing and sweeping in the garage prior to this momentous new arrangement.  

Well, the amount of mouse poop sweepings can best be described as deep.

Does that mean no more free lunch for Fluffy Feral Cat and his brethren?

Nah.

Portrait of F.C.

Update on Feral Cat.  He's still visiting the homestead regularly.

Since he is unwilling to sit for a photograph, we must settle for this artless rendering.

I Seem to have been Adopted by a Feral Cat

This scrawny orange cat kept appearing on the trail near the clothes line.  It occurred to me that he might help out with the mouse problem.  Mice in the house really bothers me.

To encourage this obviously hungry cat to draw closer, I put a bowl of cat food at the end of the path.  Little by little I moved the bowl closer to the house. 

The cat hangs around more now.  

Haven't seen any mouse turds in the house for some time.

Florida Wild Cat Selfie Safari



Actually, I have nothing to do with the story.  I am simply cute.

 

 

 

 

A couple weeks ago in Port Royal, Florida a landscaper alerted one of his customers to a trespasser napping in one of the flowerbeds.

 

The owner checked it out.  Tucked between the side of the house and a shrub was what appeared to be a very large cat.  Acting quickly, the owner whipped out his phone to take a selfie of him looking at the cat.  Then he used the phone to call someone to report what he'd found.

 

Some folks from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission came.  The intruder was identified as a Florida Panther.  The panther probably swam over from Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.  Male panthers, you see, need a territory of their own.  There was once only an estimated 30 Florida Panthers, now there are believed to be about 200, thanks to the genetic restoration project.  Since panthers prefer to have about 200 square miles to call their own, some are moving to the suburbs.

 

Soon the Port Royal flowerbed owner was taking a selfie of him watching a biologist shoot the cat with a tranquilizer then lift the animal onto a blanket to examine.  A short time later, the still tranquilized panther was placed in a Wildlife Commission truck.  The flowerbed owner had a picture taken of himself standing near the truck.

 

The panther will be released back into the wild but where is yet to be decided- probably not Rookery Bay.   

 

 

Will the next selfie be of the owner standing in his yard beside a sign that reads:  STAY OUT OF THE FLOWERBEDS? 

 

Stay tuned.

 

 

 

Read Naples Daily News Story here.

Bubba? Is That You?

This morning Lois and I took our usual walk.  It was still dark.  The day before, temperatures had warmed up a bit, melting much of the pretty snow.  Then it cooled again.  The potential for ice patches under every step slowed our progress. 

Just ahead, there was something.  A rabbit perhaps.  No, too big to be a rabbit.  As we drew closer, whatever it was did not scurry away. What is slightly larger than a rabbit and unafraid of an approaching dog and human?  We were just two sidewalk squares away from the creature when identification became possible.  It was an orange and white cat. 

I stopped.  Lois stopped.  The cat just sat there.  For several seconds, we all remained motionless, looking at each other.  Memories of unpleasant encounters with cats flooded my mind.  Like the time I was walking with my late friend and Collie, Wilma.  A cat lounged on the grass next to the sidewalk.  As we passed by, the cat hissed and swung a handful of claws at Wilma.  Then there was the time, big Golden Retriever Hank and I were walking and a cat leaped out of a hedge and tackled Hank.  Hank laid on his back as the cat stood on his chest and clawed at his nose. 

Finally, I said to the orange and white cat, "look pal.  This is one stretch where there isn't much ice.  Let us through."

The cat didn't move.  Just beyond the orange and white cat, a couple more sidewalk squares distance, sat another cat.  This one was black and white.  He looked familiar.

No, there was no tearful reunion with warm hugs.  This black and white cat was probably Bubba, or one of his progeny.  Either way, we weren't friends, not even acquaintances.  Bubba was a feral cat.

It was time to quit the stand off.  I proceeded forward, Lois at my side.  The orange and white cat sauntered away.  Bubba darted away.


Lois and I went home and ate pancakes.






Skim through my rant on feral cats to learn more  About Bubba

Cats Picking on Dogs

Cats and dogs can live together peacefully.  The thing is, they don't always live together peacefully.  There's plenty of things that can go wrong in the cat/dog relationship.  For now, let's talk about what to do when the cat picks on the dog.

Cats like to skulk and pounce and swipe.  This mighty predator kitty show is quite charming.  That is, until all this taunting and zooming has left the poor dog unable to move around in his own home without being ambushed.



Take action before it comes to this.

The cat jumps on the dog because it's fun.  One thing you might try is playing with your cat, then perhaps he'll get his fill of fun, leaving him no need to torment the dog. 

Some say squirting the cat with water deters bad behavior.  From what cat owners trying to keep kitty off the kitchen counter or out of the house plants tell me, the squirt bottle system doesn't work very well.  At best, the cat refrains from the designated bad behavior only when you are present.  This will help the long suffering dog only if you keep dog and cat separated when you are not watching.

You can anticipate when the cat is about to attack the dog.  The cat will arch his back, lower his head, and may get a determined gleefully hostile look in his eye.  Yelling NO at this point won't do much good.  (It works with dogs.  Do dogs have a conscience and cats don't?  Are dogs more inclined to be respectful of authority?  Is it that cats think they are the authority?  Thorny questions to be explored another time...)

You can do something before kitty leaps onto the dog.  Distract him.  Step in before the cat takes flight.  Engage and entertain this energetic feline.  Offer a toy on the end of a stick, for instance.  The cat can deploy his killer instinct by swiping at a stuffed fish rather than Rover's tender hide.  Help the cat release some of that vigor with other toys, a new scratching post, or invest in one of those cat rigs with the tunnels and planks to run on.  Even if you live in a small place, you can find room for a cat's amusement park by placing it up high.  Cat's don't generally fear heights!  Just be on the look out that kitty doesn't use his new improved higher perch to banzai the dog.  That would make you sort of an enabler. Just to be on the safe side, consider arranging for ways that the dog can avoid the cat when you are not there to referee.

One other suggestion.  Maybe the cat needs his chin rubbed or a chance to sit with you on the couch.  Is the dog the only one getting petted?  Could be the cat just wants more attention from you.

The Wisdom of the Litter Box

We don't really want to talk about the litter box, but we're going to anyway.  Let us indulge in a bit of cat scatology, for the greater good.

Yes, the litter box is to a cat what a toilet is to a human being.  At least that is the hoped for situation.  Cats are fastidious about their personal habits.  Once they learn to "go" in the box they don't forget.  When a cat suddenly stops using the box or misses the target, something is going on that must be addressed.

Why is Kitty failing to observe proper elimination protocol?

There are a number of reasons.  Here are the most likely culprits:



Illness

While not an illness, there may be age related issues such as arthritis, at play.  Stiff joints make for less dexterity.  A different style box with lower sides may help the older cat maintain accuracy.

Other physical reasons for missing the target are illnesses such as bladder stones, urinary tract infection or diabetes.  Your veterinarian can help you sort that out.


Negative Association

Perhaps the litter box is in the laundry room.  One day, Socks is minding his own business taking care of business, when the spin cycle starts.  The rugs inside the washer gravitate to one side of the cylinder; thump thump thump.  Suddenly, the litter box is a scary place to be.

Maybe the weekend guests caused Tabby angst.  Remember that strange youngster in the group?  The one who seemed to vanish at intervals, you'd see him only in the periphery, lurking, furtively poking around?  Let's not speculate too deeply into what the little weirdo may have done in and around the litter box.



Stressful Changes

A new cat joined the household and suddenly Fluffy must share the litter box.  Your best bet is to offer enough litter boxes for everyone.

That different brand of litter that you tried because it was on sale?  It could be that Tigger doesn't like the smell or the texture or your audacity in making a change without consulting him.  New litter is best introduced slowly, little by little, beginning with adding about ten percent to the total mass of the old familar litter.

Other problems in litter box routine may be due to negligent clean up.  If there are too many clumps in the box, Mr. Boots may decide there isn't room for his latest effort.  Scoop frequently.  (You flush every time you go, right?)



Sex/Communication

A cat looking for love may use marking (squirting urine around) to spread the word, so to speak, of his or her availability.  This is something in the hormones and arguably not bad cat behavior, just natural desire.  Spaying or neutering usually puts the kibosh on lust and with it the urge to mark.

Other reasons for marking involve territory.  An indoor cat may see a cat outside the window and want to establish his domain.  A dash of urine on the living room drapes is one way of expressing ownership.

Sometimes when a new cat or dog or person has joined the household, a cat may pee on the carpet to relieve the unpleasant feelings of insecurity.  You might say, he snaps.  In time, he will, most likely, grow accustomed to these new resident critters and return to correct potty habits.

Adding a scratching post or two can help Puss Puss blow off a little steam while engaging in a more appropriate style of marking.







And, just because, buy him a new toy.  Play with him.  Pass the Cat Nip.

sources:
PetSitters World, September/October 2011
Warren Animal Clinic, Warren, MI
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2457

Victorian Charm, Part 1.

Got to hand it to the Victorian era.  Imagine being so very decent as to require euphemisms to describe anything remotely indecent.  These proper folks must have been a major factor in the huge number of synonyms present in the English language. 

A very nice customer brought this theory to mind.  Ms. Customer was away for a few days and asked me to take care of her cats.  For over a decade, it has been a great honor and joy to be entrusted to look after these two delightful brothers.  As the boys are getting along in years, they have been experiencing bladder challenges.  Or, as Ms. C. described it, "increased activity in the litter box". 

Indeed, Ms. C. left me a note saying she has doubled and sometimes tripled daily visits to the box in order to keep up with the additional activity therein.  Therefore, she would understand (and pay extra) if I too, felt the need to visit more than once a day to maintain the desired cleanliness level.

Now, even somebody like me, whose conversational style leans toward the free wheeling, sometimes vulgar side can appreciate the exquisite propriety evidenced in that litter box discussion.  And because I like Ms. C. and love her cats, I stepped up my efforts to adhere to the exemplary conditions expected in the boys's toilette in spite of a larger presence of material due to heavier traffic.

I may be a salty broad but I know a sweet gig when I have one, even if it means I must inhale a little more organic substance than I'd prefer.

Trespassers will be Treed

It is clear to me now why dogs so enjoy chasing critters up trees.  I treed a cat!  In all honesty it was inadvertent.  Admittedly, I am but a novice treer.  Nonetheless, due to my actions, an animal fled up a tree and stayed there (at least for a time).  Thus, it qualifies as a treeing.

The usual morning routine around here is when Lois and I return from our walk the other dogs join us in the backyard.  I then put a cup of seed in the bird feeder which hangs from the Maple tree.  On this day however, there were trespassers in the yard. Three cats were skulking around under the Maple tree.  One of the cats was that enormous clay colored cat that is a frequent visitor.  His companions were a dark brown medium sized cat and a juvenile pale calico.  When I saw them I lunged in their direction and uttered something along the lines of, "yaah!"

They scattered.  The big cat and the brown cat slipped into the next yard, presumably under the fence where it meets a raised concrete area.  The youngster went in the other direction and finding no way out, went up a tree.

My neighbor is not an enthusiastic weed puller.  This results in weeds along the fence line.  Some of these weeds grow into trees.  It was one such tree up which the cat youth found himself.  He clung tightly to a branch and his eyes revealed what you might euphemistically call concern.

Meanwhile, the local birds who are familiar with our morning routine, had witnessed this occurrence.   Sparrows perched in a group on the Weiglela.  Pigeons waited in a row on the phone line.  Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal hung out in the Forsythia.  A Blue jay squawked from the Red Maple in the neighbor's yard.  After I put seed in the feeder, the birds descended.

The adolescent cat loosened his grip on the tree branch and looked around, weighing his options. He could climb down the same way he climbed up.   Or he could move out onto a branch and leap onto another branch then into the shrubs.  But he would need squirrel dexterity to pull that off.  His remaining option was to jump onto the neighbor's roof. 

Some birds pecked at the seed in the feeder and some on the ground while the cat remained in the tree.  A Blue jay perched in a branch at eye level to the cat and jauntily cawed, "in a bit of a bind, aren't you, Bucko?"  A half a dozen Sparrows clustered in the Pussy Willow tree and gazed smugly at the captive kitty.  "Nah, nah.  Bet you wish you had wings, eh Pal?"  Mr. Cardinal perched at a discrete distance while his mate used the feeder.  He cheeped, "hey, Young Fella, you ever hear of  karma?"

Nature can be cruel.  But it isn't every day that it's playground taunting cruel.

Before long, the big cat and the brown cat returned.  They stood on the neighbor's front lawn.  Because the Forsythia bushes blocked the view, we can only assume that they were talking junior down.  Indeed, the kid jumped from the tree onto the roof.  For some time, he moved from side to side of the roof.  Cautiously, he would lean over an edge and peer down.  One imagines his mentors on the ground advising, encouraging their protege'.  Pretty soon the lad leaped onto the awning over the porch than plunged some ten or twelve feet onto the lawn. 

He must have made it.  A peek around the Forthesia hedge revealed no cats in the grass.

Don't Eat the Poinsettias

At this festive time of year, let us be alert to everyday dangers!

The following are common poisons that your pet is likely to encounter.

1. Accidental ingestion of medications.
2. Rodenticides (rat poison)
3. Methylanthine toxicity (Chocolate)
4. Plant poisoning
5. Household chemicals
6. Metaldehyde (slug bait)
7. Insecticide
8. Heavy Metals (lead and zinc coins)
9. Toad poisoning (buffa toad Florida)
10. Antifreeze
11. Walnut poisoning
12. Alcohol
13. Strychine

(List compiled by Veterinary Pet Insurance Co.)




http://lacetoleather.com/fataltodogs.html

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: 1-800-548-2423

For classes and/Pet First Aid booklet visit: AmericanRedCross.org


for further information on general pet care
http://www.warrenanimalclinic.com/

Bubba the Cat

Some cats live a wild life. Literally. They are just as wild as the squirrels or the sparrows or the skunks. Feral cats are the offspring of domestic cats that have, shall we say, run away from home. Feral cats also come from non neutered house cats that are allowed to roam and impregnate wild cats. Some feral cats live in colonies.

There was one such colony in my own neighborhood, one street over. A bunch of cats lived in an unused garage. Who knows how many. Dozens? Hundreds? It's tempting to say, so what? Cats have just as much right to live as raccoons or bumblebees. Sure they do. But here's the thing. These wild cats must eat. Among other things, this threatens the songbird population. In fact, one day I saw a wild cat with a baby rabbit in it's mouth right under my backyard bird feeder. You may say, this is good. Keep the varmint population in check. I say, that's what hawks are for.

Feral cats use my flower beds as their toilet. Nobody comes up behind them with a plastic bag to pick it up, the way I do with my dogs. And if I let my dogs run wild and mate willy nilly, there would be complaints from the neighbors. All I'm saying is, that all cat owners need to be responsible for their pets. If they were, there would be no feral cats.

But this is about Bubba. Let's talk about Bubba. About four years ago a wild litter of cats was born. One of these kittens was a black and white boy with green eyes. A nice lady took this kitten in and her young son named him Bubba. The boy loved Bubba and wanted to hold him and pet him and overall, treat him like a house cat. Though Bubba seemed to tolerate this good fortune, he escaped the first chance he got. He was found and coaxed close enough to be grabbed and returned to his luxurious prison. You guessed it, he escaped again. And again. Each time it was more difficult to recapture Bubba.

The boy's mother actually camped out in front of my house one night in hopes of spotting Bubba and returning him to caring captivity. Bubba was having none of it. He was born wild and chose to live wild.

Bubba is fairly long lived for a feral cat. After four, or is it five years now? I still see him now and then, under a car in a driveway or walking down the sidewalk. How does he live? Kindly folks put cat food on their back porches. Does Bubba supplement his diet with songbirds and garbage picking? How many children do you suppose he has sired by now?







For more information on feral cats:
feral cat allies- http://www.pgaa.com/feline/general/feralallie.html
for facebook users: http://www.allaboutanimalsrescue.com/

Book Review: Natural Health for Dogs & Cats

Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, Third Edition 2005
by Richard H.Pitcairn, DVM, PhD and Susan Hubble Pitcairn

This is a good reference book for any dog or cat owner's library. The first of two sections discusses feeding. The commerical pet food vs homemade food debate is detailed, with consideration to convenience, cost and nutrient values of each. Dr. Pitcairn clearly recommends real or human grade food for dogs and cats. Recipes are given using various sources of protein and carbohydrates, including some vegetarian dishes. Supplement recipes are provided and are tailored for animals at various stages of life and for those with special needs or conditions.

Section two lists common diseases and ailments along with herbal remedies and recommendations for treatment. Even if one is not inclined to whip up a batch of slippery elm tea for diarrhea, the information on dog and cat physiology is useful. It's nice to know what a normal pulse rate is before you are worried your pet is ill and decide to take his pulse.

Speaking as someone with a fairly extensive collection of reference books for dogs, I can say that this book is not unique in its approach to the "natural" topic. Scary statistics of animal poisonings by pet food companies as well as everyday household stuff is offered. This book is better than most preaching natural because it gives the pet owner recipes with nutritional values to assist in pulling off this home cooked nirvana.

Rating: very good.