I did it again....

[mr. cat]

They're nothing but a big pain in the butt, so to speak. That's why I'm thrilled my home is on the second storey of this apartment building! The cats who presently live with me are totally-indoors people; and that, combined with our elevation from ground level, means neither fleas nor ticks will be hanging out here.

Before moving here, we'd lived on the ground floor with two indoors-outdoors cats as well as the two previously-mentioned home-bodies. (Plus our totally-outdoors neighbor, Mr. Cat himself, would visit us on occasion. And the raccoon neighbors would stop by, also.) Consequently, at least twice a year we'd have to vacate the premises to flea-bomb the place; and Advantage became a household fixture.

Ah, what a relief is this flea-free environment! I suppose, however, the little creatures are figuring out how to mount the stairs even as we speak.

=^..^=

 

[deb25]

Mr. Cat:

I, too, live in a 2nd story apartment with indoor only cats, and last summer my Joey had a tapeworm he got from a flea bite! I asked the vet to explain THAT one to me!

The best explanation we can come up with is that my neighbor across the hall has a little poodle that, needless to say, goes out for walks. A flea must have jumped off him and ran under my door. Now that's one persistent flea!!!

 

[kittykratz]

Hasn't anyone heard of treating your carpet with Borax? All you have to do is sprinkle it on and sweep it in. Wait to vacuum 3-5 days. If you get the carpet wet, reapply...otherwise it should be good for killing fleas and cockroaches for up to one year (only if your cats are indoor only). I did this and never even had to treat my cats. The fleas jump off of them and live in the carpet. After two weeks, no adult fleas or eggs should be present in your house unless you have a pet that goes back outside on a regular basis. I've never had to use Advantage on my babies, and I live in Florida..the flea capital of the US!!

 

[mr. cat]

Thanks a bunch for your suggestion! Borax, indeed! I'll give it a try, just as a preventative measure. I'd always wanted to find a good use for Borax ever since I first viewed the television program Death Valley Days back in the 1950s. (I'm talking about the early episodes, which were hosted by "The Old Ranger.")

Gee, I just can't imagine why veterinarians don't mention Borax as a flea preventative. Golly, what could the reason be? Hmm. . . .

 

[sandie]

I would imagine vets dont say anything is because first, its not a well known treatment. Second, it is worthless if you have all wooden floors as I do. Fleas do not need carpet to survive. They hide at the bottoms of drapes and near floor boards. In my case I would have to use a spray around these areas. I work for a vet who is actually not making a large profit on anything. All proceeds only go to keep the clinic afloat. We arent even allowed to have the X tras to sell. I had mentioned the borax ahwile ago and he had never heard of it. Also, if you have toddlers who crawl on the floor at all times, its not such a hot idea.

 

[gayle]

With regards to the pet medications, there is a web-site called "petmedexpress.com" which has all prescriptions at a discount. You might want to check this out to see if they are cheaper there than from your vet.

Good luck

 

[Anne]

Oh My God!!!

The ad in the paper was published today and I just got a phone call from someone who might be the owners.

The first thing they asked was about a large scar on his leg. And yes, there is such a scar and I didn't mention it on the ad so it would be an identifying mark.

Well, that man and his son are on the way to see if this is indeed their dog that had gone missing a month and a half ago in a town nearby (quite a journey for a dog though - it's about 15 minutes drive away from here).

I am so excited! I really hope that these are the owners and that we'll have a happy reunion!

They should be here any minute now. I'll let you know how things turn out.

 

[Anne]

nope. false alarm.

Their dog had a scar on one of the front legs.

Maybe tomorow we'll get other calls.

 

[deb25]

Anne:

So sorry about the false alarm. I just about cried when I thought about the people coming over, probably dead certain that they were getting their dog back, only to be disappointed. How sad!

 

[catarina77777]

Dear Anne,
When I read that I felt the same way as Deb did, I rememmber having to do the same thing when I lost my kitty...to this day I never found her...I only pray that whoever took her...I hope she's in a very good home.
I also found a dog once, we ended up keeping him for 8 years...He was so old; but one of the smartest and loving dogs I'd ever come across...I'm not really a dog person these days,...but circumstances such as your own change people (like me)...I hope you keep Dovik.
Always,

 

[Anne]

Well, some people calle today and they might want to adopt him. They'll come over tomorow.

I wish I could keep him but we really can't afford to. I'm not bringing home any money and we're trying to cut back on expenses. He's a large dog and I think he'll have some hefty vet bills too... If it were entirely up to me, I would keep him. But hubby has a good point when he says we shouldn't. Over the years, so many strays have crossed out path. Only by finding them homes can we take other strays in. If we'd kept the first stray dogs and cats that we found, we wouldn't have the place or the money to keep future ones in until we found a home for them.

 

[catarina77777]

Dear Anne,
My prayers are with you...
Always,

 

[gayle]

Last Saturday a white dog was in my front yard sniffing around (he must have smelled the lady pomeranians that I have), when I went outside, he seemed pretty tame as he came over to me. He had a tag on, so I leashed him on a long tether to the front porch and called the number, hoping it was the owners. About four (4) hours later, a guy called me back and came over. I could tell that this dog was SO happy to see his "daddy". I'm grateful that I was able to find the owner because I could not take the dog in for the night with four female animals around here. He was an unneutered male who would have sprayed everywhere. My only choice would have been to call animal control or the shelter. It really benefits both humans and animals when they wear collars and tags.

Do you possibly think that someone may have deliberately "dropped" Dovik off somewhere because the owners did not want him? I hope not because that would be so cruel.

Take care and good luck,

Gayle

 

[Anne]

Yes, I'm afraid I suspect that poor old Dovik was abandoned. We published a large ad + photo in the local newspaper and no one claimed him. Also, I found him on a major road in a countryside area, where horrible people would just push the dog out of the car and drive away. I now know that he looks thin and ill because he is probably ill (ay first I thought it was because he had been homeless for too long). So, my guess is some stupid and cruel owner decided that this dog was to old for him and didn't feel like paying for vet bills (or maybe got scared that the dog has something that might infect him or his family) and simply left him by the road side in the middle of nowhere.

The poor dog was nearly run over when I first saw him... Well, he's definitely not going back on the streets from here. I have a feeling it's a matter of either putting him to sleep if he's in pain, or just letting him spend the last months of his life with us...

 

[sandie]

I am glad you are willing to keep him in your care for now. If he still has a little life in him, it is best he spend his time in a loving enviroment. There must have been a reason he ended up with you.

 

[catarina77777]

Dearest Anne,
You are indeed an angel from Heaven! I'm so sorry for what happened to Dovik, but yet I'm so releived that he has you and your family to love and to spend his last days with. God Bless You all!

 

[gayle]

If Dovik was indeed abandoned, then I'm sure that he is grateful that he is in tender loving hands. I hate to think about all of the animal cruelty out there, but sadly, it is a reality.

good luck

 

[Anne]

Well, we went to see the vet today and we were in for a surprise. The vet says Dovik is only 3-4 years old and not with cancer. He is very anemic and that's because he has a tick disease (don't know the name in English). It's a kind of fever and that's why he looks lifeless and tired all the time. That also explains the nosebleeds.

I went with hubby and told him that this would probably be very cheap, or maybe even free, as the vet would only need to take a look. But we also had to run some blood tests and pay for the treatment (injection + expensive antibiotics), so it all came to 150$

Hubby was not pleased... He says we can't afford another dog and he's probably right...

Anyway, we hope that maybe if Dovik gets better we will be able to find a home for him, especially since he's not that old after all. We'll see how he's doing in the next couple of days. The vet says there's a possibility that he won't recover after all. But we're hoping for the best.

 

[catarina77777]

Dear Anne...

I don't understand why he won't recover

He's so young! That's so difficult to believe, I never believe my vets when they say that; unless it's obvious. I've had too many animals make a full recovery after they say those dreaded words. That is just my experience...no disrespect intended.

For myself again, I never predict God's plans...I'm usually dead wrong!

Always,

 

[kittykratz]

I am glad to hear that Dovik does not have cancer and that he can stay with you for a while. Please give him little kisses.