Thursday, July 14, 2011

UGH! Fleas!!!

We are totally covered up in FLEAS! It seems that the flea population went critical, and hid under a rug when I last sprayed. The cats and I are miserable!

So - time to get out the big guns! Siphotrol to the rescue!

I'll take out the rug after I spray it, and roll it up - putting it on the porch while I spray the carpet under it. I have to spray all the upholstered furniture, move it and spray under it, spray the bed (remove the bedding first), and get in every nook and cranny - including behind bookshelves and under desks. It's a big job!

And I have to do it again in 10 days. And again 10 days later. Three treatments in 21 days. Along with putting treatments on the cats themselves.

And no Advantage II - get original Advantage, if I can find it. It seems that Bayer Corp. is pulling Advantage and only shipping Advantage II. It wouldn't be so bad if it worked, but on my long-haired babies, it doesn't work. I've added NEEM spray, too.

Hopefully, within 30 days, the fleas will be gone. I'll have to treat the outside with more Diatomaceous Earth, so they don't get tracked back in, too... Especially the back door! I always forget the back door....

Friday, July 08, 2011

Cat Whispering Without a TV Show

I may not be on TV, but I've been helping folks with cat problems all over the world for over 6 years. I don't charge what those folks charge, either, but I do charge, so that I can keep doing it.

I'm a trainer and animal behaviorist. I do not train dogs for other people. It's just not my thing. I can help best with cats. Yes, I train my own animals. I'm working on Agility Training with one of my cats, and another took me over 5 years to tame from feral. Yep, 5 years - but she sits on my lap whenever she wants, now!

Each cat is different. Each cat needs specialized and customized handling to be most comfortable. Just like people, they have their needs and comfort zone. Each cat has a distinct personality, and will respond best to one or another method of training, and not all cats respond the same to the same stimulus. It's just the way they are.

You wouldn't want your kid to behave the same as everybody else to the same stimulus, would you? Well, cats are the same way. A certain amount of conformity is fine, but nobody is exactly the same as anybody else. God made us all unique.

My job as a Cat Whisperer, is to figure out not only how your cat wants to be treated, but where you fall short. I do this through e-mail, because I feel most comfortable and effective that way. I've tutored math over the internet, and I think that training cats and their people is easier.

I ask a lot of questions. I ask for clarification. That's to be expected.

However, if you are thorough and forthcoming in your e-mails to me, I can be most effective. I don't sit in judgement on you, your lifestyle, your history with your cat, or how you live your life. I just tell you where you need to change behaviors around your cat, and what you need to do. I tell you what to look for in the cat to see if what I've advised is helping or not. And what to do if things go wrong.

You see, it's not my job to tell anybody else how to live their lives. If you need to declaw your cat, so you do. I may not think it's the best solution, but you did, or you would not have done it. So it's done - we'll move on. I've had to declaw cats at one time, too, so I know what problems to look for first-hand.

Getting your cats neutered or spayed is a given. Unless you have a pedigree cat and you are breeding it to keep the breed alive, I recommend you spay or neuter your cat. And if you have one of those pedigreed cats, I hope you are working with the breeder where you got it, because there is some stuff they can tell you about it that has to do with the breed.

Most cats are moggies. They have no distinct parentage. Long hair or short hair, siamese points or tabby stripes, patches of color or solid. They are all special.

When you have trouble with them, I'm here to help. Everything from aggressive behavior to litter box problems. Introducing your cat to your mate or another animal. Grief and loss, both yours and your cat's. I'm here.

That's what I'm good at. God gave me the talent and ability to see into a cat's soul. I'm blessed. I'll share that vision with you, all you have to do is ask.