Kitty Bits

I am borrowing the title idea from Bernie Miklasz, one of my favorite Post-Dispatch sports writers. Each Saturday, his column contains *Bernie Bits,* brief news items or comments instead of one specific thesis for his whole article. Today I have some *Kitty Bits* for you. Hold your joyful applause please! :)

First up, Trey. He had his booster-shot appointment this morning and received a glowing report from Dr. Britt. He is up to 3.8 pounds now, just about where he should be for a kitten his age. Considering how pitifully emaciated he was when he came to my doorstep, he has made tremendous progress, and I am so proud of him. Dr. Britt said it was easy to tell that Trey has become a mama's boy ~ and his mama doesn't mind one little bit. :)

We live only about 5 minutes from the Douglas Vet Clinic. Unless neighbor Elly happens to be with me, I put the kitty carrier on the front seat beside me so that I can talk to whatever kitty is making the trip. None of them are ever happy about it, so I try to alleviate their anxiety as much as possible. This morning, however, I got to thinking about air bags in my Toyota Corolla, and I couldn't help wondering what a deploying air bag would do to the carrier and, consequently, to my fluff of love. I know there are special car seats for dogs, but kitties are at the mercy of their carriers. Maybe the wise thing to do is to put the carriers in the back seat each time?

Yesterday I went grocery shopping with Elly, and Super Wal-Mart happened to have those Fancy Feast Appetizers that I mentioned in an earlier post ~ $1.29 for a teeny package, so I bought only three for my six babies to share. Usually a bag of Temptations Treats will last me 4-5 days for 5 kitties ~ Elly Fae won't eat treats for some reason. So we're talking the mother of all treats with these appetizer things ~ barely enough for a couple of bites per kitty. And pulling the foil top off required the muscles of Atlas. In fact, I stupidly tried using the leverage of my teeth on that easy-to-open corner, only to get a mouth full of that *Delicate Broth.* YEEEEEEWWWWWW! But the kitties seemed to like it ~ a lot. I hope they savored each bite because they won't be getting any more until their mommy wins the lottery or marries a millionaire. And since I don't buy lottery tickets and I don't date anymore, I'd have to say that my odds of doing either are considerably diminished.

Nonetheless, just today I read an article in the good ol' P-D stating that even in this recession, two out of three pet owners continue to pamper their pets. In these dismal economic times, pet retailers are reporting steady to rising profits. Even Hallmark Cards has reported an increase in sales of their "from the cat,* *from the dog,* and pet sympathy cards. You know that I very much want happy endings for all little animals, but even with all this pampering, animal shelters are bursting their seams as more and more animals are sent to them by people hurting financially. I would like to see maybe a little less *material* pampering and more love given instead to an extra kitty or puppy in the household.

I am always reading to find better ways to care for my fuzzy family. During summer, one of my special concerns is bug spray. You can buy some that is safe for animals, but you often have to order it, and it can be pretty pricey. Yesterday I read that Listerine can make an effective repellent, and hair spray can make an effective bug spray. Sticky hair spray will gum up a bug's wings so that it can't fly, and the spray will also seal breathing orifices so that the bugs can't breathe. It has been used effectively on wasps, ants, and roaches. Since it's water-soluble, it can be cleaned up easily with a damp cloth, and it won't stain fabrics. If you can get past the suffocating-a-bug thing, it would be a good alternative to a chemical bug spray.

I *thought* I had found something else to help my youngest babies when I read that daily doses of castor oil would help kitties' immune systems. Kittens who lose their mamas too early, for whatever reasons, can suffer from stunted immune systems, so I was happy to hear this tip since Deuce and Trey *lost* their mamas before they were fully weaned. However, thanks be to God that I always go looking for more information because in all other articles, I read that castor oil is actually toxic to kitties. It can be part of a concoction for treating external wounds, but it should never be given to the kitty as oral medicine. Two lessons here: (1) Don't give castor oil to your kitty. (2) Double- and triple-check everything you read online, even if it's something you read here. My feelings won't be hurt, and if I'm wrong, I want to know what's right!

I'll finish with a couple of baseball thoughts since I started with one. Dear St. Louis Cardinals: Operating under the old baseball bromide that good pitching stops good hitting, I would rather have Roy Halladay than Matt Holliday. I know the chances of getting either are equal to a snowball's chance in Death Valley, but I thought I would throw my two cents in there. :) And...Dear Cardinals' Fans: Don't worry about the Cubs. When a member of the Cubs' ground crew was mean to a kitty in the spring, I put the Calico Kitty Curse on the team. Combined with all the other curses on the Cubs, they stand...well...a snowball's chance in Death Valley of winning the Central.

Okay, everybody, *NOW* you break into that joyful applause! :)