Pets at the cottage

Camera Critters #67

Dear Mitz, I know some have asked about her. She is feeling better. We know not why or how. But she is still eating food by raking it out of her dish, and pulling it to her mouth. (See the video below!)

As I stacked 3 cords of wood, and she was my moral support. She has gained weight, and she is much more vocal than before, meowing quietly when she wants more food. Her weight is better, too. She will eat out of Oliver's dish, standing up for herself. Speaking of Oliver...


I like to give warning. As will all of us, the bugs are terrible this year.
With cool temperatures, and no July heat to kill off the May blackflies, they are still around.

We have now: blackflies, mosquitoes, deerflies, horseflies. Really.

But then, since these cool temperatures help the wicked critters multipy and, indeed, thrive, we know that our pets are similarly suffering from fleas. The fleas live all year under our cottage, which remains warmer from the heat of the house, but slow down in deep winter.

I can tell the fleas are rampant - when Oliver snuggles up at night with me. Unlike normal cat-twitching dreams, he is awakened with a start and has to scratch like stink. Now, normally he cannot bear sleeping with me; he sleeps with my hubby. I have nightly power surges, as well as back issues, and I fling off the covers, burying both hubby and any cats. Or I roll over in a mighty earth-tremour, that rocks the boat, exacerbated by painful back spasms and limiting my movements.

When we took the cats in for their regular checkup, the vet took a fine-toothed comb, and combed them just above the base of their tail. Sure enough, flea poop, along with much loose car fur! It is important to look after their needs.

Sady lets us know she has excess fleas when she become irritable. Hubby will pass by her and she will whack at his ankle.

The solution has been a neat little ampule of Rx medicine, placed behind their necks where they are unable to lick it off. We all sleep better.

Now, all pets must be monitored and supervised when visiting cottage country. You cannot allow your dog to wander; neighbour's pets, and the wild animals, do not appreciate it. In addition, there are many critters (like the fisher - although Sady treed ours, porcupines, skunks) that do not appreciate your pets running around. There may be dire consequences. The critters have regular patterns of wandering for food. For example, the fox runs our road every morning, as does the bear. Rocky Raccoon has a regular lakeshore patrol, but she and Sady have a mutual agreement. They respect each other's right to be here. Don't know why!
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Cat's eating habits are bizarre. Oliver makes so much noise, hungry teenager!