Pets

[ahoymatey2013]

Years ago, when I bartended at a large restaurant with high ceilings, we kept several tennis racquets around for the sole purpose of bat-herding.

We use a fish net to catch them and throw the whole thing outside to allow it escape

 

[Cooking Goddess]

I'm an insomniac. So there I was, at o'dark thirty (I think it was around 4 a.m.) and ... a bat starts flying around the room......But my dog was with me. I was just waiting for her to go crazy....

So, would that have been bat #*/% crazy? Who-boy, rimshot time...

Glad it all turned out fine. I'm OK with the bats flying around 20 feet above my house, gobbling up mosquitoes. But if one was in the house? Yikes!

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Sort of like when a pet hears the sound of the can opener. No words necessary. Who knew a bag of chips or a can opener could talk?

My Mom had an overflow pantry in our basement; kept canned goods and pasta/rice stuff down there. And enough salad dressing to start a restaurant! You could bring anything up and our dog, Buttons, ignored you. But go downstairs and pick up a can of tuna? She's be waiting for you on the landing, tail a-waggin', looking for a handout. HOW she knew it was tuna we never figured out.

 

[taxlady]

I'm now reminded of when I worked in a nursing home. We got bats every once in a while. I don't mind bats, but we had to try to chase them out of the building because some of the residents were afraid they had died and gone to hell when they saw bats.

 

[jabbur]

This is a question for all you cat owners out there. I haven't had a cat in a long (nearly 30 years) time. Do hairballs stink? We have a terrible odor in our front room and thought that our evil cat Salem (not really evil, we just call her that since we found her on Halloween) had brought a critter in the house that died in a hidden place. So far we've moved a lot of furniture and can't find a critter. Haven't seen a hairball either but thought that might be something to look for since we can't find what's causing the stink.

 

[GotGarlic]

I haven't noticed hair balls having an odor and I've lived with cats for most of my life. Cat urine has a very strong odor, though. Is Salem a boy? Is he neutered? Intact boy cats spray a really nasty-smelling substance to mark their territory.

 

[jabbur]

She's a fixed female so I don't think it's a spraying problem. It's just annoying to have this awful smell when you walk in the house. Hope we can find it soon!

 

[Cooking Goddess]

She could have a urinary tract infection that would cause her to urinate outside the litter pan. If her clumps in the litter pan look smaller than usual she probably has a UTI.

I've had to "walk" the living room on my hands and knees sniffing just above the rug (looks funny, but gets the job done) but I can say if you use "Nature's Miracle" you won't know a problem was there. I apply a generous amount of the formula, then blot. Do that a couple times and you won't smell a thing.

 

[Dawgluver]

Black lights can help find urine stains. They have them in a flashlight-style, fairly cheap.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Black lights can help find urine stains. They have them in a flashlight-style, fairly cheap.

Thanks Daw, good to know in case my super-sniffer catches a whiff of funky odor in the air again!

 

[tinlizzie]

I haven't noticed hair balls having an odor and I've lived with cats for most of my life. Cat urine has a very strong odor, though. Is Salem a boy? Is he neutered? Intact boy cats spray a really nasty-smelling substance to mark their territory.

If I grab up either of my two neutered male 6-yr.-old cats unexpectedly (to them) and set him on my lap for a little unscheduled pet session, the occasional startled urine leak can send me back to the closet for a fresh pair of pants. Oy, such a smell. I can't imagine how much worse the marker could smell. Sometimes on TV I catch "My Cat from Hell" -- makes me appreciate the relatively even temperament of these two.

 

[jabbur]

How good are cats at finding their way home? Salem got out of the car at the entrance to our neighborhood when Paul was taking recycles up there to the bins. She normally spends a lot of time outside but this would be a new area for her to explore. Do you think she will be able to figure out how to get home? It's probably about a mile on the roads but half that through yards.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Not sure, depends on how far she has explored in her outside time. I would be hollering on street corners for her.

 

[jabbur]

We've been out and about and putting up signs. She doesn't normally come when called. She's a fairly independent cat. I just worry about her getting hit by a car. Hope someone finds her.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

We've been out and about and putting up signs. She doesn't normally come when called. She's a fairly independent cat. I just worry about her getting hit by a car. Hope someone finds her.

I'm so sorry, Jabbur. I thinking good thoughts for Salem and hope she wanders home soon! {{{{{Jabbur}}}}}

 

[Dawgluver]

I'm so sorry, Jabbur. I thinking good thoughts for Salem and hope she wanders home soon! {{{{{Jabbur}}}}}

Indeed! So sorry Jabbur.

Cats are very smart, I have a feeling Salem knows where her home is, and she will be back soon!

 

[jabbur]

My son got home from work around 8:30pm. He grabbed a poncho (it's raining) and a flashlight and walked for about an hour and a half in the area she went missing without any luck. We decided to put a can of food out by the dumpster hoping she would find it. He opened the can and she came running before he even got it set on the ground. Thankful she's home and safe. She's a bit wet from the weather but otherwise unharmed. I hope we don't have to go through this again! I think if she hops in the car with DH again, he'll put her in the house. He's so used to the dog staying by his side he assumed the cat would also. He was as upset as the rest of us.

 

[Dawgluver]

I love happy endings!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I am so happy Jabbur! Extra hugs for Salem!

 

[ahoymatey2013]

I would be sick to my stomach. I'm so glad he came back to you!