This post is sponsored by petMD and ARM & HAMMER™, and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about The petMDCat Care Center, but A Tonk's Tail only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Arm & Hammer and petMD are not responsible for the content of this article.
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Maybe it’s because it’s been miserably hot lately. And humid, did I mention humid?
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Our lovely yet depressingly humid garden (hey, this was taken a month ago - everything's, like, 3 times this size now!) |
It was so icky the other day that my glasses steamed up the minute I walked out to the garden to pick basil for fresh pesto.
Allie went with me.
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"Whew! It's a hot one, Mother!" |
Normally, having her along to supervise the garden chores is something Marty & I enjoy. Oh, and Allie too. She loves hanging out in the garden with us (supervised at all times, of course). But on this day, having Allie outside with me was not a good idea. Just in the brief time we were out, Allie ended up panting like a dog.
So maybe it’s because it was so hot and humid it reminded me of my Texas childhood. And maybe it was that reminder that caused me to do the
Alice in Wonderland thing last night in my dreams.
Sadly, there was no Cheshire Cat waiting for me.
Instead, I dreamt that there were two cats trapped under our deck. By a rattlesnake.
But wait, there’s more.
In my dream, Faraday was there too, and he was about to go all Mighty Mouse on that rattler’s butt (wait, do rattlers have butts?) complete with the signature “heeeere I come to save the daaaayyyyy” yowl.
In the dream, Faraday lunged for the snake, who obligingly lunged back. Snakebite!!
My dream kindly allowed me moments of lucidity (I swear, guys, no spicy food the night before – I have no idea where this whole Rabbit Hole came from!). I remember panicking and thinking, “wait, I’m in Kansas. Rattlesnakes aren’t as common up here, so your average vet won’t have antivenin – rattler antivenom drugs – in stock! What am I going to do?!?”
And then I woke up.
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"Seriouslies, Mommy. I can take him. I know I can!" |
So why am I taking you along with me on this weird and trippy Looking Glass dream?
Because it
is summer, and in many parts of the world, venomous snakebites
are a real concern. And because I know, from personal childhood experience, that a cat can survive a rattler’s bite and live to tell about it.
But where do you turn for advice on how to handle such a situation – a real one, not one out of my fanciful dreams?
I checked in with petMD, and sure enough, there was
an article about it. There was also an article about some of
the most common heat-related dangers cats can face during summertime by well-known veterinarian Patrick Mahaney who recently spoke at the BlogPaws convention in May.
I really like having this kind of knowledge at my fingertips, in case you were wondering.
And I think I’ll have a nice, sedate salad for dinner tonight….
We’re all about the indoor fun right now in the 97 degree heat/80 percent humidity days we’re experiencing in Kansas. I’ve started adding ice cubes to the cats’ water fountain, just for that extra touch of cool. And I’ve noticed the wand toy play is still enthusiastic, but a bit more short-lived.
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Maybe that's why Maxie's been asking for the wand toy to be delivered to him instead of chasing it around?
Nah, he's just lazy that way. |
Oddly enough, the cats have decided that hanging out on the closet shelf upstairs the The Thing To Do right now. Wow, dudes, did you know heat rises? That’s easily the hottest spot in the house right now!
Do your cats seek out the heat – and I’m talking about more than just those delish sunpuddles – at your home, too? My mom has a pinched nerve right now and swears she has to do battle with her cat over possession of the heating pad. She’s winning – but not by much!
Our thanks to the folks at ARM & HAMMER™ CLUMP & SEAL™ LightWeight litter for sponsoring such a wealth of information for our four-legged family members.
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