Happy New Year...from Mikey's House to Yours

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7 Cats in a Car

The trip was uneventful as far as the cats were concerned...they slept the entire twelve hours of the trip. I spent weeks preparing for this trek from California to Oregon with 7 cats in a car. I purchased carriers for each of them along with new collars and tags with their names on each one. I made sure each cat had their medical file together and on hand. I packed a right now box full of the things they might need along the ride to their new home like food and meds and litter. I totally stressed about this trip with them for weeks. I was worried about everything. What if somehow they escaped their carrier? What if they had to go potty? What if? What if? What if?

Did I mention they slept the ENTIRE way? LOL

This last week has been a bit of an adjustment but for the most part it's going rather well.

Now that they have explored every inch of the house, my 3 indoor/outdoor cats are insisting it's time to explore outside. They are like little kids in a candy store looking out at all the trees here.

But not so fast. Not yet.

I have a whole new set of things to worry about first. LOL





Model is Boo

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This is what life is all about

Above left is what BoyBoy looked like when we first met.

I do not believe there is a better feeling than watching an animal thrive after they were so close to dying. It’s a feeling that is difficult to describe but it fills me up to see him now.
It’s been a process. Building a friendship always takes time and effort and a ton of patience. Even when there is a connection from the start there are still all of the little adjustments along the way that you have to just wade through.

BoyBoy is an amazing guy, he really is and I am not just saying that because I love him. I have watched him go from that scared un-trusting feral cat to this loving Boy who curls up next to me for his afternoon naps. His objective in the beginning may have appeared to be food…he was starving so of course this very basic need had to be met but once his tummy became full….his focus changed completely.

BoyBoy has to have 2 wet meals a day due to not having teeth. (and a bowl of milk in between) After a while, when I would go out to feed him in the garage, he wouldn’t eat, he would just keep rubbing his head on my leg. I thought something was wrong at first until I figured out that if I sat down with him and gave him lovies first, he would then walk over to his bowl and eat every bite.

He picks me over food.

This is how I finally got him to come in the house. He would look around my room and the fan was blowing and the fish tanks were humming and the air stones bubbling and he was intimidated of course but he wanted to be with me and that was stronger than his fear and that has totally touched my heart in so many more ways than I could ever express to you.

Love is amazing, never underestimate the power that your heart has to help another…

Saving his life was wonderful but watching him now live….this is what life is all about.

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There is more to Mikey's House than Cats you know...

This is BJ and he is a plecostomus, he is from the Catfish family also known as a Pleco or sucker fish.
When I first adopted BJ he was about 2 inches long...he is now 13 inches long. He has gotten so big that he now has his very own 55 gallon tank which I am now looking to upgrade because of his size. BJ is 6 years old and wow do we have a history.
He came to me with 14 goldfish in a bucket. LOL I knew nothing about his kind at all so it was trial and error. At first he shared a tank with the Gold Fish (not all of them) but he is a warm water fish and the Goldfish are cold water fish so this was a very interesting balancing act. I had a Pleco years before that had died because honestly I didn't know how to meet his needs. I was determined that BJ would not have the same fate.
Living in the mountains for most of his life was also a challenge because every time it snowed we would lose power which meant no heater for BJ. I should of just purchased a battery operated heater for back up but that would have been too easy. LOL Instead I would get those hand warmers that you shake and they heat up and I would put them in zip-lock baggies and toss them in the tank. Sometimes it got too cold for even those and I would actually take him out of the tank and put him in a hospital tank and then take him downstairs by the fire. Yes we have been through it. LOL But you know what? I love him, I enjoy him so much. His tank is in my bedroom so I get to watch him all the time. He is spoiled, He gets zuccini and cucumbers and watermelon  in addition to his regular diet of algae wafers .
Recently I rescued another Pleco from Walmart who was dying so now I have two but they are not in the same tank.
So no, Mikey's House is not just about cats in the feline form we have cats in fish form as well. LOL

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NO COST Spay and Neuter

No Cost spay and neuter..
I just wanted to pass along this awesome deal for those living in the Sacramento area and Placer County Area of California.
I have never been to the Sacramento Location but I have been to the Auburn Clinic and they are just Fantastic.I have taken so many Feral cats there and also my own Cats. They do a great job and you just cant beat this deal they got going on....

If you click the image below you will be taken directly to their website.

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I AM AGAINST THE KILLING OF CATS

REMEMBER - Feral Cats are not homeless, yet each day they are snatched up by county animal control officers, taken out of their natural environment and placed in shelters where they will almost always face death because of not being socialized. 

You can help.....

Spread the Word

It’s easy to talk about feral cats and the nation’s current animal control and shelter system. More than anything, outdoor cats need a voice. To help, start talking. Here's how:

• Call your local shelters and pounds. Ask them if they have programs for feral cats. Tell them you support humane standards of care for outdoor cats. 
• Contact your local elected officials. Tell them you want the animal control system to be held accountable and to change. 
• Tell your friends, family, pet sitter, groomer, veterinarian, and others that you don’t think it’s OK to kill healthy animals, just because they’re not socialized to people. Tell them how they can join and become part of the collective action. 


Start conversations about outdoor cats. 

The cats will thank you. 

Get Informed About Feral Cats

A feral cat is not socialized to humans.
Either she was born outside and never lived with humans, or she is a companion cat who has strayed from home and over time has become unsocialized to humans.

Feral cats should not be taken to animal control pounds and shelters.
Feral cats’ needs are not met by the current animal control and shelter system. Feral cats live outside, but are killed in shelters. Even no-kill shelters are not able to place feral cats in homes. 

Learn more about the animal control system.

Feral kittens can be adopted.

Feral kittens can often be adopted into homes, but they must be socialized at an early age. This is a critical window, and if they aren’t handled in time, they will remain feral and therefore unadoptable.


Learn more about kittens and socialization.

Feral cats can have the same lifespan as companion cats.

And they are just as healthy, too. The incidence of disease in feral cats is just as low as in companion cats. They live healthy, natural lives on their own, content in their outdoor home.
Humans are the cause of wildlife depletion.
Studies show that the overwhelming cause of wildlife depletion is destruction of natural habitat due to man-made structures, chemical pollution, pesticides, and drought — not feral cats. 


Learn more about the human toll on birds

“Catch and kill” doesn’t work.

It is an endless, cruel cycle and is extremely costly to taxpayers. Cats choose to reside in locations for a reason: there is a food source (intended or not) and shelter. When cats are removed from a location, survivors breed to capacity or new cats move in. 

This “vacuum effect” is well documented. 


Learn more about the Vacuum Effect.

Trap-Neuter-Return does work.

No more kittens. Their numbers gradually go down and their lives are improved. The behaviors and stresses associated with mating, such as yowling or fighting, stop. The cats are also vaccinated. This program creates a safety net for both the cats and the community.
 Learn more about conducting Trap-Neuter-Return.

Learn more about conducting Trap-Neuter-Return

Want to do something? 

Join our movement to stop the killing. You can make a difference and save lives. Just follow the links below....

Stop the Killing


Sign the Pledge: Support Community Cat Caregivers—Don’t Criminalize Compassion


Take the Pledge: I Support Common Sense for Cats


Sign the Petition: Stand Against Animal Cruelty!

Stop the Killing: Fight the Spread of Misinformation about Cats


Tell the Smithsonian: Stop spreading junk science that will kill cats!

And remember...if you think killing cats is wrong...then you are already an advocate.

Alley Cat Allies 

This issue is so very close to my heart, over the years this issue has become a part of who I am. Giving these cats a voice and fighting for their right to live has given me a purpose at times when I really needed a reason.
Along this journey, I have found friends, many little furry friends and I have been truly blessed by having the opportunity to meet each of them. 
My model here is Charlie, he is the offspring of a feral mother and father. His mother is Aurora, which was one of my cats.(Aurora has since passed on) I was able to reach her and she allowed me into her world. Charlie and his siblings were pretty wild when we first met but with lots patience and pure intentions, they and their mother came around, all have been placed in great homes. 
 
Please help if you can, they need us.

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So How is YOUR Flea Stuff Working?

Just wondering if the Flea killer/Preventative you use on your pet is still working...because mine is not. Mine Sucks and it is pissing me off.
I have tried so many and they all suck now pretty much. I have read different reasons as to why but honestly, I don't care why. I just want it work. Especially since it cost me $80 to treat all of my animals for 1 month. Yes, for one month. So you can imagine how upset I am getting when it doesn't work.
Now, I have done all the things they recommend to do, bathing the animals, treating the yard, vacuuming all the time, washing all their bedding regularly. But those suckers are just relentless.
We are not infested or anything, I am only finding a couple of fleas on the animals here and there but I shouldn't be finding any. And it's amazing how one flea can drive an animal nuts, not to mention stress them out and really reduce their quality of life. That makes me mad. Mikey is 12 years old and it really upsets me that his senior years are being spent this way, really, really upsets me.

Honestly, they shouldn't be selling the stuff if it doesn't work but that would be in a perfect world which we do not live in.  At least reduce the price but noooo.

So....I am here to at least share with you my findings along this pesty road.

For many, many years my go to product for fleas was always Frontline Plus.

All I had to do was apply it to the animals, thats it. I didn't have to treat the environment because once applied the fleas just went away. Beautiful. Perfect.

Not Anymore.

This stuff doesn't kill any fleas now at all. Not even one. So I no longer buy this product.

I was told I needed to alternate products so I did use it off and on for a while longer after finding out it still would't work. 

The other product I used and still do use is Advantage 2.

But it sucks too just not as bad as Frontline. I can usually get the Advantage to at least kill the fleas for  a couple of days. Even a couple of days relief is better than nothing right?

And Revolution...the only preventative on the market that I have tried that works for about 2 weeks is by prescription only which is such a load of crap.

I mean this is beyond wrong. You have to take your cat/dog to the vet before you can get this product. Which is all fine if you have 1 or 2 pets but what happens to the people like me that have way more than 1 or 2 ? I guess we are just out of luck. I cannot afford to take all of my animals to the vet to get this and then have to pay the outrageous price for the product on top of that. And what about all the ferals? Sure I can pet them long enough to apply flea meds but trapping a feral cat twice is not likely to happen. Did I mention the vet visit has to be current? Such Bullshit.

So the ferals are just suffering period.



I tried Fleabusters for the house which did nothing.$44 and nothing. at least nothing for long.

Then I  tried Apple Cider Vinegar, I put it in a spray bottle and sprayed everything everyday. I rinsed the animals in it and it works great actually but the animals absolutely hate the smell. Some of my cats squint their eyes if I just hold the spray bottle in my hand. I am not real fond of the house smelling like it either but I used it for a long time and it does work, fleas hate it.

I tried Lemons mixed with the vinegar. I boiled the lemons, allowed them to sit for many hours and then mixed it with the vinegar in my spray bottle and rinse water. This works too but the cats hate it even worse than the vinegar by itself so it's not worth it because they are still suffering

So,  what it has come down to (and they still have fleas but we are managing them kinda) is....

Capstar, Dawn Dish Soap and the Flea Comb

Capstar is a (Right Now) flea killer that you give your animal orally (which I like) and for the most part it works, just not for long. Capstar works for 24 hours. The fleas don't fall off dead like they claim but they do die  and there is some relief with this product but it cost me $18 for 6 tablets. We have 10 cats and 5 dogs. You do the math. So I compromise with the Dawn. Only the long haired cats and indoor/outdoor cats get Capstar.  The others get Dawn , actually they all get Dawn.

Out of everything I have tried nothing kills fleas faster than Dawn, this stuff is amazing. Of course as soon as the suds dry up and the smell is gone the fleas return but hey, the cats don't mind the smell of Dawn at all so I put it in my spray bottle. I spray everything with it not just the cats. The cats that I can bathe get bathed in it. And here is the bonus....it's safe in the garden so I hook up a sprayer of it to my hose and I spray it on the lawn, the patio, the flowers everywhere outside. I do this a couple times a week. We have an exterminator  that sprays once a month around here and I asked him to spray for fleas too but even their stuff doesn't work.  It's totally crazy and it's not even summer yet. 

This is only my second year back here in the City. We have lived up in the mountains for 11 years and we didn't have any issues with fleas at all. Frontline and the Cedar trees took good care of them. Oh and I got some Cedar Mulch to put around outside also.

I know this all sounds like a lot of work and it is but if I stop for even a day those buggers will take over. I dislike fleas. Can you tell. LOL

The Flea Comb is the most important part. I comb these animals every single day. And yes you would be correct if you are thinking that I have no life. LOL But that's the price I pay to have these amazing animals in my life. Sure I wish it was easier but it's not and I have to do what I have to do. Did I mention we have a Rabbit and a Hamster and Fish too?  The fish don't have fleas. LOL  But the flea Comb works great on the Rabbit and the hamster as well.

So if any of you have tried any of the newer products or have any home remedies of your own I would love to hear it...I need all the help I can get cause this is gonna be a long summer.

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Mikey

I can barely believe that Mikey is almost 12 years old. Where has the time gone? How can this be?
When I look at him, I try not think of his age but every once in a while the thoughts creep in. I literally have to stop myself from thinking about it.

But what an amazing 12 years it has been.

I am really hoping for at least another 50. (A girl can dream)

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Bored

They say that animals are difficult to read but honestly, this has not been my experience, at least not with Mikey anyway, he is a pretty easy read.

As you can see here, Mikey makes it pretty obvious how he is feeling. LOL

I was in the hall taking pictures instead of playing like Mikey wanted to do so he jumped up on his rail and through himself down with a big sigh...LOL

Model is Mikey... Bored

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