Auggust 3, 2017 Page 11 Purrrfect Companions Adopt a cat cuz cats are cool. A cat (or two) makes every house more fun! Here are just a few of our cool cats (and kittens). Badger is a short and stocky, adorable and of Lucas” on YouTube to see his videos. Maximus is a sweet, playful, loving kitty. He likes being picked up and cuddled and will often hug you back or stick his adorable little lion face into your neck. As soon as you touch him, he’ll start purring. Maximus is just so happy! Even when he had a bath (which everybody knows is not any cat’s favorite activity), Maximus just sat there, purring away! Afterwards he patiently waited to be towel-dried, and then sat on his foster mom’s lap and licked himself dry. Maximus is bonded with his BFF Lucas. Check them out on YouTube – “The Adventures of Lucas Why Won’t these Pesky Fleas Go Away? By Greg Perrault Veterinarians often hear from their clients that the flea medicine they use doesn’t seem to work anymore. Maybe the fleas have become resistant to the medicine, or a new type of super flea has evolved in our area, or this year’s weather is somehow making the flea problem worse than previous years. Practicing in Southern California for 25 years, I can tell you fleas are bad every single year. There is very little to no resistance to most flea products. There are no super fleas evolving and it gets hot every summer. Then why do we get complaints from pet owners that the fleas are eating their pets alive even after giving the flea control medicines? There are four main reasons it seems this way. First, pet owners may not be giving the medicine to all of their pets every month all year round. This is the number one reason for a stubborn flea infestation. Fleas don’t go away in the winter in Southern California. They just slow down a little. Skipping monthly treatment allows the fleas to produce eggs that eventually molt into cocoons in the environment. These cocoons wait until the weather is warm to hatch. Since each flea will produce 500 eggs, even one or two fleas per month during the winter can result in thousands of hatching fleas in June and July. Second, the environment is not being treated. While treating the pet directly to kill the adult flea is absolutely crucial, the adult flea that lives on your pet only comprises about five percent of the entire flea population. Most of the flea lifecycle is in the yard and house. Eggs, maggots and cocoons comprise 95 percent of the population and they are unseen for the most part. Vacuuming only gets a small percent up from carpet or cracks in wood floors. Ask your veterinarian for safe and effective products to kill the eggs and maggot stages. The cocoons, unfortunately, are nearly impossible to kill and can survive at least 350 days in almost any weather. Third, our perception and expectation of what flea products actually do differs from reality. Twenty-five years ago, it was not uncommon for me to have a few dogs and cats die from flea anemia blood loss every summer. The pets that died were often young puppies or kittens or ill older pets. But one case that stands out was an adult, middle age, healthy Dalmatian that presented for weakness and lethargy. He was about 60 pounds, covered in fleas. He collapsed and died as the owner walked him into the exam room. His body temperature was low and his gums were pale white. We took a blood sample and found his PCV, packed cell volume, was less than 10 percent. A normal red blood cell percent would be around 40 (PCV is a measurement of the percent of red blood cells compared to the rest of the blood volume). All that was available to kill fleas back then was flea shampoo and sprays that contained toxic pyrethrin compounds. They would lovable guy. He’s very playful, especially with his brother Bear. His favorite toys include anything he can drag around and chew on. Badger loves being brushed and petted! His markings are very unique–you can’t tell from his pictures, but he has a lovely striped raccoon tail. A true gentleman, he even loves to “help” while you’re cleaning out the litter box. When you can’t find Badger, it’s best to check odd places because that’s probably where he is. He loves a good nap under the couch or in the weird part of your closet you didn’t know existed. Badger was bottle-fed as an infant, so he loves humans. This cutie is available and wants to come live with you! Bear is a long, lean and handsome boy. He is the alpha guy of his brother Badger and other siblings. Kind of like a frat boy, Bear is always up for partying, roughhousing and playing with a mouse on a string. He even will sometimes growl at a mouse on a string to show it who’s boss. Bear is the absolute sweetest baby there is. As a bottlefed infant, he is quite fond of humans and loves attention he receives from people. If you’re sitting down, he’ll walk right up to you and climb straight into your arms for a cradling. Bear will purr forever and then meow at you if you shift him incorrectly or stop petting him. This super-soft baby will greet you at the door and demand attention. His good looks and charm will win you over. All cats are special, but Lucas is a special kind of special. With tons of personality, you will not have a boring moment in his company. He has been introduced to a few other cats and has been good with all of them. He’s not an alpha cat—he’s quite submissive, yet comfortable and confident. When Lucas is playful, he gets very silly. He is also very affectionate not only with his own humans, but with others as well. Lucas is quite verbal when he’s playing and when he gets food. He does a combination of chirps and meows that are adorable! He has a white heart on the front of his neck, white toenails on his front paws, and white “eyebrows.” Lucas is bonded with his BFF Maximus and they love to play/eat/ sleep together. Search for “The Adventures kill fleas, but were short-acting and could make the pets sick if used too frequently. Today we have several medicines that are extremely safe and very effective. But if the medicine is only given when you see a flea, you are missing literally thousands of cocoons that have been allowed to build up over the year that will eventually hatch and jump on your pet. Lastly, online products may be counterfeit, outdated or were stored at too high a temperature. Several of the drug companies that produce flea control medicine only sell to authorized outlets. Many online companies do not get their supply directly from the manufacturer, but instead rely on what is known as the grey market. Grey market products do not have a pedigree or paper trail showing who handled the product or from where it came. We are told by the manufacturers that most of the flea medicine begins to degrade if stored at temperatures above 85 degrees. So if the medicine sat in a truck in Las Vegas on its way from Florida, then there is a good chance it may not work as well as intended. Always demand flea medicine be dispensed in its original packaging and that all serial numbers and expiration dates match. Call the manufacturer directly if they don’t. Hope this helps, and as always, speak to your veterinarian for the best advice on flea control for your particular situation. Dr. Greg Perrault owns and operates Cats & Dogs Animal Hospital in Long Beach. • Badger Bear and Maximus”. Dakota is a charming little girl. She loves to climb onto any available lap to get some head rubs and affection. She is not at all shy about meeting new people because she knows they will give her the attention she wants. There is not a skittish bone in her little body. She is also quite a beauty! This little lady is not going to be without a forever home much longer because she not only has good looks, but also has a great personality. Dakota is playful, affectionate and loving--the perfect ingredients for a furry companion. As an active kitten, she needs to be adopted together with another kitten or into a home with an existing cat. These kitties are available for adoption through Kitten Rescue, one of the largest cat rescue groups in Southern California. All our kitties are spayed/neutered, microchipped, tested for FeLV and FIV, dewormed and current on their vaccinations. For additional information and to see these or our other kittens and cats, please check our website www.kittenrescue.org or email us at mail@ kittenrescue.org. Your tax-deductible donations for the rescue and care of our cats and kittens can be made through our website or by sending a check payable to Kitten Rescue, 914 Westwood Boulevard, #583, Los Angeles, CA 90024. On Saturdays, we have adoptions from noon to 3:30 p.m. in Westchester at 8655 Lincoln Boulevard, just south of Manchester Avenue, and also in Mar Vista at 3860 Centinela Avenue, just south of Venice Boulevard. Our website lists additional adoption sites and directions to each location. Be kind. Save a life. Support animal rescue. • Lucas Maximus Dakota Saving one animal won’t change the world, but the world will surely change for that animal.
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