Dental treats are the kale of the cat world – I’ve never been big with treats for my cats. When I had Hazel I had enough trouble keeping her weight down without added high fat treats. With Sasha the vet suggested dental treats to keep her teeth and breath fresh. She and Morgan loved them. Newly adopted Gus ate them but he really liked Temptations which is the cat crack of all treats. I thought it would be useful to have some on hand to during his acclimation. I was right. What I didn’t realize was that Sasha and Morgan would love them too. If I shake the container, the three cats come running. (Gracie doesn’t eat treats. They are beneath her.) Neither Morgan nor Gus will eat the dental treats now. Sasha will eat anything that isn’t nailed down. I have a big container of healthy dental treats that will last a lifetime. Definitely kale.
He’s a weird dude! – Gus still hasn’t gone down to the basement. He doesn’t like stairs but he goes upstairs with the occasional misstep or tumble. Steps are not his thing. He won’t try the uncarpeted basement steps. He has powerful back legs and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him on top of the fridge.
He can smell sneaky – Sasha has to get one of her ears cleaned at least once a month. It may be a yeast infection. Next vet trip I’ll have the vet look at it. In the meantime I clean it out monthly to keep it in check. Gus also has an ear that gets black stuff in it. After I did Sasha (and she is a diva about it, screaming and announcing to the world that I am killing her), I decided to clean Gus’s ear. Nope, he wouldn’t let me near him. That’s ok. I had all day. Three hours later as he climbed up on the dining room table (where he isn’t allowed), I grabbed him and cleaned his ear. True to form in this house, he screamed that I was killing him. Sasha taught him well. He’s good for at least a month.
All the critters here wish you a good weekend and no one can believe it’s the end of August!
RC has to put up with ear washing (mites) periodically, rear hair trims (You have to be really fast – cause she is with the paws and jaws), and Sr Staff pesters her about eye goop.
Had to laugh about the Temptations can noise calling all cats…we do not let that stuff in the house…Greenies never have the insane appeal, but they are deemed a (poor) treat worth chewing…most of the time….especially when the canned food of the day is less than the favorite which of course changes without notice)
Gus seems to be settling in
Cheers for staff!
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The way the cats love the treats, they must not be healthy at all. I bought a big can of Greenies before Gus joined the staff and taught them about bad treats.
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Good weekend to you and all your kitties as well! Mine are treat junkies 🙂
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It’s a bad habit as I have found out! They are very demanding!
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Hee, hee…your kitty stories never cease to amuse and entertain. It’s funny how they manage to tell the world of all the abuses they must endure. Makes you wonder if the darkness of the basement stairs looks different than going upstairs where the people are. People have thumbs which prove useful in dispensing food and treats. Could it be so simple?
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It could but I never showed Sasha or any of the other cats the basement. There is an open cat door and they all went down to investigate. After all that’s were the real mousies live and the mega litterbox is. Gus is so laid back he doesn’t care. We see what happens when a new mousie shows up.
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Ugh, ear cleaning. I do not envy you having to do that!
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Not my favorite job but neither is nail clipping or trimming the hair around the butt.
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Sorry about the cleaning Gus and Sasha, those humans think they know best, don’t they? I’m sure if you took a paw to their ear, they would scream too. Dental treats suck! I suggest tuna. Tuna is yummy and makes you lean and your fur shine!
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Gus: I haven’t been so poked and prodded since I was an intake at the shelter. She got out the nail clipper yesterday so I’m on guard for that! Always something! Tuna? What’s tuna? I didn’t get that at the shelter.
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Oh, don’t worry Gus, I think you’re going to love it there! The humans might poke and prod a little, but then they also scratch and rub and if you give them sad eyes enough, they will show you what tuna is. That or a treat which is just as good!
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Gus: Last night I plopped in the lady peeps lap on my back. Belly rubs never felt so good! They she cleaned out an eye booger! What is it with that chick? Can’t she leave well enough alone?
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Well, you may have to spend more time training her. Good luck!
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I don’t think I ever had to clean a cat’s ear.
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You are lucky! It’s not a fun job. They get very grumpy.
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My Brody needs his ears cleaned often and when he knows I am after him , he is not easy to catch.
That is funny about the dental treats.
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None of my cats, any I’ve ever had, like healthy foods. There have been times that a special food was recommended for a condition. Nope. Not having it.
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Gracie is above all the treats – that made me smile, but I am surprised that seeing everyone enjoying their treats, she doesn’t change her tune a little. (Or maybe gradually pretend she likes them, so not to appear wishy-washy or on the fence. The grass is always greener on the other side – I say “go for it Gracie and play catch-up with your siblings!
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Gracie is very persnickety with her food. What I buy is guided by what she’s currently eating. She recently got tired of her old food so I switched back to the one I originally fed her and she’s happy. She is not adventurous at all. She loves kibble but won’t eat treats.
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Carol is always mentioning having to go back to former foods – if a food isn’t enjoyed, she puts it out for the feral cats and they eat it (unless the possum or raccoon find it first!)
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Fortunately for me Sasha will eat anything!
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I guess cats aren’t much different than kids. I know if our mom gave just one of us a treat, the other two would have whined holey heck. You really should stop torturing your cats 🙂
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Yes! I have to count them out to keep it even or there will be holey hell to pay.
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I hope that the cats received some delicious temptation treats after the ear cleaning.
Sounds like Gus is fitting right in and learning well!
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Yes they did get treats but so did Morgan and I didn’t even look in her ears! You can’t give one and not all.
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Hahaha! Sassy Cats, there is no running or hiding from the ear cleaning, chin cleaning, taking care of cat business laydee! Truly giggling here!
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What’s with boy cats? I have to teach him grooming basics! Fortunately he aces the litter box habit. If only I could get him to brush himself!
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We had a floofy boy that looked like Sasha sans moustache and he had no idea that his tongue and paws were grooming tools. He was a big floofy lovable mess! His name was Sleepy, named in the theme of the Seven Dwarfs when our girl Tinker had 7 kittens before we knew the right thing to do… neuter and spay! He did not understand the concept of the litter pan… ugh.
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Unneutered males often don’t use the litter box! Floofy cats are beautiful! Gus isn’t fluffy at all. He is a short hair just like Hazel was. He still is handsome with great markings.
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Have a great weekend too!
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Thanks!
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You are welcome
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Don’t you feel guilty about killing poor Sasha and Gus for the sake of a clean ear?
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Sasha isn’t pawing her ear so no. Gus didn’t paw his ear but it had to be done. He’s starting to understand that the price of having a whole house with lots of attention is that he gets “taken care of.” Today I washed his chin. He has some chin acne on it from his years at the rescue. He has two bald spots from it underneath his chin. I’ll clear that up whether he wants to or not! 🙂 Mean, mean cat person.
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Boss Cat thinks pill pockets are the best treat. I have to guard them while I’m putting her flea medication in them or she will run off with at least one empty.
The dog, of course, will just eat his flea medication plain.
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Dog are so easy. My childhood dog was so grateful for anything, you never had to hide it. The cats are another story. Some will eat pill pockets and some won’t. I have to try them with Gus. I always think it’s a good idea to get them to think they are treats before you start to sneak things inside. Hazel loved them but if the pill was bitter, she figured out how to spit it out.
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Of course Hazel did. She was canny–especially about food!
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Cat crack over here is dreamies. They have cheese in the middle. We have a snowman cat toy which they have to roll to get them out. Heidi will empty it methodically. Tilly will have a couple then loose interest.
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I never heard of dreamies. I have a toy like that I got for Hazel. She would eat her kibble too fast.
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Your house sounds like mine. I am a servant to the cats!
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That’s what happens when a cat moves in.
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My cat Rudy used to respond to the sound of the electric can opener like yours do to Temptations. I can’t believe it’s the end of August either, Kate. Soon it will be the holidays!
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I remember the can opener days. Now my cats aren’t phased by the can opener but pull and tab lid off of a can, stand aside or you will be run over!
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Tigger was a Temptations addict.
It’s like Kitty Crack.
If we ever get another cat ~> we will NEVER tempt them with a Temptations.
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It’s a slippery slope. I can’t go near the cabinet where they are kept without getting run over by 3 cats.
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Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK. The weather is chilly and wet, so we’re hoping the tourists will stay inside or better still stay away all together!
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Hot and humid here after a few nice days. It’s late enough in the summer that it cools off at night and that helps. Hope your visitors stay away!
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Us too!!
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Repeated black stuff in the ears is usually ear mites, and if one cat has them the rest will in short order too. If no one else is getting them, then probably not ear mites, just fyi. Ear mites looks like coffee grinds in the ear. Easy to treat.
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I don’t think they are mites. Sasha has had this issue for the past year. I’ve used Revolution. It takes about a month to build up on her and it’s just one ear. My vet blew it off last time I asked about it but it may have been after I cleaned it. Gus I don’t know. He’s only got it in one ear too. Can they only get mites in one ear? The other is pristine. Sasha needs shots so she will be going in soon. A long time ago I had a cat with a chronic otis condition. I’m hoping it’s not that or they have a better solution. It required rounds of ear drops and no one likes ear drops. Jake would get yeast infections in his ears. Just black soft stuff.
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our up-stairs boy is da phenny… he walked the stairs down in my mothers house but not back… mark carried him upstairs (big drama) and as he was near to death but the dog at it’s place he ran down the stairs again… wtf-unghi?
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I can see the drama! Carrying that big boy up the stairs must have been a hoot!
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