Thank you to Tony and Much for covering the blog on Monday. Much can't be seen on that photograph, and may be indignant. But I'm glad you've seen the river.
Most of my journey home today was on a train from Newcastle to York. I tried to write, but as we rushed through County Durham in the winter afternoon light I put down the pen and stared out of the window. Field after field was resting under soft snow and a pale sky. A plantation of fir trees stood tall and patient with snow on their branches. Snow had made everything still and quiet.
Unlike the Sunshine's house this week.
Biryani was due to visit the V - E - T for her J - A - B - S, which meant putting her in a basket. Now Biri, as you know, is a rescue cat who has been moved around a lot, so perhaps she has bad associations with being in a basket. Or maybe she was just being a cat.
It started with a mild skirmish, and one-nil to Biri. Leaping into the air to celebrate a triumph is fair enough. Lacerating my son on the way down is not. The blood stains are off the furniture now and we think LOS will live. But, last I heard, Biri was peering reproachfully out at them from the middle of a bramble bush. I've been away for three days, so as far as I know she might still be in there.
Any advice on how to get B- I- R - I to the V -E - T?
2 comments:
I copyed this, but it's reserch.
Catnip is another name for the herb Nepeta cataria, a relative of oregano and spearmint. Nepeta cataria is a pretty common plant, often found along highways and railroads in North America. Don't feed your cat any Nepeta cataria you might find along the side of the road, as it could contain an array of pesticides or harmful chemicals left over from railway construction like creosote.
The active molecule in Nepeta cataria is nepetalactone, which is believed to mimic a cat pheromone. Nepetalactone binds to a cat's olfactory receptors to produce catnip's unique response.
Owner's descriptions of the effects of catnip on their pets range from arousal to euphoria to sedation, with some cats drooling during exposure. One veterinarian suggested that the moans cats make while exposed to catnip are the result of chemically induced hallucinations. If a human exhibited these signs, we would likely be concerned, but most cat owners are comfortable with their feline's recreational drug problem.
Leaves from Nepeta cataria or nepetalactone oil extracts are used by cat owners to provoke their pets. Owners can crush Nepeta cataria to release the attractant that lies within bulbs of the herb or they can buy toys infused with an extract of the herb. Since the pheromone mimic affects the olfactory receptors, cats don't achieve any positive results from eating catnip. Consumption of the buds sends the active ingredient down the digestive tract, where it is degraded. A little less than half of cats are not attracted to catnip at all, with genetics playing a role in determining a cat's interest in the herb. Catnip, in large enough quantities, will also work as an attractant for large cats like lions and tigers.
Europeans in the 1400s regularly drank teas made from catnip, with the herb earning a medicinal application for treatment of colic and flatulence. Nepeta cataria is a member of the mint family, with tea brewed that possesses a flavor and smell similar to mint tea.
Smoking catnip became popular as an alternative to marijuana in the 1960s. When the herb is smoked, it produces a low level, legal high complete with audio/visual hallucinations and a relaxed feeling at a fraction of the cost. Concentrated doses of Nepeta cataria brewed as a tea can also produce a mild, short-term sedative effect in humans.
If you can get her while she's resting, you can start by gently petting her back and while she's relaxed, covertly use a towel and in one fairly fast motion, cover her back from neck to butt and quickly wrap it around her body, including her paws. She'll end up "swaddled" with her legs closed within the towel and you can then support her butt with one hand and her chest with the other (holding the towel closed) and have her secure. Make the towel tight, so she can't move too much, but only her head and tail should be poking out.
Then, take the cat carrier and put it upright, so the opening is at the top and put her in starting with her butt first and then close the front of the cage as you pull your hand away when her head is in the cage. Leave the towel to drop off in the cage as you turn it back the right way. It may seem hard at first and you may need a few tries at the approach, but it may do the trick.
Another option is to lure her into a bathroom with a treat and you'll have less space to try to chase her around.
Copied this too, which, I should not be doing. Hopes it helps! 0;) ( attempted to do a winky face .) Just did not want to write everything.
Wow, Sam, thanks for all this! We thought about the trick with the towel, but Biri might be too fast at getting out of it! I'll let you know how they get on.
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