Last Saturday I had a disaster response class: Animal Rescue I and II. In the process I learned a lot of things about how to prepare for rescuing my own cat and general cat information. One thing is sticking cats with needles, such as their regular rabies vaccinations, can cause a tumor (sarcoma) to form, so vets often give the shots in the leg instead of the nape of the neck like they used to do. The thinking is that if they do develop a tumor, they can amputate the leg. Nice thought.

Also, if the cops were to stop me in Wyoming, for example, and I didn't have paperwork showing up-to-date innoculations, the cop could make us go to the nearest veterinarian to re-innoculate the cat. Even one day over the due date is out of date, and people who drive all over the place with their dogs in the car should always have a copy of the paperwork in the glove box.

Eloise's rabies shot was due in July, so I decided to take her in. Turns out she has an infected tooth that will have to come out, and surgery is scheduled for Friday - about $800 plus today's visit was $249. They gave her some antibiotics today to get ready. She hasn't been acting like there was anything wrong, and the rest of her teeth look fine, and all other systems are normal. Bless her heart, I'm glad we found out about it before it got really bad.



Eloise was really good at the vet - she wanted to explore the place, make it her new home. There is a product that is cat phermones in a spray, and it's calming to cats. I sprayed some in her carrier while we waited for the vet, but I'm not sure it made a difference. It comes on collars they can wear, and I'm going to get one for our road trip to Las Vegas.

Back at the disaster class, we learned about how to identify aggressive animals versus fearful ones. The fear can turn to aggression in seconds, so as far as I'm concerned, they're all aggressive. If you ever come across a loose herd of cows, make a temporary corral with a couple strands of yellow caution tape, and as long as something doesn't spook them, they'll stay inside it because they have no depth perception and to them it as good as a sturdy fence. Wear ear protection if you're going to try to work with pigs because they scream loudly the whole time, and if one does it, they all do. Unless they are specially trained, you can't lead pigs, but you can push them in front of you with a piece of plywood. Horses can't see things directly ahead of their noses because their eyes are on the sides of their heads (as are those of other animals like sheep and cows), so you need to stand to their left side.

When it comes to approaching animals, particularly dogs and cats, don't look them in the eye, and don't approach full on. Lower your eyes so you can watch their feet, and walk toward them sideways. Never show an animal the whites of your eyes, and they can smell fear.

The instructor was a vet tech and she had so many helpful hints. Someone asked about trying different brands of kitty litter for their cats so the cats would have broader experience in case they had to be moved out during a disaster. She said it's a really bad idea to experiment with the brand of kitty litter because they might stop using the box all together and pick a new spot like the middle of the bed.