Hey- I just cleaned that!
There is a good deal I do not understand about the behavior of my cat, Susie, and my dog, Hannah.
One of the biggest riddles is why they do not seem to appreciate, or at least accept, my efforts at cleanliness. I understand that smell is very important to both of them . Why can't they enjoy the same scents that I do?
I carefully read the labels of the shampoo I buy for Hannah.
Adjusted pH for dog's skin and non-allergic ingredients. My Vet had me using Dawn dish liquid for Hannah's too greasy coat.
Now that her hair is of normal texture I have been using an oatmeal based shampoo. It does a good job and smells nice --
to me that is. The moment Hannah is dry she cannot wait to get outside and find something to roll on. In this community she is not allowed off leash so that limits her selections. Once though,
she discovered the remains of a mouse that Ginger, the feral cat,
had been enjoying. The parts Ginger had not ingested were hidden in the grass, "aging" in Virginia sun. Hannah dropped and rolled. By the time I yanked hard enough on her leash to get her back on her feet she was wearing, if not the items themselves, most certainly their fragrance. Hannah was very happy, until she realized it meant back to the tub.
Cats seldom need bathing. Thank goodness as cats are notoriously difficult to bathe. I had to give many feline baths,
usually the result of a heavy flea infestation, when I was working in the veterinary hospital. I bear some of the scars today.
But cats are strange when it comes to appreciating clean things too. The moment I clean Susie's litter box, she jumps in and "uses" it. Even when I think she is not around to watch me she somehow knows what I am doing and the second that I am finished, there she is-back in the box. She is hilarious about cat boxing and this behavior makes me wonder even more why she does not like to have a clean box. While she always covers her pee, spending some time scratching away until there is nothing to see (or smell) but
a big pile of litter, poop is another story. The second she is finished she leaps from the box, races out of the bathroom and
into the room farthest away. There the odifferous object sits-on
top of the litter. I guess she can't stand the smell herself? It is good for a laugh ( and the scoop and some Febreze, though.)
I started writing this today because I just finished vacuuming the living room carpet. Not an easy job when you have to do it from a wheelchair. But anyway, the carpet looks much better relieved of it's coat of dog and cat hair.
Now I sit down at the computer and here is Susie, sitting beside me, one leg in the air, scratching off the shedding gray hair. Hers doesn't show up too much as the carpet is gray too.
On my other side is Hannah, lying on her back, twisting and scrubbing, groaning with pleasure, as she works out all the loose hair she can spare so I will have more on my carpet.
Hannah is mostly white with a touch of orange. It shows!
Please note: I brush both these animals daily and remove handfuls of hair. There is always more. I brush them again.
So for the moment, my cat and dog smell nice --to me anyway.
Tomorrow I will clean the cat box and vacuum again.
One of the biggest riddles is why they do not seem to appreciate, or at least accept, my efforts at cleanliness. I understand that smell is very important to both of them . Why can't they enjoy the same scents that I do?
I carefully read the labels of the shampoo I buy for Hannah.
Adjusted pH for dog's skin and non-allergic ingredients. My Vet had me using Dawn dish liquid for Hannah's too greasy coat.
Now that her hair is of normal texture I have been using an oatmeal based shampoo. It does a good job and smells nice --
to me that is. The moment Hannah is dry she cannot wait to get outside and find something to roll on. In this community she is not allowed off leash so that limits her selections. Once though,
she discovered the remains of a mouse that Ginger, the feral cat,
had been enjoying. The parts Ginger had not ingested were hidden in the grass, "aging" in Virginia sun. Hannah dropped and rolled. By the time I yanked hard enough on her leash to get her back on her feet she was wearing, if not the items themselves, most certainly their fragrance. Hannah was very happy, until she realized it meant back to the tub.
Cats seldom need bathing. Thank goodness as cats are notoriously difficult to bathe. I had to give many feline baths,
usually the result of a heavy flea infestation, when I was working in the veterinary hospital. I bear some of the scars today.
But cats are strange when it comes to appreciating clean things too. The moment I clean Susie's litter box, she jumps in and "uses" it. Even when I think she is not around to watch me she somehow knows what I am doing and the second that I am finished, there she is-back in the box. She is hilarious about cat boxing and this behavior makes me wonder even more why she does not like to have a clean box. While she always covers her pee, spending some time scratching away until there is nothing to see (or smell) but
a big pile of litter, poop is another story. The second she is finished she leaps from the box, races out of the bathroom and
into the room farthest away. There the odifferous object sits-on
top of the litter. I guess she can't stand the smell herself? It is good for a laugh ( and the scoop and some Febreze, though.)
I started writing this today because I just finished vacuuming the living room carpet. Not an easy job when you have to do it from a wheelchair. But anyway, the carpet looks much better relieved of it's coat of dog and cat hair.
Now I sit down at the computer and here is Susie, sitting beside me, one leg in the air, scratching off the shedding gray hair. Hers doesn't show up too much as the carpet is gray too.
On my other side is Hannah, lying on her back, twisting and scrubbing, groaning with pleasure, as she works out all the loose hair she can spare so I will have more on my carpet.
Hannah is mostly white with a touch of orange. It shows!
Please note: I brush both these animals daily and remove handfuls of hair. There is always more. I brush them again.
So for the moment, my cat and dog smell nice --to me anyway.
Tomorrow I will clean the cat box and vacuum again.
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