Fleas be Gone
Mizar came to me as a stray a few months ago. As a foster parent, I got rescue backing for him, who had him microchipped, examined, and flea treated. He was already spayed. Well, Mizar brought fleas with him, anyways.
We, Mizar, Dubhe, and Cassiopeia, have been battling fleas for months. I have used Capstar, Frontline Plus and Revolution, to little avail. I sprinkled Diatomaceous Earth down on all the carpeting and laundered every fabric thing not in closets. No luck. Sadly, a little over a month ago, I bathed Cassiopeia to rid her of fleas, The water was red with flea dirt or blood. She became very weak afterwards and died three days later at 19 years, 7 months. She was the last of my original four furry children. I called them my Boogie Children and they have also been called my Constellation Companions, because their names were Andromeda, Virgo, Pegasus and Cassiopeia.
As a last resort, I realized it was time to flea bomb my home. Obviously, the cats can’t be there when this is done. I was invited for Thanksgiving by a self-described Crazy Cat Lady. Thanksgiving morning, I packed the cats into their pet carriers with their food, dishes, and litter box, and committed the ultimate kitty torture by taking them for a car ride.
The drive was nearly two hours because of traffic. They, then, spent the day in the lady’s bedroom and, several hours later, we reverse the Ultimate Kitty Torture process, and I took them home.
Mizar’s History
Despite being a stray or a “community cat” as they are starting to be called, Mizar is incredibly friendly and sweet. Once he acclimated, he usually slept on my bed. He eventually moved to the pet beds I’ve placed about and, much to my deep dismay, started sleeping on the kitchen floor a few weeks ago. I even tried putting a pet bed under him on the floor, and he was having none of it.
To my great pleasure, fleas eliminated, Mizar immediately took to my bed. This is the first time in a few months that I’ve seen him sacked out in my bed. It warms my heart to know my boy is able to be all comfy, cozy kitty again.
Although he is technically a foster, I will likely keep him. Dubhe came to me as a foster nearly two years ago, three weeks after my Jase disappeared, Dubhe had a playmate until April, then she, Auriga, got adopted. Dubhe needed a playmate and tried playing with Cassiopeia, which I discouraged because of Cassi’s age and fragility. Alas, Mizar was trapped, found to be homeless, and made the perfect companion for Dubhe.
I’d intended for my next cats to be named Orion, Sagittarius and possibly a Cygnus. It is said that the best cats are the ones who choose their owners. I guess I’ve been chosen by Dubhe and Mizar.
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