Nature's Perfect Mousetrap

Many pet rescue groups are developing programs to deal with the problem of feral cat populations.

One such program is operated by the Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders (GVAC) in Victoria, BC, Canada. Feral cats are captured, given necessary veterinary care and sterilized. New homes are found for them on rural properties such as farms and acreages. The cats get new jobs (rodent control officers), new offices (barns, stables, or outbuildings) and a chance to make new lives for themselves.

GVAC is currently looking for rural property owners who wish to adopt these animals. All these cats need from their new owners is a bit of patience during their initial introduction period, food and water, shelter (such as a barn, a garage, or a stable), and veterinary care.

Not all cats in the program are wild. This is Benson. He will spray if kept in the house so he needs a place where he can live outside with a nice, warm barn or garage to sleep in, but where he still gets lots of love and attention. He’s a very sweet cat who just wants to cuddle. He’s young, neutered, vaccinated, and ready to go to a new home.

For information on Benson or to fill out an application to adopt him, please contact Pamela at the Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders at gvac@shaw.ca or call 250-381-4744.

If you live in the Greater Victoria area and you’re interested in adopting feral cats, please contact GVAC at 250-474-5581 or e-mail gvac@shaw.ca. They’ll provide you with guidance and help during your new cat’s adjustment period.

For areas outside the Greater Victoria area, contact your local animal shelter or rescue group. There are many barn cat programs starting up everywhere and the chances that you’ll find one in your area are very good.

Up A Tree Without A Squirrel

Even the smartest dog has dumb habits that make its owner wonder not only about its intelligence but its sanity.

My Border Collie, Jasper, was an exceptionally bright dog. He learned faster than my kids, with a better attitude. I had only to show Jasper a new thing once or twice and he happily did it. My kids, on the other hand, required four or five demonstrations and a significant bribe.

Jasper had one dumb habit that absolutely baffled me. While we walked through the woods on the farm, he would chase a squirrel up a tree. Unable to climb, he instead jumped up against the tree trunk until he could grab a branch with his teeth. Then he would hang there motionless, a look of intense concentration on his handsome face.

The kids would be rolling around on the ground laughing at him but I always stood and studied my dog in puzzlement. I wondered what (if anything) was going through his usually sharp brain at that moment.

If he was as intelligent as I thought he was, he would be thinking, “Okay, if I can just flip my lower body up six or seven feet, I might be able to make that next branch and pursue my prey.”

Or, perhaps he was simply trying to think of a way to save face: “Darn. My canine instincts once again overrode my innate intelligence. My jaws are getting tired. Any minute, I’m going to have to let go and fall back to Earth in front of my whole family.”

Then again, maybe I had vastly over-estimated his intelligence and his thought processes were actually going something like this: “Squirrel up tree. Jasper up tree. Jasper no got squirrel. What up wit dat?”

Inevitably, gravity won over intellect and Jasper would lose his grasp on the branch and fall. He never hurt himself — but he also never learned that his ambitious pursuit strategy had a major flaw.

Watch Out For Foxtail Barley!

A few years ago, Cooper, a bouncy, young Spaniel-cross, felt miserable. He licked constantly at the inside of his forearm, and lost both his appetite and energy.

His family took him to the vet several times before the problem was identified. A seed (called an “awn”) from foxtail barley had penetrated the skin of his forearm, migrated up into his chest area and lodged there.

The awn was successfully removed surgically. Cooper made a full and fast recovery but the operation cost the family several thousand dollars.

Foxtail barley is an invasive weed that grows everywhere. Grazing animals like to eat it in the spring and early summer but after it matures, they lose interest in it. The seedheads, which look like a fox’s tail or a squirrel’s tail, dry out in mid- and late summer, become yellow and bristly, and begin to break apart. The seeds or awns are barbed like fish hooks or porcupine quills and are easily picked up by animals. This is one of the ways in which this botanical pest propagates, but it’s just a nuisance to pet people.

Juna, a young female Rottweiler, hadn’t been feeling well for days. When I stopped by her family’s home for a quick visit, they immediately took me to see her. Normally, this exuberant pup bounced up and down like a big, black-and-tan basketball upon my arrival, then parked her 70-pound self on my feet. That day, however, she just lay on one of kid’s beds, drooling and looking thoroughly miserable. She was feverish and had stopped eating.

I didn’t even have to look into her mouth. I told the family to take her to the animal clinic immediately to have her examined. Sure enough, the vet found a foxtail barley awn deep in her throat. He pulled it out and Juna recovered quickly and completely.

Here’s how to protect your dog from foxtail barley awns:

1. Check your dog when she comes in from outdoors, especially in areas where the fur is fine such as the face, legs, armpits, underside, and tail area. Check between her toes, too.

2. Groom your dog regularly to dislodge awns that may be lurking in his fur.

3. If your dog has medium to long hair, trim around the foot pads and ears.

4. An awn that sticks in your dog’s anatomy somewhere will cause changes in behaviour. She may lick or scratch one area repeatedly, appear uncomfortable, or lose her appetite.

5. Immediately have a vet check any swellings or open sores on your dog. Barley awns can migrate internally and the sooner the seed is found, the faster your vet can remove it.

Horses and cattle pick them up, too. In cattle, the awns work their way into the mouth and cause a condition called “lump jaw”.

I’ve seen horses pick up barley awns in their lips. If you have a horse, watch for rubbing the mouth area on fences. Usually, an awn stuck in a horse’s lip is easy to see because it forms an itchy lump but if the seed works its way into the horse’s mouth, it’s harder to detect.

Have a safe and happy summer with your pet and remember to check it over regularly for summertime hazards.