Pet Care

Cat Litter Blues (Gina - Moscow, Idaho)

We planned a week-long vacation recently, and I worried about our cat, Charles.

When we are home, we don't have a litter box inside, and during our previous vacation trips, we left him inside with a litter box--which he was smart enough to use. Then we came home to a very stinky and disgusting mess, even though our daughter stopped by to empty it periodically.

So, I checked out the alternatives to normal cat litter. At our local food co-op, I found this wheat litter. The product promised that we could just scoop out the clumps and flush them away. So, I tried it.

Hooray....it worked. This stuff is just wheat, and looks like cracked wheat. It does form a clump easily, so that the wetness remains separate from the rest of the litter box. And it was easy to scoop out the clumps and flush them down the toilet.

The idea was to add a little of the cat litter following each scooping to maintain a constant three to four inch deep litter in the box. Easy enough.

Our daughter, who is such a sissy about smelly things, thought it was great. It worked so well that I'll use it whenever we go away on vacation and need to set up the litter box again.

I checked on the package, and the company has a toll-free number (888-772-2345) and website (www.heartlandnatural.com) if you want to learn more about it.

Caution about the wheat litter (name withheld)

Dog Bones (Seth Harris)

Last November our beloved Siberian husky, Autumn, was hit by a car while on an unauthorized outing. We didn’t see the accident, but could tell that she’d been injured because she had an abrasion on her right side and couldn’t sit and lift her head at the same time. This meant Autumn couldn’t jump up for her treats. Our veterinarian examined her, concluded that there were no broken bones or internal injuries, and prescribed steroids, which we gave her.

Soon after, at our chiropractor’s office (he’s a man known locally for his gifted energy work, using activators and acupressure), we saw some people with a small dog in the waiting room. When we learned that our chiropractor regularly treats dogs — and cats and horses — we immediately scheduled an appointment for Autumn. She saw him weekly for about five weeks and improved steadily during that time.

Autumn loved her appointments. At her fourth appointment, she laid down on the floor as soon as the chiropractor entered the room! By her fifth, she was able to jump for her treats effortlessly. This gifted man works with animals for free, perhaps partly because he’s not licensed to treat animals, but a picture of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals, is on the waiting room wall, and I can’t help but think this influence has more to do with it!

Love and Dander (Patricia - Jacksonville, Florida)

My boyfriend is allergic to dogs. You guessed it. I have a dog.

I’ll spare you the stories of his stuffed-up nose and instant rashes. It was looking like I was going to have to choose between the two of them. Then my girlfriend suggested I try this stuff you wipe on the dog to remove the dander. It worked, and we are actually living happilly ever after. All three of us.

The stuff is called Allerpet, and it costs $12 for a bottle. You just use a wet washcloth and wipe it on the animal (not the boyfriend). It is safe and non-toxic and not even smelly, but it seems to remove the dander and other funky allergic stuff in the dog fur.

The product is for sale by Pure and Natural, at 800-237-9199. They also sell a version for cats and one for birds.

Rug Urine Messes (Jackie Jackson - Missoula, Montana)

At the same time our cat Henry was alive, we had a new puppy named Bozo, which meant we had problems with urine on the rug. Our house was starting to smell, and it encouraged the pets to continue their bad habits.

We discovered that vinegar worked great for this. First, we used paper towels to blot away whatever wetness remained. Then, we rubbed the rug with a wet rag a few times. That took away most of the urine, and most of the smell. Next we mixed a small amount (a pint maybe) of equal amounts vinegar and water, poured that on the spot, blotted it away with paper towels, then rinsed it with water once or twice (drying it with rags after each application of water), then let it dry. The smell left with that vinegar wash.