On 'animal words' & seasonal cat issues

Cookie

There’s so much to say about the words used in the animal world.  Some are hideously boring clichés, as in our “furry (or “feathery”) friends” -- there must be another way to refer to cats, dogs and birds.

Beyond that, there’s the forever “sweet” kitten, puppy, baby animal of any kind. This word’s mindless overuse is enough to sour a reader or listener.  What happened to spirited, darling, cuddlesome, feisty or even moody or shy?  Yet most are simply “sweet.”

(Any chance I’m so down on “Sweet” because too often I’m called “Sweetie, if not “Honey,” by waitresses, salespeople and others?)

Then come the mixed-up words, like scrapegut and scapegoat.  The first refers to a violinist who can sound as if s/he is scraping the instrument’s strings.  (Violin strings were traditionally made of “catgut” -- actually the gut or intestines of sheep or goats, not cats.)

“Scapegoat,” the “sound-like” word, has a distinctly different meaning of its own.  This unlucky animal, or person, is blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others, especially for reasons of expediency.  Biblically, the sins of the people were loaded on a goat, who was then sent into the wilderness.  (Presto! no more sins -- at least for now.)

                                           APLNJ pic

Onto euphemisms, like “hog producer,” a business-like term that really means a farmer who raises pigs, or hogs, to be killed so they can be eaten.  Then there’s the sign at a nearby farm for “pork,” instead of dead pig.

Kitten (& claw) season

Yes, it’s kitten season, and the world can seem full of cats -- moms and babies, and many, many more of the same.  Active, playful and lovable, in need of help, protecting their young, whatever they’re up to: cats can scratch people, and some scratches are serious.  Just in time, here are five tips for dealing with cat scratches from online Catster magazine. 

https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/at-home-cat-scratch-treatment?utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=Catster%20Ful%20List&utm_campaign=CED20190308  

                                                                      Catster pic

Honey was the surprise for me -- I wouldn’t have thought of it for cat scratches (and in fact a couple comments here dispute that idea), even though I’ve seen it used in hospitals for wounds.  Baking soda sounds like a good bet for relieving scratch itch, in paste form, I assume.  (Of course, depending on seriousness of the scratch and what you know about the cat, a round of antibiotics might be your best bet.)

Keep calm, treat your scratches and carry on!  

Cats & birds can mix

The twain can definitely meet, but in a very indirect way.  Without even knowing it, cats can contribute nesting materials to area birds, according to the Tufts Wildlife Clinic in North Grafton, Mass.  Human hair, pet fur, bits of string or yarn and small strips of cloth can be offered to birds to line their nests.  

So if you brush your cat(s) anyway, think of the fluff as “for the birds.”  And, btw, for squirrels too. How’d you like to hang out in a drafty nest high up in a tree during a gusty spring rain storm?  Soft car fur could make the difference.  

Cats as victims, not predators

Tis the season . . . for all sorts of painful-or-worse things that can happen to cats outside (including of course community cats and kittens who have never -- yet! -- been indoors).  They can be stung or bitten by wasps, bees, spiders and snakes.

 

Black widow spider

This Catster article by a veterinarian spells out how to help an afflicted cat if bites or stings happen.  And it makes the basic point that indoor-only cats will be much safer from all these hazards.

https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-health-snake-bites-bee-wasp-stings-black-widow-spiders-fda-ask-a-vet?utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=Catster%20Ful%20List&utm_campaign=CED20190409

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