Fleas in Paradise!

We were considering putting this version of Feral in the lodge's great room to join the wide array of mounted exotic fish. But circumstances intervened and we were forced to use the "Moose Mount" for a higher purpose.

Feral Bueller, the formally wild cat who charmed her way out of the bulkhead and into the house has always been known for her thick gray coat and bushy tail.

We took a hike up to the hydro intake the other day. Feral always likes to come along on hikes, so she followed along, running alongside and on top of the hydro line.

As she zoomed past us at one point, Jen said, "Is that a bald spot on Feral's hindquarters?" (She didn't actually say "hindquarters".)

On closer inspection, Feral did indeed have a large area of thinning fur.

Her tail looks like a squirrel! (This is Jen)

When we got back to the lodge, we pinned Feral down for a thorough inspection and were very suprised to see small shiny critters scurrying around the isolated hairs on the problem areas. As far as I know we don't have many fleas in SE Alaska--the winters are still too cold for them, although that may be changing. We found out later that a dog from down south, living here for the summer, had arrived with some bloodthirsty hitchhikers. The dog was treated but evidentally some of the eggs hatched out as soon as they smelled fresh blood in the lodge.

We had one treatment of flea medication with us, hidden amongst some of Feral's outfits. We applied that to the back of her neck and in the 12 hours it was supposed to take to kill every flea on her, we vacuumed every bit of floor area in the house and washed everything that Feral might have come in contact with in the last several weeks. The numbers of fleas we found on her dropped over the next couple days, but we were still finding hearty fleas on her and she continued to chew, scratch, and lick with a frenzy.

What do you do in this situation where you are 90 miles by boat from the closest pet pharmacy?

Home Treatment! We were told that a bath with Dawn dishwashing detergent would kill the fleas. You can see Feral eyeing the sink as I told her that she would have to stay in the bath for 5 minutes. Our plan was that I would lower her into the water for a good soak, then I'd pull her out and Jen would lather her up with the Dawn. See that smile on my face? It disappeared as soon as I grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and began to lower her into the water. She freaked, as any normal cat would do when being lowered into a vat of water 4 feet deep, and turned in to a frantic windmilling outboard motor. Spray, fur, and foam flew as the planned 5-minute soak turned into about 5-nanoseconds. (By the way, Jen photoshopped my picture to make me look balder than I am!)

This is Jen: I used to bath both of my cats, but always in the bathtub, and only in about 6 inches of water, and I was in the tub with them. There was no way to do so here, with only showers available, and we didn't think Feral would be too cooperative up at the grotto in the hot springs. When I noticed that Rick had filled the commercial grade sink in the kitchen to the very top, I may have even mentioned that he didn't need so much water, but wasn't wise enough to boss him around as usual and tell him to drain all but 6 inches out. Poor Feral! Can you imagine eyeing a huge vat of liquid, and then--not being gently cradled and lowered towards the evil substance--but grabbed by the scruff of the neck and unceremoniously propelled towards it? You bet I'd get the hell out of there in record time! Yipes! If you could have heard the hissing and spitting and splashing and yowling in those few seconds! The miserable meowl- yowls erupted every now and then during the luxurious lather and rinse, but on the whole Feral was a pretty good sport.

She calmed down quite a bit after clawing her way out of the sink and was actually pretty good as Jen lathered her up with the Dawn. (Now Jen really made me look bald! Everything above my eyeballs is gone!)

Feral especially liked the drying phases of the bath.

A secondary tounge bath by the woodstove is part of the drying and healing process.

The Dawn bath did seem to help with the itchy skin, but we continued to find fleas on her for several days (undoubtedly the abbreviated length of the bath was the reason for lack of results). We didn't have access to one of those cones to keep her from licking and scratching any more of her fur off, so we settled on the "Moose Mount".

It has been very effective in keeping her from licking and scratching too much and taking any more fur off. She sleeps in it.

She watches humans eat in it.

She hangs around the house in it.

Yes, we know the moose is on upside down, but that's the way she has to wear it to protect the remaining fur on her backside. Her tail is starting to look a little like a french poodle's. The next boat or floatplane that comes into the bay should bring the flea medication and some fogger to eradicate the little suckers.