Meow Mix Cat on the countertop |
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Coastwizard
Junior Executive Joined: 04 Jun 2009 Status: Offline Points: 91 |
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Posted: 18 May 2010 at 3:00am |
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Actually, Thor, you're absolutely right (about the tapeworms, that is), in my haste to post, I mixed up my worms. Easy to do, since there are several varieties with different life cycles that infest dogs and cats. Here is the information in its entirety:
Coastwizard
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HollyRock
Moderator Group Illustrious Video Moderator Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Location: Mass. Status: Offline Points: 2873 |
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...that you know of.
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Thor
Revolutionary Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Location: Rockaway, NJ Status: Offline Points: 63903 |
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Coastwizard, I've only seen the "dancing rice" (worm segments) when my critters have had fleas. From what I understand, the worm larva live on the fleas and then the animals ingest the fleas. At that point, you must treat both the worms and the fleas to get rid of the worms. If you just treat the worms, and then the animals ingest more fleas, the worms will just return.
For several years in a row, I had to medicate my cats for this stuff. Not the past couple of years, though. For some reason, neither my cats nor the neighbors' cats have had fleas since maybe 2006. And no fleas, no worms.
Oh...and while one of my cats wakes me up by batting me across the face with his paw, another one wakes me up by licking my face---and that sometimes means the lips. Yikes...but, still, I haven't gotten worms.
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Coastwizard
Junior Executive Joined: 04 Jun 2009 Status: Offline Points: 91 |
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Ok, this is going to make me real unpopular with the pet owners, but as a zoologist, I think it's important for everyone to be aware of this.
Fact of the matter is, a much more serious concern than the dirt and bacteria dogs and cats track into the house on their feet are the tapeworm eggs they track in. These eggs are blown about by the wind and picked up by people and animals on their feet and fur when they walk around outside.
Their lifecycle includes having to be passed into the mouth of a host so they can move down into the creature's gut where they attach to the intestinal wall and proceed to draw nutrition from the host and grow, sometimes reaching lengths of up to 30 feet. After they mature, they start regularly releasing the last segment of their bodies, which constitutes an egg packet.
Once the egg packet leaves the bowel in the host's feces, it is ready to break open and be spread around by wind, grazing animals, or anything that happens to step in said feces. Humans usually break the cycle when they flush their bodily waste down the toilet instead of dropping it in the grass. However, that doesn't mean they won't end up with a tapeworm, and children and pet owners are especially vulnerable.
Pet owners can avoid being infected by practicing good hygiene. Since most humans are not in the habit of grazing, the eggs have no way of entering a person's mouth to complete their cycle...that is, unless one of the following occurs:
Having your pet "wormed" only eliminates the worms presently living in the animal's body. The minute that pet touches the ground (either outside or inside) it picks up a whole fresh batch of worm eggs, and the cycle is ready to start all over again.
In other words, the eggs are out there, and their whole job is to make it into your pet's mouth or yours. Good hygiene is the best way to avoid catching a tapeworm. Symptoms that you might have one include, but are not limited to, weakness, fatigue, loss of weight and the presence of the occasional, white egg packet in your feces. (They used to actually sell these things to women as a weight loss method). If you do get one, the only way to get rid of it is by going to your doctor and having him prescribe the necessary medication to kill the worm, after which it will pass out of your body with the rest of the waste.
So now you know the best reason of all to keep Frisky and Fido down off the furniture and countertops...Oh, and no more doggie/kitty kisses on the mouth!
Those of you who are still doubters are invited to visit the following link: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/human-tapeworm-intestinal-parasite-infection.html
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PaWolf
Revolutionary Hoary Ol' Chestnut... doncha know.... Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Location: GreatWhiteNorth Status: Offline Points: 40769 |
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X <sig.nature>
"What we do for ourselves dies with us, What we do for others is and remains immortal." - Albert Pike |
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Thor
Revolutionary Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Location: Rockaway, NJ Status: Offline Points: 63903 |
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My cats are indoor/outdoor, too. They like to use the neighbors' yards. The neighbors all have cats, too...so they have no idea from whence those turdpiles come.
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applepiemommy
Honor Roll Joined: 17 Apr 2008 Location: So. California Status: Offline Points: 671 |
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I've had cats forever.
a) I use people food plates for their food because it's just food. And I wash the plates. b) I don't let my cats on the counter, but I'll bet you anything they go up there when I'm sleeping or out of the house. So, I disinfect my counters. And use cutting boards to put my food on. c) My cats are indoor/outdoor cats. I would rather they use the litter box, but they seem to prefer the lawn instead. d) I hate this commercial. It's the feline equivalent of the minced fish brat. |
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What does Dr Traci have to say about it? http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Dr-Traci
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Ad nauseous
Revolutionary Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Location: Connecticut Status: Offline Points: 23601 |
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LOL |
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One good thing about TV-you could always turn it off
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Dreamstalker
Junior Executive Joined: 30 Mar 2009 Status: Offline Points: 286 |
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We used to keep catnip on top of the refrigerator. There was a butcher-block cart next to it, but it was still a good leap straight up with nothing on top of the fridge to grab onto. One day I come home to the jar (plastic) on the floor with the screwtop off, catnip everywhere and McGriff lying stretched out completely stoned in the middle of the mess. No, we never figured out how he a) got to the top of the fridge in the first place or b) managed to get the lid off (unless whoever gave him catnip last never actually screwed the lid back on...but how did he know?). To this day I wish I had thought to get the camera. |
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RichardCranium
Commercial Hater Joined: 20 Sep 2009 Location: Detroit Status: Offline Points: 1466 |
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But of course! LMAO! You want clutter? My wife is a teacher so she obviously brings a lot of stuff home to grade/prep. Our diningroom table is constantly covered with stacks of assignments, lesson plans, student's folders, etc. and is in front of our bay window. From the front sidewalk it looks like we're being audited by the IRS. I kid you not, on any given day there is no room for anything on a 9'X4' table. Sometimes stuff is even stacked on the chairs and tucked in. I tell her if she just would give scantron tests every day this wouldn't happen. She then reminds me that a set of new tires for her car would be approximately $600.
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Thor
Revolutionary Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Location: Rockaway, NJ Status: Offline Points: 63903 |
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I sprinkle thumb tacks on the counters.
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fishingmachine
Junior Executive Joined: 22 Sep 2009 Location: pittsburgh, pa Status: Offline Points: 229 |
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i have a simple solution to cat on the counter/table problem. most of our counters/tables are too cluttered most of the time to make it worth the effort for them. no training necessary. we do this on purpose of course.
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Synesthesia
Junior Executive Joined: 16 Jul 2009 Status: Offline Points: 2088 |
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I love cats and dogs, but bunnies have a special place in my heart.
I love bunnies. I wish I could have another rabbit. |
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Is this love big enough to watch over me?
Big enough to let go of me Without hurting me, Like the day I learned to swim?-Kate Bush The Fog |
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Ad nauseous
Revolutionary Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Location: Connecticut Status: Offline Points: 23601 |
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LOL PaW you're too much!!! |
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One good thing about TV-you could always turn it off
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Thor
Revolutionary Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Location: Rockaway, NJ Status: Offline Points: 63903 |
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Moochamoocha
Honor Roll Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Location: New York City Status: Offline Points: 4637 |
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Boy, there sure are a lot of cat people here. I love it!
I have no problem with the commercial. Our cats are total indoor cats but we let them roam around the terrace in warmer weather. Blackberry's new thing is to drink water from the kitchen faucet. What she does is look up at the counter and start meowing to whoever is around to pick her up and let her drink. She never jumps up herself but she gets down on her own. Jellybean used to do this when she was younger but she just drinks from the water bowl these days. Never had a problem with getting kisses from them. In fact, we love it. It shows that they love us as much as we love them. |
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Christine
Honor Roll Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Location: NYC Status: Offline Points: 1094 |
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My $.02:
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PaWolf
Revolutionary Hoary Ol' Chestnut... doncha know.... Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Location: GreatWhiteNorth Status: Offline Points: 40769 |
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'FurrFace' is BACK on the counter top, you say?!
...uhhh...rrrrriiight! That reminds me...gotta have my 'diet shake'...
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X <sig.nature>
"What we do for ourselves dies with us, What we do for others is and remains immortal." - Albert Pike |
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Thor
Revolutionary Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Location: Rockaway, NJ Status: Offline Points: 63903 |
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That's funny.
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PaWolf
Revolutionary Hoary Ol' Chestnut... doncha know.... Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Location: GreatWhiteNorth Status: Offline Points: 40769 |
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Nawwww...it's not "little"! It's a "Single Serving"!
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X <sig.nature>
"What we do for ourselves dies with us, What we do for others is and remains immortal." - Albert Pike |
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Synesthesia
Junior Executive Joined: 16 Jul 2009 Status: Offline Points: 2088 |
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Poor little kitty...
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Is this love big enough to watch over me?
Big enough to let go of me Without hurting me, Like the day I learned to swim?-Kate Bush The Fog |
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Ad nauseous
Revolutionary Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Location: Connecticut Status: Offline Points: 23601 |
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HOT PU**Y! I hope that's photoshopped. |
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One good thing about TV-you could always turn it off
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RichardCranium
Commercial Hater Joined: 20 Sep 2009 Location: Detroit Status: Offline Points: 1466 |
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Oh, the puns that come to mind.... I should just leave it alone though.
Mighty hot looking pu................
Be sure to eat all your pu...............
No- I will just leave it alone.
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PaWolf
Revolutionary Hoary Ol' Chestnut... doncha know.... Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Location: GreatWhiteNorth Status: Offline Points: 40769 |
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"Here kitty ktty..."
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X <sig.nature>
"What we do for ourselves dies with us, What we do for others is and remains immortal." - Albert Pike |
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Thor
Revolutionary Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Location: Rockaway, NJ Status: Offline Points: 63903 |
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My bottom cabinets are baby-proofed. But they do open---about 4 inches, just enough for the cats to squeeze their way through. They were into that when they were younger, but they've since lost interest. No treats in there, I guess.
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