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Clean Pet Ears

Cleaning your pet's ears is like changing the oil in your vehicle. You don't want to, but you have to. It's good preventative maintenance. Keeping the ears free of wax and debris are the first step in avoiding painful, costly ear infections.

You can take your pet to your veterinarian or a groomer and pay up to $30 to have this routine maintenance done, or you can arm yourself with the essential supplies and do it at home in 5 minutes.

Multipurpose ear cleaner. You want to have a cleaning solution and drying solution in one. Without the drying solution, liquid trapped in the ear canal creates moisture and a pleasant environment for yeast and bacteria to flourish. The ear canals of dogs and cats go straight down and then make a 90 degree turn towards their brain. Our ear canals go straight in towards our brain. That turn in the canal of the dog and cat is the reason moisture gets trapped so easily. You don't want to rely on their head shaking to eliminate all of the liquid.

Soft cotton balls and gauze squares. Both of which can be purchased at your drug store. Cotton balls are soft and absorbent for the initial wiping. The gauze squares fit nicely over your finger and are more textured which allow you clean in the nooks and ridges while still being soft and gentle.

You can also make your own inexpensive ear cleaner/dryer at home.

Mix witch hazel and vinegar at a 50/50 ratio and store in a dropper bottle for easy dispensing. Witch hazel is very economical and can be found in the market or drug store. It can be purchased with or without alcohol. Typically, the percentage of alcohol is 14% which is acceptable for routine cleaning. The alcohol will act as the drying agent in this homemade cleanser. However, alcohol can be overly drying to sensitive ears and opting for alcohol-free version will be just as effective.

Put a generous amount of cleaner in each ear and massage the base of the ears for thirty seconds. Then stand back and let your pet shake his/her head. It will be helpful to do this outside with a towel handy for wiping up the excess on the ear flaps and head. Wipe the visible part of the inner ears with a cotton ball or gauze and repeat until all the debris is removed.

Your pet and your pocketbook will thank you for maintaining clean, infection-free ears

Cat v. Tail

Cat v. Tail captured mid-match.

Summer Lives In A One Room Shack Down By The River

Summer the cat here.

I'm a dilute-tortioshell that came to live with my family as an adult, so I'm not sure how old I am. I moved in the same month that Travis joined the family. Travis and I lived at the hospital together for a few weeks and became buddies swapping stories of street life. I'm glad we got to stay together.

I spend my days starring at the shiny things around the house and chasing my tail. I am grand-champion of a game called Cat v. Tail. Not only do I chase my own tail, but the tails of my housemates. I wait on the couch for somebody to walk by and then, slap, slap, slap, I get their tail. Everyone's tail 'cept Ed's. I'd like to live to see my next meal.

I am the resident tattletail. I take careful note of all the wrong-doings in the house while the human is at work and then give her the run down over dinner. By taking this position, not only are my decision making skills in question, I can't form alliances with anyone but the human lest I lose my edge(and also my safe spot on the bed). Because I am the smallest and the weakest, I found my angle and went with it.