Life With Cats and Art March 2023

Hi to new subscribers! It has been a while since my last newsletter in December. Now that the holiday frenzy is over and spring is almost here it's time for my flea remedy advice. I do this every spring in the hope that it will spare your furry friends the misery of flea sprays, dips, baths and the rest. This is meant for cats although I imagine small dogs would be good candidates as well.

You only need a flea comb, a container for water tall enough to immerse the comb, liquid dishwasher detergent and a few paper towels. Q-tips also come in handy. Fill the container with water and add a few drops of detergent. Stir gently because you don't want a lot of suds. Gently comb your cat. This works very well if your cat is relaxed and on your lap. Talking softly and assuringly helps. When you snag a flea get the comb in the water quickly and shake slightly to help it fall off. Use the paper towel or q-tip to wipe the comb and repeat until you no longer find fleas.

Years ago I tried flea baths, sprays and various treatments and swore I would never do it again after seeing my beloved Mollie petrified and foaming at the mouth. I pass this along in the hope that I can spare some pets the horror when there is a gentler, kinder way. I have also used Seresto flea collars and they worked fine on indoor/outdoor cats. I have heard some cat owners say they are harmful to some cats but mine didn't have a problem. My recent and current cats are indoor only cats and fleas are not a problem although I have heard that even indoor cats can get fleas brought in on clothing, etc. I have been fortunate. I think some cats are prone to them. Luckily, Red and Bella  don’t have any problems with fleas even though she has long fine hair and he has very thick and fluffy long hair. 

Bella and Red just chillin on top of the piano. 

Red is a Ringtail cat. Of course, I never heard of that before. I thought his tail was broken. Then I found a facebook group about American Ringtail Cats. I wish I knew his background but he was found on the street and taken in by a rescue group. I found him through Petfinders.com. 

Last issue I talked about the new series I am working on from photos I took on Safari a few years ago. I've done two so far and showed the first, "Lioness and Cubs" in all it's stages of development. I had just begun "Elephant and Calf below and I have just a sketch so far of the third, Giraffe and Calf. Interesting that baby elephants, zebras and giraffes are all called calves. I have many of these photos available for sale on prints and products in my POD shops. I wanted to also capture some as oil paintings on canvas. I thought you would enjoy seeing the photo reference alongside the painting.