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Sunday, October 9, 2011

Clean House(Pets) and also, the Withering Look....

Well, it would appear we had a flea problem earlier in the week.  Oy!  It seems much longer than a week since that fateful day we took Elsa and Pearl to be groomed.  Oh, ok.  I know, I KNOW.  We can and should be doing this ourselves.  BUT...bottom line, we took them to a groomer.

So.............they came home clean, BUT WITH FLEAS!!!!  I kid you not, and actually, it's not surprising  Lots of puppies are there only for flea relief, and fleas being the pesky sons-a-guns they are, well, it was just a matter of time.

So....like proper yuppies (well, we don't really want to be yuppies and if you call us that we'll deal with you in short order, but when we're miffed, we try to do it, but we don't do it well at all!!!), we went back to said groomer and they said they would be happy to re-bathe said puppies at no additional cost (mentally does the math -- what on earth???  More fleas????).  So no, that didn't work.  I don't need even more fleas. 

We purchased the vet supplied chemicals to eradicate fleas, which it did, but then the poor pups suffered with toxic diarrhea/other symptoms.  It's been so long since I have dealt with fleas, that I was ill prepared to the task at hand, so again, Haney Place dogs deserve the best we can give them.  Henceforth, these puppies will only be dealt with homeopathically and naturally, but too little too late, we still had itchy, toxic puppies here.  Something HAD to be done!

Steve rigged up really AWESOME dog washing apparatus in the upstairs (master) bathroom.  Oy....  It was effiencit, for real, but dogs being what they are, and the fact that they have never been bathed at home yet, the tension was mighty high.  I rolled up my sleeves and prepred to get down to business!!! 





Yes, well, I'm pretty sure he told me the status of the various valves, switches and stuff, but long story short, the warm water wasn't forthcoming.  I saw a valve I thought was at fault.  I had to step up on something, tippy toed, face fully extended to the shower head, and WHAM!!!  Before we even began, a face full of something...

Oy....but anyway, we proceeded.  I don't know if you've ever experienced a shy dog evacuating their anal gland, but...it should only happen in the shower, just sayin'....

Wash one dog in emollient oatmeal shampoo (huff, puff, puff) and turn to second dog (WTF????)  No way, and yet, by golly, I've raised kids meaner than you, so in you go, and the second one gets a good bath.  So sweet, so happy, so relieved, we're all really proud of the job we've done.  So we RUN for the back door, and that AWESOME rare October sunshine.  This weekend really is a gift to Upstate NY after all we've been through recently.

So.....................Big Steve is sitting in the sun out back, sipping something bubbly and cold, and when I express my (then) stress over all the water upstairs, he counters with something like "Didn't you put towels down on the floor"?????

NOW....THE WITHERING LOOK!!!!!   LOLOL!!!  Men, don't try this at home.  That look could wither the oldest walnut tree!!!

So we proceed to the cat.  Egads.  It has been decades since I bathed a cat.  Not a pretty sight.  Lots of blood (mine).  But hey, I figured I had trendy goods, which any cat would be proud to be bathed in!




I don't know about you, but I absolutely adore and look forward to those cherished moments with my stylist.  Oh, wow.  The warm water, the massage, the fixing of everything that's wrong with how I appear (in her power, albeit...but I digress).  At any rate, Calvin wasn't exactly into it, but he was really ok...God love him, he was really ok!



Well, what I was dreading most (bathing the cat) turned out to be the easiest task of all.  Glad I saved it for last.  Mr. Calvin Cat totally accepted and even seemed to enjoy his bath with his trendy shampoo.  I won't say he loved every part of it, but I can honestly say that I have the cleanest, and calmest cat on the block.  And this episode of fleas is over.  For real. 

And this has all inspired me to complete the homeopath training for once and for all. 

Chemicals stink, in your nose, and metaphorically.  I'm done with them.  And so are my furbabies!  I almost feel like we've won a small battle today!