What kind of idiot would feed corn cobs to a dog?

Neko had to see the vet this week. She has scratched her ear raw, which means she has mites and needs to have an industrial hose job followed by ear drops. The last time I had to adhere to this treatment I gave up because she would not let me near her. That the drops had to be refrigerated didn't help. Who likes ice cold drops in their ears?

So I told the vet no ice cold drops and she agreed, but only if I would give Neko a pill with steroids in it. Whatever. Neko has always shown a talent for fetching round objects and I see no reason why she should not have a career in professional baseball.

We have a new vet, a nice young woman who bought the practice from the old vet, who retired. He was pretty old. She asked me about Neko's diet, explaining that sometimes these repeated ear infections are skin rashes due to food or airborne allergies. So I had to explain that we feed Neko boiled meat (lamb and stew meat) or chicken because she refuses to eat canned dog food. What about just dry food, she asked. Clearly, she doesn't have a dog. I know the Nazi School of Tough Love requires owners to treat their pets like merciless killing machines that live to be a hundred, but I just can't do it. Neko loves her boiled vittles and she shall have them.

An article online caught my eye today. It was about animal myths. Like, you should never give a dog people food. Luckily, this is not true. Neither is it encouraged. Helpfully, the article listed the foods owners should never give their dogs - because they are toxic. Many are no brainers; who would ever give a dog alcohol? I can't imagine offering Neko a sip of wine. And everyone knows, or ought to, that chocolate is verboten.

Here's the list.


Chocolate
Onions
Grapes
Raisins.
Yeast dough
Alcohol
Tobacco
Marijuana
Moldy or spoiled food
Wild mushrooms
Large amounts of raw fish
Potato, rhubarb or tomato leaves
Large amounts of raw liver
Large numbers of macadamia nuts
Fruit pits
Corn cobs

Am I to understand that there are people who would feed fruit pits or corn cobs to a dog? What about "moldy or spoiled food"? Do some people think their dogs are living, breathing garbage cans?

Animal House update

Here, by popular request, are recent photos of a little known group called The Animals. Some of you may recall that Munchkin (the runt) weighed 8 ounces when we took her in and started feeding her with a dropper. That was on the 4th of July. Earlier this week, Munchy and Pushy went to see the Neighborhood Animal Tormenter. He stuck a thermometer up their little behinds and told us they had no fever. He listened to their terrified hearts beat; he examined their ears for mites. Most important, he weighed them. Pushkin: 3 pounds, 5 ounces, with her socks on. Munchkin: surprisingly close at 3 pounds, 3 ounces. Since I last weighed in, Munchkin has made enormous progress for a special needs kitty. She has litter-box trained herself, with a little help from Pushkin, I think. This is an extraordinary accomplishment for a kitten with limited motor skills. I was frankly wondering how I could keep my day job and follow her around all day with a paper towel. She even knows how to cover her tracks. And the sweetest thing is that Pushkin watches her and then, once she has climbed out of the litter box, goes in and puts the finishing touches on. Sisters are doing it for themselves!

Here they are, post-litter box, playing in their favorite basket. I put the thesaurus in the basket in an attempt to offer a scale of comparison for their size. A July post shows Munchkin leaning on the thesaurus. In it, she is barely taller than the book lying on its side.

And Neko is Neko. Maddening and lovable. Wednesday night, I put on my friend Dahli's cashmere sweater (which I wore on the flight home from Paris) because it was close to hand and I was cold. I thought she was coming by to pick it up. When I donned it, Neko took this to mean we were going out. When that did not happen immediately, she started tugging at the bottom of the sweater (which comes down to my knees). Damned if she didn't tear a hole in it! In fact, her stupid owner is forced to admit, she tore two holes in it because her stupid owner did not take the sweater off immediately. Neko, not understanding the words "No!" and "You little bitch troll from hell!" came back for another game of tug-o-war. So that 200 dollar cashmere sweater from Barney's is now good for taking the trash out. But I find it impossible to stay angry at the little study in beige, brown and grey above. Speaking of Neko, her namesake is coming to Seattle. A long trek from Tacoma, I know. Neko Case will be at Bumbershoot tomorrow. I want to be there, for sure. I want my Neko to meet her match, at last.