Caturday: The Snake That Keeps Order in My Cat Family of Eleven


Well, we were 11 a month ago. Now we are 9 and soon to be 7. A guest, Nellie, went home to her mama after just a week's stay. Her siblings, Ella and Ebony, will go home soon to their mama's new home, which was still being built when she moved away as our next-door neighbor -- and it was important to keep the cats in known territory until they could get to permanent new territory. And then, on February 8, our beloved Happy Cat succumbed after a four-month struggle with a brain tumor.

Seven, nine, or 11 does not matter. Our snake is always the charmer for keeping cats in order, stopping any cat spat, and even herding cats as a group in the direction they need to go.

Meet our snake: Duster. Duster is a can of air spray for cleaning computers. It puts out a hissing sound just like a real snake, and cats do not like snakes. All the cats scat not only when they hear Duster, but even upon seeing Duster. Often, I just need to hold it, and they calm right down. And, in a desperate moment, with Duster in a different room, I just have to make the hissing sound, and the cats fall in line -- or scatter as the expectation may be.

Some folks use water spray, but that means the cats, floor, furniture, etc., get wet. And, for some cats, water spray is not always effective. The snake, in my experience, is effective.

Caveat: Do not spray toward a cat. Even though it is only air, it is under pressure. Spray it into the air as you would spray air freshener. (Actually, my cats have trouble dissociating Duster from air freshener so will take off if they see a can of air freshener in my hand.)



Note: Easter is right around the corner. Don't forget to check out Sula's book, Easter at the Mission. Only one left in stock at Amazon, but they will have more right away.




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