The FURminator Really Works

I came across several Web sites that recommended a grooming aid for cats and dogs called the FURminator. I was skeptical at first, but our cats really needed something and nothing we’ve tried before has been of much use. Rakes, brushes, combs, those weird loop blade things—they all disappointed us.

I especially wanted something for my oldest cat, who is a bit stiff in her joints and thus has some trouble grooming herself, particularly in her hindquarters and the top of her back toward the nether end.  (Although Cosequin for Cats is helping her noticeably; she is more nimble and mobile and has even slimmed down a bit.) As for our long-haired cat, I wanted something that would reduce the amount of fur that he was ingesting while grooming himself. The other cats are less in need of grooming, since they spend a lot of time outdoors, which seems to help them shed more easily.

With our oldest cat before, whenever I petted her, I ended up with handfuls of fur. The best I could do to help her with this problem was to use a flea comb to pull out those loose hairs, which worked okay for her, but not so  well on our long-haired cat.

So, with some trepidation, I decided to order the FURminator, and I am so glad I did. The FURminator is to the other grooming aids we’ve tried as a Lamborghini is to a go-cart. It is a bit pricey, but is worth every penny. It has a very sturdy, comfortable handle, and it works incredibly well. Mind you, you have to pay attention to their fine-print instructions, and when they say to groom your beloved pet in an open area where it will be easy to clean up the fur, they mean every word of it.

The first time I used this tool on my oldest cat, she was a bit dubious about it—for about three seconds. Then she started to purr and knead as she felt me remove masses of loose fur from her coat. She was very cooperative. I was amazed at the results. I quickly pulled out an enormous amount of loose fur. I kept grooming her, and kept pulling out more fur than I thought was possible. Where was all that fur coming from? My poor cat!

I groomed her again two days later and got just as much fur the second time. I also groomed our long-haired cat, and although I didn’t get as much fur out of his coat, I did get a lot. For both cats, their coats look much healthier, shinier, and cleaner.

There are different sizes depending on your pet. There’s

• the cat size (which is what I am using)
• the small dog size (which the FURminator people say is recommended for small to medium-sized dogs, cats, rabbits, and ferrets)
• the medium dog size
• the large dog size
• and even one for horses

A reminder: It takes a very light and gentle touch. Be sure to read the instructions, or you might hurt your pet. Also, this tool is NOT recommended for certain breeds of dogs and cats. Be sure to see the FAQs at the FURminator Web site for the lists of recommended and not-recommended breeds as well as a complete set of instructions.

Legal stuff: This information is provided for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, heal, repair, or otherwise affect your pet’s health in any way.

Autism and Vaccinations

About 14 years ago, I had a vivid dream in which I visited a woman I had recently met on the Internet. I saw her teaching an entire classroom full of autistic children. The classroom, however, had only two partial walls and no roof, and above, the sky was that dark grey-blue of thick storm clouds. She and I in the dream spoke about autism and its causes, and then I woke up.

Later, I found out that she did, indeed, teach autistic children. One point for getting information through a dream.

The other point, the causes of autism, is a little less easy to award. In the dream, I was told that vaccinations can trigger autism, but that they aren’t actually the cause. Instead, the scenario ran something like this in the dream:

1. Vaccinations are given to children in the belief that the child’s body is not capable of dealing with common childhood illnesses. In other words, there is a fear that the child’s body is too weak, and a belief that the child may not survive if he or she falls ill.
2. The child’s spirit, which is still coming into the body, still making connections between the spirit and the physical, hears that message loud and clear.
3. With some children, that spirit then withdraws in fear. It stops embodying itself out of fear that it can and will be harmed. Et voila, an autistic child.

Now, of course, I am not the only one drawing a conclusion here. There are many who have connected the dots and say the picture isn’t good. And there are a lot of excellent books detailing the pros and cons of vaccinations. I am definitely not advising anyone in any way here; I am just sharing a dream.

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Tarring With the Same Brush

That’s an expression meaning to denigrate two separate, different things as though they were one and the same. It is an insidious logical fallacy, and unfortunately one that slips under many people’s radars.

Two things that are so tarred by many Christians are people who are striving to create a New World Order  and people who say they are part of the the New Age Movement. Some Christians are trying to say that those two movements are one and the same. There may be some similarities between the two, and there are those who belong to the first, but claim to belong to the second, thus muddying the waters further. But the two are not one and the same.

Also, the NAM covers a huge territory, and yes, there may be some overlap among individuals, but to damn the entire NAM because there are some who are misguided or have bad intentions is wrong. You might as well damn the whole of humanity, because none of us, no matter who we are or how Christian and God-fearing and Bible-thumping we may be, are in perfect enough communion with God to truly know what’s going on at a global level.

Of course, what is really going on with this tarring is that those Christians who are lumping in the two movements together think that they are right and everyone else is wrong. There are a few things in particular about what they are saying that strike me as not only wrong, but harmfully wrong; things that are bound to cause division between people who call themselves Christians and New Age people who are just as Christian (or more so than some) in their behavior, morals, ethics, and ideals. (Defining being Christian as a way of life that includes how you think about and treat other people based on what Jesus—not Paul, but Jesus—said.)

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What Modern Poetry Is–And Isn’t

I love poetry as much as anybody. More than some, I am sure, though of course certainly less than others. I’ve studied it, written it, even been praised by a respected poet as having “it.” So I think I have some credibility in saying that much of what passes for modern poetry is not poetry. It is prose—sometimes pretty good prose—with odd line breaks. It is written simply by stringing together some words, maybe making some odd juxtapositions here and there, and then breaking it up so the appearance is that of poetry. Apparently the writers and readers of this non-poetry have no clue that this is not, in fact, poetry. Even some very well known “poets” are guilty of this.

I really don’t want to point fingers at anyone in particular. In all likelihood, the majority of the people who write this non-poetry earnestly and sincerely believe that what they are producing is poetry, and their feelings would be hurt were I to give some specific examples. Just as it isn’t productive to squash the first efforts of a child, I choose not to squash anyone in particular. It is highly likely that those who write this stuff, should they stumble upon this post of mine, will think I am talking about someone else anyway.

Yet still, if some people recognize themselves in this and are able to get past their hurt feelings and/or egos long enough to absorb what I am saying, the world may be a better place, with less faux poetry and more real stuff.

And anyway, maybe I am just being old fashioned here. Maybe what I should do is just relax and let people call any old string of words poetry. Heck, a computer program could be poetry. But—there is a deeper issue here, and perhaps that issue is worth exploring.

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Ways to Help Animals

Abbie, a commenter on a previous post, asked how to help animals. We all have so many choices! I am going to list as many as I can think of right now; if you have more to add, please post them as a comment.
 

1. When you adopt animals, as much as possible, adopt them from shelters or rescue societies. That way, you are helping to provide homes for animals that might not otherwise find one.
2. If you have the funds, donate to no-kill animal shelters, or to a local animal rescue society.
3. If you have the time, volunteer to help with a local shelter or animal rescue society. You only have to contribute as much time as you wish. But even if that is only two hours a week, that is two hours more of help a week than they would otherwise get.
4. Be aware of the conditions under which food animals live. For instance, most chickens being raised to produce eggs, even ones that are raised “free range,” are de-beaked. There is a growing movement toward small chicken ranches on which the animals are well taken care of and are not de-beaked. The eggs will be more expensive from such places, but isn’t it worth it? Likewise, if you eat meat, buy organically raised meat only, or do without. (I do eat meat, but tend to eat vegetarian when I dine out, because I don’t know what those animals might have gone through or whether they have hormones and antibiotics in them.)
5. It may not seem directly related, but if you have a yard, go organic. Your own cats and dogs, as well as those of your neigbors, and all kinds of helpful wildlife will thank you. I’ve had my cats come home sick because they had obviously been exposed to some kind of pesticide or herbicidal spray at a neighbor’s house. Pesticides and herbicides are poison, plain and simple, and you do not need them. Pull weeds by hand. Once your garden is alive again, the beneficial insects, who will eat the pests, will move right in. Even fertlizers kill the helpful microorganisms and worms in the soil. If you use compost and mulch, and encourage clover to grow in your lawn, you will find you don’t need it. With one exception, my yard has been completely organic—no sprays, no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or fertlizers of any kind. Within a year of implementing that policy, the hummingbirds started showing up. Within two years, I had earthworms in my soil again. After I build a large, low, non-mortar stone planting area, the lizards moved in. (The exception? My gardener used a weed-’n'-feed type product in one area of my lawn strictly against my “no chemicals” policy, And we believe that our beloved cat, Rose, died as a result. She started coughing right after he applied it, and our local vet just could not figure out what was ailing her. She died a few months later, and we are still grieving for her.)
6. Reduce your purchases of leather items (shoes, purses, coats, and for example), and never buy items made with genuine fur. There should be no reason for them. You might consider not buying even fake (faux) fur, as even that can give the idea that wearing fur is okay.

A No-Cage, No-Kill Cat Sanctuary and Adoption Center

If you haven’t already found it, please visit the Cat House on the Kings. Especially, be sure to view their video. This is a very worthy endeavour. Consider donating to them!