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4A Daily News – Saturday, November 10, 2012 healthPetsactivities & feral cat that she brought into her basement apart- ment about three months ago. It is now quite friendly but will not use a litter box. She lets the cat out every morning, and it always comes back at the end of the day. However, she is going to move to a new apartment in a cou- ple of weeks and wonders how the cat will know where to go and what to do when she lets it out of her new apartment. A: I have yet to see a feral cat that would not use a litter box indoors that was filled with dirt from a flower bed or some other area in the territory where it lives. As time goes on, you can gradually replace the dirt with cat litter. I would suggest your sister con- fine the cat now to her current apartment with the dirt-filled litter box to allow the cat to get used to using it before she moves. After she moves, the cat should be con- fined indoors for at least two weeks before she lets it outside again. Since the cat will be confined indoors for at least four weeks while all this is going on, it may forget about roaming about out- doors. Hopefully, it will be content enough indoors so your sister can keep it as an indoors-only cat. ——— Use dirt litter when bringing feral cat indoors Q: My sister has a Pet Vet: Rat with lump needs to see veterinarian By Jeff Kahler, D.V.M. The Modesto Bee (MCT) Lily the rat has a lump that's grown from the size of a pea to the size of a lemon. Darla admits to procrastinating in getting Lily to the vet: She is afraid the tumor is cancerous and that Lily won't be able to handle surgery. The mass is quite large, especially when compared with Q: Our double yellow head Amazon parrot loves it when we mist her with warm water from a plant mister. Sometimes, when we are done mist- ing her, she will go over to her water dish and stick her head in over and over again, and splash the water all over her and the cage and walls as well. Since it is obvious she wants to get wetter, we have put a saucer of water on the floor of her cage, and yet she just ignores it. However, when we put in the water dish that holds about 3 ounces of water, she will gladly stick her head in it and start splashing around again. What is it about this little dish that she finds so appealing? A: What you're seeing is not a cognitive behav- ior but an instinctive one. Most birds that live in tropical areas have an instinctive distrust of large bodies of water and for good reason — they are usually full of crea- tures that will leap out of the water and eat them. So these birds will usual- ly bathe in whatever little pocket of water they can find, such as a little pool trapped in a fork of a tree or even a patch of wet leaves or grass. Through the process of domestication, birds have lost many of their instincts, and I have seen many pet parrots that will bathe in a large body of water. Perhaps one day your bird will set aside her instincts and enjoy this behavior as well. ——— from a pet store and a rabbit starter kit. The kit had a bag of alfalfa, and when we ran out of the hay, we just bought more alfalfa. However, my daughter read on the Internet that Timothy hay is best for rabbits to eat. What type of hay should we feed her now? A: Alfalfa is a legume and has quite a bit of pro- tein that baby bunnies need as they are growing. Timothy hay is made of Timothy. Grass is the nat- ural diet of rabbits when they have stopped grow- ing. The fiber in the grass is the most important part of a rabbit's diet to ensure proper digestion and overall good health. Since your bunny is Q: Six months ago, we bought a baby bunny now more than 6 months old and as large as it will get, I would switch its diet to Timothy hay. Lily's overall body size. This does not mean that we cannot help Lily. I have done surgery on tumors that weighed more than the patient. It does not sound as though Lily's tumor is quite that large, but it still presents a challenge to the patient and the surgeon. Darla's concern about the tumor being potentially can- cerous is valid, but most external tumors in rats are not can- cerous. I think rats are often thought of as cancer producers because of their history in the laboratory in cancer testing. In Lily's case, odds are greatly in her favor that the mass is not malignant. Blood loss is a real concern during surgery. Then there's the matter of the amount of blood contained in the tumor. Removing that amount of blood volume all at once can greatly stress the circulatory system, and especially the heart. Remember, the heart is the pump that pushes the blood all around the body and maintains appropriate blood pres- sure. If the heart is suddenly presented with a greatly reduced volume of blood, as would be the case with removal of a large tumor full of blood, there can be a pre- cipitous drop in blood pressure, which could be disastrous for the patient. We must keep these two factors in mind dur- ing surgery. Radio-surgical or laser instruments will help keep bleed- ing to a minimum. Dealing with the sheer volume of blood loss with the tumor's removal is more complicated. As the tumor is exposed, the vessels supplying and removing blood to the tumor will also be exposed. Each of these needs to be blocked off individually to allow the heart to adjust to the decreasing blood volume. In this way, the heart is not suddenly presented with a significant loss in blood volume, leading to a blood pressure loss. When allowed to compensate more slowly, the heart can more eas- ily maintain normal blood pressure. Jeff Kahler is a veterinarian in Modesto. Questions can be submitted to Your Pet in care of LifeStyles, The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto CA 95352. Alook inside the Tehama County Animal Care Center Tehama County has more than 63,000 resi- dents located in an area of almost 3,000 square miles. Being aware of everything happening in this wonder- ful county can often be challenging. Therefore, there are many who do not know of a small unassum- ing treasure, and the indi- viduals who make up its lifeblood, in their midst. If ever there was a story of a little place that does big things, a modest cin- derblock structure called the Tehama County Ani- mal Care Center is it. This tiny abode, and five dedi- cated staff members, man- age to house and take care of around 100-140 ani- mals on any given day, every single day through- out the year. the neglected, homeless, and abused animals that enter through its doors. Offering a warm place to lay weary heads, a regular meal to fill empty bellies and comforting caresses to battered brows, it is a safe The center accepts all While reflecting on the horror stories read or heard about with regard to many "animal shelters" throughout the U.S., visit- ing this one is probably the last place most wish to go. However, this center is worth a stop. It is not the dark dungeon we hear about, nor is it reeking of fear and filth while filled haven for so many who have not had one before. Where might this bea- con of hope be? It is locat- ed in Red Bluff, situated at the back of the county complex parking lot at 1830 Walnut St. You would miss it if you were not looking for it. There are no neon signs and it looks like many feature- less government buildings. However, the sounds ema- nating from within imme- diately seize attention. The woofs and barks are hard to miss. In addition, if pay- ing attention, a glimpse might be seen of a dog romping with either a potential adopter or valued volunteer. with uncaring staff. On any typical day, when entering, one imme- diately notices not only how bright, but also how clean the place is. Often a furry face is peeking over the secretary's gate, a cur- rent resident sitting amid toys speckled about. Looking across the lobby, kittens are scampering within their glass enclo- sure, playing without a care in the world. Walk down the hallway to the kennels and what is flank- ing the walls is an abun- WINTERIZE YOUR POND SATURDAY, NOV. 10TH AT 11AM & WATER GARDENS and how to give your water features winter pizzaz! Our classes are always free, Please call or email to reserve your seat. CENTERPIECE WORKSHOP Saturday, November 17th 11am @ Take your game to the next level with this sport specific training camp! 2 Camps Gain speed, coordination, agility, and power in this 4 week camp! 8026 Airport Road, Redding I-5 North, Exit #673, Rt on Knighton, Rt on Airport Located 1 mile south of the Airport (Next to Kents Mkt) Open Mon-Sat 8-5 & Sunday's 10-4 wyntourgardens.com WYNTOUR GARDENS 365-2256 Facebook Camp1 Dates: Nov. 27th - Dec. 20th Camp 2 Dates: Jan. 29th-Feb. 22th Days: Tues., Thurs. Time: 4-5pm Location: Tehama Family Fitness Center Gymnasium Instructed by: Strength and Conditioning Specialist Troy Lalaguna Cost $ 90 per Camp or $ 150 for Both and Division 1 Softball Player and Coach Aubrie Stroman 2498 South Main St, Red Bluff • 528-8656 www.tehamafamilyfitness.com dance of pictures of for- mer residents and notes of thanks by their very happy adopters. A flurry of activity often pervades the build- ing. Abandoned pups are brought by local enforce- ment and are admitted, county residents arrive to renew pets' licenses, vol- unteers gather treats and amble to the next of the many dogs to be exercised, phones are answered as well as the multitude of questions asked and end- less cleaning is done in Softball Fusion Baseball steady rhythm. It is appar- ent; this is definitely not a place of doom and gloom. What about the people who come each day to care for these lost souls? Is it all just a job or is it a calling? You be the judge. Lisa Bramley is usually belief that people should have compassion for ani- mals above all else is echoed daily in his deeds. Michelle Carlisi-High- ley, a dedicated animal lover, believes every occu- pant at the center should be somebody's very spe- cial pet. When one of her furry friends ends up in a loving home she knows they deserve, she takes immense satisfaction about her contribution to their happy outcome. Trish Strickland, the first person you meet upon entering. The proud guardian of many of her own animals, her motiva- tion is to help give the homeless that arrive and cannot speak for them- selves a strong voice. Mark Storrey, manager of the Tehama County Animal Care Center, works diligently to ensure the best possible quality of life for all animals that enter. He strives to pro- mote the humane care and well-being of all the ani- mals through adoption, education, and action. His $50 $ SAVE FROM With This Coupon TO 150 QUALITY 2-SIDED FLIPPABLE MATTRESSES FACTORY MATTRESS OUTLET (since 1920) 3650 Main St. in Cottonwood 347-3646 • FREE Delivery • FREE Take-Out Open 7 Days extremely passionate about the animals under her care, wants nothing more than to change the lives of all those that come into the center for the bet- ter. Totally focused on their humane treatment, she believes strongly that she can make a huge dif- ference in their present and future existence. Wally Ziegler, quiet and unassuming, is sometimes not easily noticed by those who come through. How- ever, what you cannot help pay attention to is his unfailing commitment and fondness for the animals in his care. He positively shines in all his interac- tions with them. spective. It is time to see your Animal Care Center. It really is time to meet the little place that does big things. In the process, you just might also meet a new best friend. It is time to change per- Ronnie Casey is a volunteer with Providing Essentials for Tehama Shelter. You can read her blog, Mutts & Moggies, at redbluffdailynews.com. "Service above Self" extraordinary things! 80+ ordinary local people doing Check out Rotary International www.ContactRotary.org Interested in attending a local meeting? Email: tehama.up@gmail.com