Do you know anything about cats? For years when we were landlords, it was a standing joke that I would have a cat in my house only when hell froze over since there was nothing more difficult to rid a house of than cat odor.
Therefore, cats as farm animals, are creatures with which I am not familiar. A functioning homestead really must have working mousers to keep the mice and rat populations at bay, but my late cat Sadie was extremely low-maintenance. Our new Tom that we rescued from a shelter is different.
To begin with, he was rubbing his ears all the time. When a rabbit I purchased did that it usually meant ear mites so to the books I went in search of the proper remedy. The internet, of course, had way too many different opinions, so I finally called a dear friend who has had inside cats for years. She confirmed the problem but wanted me to go to a vet to find out the precise treatment my Tom needed. Our rule with all farm animals is no vets. If we can’t fix it on our own, nature takes its course. Of course there have been exceptions to that rule but I took a trip to the pet aisle at Buchheit for a less costly solution.
What a large range of products available just for cats at Buchheit!
They had just the product I needed! I usually use mineral oil on rabbits, but since I was out of my comfort zone, I opted for the inexpensive over the counter treatment that Buchheit offered. It was the right choice, as after several treatments, Tom was mite free and leaving his ears alone.
I wanted to play with Tom so I found a laser pointer at the check-out counter. I was certain that it would mean hours of fun for all of us as my husband, Jim liked our new pet too. I found out that neutered cats do not play much. We both tried to get Tom to respond to the red light of the laser but he just looked at it like, “What are you thinking? You’ve got to be kidding me.” Oh well, so much for toys, but Buchheit sure had some great ones for felines.
During our first week, we didn’t know if he would work out as he spent so much time sleeping once we moved him into the house. It was Jim’s idea but I had reservations as he flinched at times if you moved too quickly to pet him. Someone had hit him and we didn’t know how abused he had been. Would he work out inside our home? Did he know how to mouse? Jim started telling him that he needed to bring us a mouse. He was joking but just look at the wonderful gift Tom lay out for us at our front door.
We have ourselves a great mouser! He got battle scars the second week when he insisted on going out at night to hunt. Another dumped tomcat, Gary, had been much abused and it had taken me 6 months to be able to even touch him. He and Tom had several spats but Tom prevailed and Gary has not returned.
Thank you, Katie for bringing such a delight into our household. Tom makes me laugh every day! With the great line of feline products available at Buchheit, I will be able to care for and feed him well. I think he needs a fancy collar and maybe a new bed. Hope you enjoy your working farm pets as much as we are enjoying Tomcat! Be blessed! Anne May
