Secrets of the Cat_ Its Lore, Legend, and Lives - Barbara Holland [94]
My son brought a kitten home to his apartment, and his girlfriend sneezed and sneezed and her eyes watered, and now the kitten lives with me instead.
The authorities as usual recommend getting rid of the cat, and many obedient people have done so only to find they’re allergic to something entirely different, like dust or molds. It isn’t the fur that makes the trouble; it’s the dander lurking in and under it. My vet suggests wiping the cat down occasionally with the fabric-softener sheets—unscented, of course—that go in the dryer with the wash. A company called Allerpet sells a solution to wipe on weekly.
Of course, there’s the strong possibility that “allergic” is a euphemism, a polite way to tell a cat person that one hates cats, finds them sneaky, sinister, and untrustworthy, and has recurring nightmares about finding them in one’s bed, briefcase, shoes, etc.
In these cases it’s doubtful that anything will help, and you might have to consider finding a good home for the person in question.
Bathtubs: They make good playpens. Ping-Pong balls, for instance, are splendid cat toys but have a habit of finding their way under the furniture, out of reach. A nice thing to do for a housebound cat is to put a couple in the bathtub where they can’t escape and make a satisfying billiards sort of noise against the sides.
Catnip: A member of the mint family, catnip is hardy and easy to grow and hard to synthesize; most “catnip” toys you buy contain only wood chips sprayed with a chemical substance supposed, by humans, to smell like catnip, though not very much like catnip.
The plant is easy to grow in any waste corner of the yard that gets some sun and isn’t soggy; it will grow in a deep pot on a sunny fire escape or patio or balcony. The only problem is protecting it from its fans.
In 1774 Goldsmith’s Natural History stated, “The cat … is excessively fond of some plants such as valerian, marum, and cat-mint; against these it rubs, and smells them at a distance, and at last wears them out.” Cats have no agricultural restraint; carnivores live for the moment. Plant a nice stand of catnip, and as soon as it rears its little heads the nearest cat will bite them off at ground level and then roll in the remains to make a scented dust bowl.
Catnip seeds can be had from most seed catalogs, listed under herbs. Start them according to directions in a safe place: a sunny windowsill in a room you can close against cats, or a spot on the far side of a closed door or window. When started in or transplanted to the open world they need a cage. A strong cage. I tried chicken wire first, but the cats just leaned against it until it collapsed. Sturdy metal stakes or cages such as garden centers sell to support tomatoes would be fine. I was lucky to find part of a rusty roll of sheep fencing, and Sidney, cat of infinite patience, sat beside it all summer as if at a mousehole waiting for the sprigs to grow through to him.
In June and again before hard frost, harvest it by cutting it back halfway, and bring the results inside to a dry, airy place away from direct sun. Tie the stalks together in bunches and hang them head down, well out of cat reach, until the leaves are dry enough to crumble in your fingers. Lock the cats in another room and strip it onto newspapers, discarding the tough stems. The hard black specks that sink to the bottom are seeds, if you want to increase your holdings. The more catnip you grow the less the cats will bother it, being jaded with plenty and content all summer with an occasional nibble; by snowfall they’ll be avid again.
Store the dried catnip in a plastic bag in refrigerator, freezer, or bank vault; don’t suppose for a minute that the cat can’t sniff it out through a plastic bag, or twenty plastic bags and a cupboard door. Dole it out sparingly. A pinch on the rug goes a long way and leaves the rug desirable for days.
When you have a surplus you use it as a Christmas present for other cat owners. For a while there I made it up into proper felt mice with yarn tails and whiskers, and