Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-09
This and That

What is left of Mrs. Blackie's faTnilg
has passed through troubious days since
the last writing. The light gray kitten
named Miss D'Artagnan, and Alexandra
Dumas, the black and white one, have
been suffering with the "sniffies."
This is the name the veterinary pro-
fession gives to kind of cat cold. a
variety of distempcr. which is now prev
alent in feline circles throughout the
District.
It is germ borne, and at times reaches
the epidemic stage. It is self-immuniz-
ing-that is, a cat which gets 1t once
will scarcely have it again.
Miss D'Artagnan was the first of the
kittens to come down with it. The
initial visible symptom is a swelling
shut of the right eye why the RICH:
we don't know. combined with tend
ency to sneeze, from which the disease
gets its popular name.
A sore-eyed kitten is never an object
Of beauty, any more than a human
being with bleary eyes. A kitten with
the "Snifies" has an emulation from
the swollen eye, which, bloodshot, must
be painful.
Bathing the eyes with a normal boric
acid solution (warn1) is the best thing
to do to combat this symptom of the
disease.
The major symptoms may be fought
with rhinitis tablets. half strength. Lin
coin formula. but there is a chance thar
the small quantity of belladonna they
contain may make the patient highly
nervous.
Half a tablet is usually recommended,
but our experience is that one-fourth a
tablet twice a day would be enough.
u def &r~<-
for there is nothing more perplexing to
the home cat fancier than attempting
to administer medicine to his pets.
Kittens. we discovered, raise more
cain about taking their medicine than
full grown cats. Little Nipper, who has
not vet got the disease. but to whom
we gave several doses in the way of
prevention, fairly frothed at the mouth
each time.
The kicking and wiggling which she
put up at each pill was enough to have
made the most hardy cat handler desist
or at least TO lessen the dose.
~
The two sick kittens so far have
seemed lively enough, except for certain
times, when they were rather lethargic.
All in all. however. the disease did not
seem to lessen their pep" as much as
Their appetite suffered somewhat.
There is little doubt that they, in COM
mon with most kittens, suffer from
worms. Experts say to de-worm kitten
or puppy several times during the first
year, as this pest is almost inevitable.
1t is shown by harsh coat. emaciation.
ravenous appetite, and an unsteadiness
in the hind legs.
If cats have nine lives, kittens possess
half as many, and pull through under
the most adverse conditions. One should
be careful TO wash the hands after
treating the kittens and to keep the
latter in a warm dry place.
Readers may wonder what became of
Little Blackie.
He was taken away by a gentleman
living across town, and with average
kitten behavior has found himself a
splendid home for life. Small Blackie
is one of the liveliest, most affectionate
and quickest to learn of the brood.
He was the first out of his soap box
home, although the last to open his
eyes and the second to mount the base
ment stairs to the kitchen, having been
excelled in this by A. Dumas, who beat
him up by two steps.