Evening star., 1945-07-10
This and That
By Charles Z. Trace1Dell.

Hot weather care of birds, dogs and
cats revolves around plenty of water
Many kindly persons never stop to
think that birds need water as much as
four-legged things.
At times during dry hot spells it is
difflcult for songster to find anything
to drink.
AS for a bath, it is impossible. Deep
creeks and pools offer few bathing
privileges for birds, unless the pool is
made with sloping floor, so that water
not more than two inches deep is avail
able.
1t will become necessary, in most
cases, for the homeowner to provide
both bathing and drinking facilities
for the songsters which frequent his
yard.
Fortunately, the ordinary bird bath
serves for both. Where it often falls
down is that it too often is without
water, especially on hot afternoons.
The garden bird bath is serviced too
often by good intentions alone
To keep it filled means that some one
person in the family should be held re-
sponsible for the duty.
What is left to all never gets done,
according to common observation and
that with the best will in the world
Good intentions will not give birds
either drinking or bathing water, just
as the good will of nations will not as
sure peace unless this will is buttressed
by arms.
Water for dogs is also necessary.
There are not as many roaming dogs
now as formerly, but some still run
around, and these should find water
wherever they go.
The house cat is in a different cate
CORY, but he, too, likes water, for drink
ing, if not for bathing.
Cats should seldom be bathed, but
most dogs could do with more baths
than they get The well-known doggy
odor" is evidence of this. Care should
be taken to keep soap and water out
of their ears, nose, eyes and mouth.
Too little regard for this is one of the
reasons why most dogs hate to be bathed.
Modern chemical research has made
available many sprays and powders for
keeping down the flea pests.
None of them should be used until
test has been made on the animal.
Dogs have allergies, just the same as
people.
A test may be made by using bit of
the powder between the shoulders, where
the animal cannot lick it.
Careful observation should be made
as to the effects. If no harm results,
the powder may be spread all over.
Rotenone is coming back into use,
but as powder for ticks 1t vial do for
fieas, too. Evidently the tick is re-
| garded, and rightly, as greater menace
than fieas. That is the reason its use
| has been sanctioned in "tick powder"
but not in flea powder
| Rabies is a terrible menace, both for
| dogs and humans. Death from it is
| too horrible to describe. Dog owners
are to be congratulated for their good
sense in cooperating so well with the
| authorities in the present effort to wipe
| out this menace.
| One good of the campaign is seldom
realized and it is simply that dog owners
are keeping their dogs in. In the old
| days it was customary for people to
keep dogs in, but since the roaring '20s
bad habit grew up of letting dogs run
\ loose over community 1t was bad
| both for the dogs and people.
People who really love their pets, both
dogs and cats, do not let them roam too
much, especially in hot weather.
Animals which are well fed and
watered, and kept clean, and not allowed
to roam during the heat of the day, are
better friends, and enjoy life more
They respond better in all ways, and
SO enable their owners to detect differ
ences in health states at once, instead
| Of waiting until 1t may be too late.