BEHIND THE MIC: Episode 4 -Cat rescued from a house fire, throwing up underwear, porcupine arrows and the Rockefeller Girls

We're back. Episode 4 is recorded and Stella made sure the return was anything but quiet. Right out of the gate she was walking on the equipment, grabbing at cables, and nearly unplugged the whole operation.

We checked in with Alice, who had apparently been sitting on the beach waiting for us to return. 

We talk about some recent clinic cases including a rescued Cat from a house fire. 
Firefighters pulled it from a burning house and cooled it down in the snow before rushing it in. Soot covered, some burns around the ears and eyes, but it survived.

IV line, pain meds, oxygen chamber and it's back home with its owners now. One thing people don't think about with house fires is the inhalation damage. The heated gasses and smoke can cause major issues in the airway and lungs, and the effects don't always show up right away. This kitty was lucky, not every animal in that house made it out.

We talk about a heart wrenching case. A family went on vacation and their cat sitter brought the cat in. Sadly, it couldn't be saved and the owners made the call over the phone. Before it was over, the cat sitter went back to the house, got a photo of the owners, and held it up to the cat so it could see them one last time. That one stays with you.

Mid-episode we talk about Dad getting a FaceTime call from the Vet Tech about a walk gone sideways. The Vet Tech and her sister had crossed paths with a massive white cat that could barely walk , just waddling, taking a few steps and sitting. Vet Tech's Mom had already walked away and kept going. The girls were stuck because you genuinely cannot outrun a cat moving that slowly and feel okay about it. A neighbor came out and collected him so thankfully no new cats came home and Wilma was relieved.

The ticks are already out and the snow hasn't even fully melted. At the clinic it usually shows up a few weeks after a bite . Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, Ehrlichia. If you're buying flea and tick collars, buy name brand from a trusted retailer. Counterfeit collars, including some sold through third-party Amazon sellers, have caused seizures in dogs. Talk to your vet about prevention options and ask about the Lyme vaccine if your dog spends time outside.

Alice taught us that porcupines do NOT shoot their quills like arrows.  We debated it but Alice set us straight.  They do not shoot them , the quills are loosely attached and transfer on contact. 

We talked about the time Wilma ate part of a raw onion, a discarded hamburger she refused to release and a long piece of sidewalk bubble gum she chewed slowly like she had all the time in the world. She has also snagged up a half a barbecue chicken. She has never lost one of these battles. 

Lastly, we covered the 2 and 2 -  Two good animal stories from the news, two not so good. Listen to the full episode for those , they're worth it.

Oh yeah, here is the photo of Miss Stella and her kickstand. We have to find Tessie's photo next.

This is the 3d printed "Tree of Life Cat" we talked about. It's laying on a white piece of paper so you can see it better. 

Thanks for listening, see you all next Sunday !