My protector cat, and a skunky dog

Oh no, she won’t protect me from danger or harm. She has her own agenda of protection.

They say orange cats have at most one brain cell; since my Creamsicle has a lot of white on her, I am going to assume that maybe she had at least two or maybe even three brain cells. Even with all of that, she is pretty special. She is not a cuddler at all. She won’t even sit on anyone’s lap. 

Surprisingly, though, she actually loves to snuggle when I am in bed. Right up against me with her head pillowed on my hand. She actually wants to be touching me at all times. So my hand is always by my side so her head has a pillow. I don’t really mind because I love a cat’s purr and Creamsicle doesn’t purr, at least not loud enough to hear. When her head is pillowed on my hand, I can at least feel her purring. 

Last weekend my alarm went off, I didn’t really want to get up so early so I was just snuggling with her and cruising social media when the dog came up alongside the bed. Apparently the cat didn’t appreciate the dog disturbing her snuggle time, because she jumped across me and started swatting the dog. As the dog started retreating and moving back around the bed, the cat followed and kept swatting her tail all the way. I was protected from the threat even though it wasn’t a danger. The cat and dog are still friends so I guess the dog holds no hurt feelings over the incident. 

Got a text from a neighbor, whom we will call Cora, a few days ago. “Hey, what is the recipe for the ‘skunk off’ stuff you use?” it said. 

I answered back with the recipe and she replied back that KT’s (not his real name) dog had gotten skunked. I volunteered to go over and help her with the bath. She has all of the grooming equipment so it was the best place to do the bath. I arrived, but I forgot to change my shoes. That was a big mistake. 

We mixed up the stuff in a bucket, we got the stinky dog in the bathtub and sponged the solution all over her. Then while I was holding her, Cora and KT got the rinse hose ready and the conditioner set up ready. The problem for me came with the first squirt of the rinse hose. It hit me full in the chest. I knew it was going to happen. There is no way I can help bathe a dog and not get soaked. But by the time I was done, even my socks were so soaked I could wring water out of them. 

Poor KT got the worst. At one point the hose got dropped and was flopping around like a fire hose and soaking everyone and everything in the garage. We finished up laughing about it all and had a good visit afterward. And the dog? Midge smelled much better after her bath. 

Homemade skunk off

1 quart hydrogen peroxide

½ cup baking soda

2 tablespoons dawn dish soap

Try to get it on the dog before the dog gets wet at all. Massage in well, let stay on the dog for 10 minutes, then rinse and shampoo and condition well. It won’t get it all, but it will make them much better to be around.