My cat sometimes brings in mice he hunts, and they are often not dead but appear to be mortally wounded. What's the best way to humanely kill the mice so they suffer the least?
Not-quite-dead small animals are a difficult problem, especially if you are squeamish. Note that if the cat has hurt it, it is already in pain, so try to put your feelings aside and just kill it quickly.Please handle the mouse while wearing gloves. Oven mitts, if that's all you have. If the mouse bites you (and it will try), you'll have to visit the doctor and all sorts of other inconveniences could ensue.A couple of suggestions:Put the mouse in a paper lunch bag and roll it up tightly. Now step on it. Hard. Your goal is to kill the mouse by crushing it's skull. I personally think this is the quickest and least painful for the mouse.Beheading with a knife or axe. One quick clean cut is the goal. Only if it is not wiggling. In a lab, specially designed guillotines are used. [1]Put the mouse in a small clean jar, like a jam jar, and seal the lid tightly. It will die of asphyxiation. It will pass out first, so there will be a minimum of pain. Lab rats are killed with this method, except that a small amount of anesthetic is placed in the jar as well. Labs also have access to pure C02, which is used to flush oxygen out of the jar first.The old method of putting the mouse in a bag (or jar) and then blowing car exhaust fumes into the bag, thereby causing carbon monoxide poisoning -- that doesn't work so well these days as car engines burn fuel more completely and not as much C0 is generated. It'll still kill the mouse eventually, but it will be slow. The mouse may well be frightened by being in the bag and by the noise of the car.Or, you could just keep the cat inside. Cats kill literally billions of small animals each year in the US. Not just pests like mice, but endangered species and song birds too. [3]""The results were certainly surprising, if not startling," says UGA researcher and lead author Kerrie Anne Loyd. "In Athens-Clarke County, we found that about 30 percent of the sampled cats were successful in capturing and killing prey, and that those cats averaged about one kill for every 17 hours outdoors, or 2.1 kills per week. It was also surprising to learn that cats only brought 23 percent of their kills back to a residence." [2][1] Lab Protocol: How to sacrifice adult rats -[2] Outdoor cats are prolific killers, study finds[3] Image credit: The Oatmeal: How much do cats actually kill? [Infographic] Answer: 2,912,000,000 small animals per year in the US. Warning: Graphic Violence
If you drive long enough with a flashing check engine light, what can happen?
The flashing CEL is indicative of a severe condition.In particular it can mean the introduction of unburned fuel into the exhaust stream ...which can lead to catastrophic failure of the catalytic converter (the word *BOOM* comes to mind).I suppose it never occurred to you to look in the owners manual to see what, specifically, the flashing CEL means with regard to your vehicle.In most cases it means quit driving the car, there is something seriously wrong that can cause serious problems and you need to get the car looked at ASAP.Or, you can be the poster person for the "Ignorance Is Bliss" society and keep driving your car ...until it's not ...."bliss" that is.
Can a clogged catalytic converter unclog itself?
Well, it can happen that they will de-clog on their own, but usually need a helping hand. If it is utterly blocked, then dismantling and manually cleaning is the only solution.If the ceramic material inside is melted, then change it.Most modern Cats are stuffed with a ceramic honeycomb structure, unlike the older ones that had complex filters with platinum wool amongst other stuff inside them.One of the reasons they get clogged is people lugging around in fifth gear making lots of soot which clogs the honeycomb.A faulty EGR valve (gas recirculation) will do the trick as well.Faulty injection, allowing to much fuel to come through the exhaust can cause the honeycomb to melt when it starts burning the fuel... (replacement)But you can clear a blocked (not 100% blocked) converter by getting it hot enough to make it finish what it is supposed to do.The garages here in France have a naughty technique, they hoist the car up on lift with the motor going flat out, and stand underneath it holding a fire extuinguisher, just in case it sets fire to the car, or any flames from the now burning soot comes blasting out of the rear.It is a dangerous technique in my opinion, and not good for the engine, but it works. I don't suppose it works everytime either.So if you have a CAT that is partially blocked because you mooch around in fifth gear or have bad driving habits, you could try driving the vehicle hard enough to heat the CAT as it should be, where usually it can clear itself.So , if it is soot build up, there is hope for you, to unclog it without taking it off the vehicle and or changing it, if it is hard blocked with mineral deposits, unlikely. If it is melted, its got to be changed.
How do dogs immediately know which objects are dog toys, and which are just random objects? Are dog toys treated with a special scent? Do dogs recognize similarities in scent or physical form to previous toys? Do humans give subtle behavioral hints?
I can think of 4 possible explanations off-hand, any or all of which may apply:1) Your dog recognizes the materials used to make dog toys. Do you typically get certain type(s) of toy for your dog? If so, your dog is likely to recognize the scent of the material as a toy versus any other item you bring home. 2) Your dog picks up on your behavioral clues. If you typically come home and say "I've got a surprise for you!" or something like that and it is followed by a toy, then that's how your dog knows. If your dog is especially in tune with you, she may be able to pick up the excitement or joy you have knowing you're about to give her a toy.3) Your dog knows what you typically buy with toys, and so knows that if the other item is there, a toy is likely to be in the bag as well. For example, if you typically buy toys from the pet store when you buy food, then if your dog smells a bag of dog food then she'll look for a toy also. Dogs are really good at determining routines and patterns, so if there's a pattern to your shopping your dog may have figured it out.4) Your dog smells other dogs on the toys and not other items. If you bought it at a store where dogs are welcome, there's a good chance other dogs have sniffed and even licked the toy. This would set it apart from other items and indicate it as being of higher interest to a dog.Aussies are very smart dogs. If there's something to be figured out, they'll do it. Hope this is helpful!
My new kitten is losing fer abovr his eyes just under his ears really worried?
Sometimes hair loss is normal for cats because of their past (hunting). It's in their genes. But it could also be something not to be taken lightly. There are many reasons why this could happen. According to http://pets.webmd.com/cats/diseases-hair... these can be caused by disease and symptoms. Hear are some quotes from the site: (read the article if you'd like to know all the reasons): Demodectic mange: Thinning and loss of hair around the eyes and eyelids, giving the cat a moth-eaten appearance. Not common in cats. Hyperthyroidism (excess thyroid hormone): About one-third of cats with this endocrine problem will have hair that pulls out easily and hair loss. Indolent (rodent) ulcer: Red shiny patches of hairless skin. Usually involves the middle of the upper lip and occasionally the lower lip. Not painful. Congenital hypotrichosis: A genetic condition where kittens lose any hair they are born with by about 4 months of age. Burmese, Devon Rex, Siamese, and Burman cats are prone to hair loss. Hair loss around ears can indicate ear mitts: according to http://cats.lovetoknow.com/Cat_Hair_Loss... Here are some signs that your kitty has ear mitts: Head rubbing Ear shaking Scratching Redness Hair loss Brown, waxy build up in ears Foul odor Other reasons besides ear mitts could be: Mange Ringworm Fleas Food allergies Chronic stress Alopecia Areata Atrophy Facial Alopecia Sebaceous Adenitis Solar Dermatitis My best advice is to go see a vet. Best regards :)
What problems go along with a bad catalytic converter?
A clogged catalytic convertor causes the symptoms of a loss of power when accelerating or going up a hill. This is an often overlooked cause of loss of power, can cause check engine fault codes and lights, and mechanics will often change a few parts unnecessarily , especially if it is only partially plugged. A couple ways I check for plugged cats when a low power complaint is a symptom, and other obvious basic maintenance items have been checked for service is to have someone hold the rpm at about 1800 to 2000 steady. Then check for a good push of exhaust with my hand from behind the tailpipe. A plugged or partially plugged cat typically leaves a hot sickly feeling exhaust flow from the tailpipe. Compare to a known good working car nearby, known to be performing properly and with the same amount of cylinders. That slow , hot sickly flow at 2000 rpm compared to the hard push blowing your hand away of a not clogged cat is a dead giveaway, and I have NEVER misdiagnosed a plugged cat , or made false diagnosis with this method. Another way is watching a vacuum gauge connected to the intake manifold. When revving up, if the exhaust is plugged the gauge reading will climb then begin to slowly drop as the exhaust pressure builds up. Further testing will be needed to verify which part of the exhaust is plugged. Diagnostic by codes is unreliable and until now I had not heard of it. A code p420 only refers to catalyst efficiency. And can be set by faulty o2 sensors. Removing the exhaust and testing for engine power returning to normal works. But the hot sickly flow has been most accurate with my experience, in several cases where shops had missed it, were stumped and called me to come check. They are always embarrassed for missing the simplicity, but need not, as cars and their complicated electronics and even age old problems can lead to loss of power without any immediately obvious cause.
What is a good name for a female white cocker spaniel puppy?
If she's white maybe Snowball, Diamond, Polar Bear, Bear, Sunshine, Sky, Star, Sugar (I like that one), Snow.... just to name a few..you don't have to use these, I just couldn't think of anymore.