The Magee Courier from Magee, Mississippi • Page A18

A18 THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 HE AGEE OURIER When fleas flee Bible study every Sunday night This has been an especially active year for fleas, which have been particu- arly prolific across the country due to a warm, moist spring. If you have dogs or cats, even if they mostly remain inside, fleas still somehow manage to hitch a ride and set residence in your carpet and furniture. an itchy, frustrated homeowner to do? In extreme cases of infestation, chemical treatment of the house or pet may be necessary. ne product we found effective is Enforcer Flea Spray, available in the Wal-mart section. A fter a population of fleas appeared to have set up heir own country in one room of our house, the Enforcer wiped them out almost immediately.

I have no problem with insect genocide. In the case of pet treatment, this may include the use of flea collars, pills, or monthly medicine a pplied to the skin, some are proving to be ineffective this flea season. Your next line of defense should be bathing. We have used Adams Flea Tick Shampoo for cats (also from Wal-mart), and it works well. Unfortunately it has one disadvantage, you have to shampoo the cat.

hile this generally presents few problems for dogs, cats are an entirely different matter. Flea issues aside, many people incorrectly believe cats are like self-cleaning ovens and never need a good scrub down. an easy mistake to make. Just ecause your cousin Earl licks himself clean ean your cat will have the same success, even if it can reach places Earl So occasional cat bathing is recommended, especially when there is a flea problem. But beware, cats do have a habit of transforming from cute, luffy, lovable fur balls into urderous biting-scratching demons when they hit the water.

Along these lines, was- it Einstein who once said when asked to explain relativity: with a pretty girl can make 2 hours seem like 2 minutes; bathing a cat can make 2 minutes seem like 2 Or words to that affect? how a typical attempt at cat bathing is ikely to unfold: Step1: Find cat. This may be challenging, especially if the cat suspects a bath is imminent. Cats can be particularly resourceful when i comes to stealth tactics designed to avoid baths, check behind the sofa, in the clothes dryer, up the chimney, in your sock drawer, or Mars. Step 2: Place cat in ink. At this point, suddenly realizing forgotten the shampoo bottle, fetch it and return.

tep 3: Find cat and place in sink, again. tep 4: Place cotton balls in ears. This is not to prevent water getting in, but to avoid further frightening the cat from your screams. Step 5: Pour warm, soapy water over cat. Step 6: Remove cat from head, and return to ink.

Reach for towel to wipe soap and blood from face (yours). Step 7: Find cat. Step 8: Return soapy, wet, howling, scratching cat to sink. Lather, rinse, towel dry and release. Step 9: Call 911 and request blood transfu- sion.

While waiting for ambulance, disinfect any area where excrement ay have been deposited; also check if the cat left any. Assuming you recover from the ordeal, let me also offer one additional method we have used to educe rogue fleas in our home. lace a candle in a large dish containing about a half inch of water with a squirt of detergent. Lay the pan on the floor in the room infected with fleas, a nd light the candle just before going to bed. The fleas, at least some of them, will be attracted to the heat, but fall into the soapy water and drown.

Repeat for several nights. I works. Really. But please note: neither he author nor this publication accepts any responsibility should someone in your house trip over the candle and set the sofa on fire, whilst leeing from a recently bathed, vindictive cat. Nick Thomas has written for more than 200 magazines and newspapers, including the Washington Post, LA Times, Chicago ribune, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, and hristian Science Monitor.

He can be reached at Bible study is each Sunday night at 6 p.m. Adults meet in home of Rev. Joe Metts, children at Baptist Church and young adults in home of Chris and Lacy Sanders. Happy birthday to Melissa Caughman, July 19, Gertrude Sullivan, Charlie Blair, July 20, Theresa Jones, Rhuel Dickinson, July 21, Tommy Welch, July 22, Josh Hymel, Chase Booth, July 23, Cindy Jensen, Renee James, July 24, Michelle Berry, Shirley Gowan, Cory Waltman, Stephen Ross and Lou Ella Bradford, July 25. Wedding Anniversary- Doug and Michelle Berry, July 21.

Pray for Jeremy Cox, Sarah Warren, Ashley Sandifer, Dalton Hill, Jean Abernathy, unspoken requests. Attend Church John 3:16 JACOB ELI STOKES John and Teresa Stokes are proud to announce the birth of their son, Jacob Eli, born on July 9, 2012 at The BabyCenter at Magee General Hospital. He weighed 7 pounds and 3 ounces. Maternal grandparents are Elizabeth Harvey and the late Cordell Harvey. Paternal grandparents are Matilda Bliss and Reggie Stokes.

Mrs. Teresa Ann Stokes is the former Teresa Ann Harvey of Canton. IRTH A NNOUNCDEMENT SMNJUQTJOPOP Register for door prizes to be given away hourly 10 am 4 pm Health Screening for Glucose, Cholesterol and Blood Pressure provided by Simpson General Hospital Free Glucose Test Meters for Diabetics Hot Dogs 11- am 1 pm Jumpies, Sno Cones Face Painting Tap Jazz Ballet Gymnastics Competition Dance Team Adult Classes 2 yrs. old and up 29 yrs. experience Member Dance Teachers United ick Thomas NEWS Pat Irwin.