Posts tagged cat
Plague identified in City of Boulder
Jun 3rd
Go ahead, try to pet me!!(I’ll rip yer face off)
Boulder, CO – A domestic cat living in the 2500 block of 6th Street has tested positive for plague. Additionally, a dead squirrel found at the intersection of 8th and Maxwell Avenue has tested positive for plague. As a result, the Mapleton Hill neighborhood has been posted with signs listing precautionary measures to avoid plague.
This is the first time plague activity has been confirmed in Boulder County this season, and public health officials want to remind residents about how to protect themselves against plague.
“We want people to understand what steps they should take to protect themselves, their family members, and their pets,” said Boulder County Public Health (BCPH) Environmental Health Division Manager Joe Malinowski. “Because plague is most commonly transmitted by fleas, taking steps to avoid flea exposure will be most helpful in preventing this disease.”
Public health officials recommend the following precautions to reduce the likelihood of being exposed to plague:
· AVOID FLEAS! Protect pets with flea powder, and keep pets on a leash and out of wild rodent habitats.
· STAY OUT of areas that wild rodents inhabit. If you enter areas with wild rodents, wear insect repellent and tuck your pants cuffs into your socks to prevent flea bites.
· AVOID all contact with wild rodents, including squirrels; do not feed or handle them.
· NEVER TOUCH sick or dead animals with your bare hands. Use a long-handled shovel to place dead animals in a garbage bag, and then place the bag in an outdoor garbage can.
· PREVENT rodent infestations around your house. Clear plants and materials away from outside walls, reduce access to food items, and set traps.
· TREAT known rodent sites around your home with flea powder or a suitable insecticide.
Plague occurs naturally in Colorado and is an infectious disease spread by fleas to wild rodents and other small mammals, such as squirrels, rats, prairie dogs, and rabbits. Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague and occurs after a bite from an infected flea. Plague can spread to humans when infected fleas from squirrels, prairie dogs, and other wild rodents bite a human.
Household pets, such as dogs and especially cats, can either get plague or carry infected fleas home to their owners. In rare instances, plague can be transmitted to people from cats sick with plague. “Keeping cats indoors is the best way to protect them from getting plague,” said Malinowski. “In addition, pet owners should discuss with their veterinarians the best way to protect pets from fleas.”
Symptoms of plague infection include high fever, extreme fatigue, and painful swollen lymph nodes (called bubos). If you observe these symptoms in a person or pet, it is important to contact your health care provider or veterinarian immediately. Plague can be treated with antibiotics, but this treatment is most successful when the disease can be diagnosed quickly.
For more information about plague, please visit the BCPH web site at www.BoulderCountyHealth.org, or call the Health Alert Hotline at 303-441-1460.
Firefighters respond to apartment blaze, rescue cat
Oct 21st
Boulder Fire Rescue crews responded to a fire at 2805 Sundown Lane, unit 112, at the Gold Run Condominium complex at 11:23 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 20. Four engines and the ladder truck with 18 firefighters and two fire chiefs were on scene. The last engine cleared at 2 p.m.
The resident of a neighboring unit called 9-1-1 at 11:20 a.m. to report an odor of smoke and the sound of a smoke alarm in an adjacent apartment. Neighbors evacuated, and no injuries were reported to residents or firefighters.
The damaged unit was occupied by two people who were not at home at the time of the fire. The fire was contained to one unit of the multi-unit wooden structure. Damage is estimated to be approximately $50,000. The apartment is uninhabitable at this time.
One cat was rescued and resuscitated using a pet CPR mask and then transported to the Humane Society for treatment. The masks were donated to the department a couple of years ago by two young girls who sold jewelry to raise money so they could purchase and provide crews with the specialized animal equipment.
Fire Marshal David Lowrey said the fire appears to be accidental in nature.
SOURCE: City of Boulder press release
You're Under arrest !!! by Frank Eriksen
Sep 24th
Riding with The King – In A Police Car
Sept. 24, 2010
Just sent in my app for the Boulder Police Dept’s “Ride Along” program. If they accept me this will be the first time I’ll be in a Police car without the cuff’s on.
I think this is a very cool program. I mean, it’s not everyday you can actually “ride along” with an On-Duty Police Officer. That means if there’s a call for a cop and my officer is nearby – I could be first on the scene. This poses all kinds of excitement and fear. Here’s my list of things I hope I get to be in on. And things I hope to avoid.
Excitement:
Arresting a city politician for any reason. Like chewing gum too loudly.
Cat up a tree. I wanna see if BPD saw Steve Martin’s Roxanne and just opens a can of cat food at the base of the tree.
I’ll be able to count how many times we stop for coffee and doughnuts.
CU Campus food riot.
Report of woman mowing lawn naked.
Fear:
Report of a man mowing lawn naked.
Fatal auto accident.
Riot at Boulder County Jail.
Osama Bin Laden spotted at Mustard’s Last Stand.
A routine background check on a speeder turns up an old warrant on me.
If they accept me I promise a full report. In return if they arrest me and I need bail money – you promise to ante up!
More to come…
