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Wash or steam clean the pet's bedding or rest areas.

Vacuum the house, paying special at tention to under furniture, crevices, etc. Adding moth balls or a flea collar to the vacuum bag helps kill fleas in the bag, but be sure to seal and dispose of the bag after you finish.

Treat the house and yard. Premise sprays are available as well as flea bombs. This is probably the most important as pect of control—remember where the flea spends a majority of its time.

Keep up the regimen—and best of luck with this ongoing battle.

Dear Andrea:

Our three-year-old Siamese,Lucy is expecting in late
August. Being first-time grandparents, we're a little
nervous. What are some signs of labor? When should we
intercede? What if a breech birth occurs ?

— Annie Harris
Phoenix, AZ

Dear Annie,

Although Lucy is well equipped by nature to handle pregnancy, the female cat, or queen, faces many challenges and stresses during this period in her life. By providing proper care, nutrition, and housing for the expectant mother, you can help ensure that she successfully produces strong, healthy offspring. The queen should have an appropriate box to nest in, large enough for her and large enough to house the kittens until weaning (four to five weeks).

Some signs of labor in the queen include nest making, a drop in body temperature, increased nervousness, increased frequency of urination, and possibly even a whitish to gelatinous vaginal discharge. When she starts showing these signs, first stage labor has begun; there may be intermittent uterine contractions, but usually you won't be able to visualize these. This stage may last anywhere from 24 to 36 hours prior to actual delivery.

Unless problems occur, birth should be allowed to occur free of human interference. True labor or second stage begins when the queen strains, a placental sac or head appears, and muscular efforts produce a fetus. The actual delivery may take anywhere from five to 30 minutes. When should you intercede? Almost never! Nature has a way of handling the birthing process just fine in most cases. You may keep an eye on mom (from a distance, if possible). Both dogs and cats will lick away membranes covering their young and may eat the afterbirth; if absolutely necessary, intercede by moving any straying newborns forward to mom's front end, allowing her to "jump start" them a little easier.

As for breech births, they are common and natural among animals having litters; 30% to 50% of kittens delivered are born in a posterior presentation.

If the active stage of labor seems prolonged (greater than one or two hours), if mom seems depressed, or if a dark discharge or a bright red discharge appears, call your vet. Medical and/or surgical intervention maybe necessary. It is inappropriate for anyone, even someone trained in animal birthing, to interfere and "assist" by pulling kittens out or by pressing on the abdomen during the delivery process. Remember, the best help is to do no harm.

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