[at-l] Beau the Cat, Poison Ivy, and Questions

[Nina Baxley <infpeace@yahoo.com>]

Hi all!

OK, I could probably research all this stuff on the
web, but it's relatively trail-related, since there is
indeed (I assume) plenty of poison ivy on the trail,
and plenty of animals who are willing to give me
poison ivy. And I have questions about poison ivy.

At about 4:00 this morning, I woke up in agony. For
about a week and a half, I've had a bad case of poison
ivy. It's on my arms and my shins, mainly. And I have
a nasty spot on my right foot. I always have either
poison ivy, or I'm covered with mosquito bites. Not
very attractive to most, I'm sure, but people like
Solar Bear like that kind of thing in a hiker babe, I
hear. <g> Anyway, the itching was so bad that, after
trying to ignore it for awhile, I realized that I
needed to get in the bathtub and spray scalding hot
water on the affected places.

Question #1: Why does scalding hot water feel so good
on a poison ivy rash? There are only one or two things
I can think of that are so intensely pleasurable.
Three, if you count eating an amaretto truffle in a
warm bath by candlelight, with a tape of Chopin
nocturnes playing in the background.

I was pondering my latest case of poison ivy while in
the tub. Funny, as much as I've been in the woods, I
didn't start getting poison ivy until my cat, Beau,
started playing in poison ivy in the yard of my new
place. For a long time, I thought I wasn't allergic to
poison ivy; I've even rubbed poison ivy on my skin to
see if I get a reaction. I don't react to poison ivy
in the woods, but I get it from the cat.

Question #2: Why don't I get poison ivy the normal
way? Why do I only get it when it's transferred to me
by the otherwise sweet, loving, and adorable Beau the
Cat?

When I got out of the tub and was drying off (at 4:30
a.m.), Beau came up to me and lovingly did that
"figure 8" thing around my shins. Do I kick him across
the room? No! Do I politely ask him not to touch me
with his nasty poison-ivy covered fur? Of course not!
I think to myself, "Oh, what's wrong a lil ole case of
poison ivy? What a sweet kitty I have."

Questions #3 and #4: Do cats get poison ivy? Beau
doesn't seem to be bothered by it. And do I have the
makings of a crazy old cat lady? I think so.

I've been putting prescription anti-poison ivy cream
on for a week and a half, but it hasn't gotten any
better. I can't remember the name of the cream.

Question #5: How do you get rid of poison ivy? Other
than not yielding to the temptation to spray it with
scalding hot water? If there is some sort of cream or
other medicinal-type thing that I can put in my
maildrops, I want to know what it is. Animals love me,
and I'm sure I'll probably catch poison ivy through
petting someone's dog, cat, goat, ferret, or whatever
other pet they've decided to bring on the trail with
them.

And one more question, not so trail-related … how do I
get rid of poison ivy in the yard?

Thanks!

Nina



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