Gary Bogue: Reader responses to past columns

Regarding birds lined up on power wires (March 10 column), I have also noticed that for many

years in many other places.

Here's my take on it: The birds are usually lined up adjacent to the wire support points,

i.e. the insulators. Since there is no absolutely "perfect" insulator there will be a minute

voltage drop at the attachment. A voltage drop means there will be a minute current, which

results in a bit of heat. The birds are getting their bony feet warm so that the warmth can

travel up their bony legs to keep their bods warm. By the way, I'm not an electrical

engineer, although I have had some E.E. training. (Claude Benedix in cyberspace)

There are many power lines around the county favored by flocks of birds. Magnetic fields flow

around those lines and maybe a bit of vibration and maybe just enough warmth to tickle and

warm their little clawed toes. Just a thought! (Pat Voth, Martinez)

I, too, have taken the Monument offramp many, many times and notice the birds on the lines

and I have never seen them fly off or on. It seems they just sit there all day long
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without moving! My guess is that there is some heat from the lines and it keeps their little

footsies warm. (Bill of Orinda)

Any power company engineers out there like to comment on why flocks of birds only like to sit

on certain spots on certain power lines? (Gary)

Cats that don't play

In your column of March 6 (about the cat that runs and hides from its toys), you told Ruby to

try to have her cat play with some cotton string. Please tell her to put the string out of

her cat's reach when she is not playing with it.

Our cat Cougar got hold of some string and decided to eat it. We ended up spending a bundle

(would do it again if ever needed as he was my baby) to have the string removed from his

intestines.

This is just a word of caution so no other animal has to go through what our Cougar kitty

went through.

Thank you, Gary. (Rita and Danny Martinez, Vallejo)

One piece of advice I'll give to anyone who plans to put an open grocery bag on the floor for

kitties to play in: CUT THE HANDLES OFF! Or at least cut them. Once I gave my cats a grocery

bag to play with, and one got his head caught in one of the handles.

It was quite a task to get him to slow down long enough for me to rescue the panicked little

fellow! (Sandy in San Ramon)

Scratching car covers

This is in regard to your reader whose cat likes to claw the car cover (March 3 column).

When I purchased a classic convertible, it came with an expensive thick "waffled" car cover.

My cat immediately climbed on the roof (convertible, remember?) and started digging into the

thick cover. Not wanting the car top to be damaged, I removed the cover and replaced it with

a good quality plain cotton cover. The cat loved it and spent her outdoor time sleeping on

it, not digging! The texture seems to be the problem.

Does your cat like to use your large planter (box or cask) as a bathroom? I cut pieces of

fiberglass screening (from hardware store) and lay them on the dirt in the planter. No more

issues. In fact, I found the cat sleeping on the screening material. (Dave Pastor,

Pleasanton)