The Flying Grate

Rusty: I'm still in shock.  Jan tried to kill Cyndi Tuesday night.

Marcus:  She did?  How did I miss that?

Rusty:  I think you dogs were sleeping in the living room, but we cats were in the kitchen.

Marcus:  How did Jan try to kill you, Cyndi?

Cyndi:  She threw one of these gas stove grates at me.  And it was red hot!

Marcus:   She did what!

Micah:  Oh, come on, stop kidding around.  Jan did not throw a red hot grate at any of us.

Cyndi:  She did too.  And it just missed me.

Micah:  By a mile.  Well, by a several feet.  But she did not throw it at you!

Rusty:  I saw it.  Good thing I was on the other side of the room. 

Cyndi:  Well, if she didn't throw it at me, who ... whom ... why did she throw it?

Micah:  Because when she was wiping down the stove, she grabbed the grate and it was so hot she tossed it without thinking.  She had the burner turned on so low to heat veggies for dinner, she didn't notice it needed to be turned off.

Marcus:  *nodding*  Until she grabbed the grate.

Micah:  Exactly.  Have you ever picked up hot metal with a bare paw?

Rusty:  No.  I think I can do without that experience.

Micah:  So could Jan, but it happened.

Cyndi:  So that's why she ran cold water over her finger right away.  But she put something on it and went back to washing dishes.

Micah:  Undiluted tea tree oil.  A little at a time until the burning stopped.

Rusty:  So if she had hit one of us she would have doused us with that oil?

Marcus:  No! Tea tree oil should never be used on a cat or dog.  (Pet Poison Helpline)

Cyndi:  But it works for humans?

Micah:  Yes, for "minor" burns.  This is not the first time Jan has grabbed something hot and gotten a painful burn.  The tea tree oil takes away the pain and she doesn't even get a blister to remind her of what happened.  (It's not advised for a large area or a deep tissue burn because there would be the possibility of the skin healing before the inner tissue has.)

Marcus:  I've seen Jan coat fire ant bites with it too.  The bites still blister and the itching hangs around for a while, but the burning pain goes away.

Micah:  Are you guys going to retract your story that Jan tried to kill you?

Rusty:  I will if Cyndi will.

Cyndi: I will if Jan apologizes for almost scaring the poop out of me when I saw that grate go flying by.  On second thought, I will if she breaks out the fishy flakes.  


Jan:  This is not an ad of any kind.  Just sharing some information that has helped me many a time!  It's so easy to grab something hot and get a blister burn.  And anyone who lives in fire ant territory knows how painful it is to be attacked by them.  I have found it harder to stop the burning pain from fire ant bites than from grabbing something heated.   I always keep a small bottle of tea tree oil handy.