The Cheese is Mine, Cat!

Last year, a Canadian television commercial for Armstrong Cheese showed an elderly woman feeding her cat all sorts of tasty human food, but when she pulls out the cheese, the woman shoves the curious cat off the table, and hisses, "The cheese is mine, cat."

I emailed the company, telling them I found that 'shove' a bit brutal. The company responded, saying I wasn't the only one offended, and they assured me the cat wasn't harmed during the filming of the commercial. They didn't pull the ad, but cut out the shove. Now, the cat appears to simply fall from the table.

I don't know why I'm sharing this with you. Perhaps just to say that if a few raised voices can make a change to an obscure and probably harmless commercial, think what we can do when it comes to something that really matters.

Can You Stand It? Another Happy Ending

Last November, two-year-old Bear, a black lab mix, disappeared from his Nova Scotia home during a snowstorm. His owners, Arie and Jackie Levering, searched the area; and notified neighbours, animal control and the veterinary hospital.

Ten long weeks passed without Bear, and the couple soon gave up hope, believing the dog had either been hit by a car or attacked by coyotes. On January 23rd, the vet phoned with news that Bear had been found.

David Lewis, a government employee, was in his truck when he spotted a dog crawl out from the woods. Mr. Lewis figured the dog was lost, so opened the door and Bear jumped in. At the veterinary hospital, it was discovered Bear had two broken legs, a crushed pelvis, and lost two-thirds of his body weight. Some of the fractures had fused, so there may be surgery in Bear's future.

The Leverings believe Bear may have been hit by a snowplow, but have no idea how the injured dog survived for two months in the dead of winter. One thing they do know for sure -- they're glad to have Bear home with them.

Caught in the Headlights: Wildlife on Our Roads

The other night, my headlights flashed on a deer at the side of the road, but she'd been hit and was quite obviously dead. Since her head was still in the way of traffic, I called 911. Because of that scene, and so many others like it, I thought I'd post something from last summer. I believe the message is important, so instead of calling it re-posting, let's call it re-gifting.


On Sunday, I drove past three dead raccoons--one large, two quite small--grouped together at the side of the road. Whenever I see roadkill, I imagine a possible scenario: After foraging for food, a mother raccoon makes her way back to her children only to be struck by a car. But on that particular Sunday morning, it was the entire family of raccoons who lost their lives. It makes me incredibly sad to see wildlife so senselessly killed (although it's hard to think of a senseful killing).

According to a study by L.P. Tardiff & Associates for Transport Canada, motor vehicles may be the number one predator of wildlife. Some statistics from Wikipedia:

"Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People Newspaper estimated that the following animals are being killed by motor vehicles in the United States annually:

41 million squirrels
26 million cats
22 million rats
19 million opossums
15 million raccoons
6 million dogs
350,000 deer"

Often, there's not much a driver can do to avoid hitting animals that venture onto the road, especially at night. Animals react differently--a rabbit's frozen bewilderment as a car barrels toward it; a deer's unexpected jog to the left when we expect it to go right. So it's up to us to take precautions.

What drivers can do:

Ease up on the gas pedal when driving through wildlife areas. Look for the yellow, diamond-shaped warning signs.

Watch for movement at the roadside, and slow down when you see any. It's far better to use your brakes than to use your wheel as swerving may result in the loss of control.

Be aware that wildlife is most active at dawn and dusk.

Watch for the car's headlights reflecting off the animal's eyes. Often drivers will see the shining eyes before they see the animal.

Anticipate unpredictable behaviour from all wildlife.

What governments can do:

Build wildlife underpasses and overpasses. On the Trans-Canada Highway, through Banff National Park, 24 underpasses and overpasses have been constructed--the largest scale wildlife passage in the world. Since 1996, more than 50,000 large mammals have used them, and animal-vehicle collisions have dropped by 80%.

Erect animal crossing signs on high-risk stretches.

Invest in heat-seeking cameras that detect animals and warn drivers when one is ahead, or wildlife warning systems that use alternating sounds and lights to scare animals when vehicles approach.


For more information on reducing the risk, check out this site:

Wildlife Collision Prevention Program

Let me know if there are other measures we can take to keep our wildlife safe and alive.

Update

Last month, in Entertaining your cat, I wrote about the toy I'd purchased but my cat had ignored. Just wanted to let you know that I took it up to the OSPCA (where they seem to have an overabundance of full-grown cats), and put it into a large room with six cats.

They loved it! They played with the thingamabobs and actually went inside the green 'house'. Although the Society provides lots of toys for the cats, I think I'll buy a few of the Birds of a Tethers that Meeko loves, and take them over to the shelter.

Stuffed Animals

Last week, as I was happily (okay, not so happily, it was more like frantically) scrapbooking the last few years of my life, I came across a photo I'd taken in a shop in Pisa, Italy. I suppose the owner thought four stuffed, oddly dressed pigs (weasels?), sitting down to dinner and wine would draw in the customers. It worked--I came in far enough to take the picture (click on the photo to enlarge):



It reminds me of a television commercial running in Canada for the restaurant Montana's Cookhouse. It features a wall mounted deer and moose head chatting about the great food and customers just meters away. Is it just me, or does thinking about dead animals with their heads chopped off turn most people off their feed?

One day when my daughter was quite young, she came home from a birthday party with a knick knack in the form of a kitten.


It was soft and cute, and she quite liked it. I didn't tell her that the fur had once belonged to a rabbit.

But I'm just as guilty. Looking through my cat's basket of toys, I found several rabbit fur-covered playthings. I know I bought them, but can't imagine what I was thinking when I picked them off the store shelf. I guess I was thinking the toys were soft and cute, ignoring the fact that the fur had once belonged to a bunny.

I promise to be more aware (and awake) in the future.

A Happy Ending

In November, I promised Nuclear Toast a story with a happy ending. I think this news qualifies:

Last August, Brenda Hemsing drove from San Diego to Wetaskiwin, Alberta with her two dogs, Cocoa and Jake for a family visit. While the family was away on a day trip, the dogs escaped from the fenced-in yard. Cocoa was found, but Jake, a three-year-old German shepherd-collie cross, eluded capture, and Ms. Hemsing returned home without her beloved pet.

Fast forward five months: A seemingly well-fed Jake is found camping out under an abandoned bus in Ponoka, 36 kilometers from Wetaskiwin. Ponoka residents supplied blankets and food to the dog they'd named The Squatter, but grew concerned when temperatures plummeted to minus 40.

Lured into a humane live trap with the promise of food, Jake has been rescued, and is now booked on a flight back to San Diego. And the warmer weather.

The Liar's Diary by Patry Francis

Patry Francis is a talented author whose debut novel THE LIAR'S DIARY came out in hardcover from Dutton last spring. The trade paper release is January 29th, but a few months ago, Patry was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. She's had several surgeries, and her prognosis is good, but given that Patry won't have much energy for promoting, a number of bloggers are banding together to do it for her. I know Patry through Backspace--a wonderful website just for writers. For a complete list of all the bloggers, authors, editors and agents who are taking this opportunity to help out, go to Backspace's homepage.

Please take a moment to check out Patry's blog and her book, A Liar's Diary:

Patry Francis - Website

Patry's Blog - Simply Wait

Order from Amazon

Strange Bedfellows

Just a quick post today because I'm busy catching up on my scrapbooking. A bit of background on that: three years ago, my husband gave me a digital camera, and I immediately ceased having pictures developed. About a year ago, he bought a photo printer, and it took me another year before I decided to learn how to use it. So I've been busy these last few weeks, printing off photos then putting them, along with my memories, in a scrapbook. I've worked my way up to mid-2006. Almost there.

Today is all about the cute and unusual world of animal friendships:












Awwww. So if these animals can get along, why couldn't my two cats, Chowder and Meeko ever see eye-to-eye? Okay, back to my own photos.

Entertaining Your Cat

Some of the toys I've purchased for my cat have been a success. Others, like the one pictured below, have been a wash-out.

My cat, Meeko, will jump into into any undefended plastic or paper bag, but she won't venture into this--even when I toss in cat nip or treats. I've pretty much done everything but crawl inside the darn thing myself. But there is one form of entertainment that never fails to draw her in.

Chipmunks and squirrels.

Of course, I have to litter the outside sill with sunflower seeds. It's a small price to pay to keep the cat amused. Here she is, this past summer:


She thinks she's being sneaky, hoping to catch the chipmunk unaware while staying hidden below the window.

But sometimes, the temptation is too great and she throws caution to the wind.


These days, she waits eagerly by the window for the return of the warm weather and live entertainment.

Dealing with Stray and Feral Cats

My parents have a problem with four cats (all from the same house down the street). The cats pee on their porch, gardens and windowsills, and the owner is unwilling to do anything. My mom has tried the half-filled water bottles sprinkled around the garden--it doesn't look great but seems to do the trick in warm weather. In the winter, frozen water doesn't freak the cats out as much, so my parents recently moved on to something new: chicken wire spread out over the problem areas. It doesn't hurt the cats but they don't like to walk on it. Well, that's the theory; I'll let you know if it's successful in getting rid of the not-so-stray cats.

Stray and feral cats can be a real problem, especially in the winter when some venture closer to homes, and food sources such as birds that hang out at the feeders. The Humane Society advised my parents to trap the cats and bring them in. If the cats were friendly, they'd be put up for adoption or their owner found; if the cats were vicious, they'd be euthanized. Obviously, trapping them isn't always an option for home-owners plagued by unwanted cats.

If the chicken wire doesn't work, what else can my parents and others do? I've combed the Internet for humane suggestions, and this is what I've found:

TNR (trap, neuter, release) has proven to be the most effective method of controlling the population of feral cats. There may be organizations in your area that do it for free.

Spraying (and re-spraying) Mr. Clean Cleanser Ultimate Orange appears to discourage cats from hanging around.

If you're willing to spend big bucks, the Motion Activated ScareCrow Sprinkler will keep water-hating felines away. The same company sells something called Shake-Away powder.

Block entryways to places the cats might like to live--under porches or sheds.

Use coyote or fox urine. I have absolutely no idea how one gets a hold of the stuff.


Sadly, I discovered many posters on the websites I visited advocated shooting or poisoning the cats. I understand that getting rid of any kind of pest can be a nightmare, but killing them is so wrong, in so many ways. There's got to be an effective method out there--one that doesn't harm the cats. Does anyone have a tried-and-true way of dealing with this problem that they'd like to pass on?

Above picture of my cat, Chowder, on one of our visits to the yard.



Update on the chicken wire solution: The cats are steering clear of the areas where my parents have put the chicken wire, but they are now spraying elsewhere. I think my mom and dad may have to cover the house and yard with the stuff.

Bunnies in the Backyard

Last summer while dumping vegetable scraps into the compost, a baby rabbit hopped out from under the cedar hedge. The teacup-sized ball of fur stopped and rested by my foot, taking time to sniff my sandals and toes (a very odd though cool sensation). I waited until he moved on before I left, worried that if I stayed, the mother wouldn't come out to protect her baby. Protect the baby from what, you ask? The storm that was brewing.

The skies had darkened, and the wind whipped the blossoms into a swirl of colour. Back in the house, I watched as rain, the size of dimes, pelted down. When the skies cleared, I searched under plants and bushes to make sure the bunny hadn't been hurt in the storm. I couldn't find him, but I thought about that little guy for weeks.

For the past few winters, a rabbit has been visiting my yard (I know it's only one rabbit--I've seen him at dawn and dusk, but with all the poop he leaves, it could very well be 100 rabbits). Last year, he munched on my euonymus. This year, he's dined on the Japanese Maple I planted in the summer. Hoping to draw his attention from my garden, I've decided to feed the rabbit some of the vegetable scraps that I can no longer put into my compost because it's frozen shut. I also add other goodies like cooked rice, bread (cut into bite-sized pieces), and shelled sunflower seeds. I figure if he doesn't eat the stuff, the birds will.

Of course, the downside to feeding the rabbit is that when he doesn't eat what I've left, I'll know that something has happened to him--perhaps a fox or a car or the cold. On Christmas day, I put out some carrots, and they're still there. I'm hoping one of my neighbours, just as nutty as I am, is also feeding him, so the rabbit has no need to dine in my backyard.

The heavy snowfalls and bitter cold (it's -20c/-4F today) must make it difficult for all animals who haven't bedded down for the winter, so I'll put more food out today. I'm sure something will eat it.

My Cat's New Year's Resolutions

My cat, Meeko, wanted to share her New Year's resolutions with you:


Improve stalking technique - humans have caught on to my toe-nipping ways

Exercise more - try out that new cat toy the human was so excited about

Stop trying to catch the chipmunk through the protective glass shield

Don't automatically respond to the can opener when it's used - sometimes it's just tomatoes

Don't tease neighbour's dog through fence

Eat food from the bowl, not from the floor

Make sure my butt is inside the box when I use the litter

Stop staring down stairs to the dark basement with tail puffed up (especially when female human is home alone)

Stop batting small, shiny objects under fridge and stove

Don't climb Christmas tree or eat tinsel

Find out where humans hide the catnip


Happy Mew Year! Happy Mew Year! Happy Mew Year! Happy Mew Year! Happy Mew Year! Happy Mew Year! Happy Mew Year