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Photo by That Guy, From That Show! Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
At a work function a few weeks ago, a colleague kept asking me why I hadnt bought a cat. I have several reasons. First and foremost, I need to get my landlords permission. Secondly, I live above someone so I am concerned that the cat could knock things over and disturb my neighbour. When I told my colleague this he looked incredulous but Im speaking from experience. When my friend Brett brought home two four month old kittens, they were waking up in the middle of the night and running around the kitchen and knocking things over. Brett lives alone in a two bedroom house so he doesnt have to worry about disturbing other people but I live in a unit. The third reason being I visit my parents every couple of weeks. They live several hours away from me so I stay overnight. I dont have any neighbours I trust well enough to give them the key to my flat so they can let themselves in and feed the cat. Of course I could always hire a pet sitter but again, Im funny about having other people in my flat when Im not around (who wouldnt be?). I could ask my friends to feed the cat while Im away but they live in the suburbs while I live near the city so its really stretching the friendship for them to travel all the way to my place and back. I cant count on the rest of my family as they also live several hours away. Im also an insomniac and I can only sleep under certain conditions: the flat has to be pitch black and dead quiet. Given that the average age of the tenants in my building is about 40 and they work 9 to 5, the latter is not an issue. But having a cat could make it into a big issue, if it is anything like Bretts.
These explanations might sound like excuses to some people but I believe before anyone gets a pet, they should think hard about their lifestyle choices and whether or not they can provide the sort of responsible and loving home every pet deserves. Amen.
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Is there anyone out there who still believes in tail docking? I find the practice so wrong. It sounds like the canine equivalent of human plastic surgery. All the pain and suffering a dog has to go through all in the name of vanity. Just so a Rottweiler can look like its supposed to look like: tailless.
The following web page made me cringe:
RSPCA Tail Docking link
I felt so much pain for the animals, especially when the RPSCA said the procedure is carried out without any anaesthetic. Imagine if humans had to get their limbs amputated without any anaesthetic. The outcry would be huge and people would be saying we were going back to the Dark Ages.
On the other hand, you only need to look at circumcision on male babies to see that some people still have this idea that any surgical procedure that is performed without anaesthetic on a young human being or animal is okay as theyre supposed to be too young to remember. That maybe the case (how many men do you meet who can still remember being circumcised a few days after birth?) but it still doesnt excuse the fact that at the time the procedure is carried out, enormous pain is experienced by the poor baby human/animal.
Of course, there will always be the traditionalists out there who say Rottweilers or Dobermans should have their tails docked to conform to their idea of what such breeds should look like. I have little time for people who espouse tradition. People who say a certain practise should be carried out because its tradition are presenting a nonsensical argument. As one wise doctor I know called Rodney would say, There are lots of things that are traditional but that doesnt mean theyre okay. Child labour for one. Slavery for another. Ill gladly add tail docking to the list.
What do you think? Do you prefer breeds such as Rottweilers and Dobermans to have their tails docked for the sake of tradition? Or do you agree with docking being banned?
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Photo by Jorge Barrios. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Is there anyone out there who is scared of cats, I wonder.
I was reading a Judy Blume novel that had a character who was terrified of cats. Hence my question. Thinking back to my childhood I remember I used to play with this little girl who lived a few houses up from my place. She had a cat that used to scratch and bite her. I remember being terrified of that cat although the little girl assured me her cat only got like that when it was angry. She also told me how gravelly its tongue felt whenever it licked her.
I grew out of that phobia quickly. Same went for my kindergarten phobia of large, vicious dogs. But it makes me wonder how many people out there who are still afraid of cats. Dogs I can understand as they can give a vicious bite. At university I befriended some overseas students who had come from Hong Kong to Australia to study. Some of them were also terrified of dogs. When I asked why they said in Hong Kong they seldom see them so theyve associated dogs with being bitten. One of the students was almost six foot tall so you can imagine how comical it looked to see a six foot tall woman shaking at the sight of a small terrier. I assured her the dog was friendly but she didnt seem convinced and made me walk on the side closest to the dog.
But cats seem less aggressive. I have yet to meet a cat phobic but I would love to. I think it would be an interesting experience. Just as I would like to know why my best friends mother is so terrified of mice and rats. My best friend tells me her mother is just like one of those stereotypical housewives on TV. The only time I get like that is when I find caterpillars on my clothes or, worse, on my body. Then I scream loud enough to wake the dead.
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Photo by Maren Winter. Used in accordance with the terms of Wikimedia Commons GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.
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This has got to be one of the stupidest and unethical things I have ever seen. If you watched 60 Minutes the Sunday before you will know what Im talking about: surrogate monkey kids.
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What a week its been for animals in the news. First poor Colin the whale, who was abandoned by his mother, has been finally put to sleep. And then there was the amazing story of the four-eared cat and two-headed turtle my colleague told me about:
Four-Eared Cat story
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Photo by Caronna. Used in accordance with the terms of Wikimedia Commons GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.
I was feeling grouchy today so I decided to compile this list, which sums up exactly how I feel. Enjoy!
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Comments (2)
Comment by Queenie
on My Ducks and the Nasty Neighbour
Quirky Folk
Quirky Queenie
The dog was a different story as it was big and I knew it would be unlikely I would win the battle.