There are many reasons to dislike politicians. In Europe, what about introducing the Eurozone, a concept that was and remains impossible in the long term. There will be some form of break up in due course. The politicians didn't provide any rules for getting out of the Eurozone....
Well, the Euozone crisis is part of the debt crisis and the debt crisis is about mismanagement by politicians and big business who work hand in hand. The average man pays for all the mistakes.
But the politicians are not content to just tax the people a bit more and put us through "austerity". In Italy they wanted to tax the cats, the dogs and any animal which receives our affection.
The idea to tax companion animals in Italy is a sure sign of desperation, which must mean that things are bad in Italy.
Fortunately the proposal by an faceless politician has been savaged :). Not by a dog but by the sensible public.
The Italians and indeed any country in Europe would do better to spend less rather than tax more if they want to resolve their debt problems. The Eurocrats in Brussels can and should, but won't do the same.
الاثنين، 21 مايو 2012
الأحد، 20 مايو 2012
A Note About Aerosols and Cats
It just occurred to me this morning, when I was spraying a dog bite wound on my knee with an antiseptic aerosol spray, that the sound of an aerosol spray in use can frighten cats. My cat, Charlie, showed signs of being frightened by it.
This must be due to the noise it makes, which is little like a cat hiss. We know that cats hiss to mimic a snake as a way of frightening predators or animals that threaten him or her.
It seems that the cat, in recognising that the hissing sound is frightening, are frightened by the sound of the jet coming from the aerosol.
I am reminded of a recently advertised device that stops cats going to places where a person does not want them to go. It makes a sound similar to an aerosol and is probably similar to an aerosol in function.
I think the answer is to not use an aerosol when close to your cat. Although I expect some cats won't mind. However, as cat hissing is an inherited characteristic I would expect most cats to be disturbed by the sound of an aerosol.
Note: Yes, I was bitten by a dog yesterday on the street while I went to the shops to buy a newspaper. Nasty wound and wrecked trousers but I'm alright. I was an entirely unprovoked attack as I walked past the dog, one of three on leads being managed (poorly) by their owner.
This must be due to the noise it makes, which is little like a cat hiss. We know that cats hiss to mimic a snake as a way of frightening predators or animals that threaten him or her.
It seems that the cat, in recognising that the hissing sound is frightening, are frightened by the sound of the jet coming from the aerosol.
I am reminded of a recently advertised device that stops cats going to places where a person does not want them to go. It makes a sound similar to an aerosol and is probably similar to an aerosol in function.
I think the answer is to not use an aerosol when close to your cat. Although I expect some cats won't mind. However, as cat hissing is an inherited characteristic I would expect most cats to be disturbed by the sound of an aerosol.
Note: Yes, I was bitten by a dog yesterday on the street while I went to the shops to buy a newspaper. Nasty wound and wrecked trousers but I'm alright. I was an entirely unprovoked attack as I walked past the dog, one of three on leads being managed (poorly) by their owner.
Another Private Zoo Disaster Waiting to Happen?
May 2012: I wrote about Joe Exotic's private zoo a while ago (see article). I think he has the largest collection of big cats in America. His real name is Joe Schreibvogel. Mr Exotic is your archetypical American big cat obsessive. I am sure at the beginning he had no intention of ending up with nearly 170 big cats and up to 800 (yes 800) other animals in an area that would normally be quite large at 54 acres but must be considered pitifully cramped when you take into consideration the demands for territory of the large wild cat species and other animals. It just gradually happened in the same way a cat hoarder ends up with hundreds of domestic cats.
Having changed his name to "Exotic" it would appear he is also obsessed with the exotic. In my humble opinion what he has created is very far indeed from anything that is remotely exotic. It is sad, unhealthy and dangerous.
Mr Schreibvogel came to my attention in a television documentary program. He was visited by and interviewed by Louis Theroux an English broadcaster who asks telling questions is a very dry and apparently innocent manner. He is able to elicit honest answers to difficult questions. Even though the television program was about seven months ago (Oct 2011) it is still clear in my memory. It clearly had an impact. It was bound to because Mr Schreibvogel's edifice to self-indulgence is so odd.
During interviewing three episodes come to mind. When challenged by Louis about keeping a tiger is a small cage for a long time, Mr Schreibvogel said that what the tiger does not know he won't miss (i.e. the young tiger had never experienced a natural environment). Incidentally, in the wild tigers commonly travel 15-20 kilometers per day and 16-32 kms per night. Let's say they like space, up to 300 square kilometers of it, rather than a 15 foot square cage. I disagree with Mr Exotic because I believe that the desire for a large territory is hard wired into the big cat and inherited. The point is that Mr Schreibvogel simply finds a way to justify what he does whether it is considered cruel or not. Mr Schreibvogel likes his freedom under the famous American constitution but he refuses to give it to a tiger and in doing so he disrespects the tiger. He says that the tiger will be extinct in the wild in 15 years or so. He should know because what he does contributes to that process.
Mr Schreibvogel likes to breed big cat hybrids. He seems to do this without any concern for best breeding practice and inbreeding or preserving genetic purity. As far as I am aware he breeds generic tigers and sells them for profit. Generic tigers are hybrids. There are no conservation benefits to this process. It is just manufacturing tigers for the American commercial marketplace. Does that sound good or acceptable to you?
Mr Schreibvogel also made it clear that under certain unspecified circumstances he would be prepared to kill all the animals under his control. I presume that he meant that if things went wrong he would kill them and perhaps himself. I got the distinct impression that he meant that. He still grieves for this brother who is buried on his land. That is sad but I feel it still affects him emotionally. Is it a contributing factor that makes him unsuitable to keep such a large private zoo?
That is why I have the title: Another Private Zoo Disaster Waiting to Happen? I am referring to the horrors of October 2011 at the private zoo near Zanesville, Ohio owned by Terry Thompson. As you might recall, he committed suicide and released all his animals. The police shot 48 of them. They said they had to. Everything about these large private zoos are bad for the animals. They live in cages, and then in this case get shot at the end of that misery. I don't think that the Terry Thompson incident is a freak one-off event because the circumstances under which the events unfolded remain in place. It could happen again and Mr Schreibvogel could the next person to be in the news.
He is certainly under pressure from the authorities and he must always be under financial pressure. Perhaps the unspecified circumstances under which he kills his animals are gradually arriving. Who knows? A recent CBS news story refers to allegations of animal abuse at his private zoo. Mr Exotic likes to exercise his constitutional rights. If it is legal he has the right to do it, he declares. Yes, agreed. However, the law is frequently an ass and outmoded. Times change. The law follows. The time of the private big cat zoo is over.
All the world's attention should be on how to save the tiger in the wild and to stop pretending it can be done in captivity. If Mr Exotic did something like that he'd get my respect.
Note: If I was the authority dealing with Mr Exotic and wanted to close him down I'd ensure that the animals were protected before taking action.
Having changed his name to "Exotic" it would appear he is also obsessed with the exotic. In my humble opinion what he has created is very far indeed from anything that is remotely exotic. It is sad, unhealthy and dangerous.
Mr Schreibvogel came to my attention in a television documentary program. He was visited by and interviewed by Louis Theroux an English broadcaster who asks telling questions is a very dry and apparently innocent manner. He is able to elicit honest answers to difficult questions. Even though the television program was about seven months ago (Oct 2011) it is still clear in my memory. It clearly had an impact. It was bound to because Mr Schreibvogel's edifice to self-indulgence is so odd.
During interviewing three episodes come to mind. When challenged by Louis about keeping a tiger is a small cage for a long time, Mr Schreibvogel said that what the tiger does not know he won't miss (i.e. the young tiger had never experienced a natural environment). Incidentally, in the wild tigers commonly travel 15-20 kilometers per day and 16-32 kms per night. Let's say they like space, up to 300 square kilometers of it, rather than a 15 foot square cage. I disagree with Mr Exotic because I believe that the desire for a large territory is hard wired into the big cat and inherited. The point is that Mr Schreibvogel simply finds a way to justify what he does whether it is considered cruel or not. Mr Schreibvogel likes his freedom under the famous American constitution but he refuses to give it to a tiger and in doing so he disrespects the tiger. He says that the tiger will be extinct in the wild in 15 years or so. He should know because what he does contributes to that process.
Mr Schreibvogel likes to breed big cat hybrids. He seems to do this without any concern for best breeding practice and inbreeding or preserving genetic purity. As far as I am aware he breeds generic tigers and sells them for profit. Generic tigers are hybrids. There are no conservation benefits to this process. It is just manufacturing tigers for the American commercial marketplace. Does that sound good or acceptable to you?
Mr Schreibvogel also made it clear that under certain unspecified circumstances he would be prepared to kill all the animals under his control. I presume that he meant that if things went wrong he would kill them and perhaps himself. I got the distinct impression that he meant that. He still grieves for this brother who is buried on his land. That is sad but I feel it still affects him emotionally. Is it a contributing factor that makes him unsuitable to keep such a large private zoo?
That is why I have the title: Another Private Zoo Disaster Waiting to Happen? I am referring to the horrors of October 2011 at the private zoo near Zanesville, Ohio owned by Terry Thompson. As you might recall, he committed suicide and released all his animals. The police shot 48 of them. They said they had to. Everything about these large private zoos are bad for the animals. They live in cages, and then in this case get shot at the end of that misery. I don't think that the Terry Thompson incident is a freak one-off event because the circumstances under which the events unfolded remain in place. It could happen again and Mr Schreibvogel could the next person to be in the news.
He is certainly under pressure from the authorities and he must always be under financial pressure. Perhaps the unspecified circumstances under which he kills his animals are gradually arriving. Who knows? A recent CBS news story refers to allegations of animal abuse at his private zoo. Mr Exotic likes to exercise his constitutional rights. If it is legal he has the right to do it, he declares. Yes, agreed. However, the law is frequently an ass and outmoded. Times change. The law follows. The time of the private big cat zoo is over.
All the world's attention should be on how to save the tiger in the wild and to stop pretending it can be done in captivity. If Mr Exotic did something like that he'd get my respect.
Note: If I was the authority dealing with Mr Exotic and wanted to close him down I'd ensure that the animals were protected before taking action.
السبت، 19 مايو 2012
1900 Manx Cat Compared to 2000 Manx Cat
Today's date: May 19, 2012. This is a comparison between a Manx show cat from about 1900 in England (exact date is, I believe, 1898) and a modern Manx photographed in the United States by the celebrated photographer Helmi Flick. Her photograph was probably taken at a cat show and the cat is therefore also a show cat. The cat of 113 years ago is a classic tabby and the modern Manx is a tabby and white. What separates them is selective breeding based on evolving ideas as to what a Manx cat should look like.
On the basis that both cats are good representations of the breed at the time (which I believe is the case), the Manx cat has been developed to be shorter in length and more cobby. Also the modern Manx leans forward more indicating the preference for hind legs that are longer than shortened forelimbs. The head looks a bit more rounded as well. The 1898 cat is essentially a normal random bred cat without a tail in terms of overall shape while the 2007 cat is a refined and selectively bred Manx along the lines of what it is believed the Manx should look like but exaggerated somewhat. The general modus operandi is to breed slightly extreme and in some cases very extreme (e.g. contemporary Persian) to make the breed more outstanding and interesting while differentiating it from other breeds.
Jennings, a UK show cat judge of 1901, says1 that "In shape and size the Manx resembles the ordinary short-haired cat, and may be of any colour and markings, the absence of tail giving the appearance of greater length of limb." Mr Jennings hints that some Manx cats with stumps of tails are ordinary cats with docked tails.
The CFA breed standard for the Manx makes it clear that this cat should be short in length ("short back") and round. The forelimbs should be short and "hind legs much longer than forelegs...".
There you have it. A classic example of how a breed develops over 100 years or so. You can make up your own mind if all that effort resulted in a better cat.
Note: 1. DOMESTIC AND FANCY CATS - ISBN 9781164623557 - pages 22-23. 2. The top photo is published here on the basis that it is in the public domain due to the lapse of copyright over time. Helmi's photo is published with her permission.
Associated: Kurilian Bobtail, a short tailed cat from islands of the east coast of Russia.
On the basis that both cats are good representations of the breed at the time (which I believe is the case), the Manx cat has been developed to be shorter in length and more cobby. Also the modern Manx leans forward more indicating the preference for hind legs that are longer than shortened forelimbs. The head looks a bit more rounded as well. The 1898 cat is essentially a normal random bred cat without a tail in terms of overall shape while the 2007 cat is a refined and selectively bred Manx along the lines of what it is believed the Manx should look like but exaggerated somewhat. The general modus operandi is to breed slightly extreme and in some cases very extreme (e.g. contemporary Persian) to make the breed more outstanding and interesting while differentiating it from other breeds.
Jennings, a UK show cat judge of 1901, says1 that "In shape and size the Manx resembles the ordinary short-haired cat, and may be of any colour and markings, the absence of tail giving the appearance of greater length of limb." Mr Jennings hints that some Manx cats with stumps of tails are ordinary cats with docked tails.
The CFA breed standard for the Manx makes it clear that this cat should be short in length ("short back") and round. The forelimbs should be short and "hind legs much longer than forelegs...".
There you have it. A classic example of how a breed develops over 100 years or so. You can make up your own mind if all that effort resulted in a better cat.
Note: 1. DOMESTIC AND FANCY CATS - ISBN 9781164623557 - pages 22-23. 2. The top photo is published here on the basis that it is in the public domain due to the lapse of copyright over time. Helmi's photo is published with her permission.
Associated: Kurilian Bobtail, a short tailed cat from islands of the east coast of Russia.
Valerian and Cats
Valerian is a herb (V. officinalis). Cats are attracted to it. The plant lives for more than two years and it is hardy. It is not written about that much today (2012) but in the past it was. For instance in 1658 at page 81 of Four-footed Beasts by Topsell he writes, "The root of the herb valerian (called Phu), is very like to the eye of a cat, and wheresoever it groweth, if cats come thereunto, they instantly dig it up for the love thereof, as I myself have seen in mine own garden, for it smelleth moreover like a cat".
The roots and leaves of valerian have a similar effect on cats as the much better known catnip. Valerian contains a chemical called actinidine. It has a similar effect on cats as the chemical nepetalactone, which is found in catnip.
Both are called "cat attractants" by the Wikipedia authors. We know what some cats do when they smell catnip. It's a kind of mild, safe, recreational drug for the domestic cat.
Associated: Unified Catnip Theory and The Cat Drugs of Catnip and Matatabi.
 |
| Valerian - Photo by helen.2006 (Flickr) |
The roots and leaves of valerian have a similar effect on cats as the much better known catnip. Valerian contains a chemical called actinidine. It has a similar effect on cats as the chemical nepetalactone, which is found in catnip.
Both are called "cat attractants" by the Wikipedia authors. We know what some cats do when they smell catnip. It's a kind of mild, safe, recreational drug for the domestic cat.
Associated: Unified Catnip Theory and The Cat Drugs of Catnip and Matatabi.
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